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What emotion or feeling does the word menopause bring up for you?

Fear?

Worry?

Doubt?

Dread?

Confusion?

No doubt it’s a negative one? Menopause gets a lot of bad press and I rarely find anyone

who has anything positive to say about it.

That means that before we have even entered the peri menopause years we have started

with a negative attitude towards it.

We have already started to pre‐program ourselves to expect ‘the change’ to be awful. Our

brain is a super computer and will believe everything that you tell it, even if it isn’t true. If

you expect to have a rubbish time during the menopause then that could very well become

your reality.

There are positives to going through the menopause; you just don’t know what they are yet!

You are reading this because you want to know more about the menopause. Well done!!

Many women avoid the subject and hope that it will go away.

It’s never too early to learn about what happens to women at this stage of her life. As girls

we are taught about sex education and reproduction. We are told what happens when we

get our periods and get pregnant. That’s where the education seems to stop. The

Menopause seems to be a taboo subject. Thankfully that seems to be changing.

Women are living longer, the average age in the UK. In 1901 life expectancy was 49 years for

women. By 2012 this had increased to 83.3 years for women. This is expected to rise further

by 2032 to 86.8 years (an increase of 3.8 years) for women.

That means we have many more years ahead of us post menopause, so let’s make them

count!!


Who am I?

I came into the health and fitness industry in 2005 as an aerobics instructor. From there I

built my experience and knowledge with working with women on creating a happy and

healthy lifestyle. In 2010 I didn’t feel right. My moods were very erratic, kind of like I was

possessed! AT the time I was using the Mirena coil for contraceptive. I decided to have it

removed and I had one period. That was my last natural period. After nearly a year without

a period blood tests showed that I was peri‐menopausal. Yikes!!!! I was 38 and in shock. The

really, really bad night sweats I had been experiencing in my mid 30’s now made sense!!

From the end of 2010 ‐ 2013 I experienced many menopause symptoms; anxiety, low mood,

sore boobs, low self‐esteem, weight gain, low energy, sweats, poor sleep and ZERO mojo. I

felt fat, frumpy, frustrated and fed up!!

I have experienced Gp’s who wanted to help and others who didn’t want to know. Luckily I

found a great GP who was a nutritionist and specialised in the use of bio‐identical hormone

therapy. Bio‐identicals worked for me for a while but then my ovaries decided to wake up

again. I experienced very sore boobs and an extremely high estrogen level. I had to come of

the bio‐identicals until everything calmed down. I was then referred to a gynaecologist who

put me on the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) .

I really didn’t want to go on the pill and I didn’t want to have to take artificial hormones but

I was on my knees. By now it was 2013 and I just wanted the old me back, to feel a bit

normal again. The pill worked ok for a while, I had to change brands as I was getting PMS

type symptoms back.

My GP suggested trying HRT, which I did. Again it worked for a while and I definitely felt

more balanced.

Around this time I was under chronic stress. I was working way too hard and not really

looking after myself. My nutrition was pretty bad (it used to be amazing), I was comfort

eating sugar like crazy. I hadn’t exercised properly for a few years due to a bad back and lack

of mojo! I was a mess!!

It all came to a head in July 2013 and I felt like I couldn’t take anymore. I felt like I was at the

jumping off point!! So instead of jumping of Beachy Head I jumped out of my business for a

while.

I had to make some pretty big changes to my lifestyle. I was terrified to let go but I did.

I reduced the stressors in my life, slowly started eating well again, started to spend time

with family and friends and finally after a VERY long time away I got my ass back into the

gym lifting weights (which I LOVE).


It wasn’t easy and I had to let go of some ‘stuff’ to give myself space to look after myself. I

know now that it’s ok to look after myself. I have to look after myself to be able to look after

my family.

The big AH‐HA for me was when I made these changes, my menopause symptoms pretty

much stopped overnight. I stopped using HRT and haven’t felt the need to go back on it. If I

feel my moods or symptoms returning then I know that it’s a sign I have to slow down and

practice self‐care.

For years I was looking to use hormones as a sticking plaster to create a quick fix. I didn’t

want to have to make changes to my lifestyle. It felt like too much to handle and I was in

denial. I am only human and I practise progress not perfection. I haven’t got the perfect

solution for you but I have experience and love.

I continue on with my menopause journey. The transition in my late 30’s has been a massive

mental mind shift. I’m too young damn it for a hairy chin!! I still have some excess pounds to

lose and acceptance to practise that I won’t look like I did four years ago. Darn it!!

Menopause is so much more than a lack of estrogen and a lack of waist. It affects women on

so many levels; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

It’s a transition……


What the hell is the menopause??

So let’s start with the basics, what actually is the menopause?

‘Men’opause = greek for month

Pause which means well …pause

So the word menopause means when a woman has her last period. This occurs because the

follicles in the ovaries stop working. The follicles and ovaries no longer secrete the

hormones oestrogen and progesterone which regulates the menstrual cycle. This low level

of progesterone causes the body to send a message to the pituitary gland to release

increased levels of FSH and LH. In blood tests performed by your GP these high levels can be

an indicator of menopause.

For a few years before the menopause the menstrual cycle can become irregular and

changes occur in the flow. This is when the pesky symptoms can start. This time frame is

called the peri‐menopause. Sometimes eggs are not released in the cycle and this is called

anovulatory cycles. It usually starts aged 45‐47 but can start earlier or later. The actual

menopause, when the periods cease, starts at around the age of 53 (in the UK). This age

differs in individuals You know when you are in the menopause when you have had a year

clear of periods (you would technically be post menopause but hey let’s not split hairs!). If a

women goes into menopause before the age of 40 it is considered an early menopause and

is called premature ovarian failure (POF).

It is not known why the ovaries decide to stop working. Maybe it’s a predisposed genetic

programming? Removal of ovaries in a hysterectomy/ovarian cancer can cause a sudden

menopause.

How do you know you are

menopausal?

Here are some of the symptoms of menopause. These

are not exclusive to menopause and can be indicators

of other issues e.g. Thyroid problems and ageing.

The menopause is a naturally occurring event and not a

medical condition. Many women breeze through it with

minimal disruption to their lives. Others can suffer

terribly.

It can cause a sense of mourning for the loss of ‘youth’

and of the reproductive years. It can be a time when

children fly the nest. Physically a women may suffer with the hot flushes, break in sleeping


patterns and other uncomfortable symptoms. Spiritually a woman can feel as though she

has lost her way or maybe feel that life has a lack of meaning.

So what can you do to help yourself? There is lots you can do to ease yourself through this

transition. The earlier to start to make the changes the better your overall health will be.

Hands up who wants more energy, better sleep, a libido, more self‐confidence and a

positive outlook??

The 7 secrets to a happy menopause is not the complete solution (that’ll be in my new

book).

We will cover these main points which will give you the biggest results.

1. Education

2. Mindset

3. Exercise

4. Sleep

5. Stress

6. Weight Gain

7. Nutrition

You will see lots of H.O.T. tip’s throughout the report.

When thinking about your symptoms think H.O.T.

How it affects you?

Options – what are they?

Take action – what’s the first thing you can do?


Education

Preparation is a key to success in anything and the menopause isn’t any different.

Forearmed is forewarned. My goal is to reach out and educate women in their 40’s. If you

start to look after yourself in your early 40’s, before symptoms have begun, then you will

have a much easier time of it.

By making changes to your lifestyle NOW you will avoid many of the common symptoms.

You will also reduce PMS, weight gain, increase energy, and improve sleep while looking and

feeling younger (hurrah).

If you are in your 50’s and beyond then all of these changes are still relevant to you. You

may have gone through the menopause already; all of this is relevant to you also!

Read up on the subject, there are many good books out there.

Here are some of my favourite

The Hormone Cure – Dr Sara Gottfried

Women, weight and hormones – Vliet

What your doctor didn’t tell you about the menopause – John R Lee MD

The Wisdom of Menopause – Dr Christine Northrup

There are also great blogs online; here are some that I recommend

www.menopausematters.co.uk

www.mymenopausefix.com

http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/

http://www.simplyhormones.com/

http://www.thebms.org.uk/

http://www.menopausegoddessblog.com

If you are already experiencing symptoms which are affecting you then I recommend seeing

a health professional like your GP, menopause specialist or a nutritionist. There are many

‘alternative’ health practices you can try like acupuncture, kinesiology, reflexology, herbalist

etc .

I wouldn’t recommend going to your local health food shop and arming yourself with lots of

different supplements. Supplements can be potent and need to be prescribed by a

professional.


Talk to other women whether it is friends or use online forums.

The one thing that I have found helps my clients is the feeling that they are not alone.

Whenever I get a group of women together to talk about the menopause the power of the

group is incredible.

HOT tip – Talk to other women, read blogs and books

Mindset

My mission is to change the mind‐set of women around

the menopause. I am a huge believer in that we get

what we think about most. If we enter the peri‐

menopause years dreading getting older, going through

the ‘change’ and expecting the worst then the chances

are that is what will happen.

Now I understand that when you are in the throes of a

hot flush, feeling knackered from night sweats and feel like everything is drying up it’s hard

to think positive about the menopause!!!

Society would have us believe that once we go through the menopause we are pretty

useless.

The quickest and easiest way to a positive mind‐set is acceptance and gratitude.

Accept that you are experiencing change and it’s only a transition. It won’t last forever, even

though it may feel like it at times. Accepting where you are is not the same as giving up. Be

reassured that it’s ok to be feeling unsettled, it’s perfectly normal and you are not alone.

Writing a daily gratitude list is the quickest and easiest way to change your outlook. It stops

us dwelling on the negatives in our life. Quickly jotting down 3 things you are grateful for

everyday will have remarkable results. Give it a go.

Menopause can also be a truly liberating experience

It can be the age of wisdom and self‐confidence. It’s a stage in a women’s life where she can

support her children and lavish her time and wisdom on her grand‐children. Or perhaps she

will have more free time and freedom to pursue her own desires instead of those of her

family’s. No more PMS, periods or contraception.


HOT tip – try downloading a guided visualisation and practice regularly

Exercise

Does the word exercise make you shudder with dread or are you a gym bunny??

Either way you need to know that we have to be much smarter how we exercise as we get

older for different reasons.

The exercise we did (or didn’t) do in our 20’s will not have the same results for us as we get

older. Our bodies react differently (damn it!).

If you don’t do any exercise then I strongly recommend that you start. Not only does

exercise help with the dreaded middle age spread it is VITAL for your mental and emotional

well‐being.

When I was in the middle of the peri menopause symptoms I stopped exercising!! Absolute

madness! I was stressed out, way too busy and in a black hole of despair. The last thing I

wanted to do was exercise. I knew logically that would make me feel better as I’ve always

loved to exercise. The thing was looking after me had gone to the bottom of the list.

Make time

Making time for exercise whilst running a business, looking after my family and my recovery

seemed impossible. I had all my priorities wrong. It all came to a head and I had to change

the way I was living. I HAD to reduce my workload and manage my stress levels. Once I gave

myself more space I finally felt like I could make looking after me (relaxation, exercise and

good food) a PRIORITY again. The day I joined the gym felt like coming home.

Find something you love

Exercise come in many different forms, you need to find the one that works for you. If the

thought of starting a new exercise regime or coming back to exercise seems too daunting

then start with tiny baby steps. It may feel like it isn’t worth the effort but those small steps

soon add up to bigger steps. Your brain will be able to cope with the thought of a 5 minute

walk rather than going to an exercise class. Soon enough those shorts walks will get longer

and longer.

Making space in your life for you is so important. The benefits are HUGE.

If you are already exercising and have stopped seeing and feeling the results you may need

to change how you are exercising.


As we get older we need to keep our muscle mass. As we age we experience age related

sarcopenia, the loss of muscle and function. After the age of 30 inactive people lose 3‐5% of

muscle per year. Muscle is metabolic active; it keeps your metabolism higher. The easiest

way to do this is bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges press ups and using additional

resistance like weights in the gym. To many women this seems daunting and you may fear

getting muscly. Fear not, it is actually hard for most women to gain a lot of muscle and

become bulky. Training in this way really helps keep the weight off and will change your

body shape. Aerobics exercise alone is pretty stressful on the body and although it will keep

you fit it’s not the best exercise for fat loss.

HOT exercise tip – do something you enjoy otherwise

you will not keep it up. Will power is a very limited

resource!

Sleep

Sleep is vital for brain function, energy levels, blood sugar balancing and weight loss.

The ironic thing is that many women going through the menopause suffer terribly with their sleep.

Night sweats and waking at 3am are very common. Both of these problems can be remedied by

taking action of the steps outlined in this report. Balancing hormones by balancing blood sugar levels

and supporting the liver are imperative (see nutrition).

I suggest doing everything you can to get back into a regular sleeping pattern. This and reducing your

stress will have the biggest impact on balancing your hormones and reducing your symptoms.

Ways to improve your sleep

Don’t try all these at once otherwise you’ll go into overwhelm which will probably keep you

awake at night!

Address stress

Get out for a daily walk in the daylight to help your circadian rhythm

Supplement with magnesium, valerian

Use deep breathing/meditation/relaxation techniques

Stop the use of ‘blue light’ a few hours before bed (PC’s, TV, phones and tablets)

Get to bed by 10.30pm

Talk or write about anything on your mind

Drink night time herbal teas like Tulsi, camomile etc


Reduce/eliminate alcohol and caffeine

HOT tip ‐ Deal with the stress first (see below) then address your sleep.

Stress

It’s a sad sign of the times to say that the majority of women are living in chronic stress and some without even realising it. Chronic stress (long term stress) can be caused by a lack of sleep, poor diet, relationship worries, financial worries, not enough daylight, not enough exercise and the list goes on.

We have all experienced acute stress, that feeling we get when we are under pressure. The heart quickens, sweaty palms, blood pressure rises…..The good news is that short term acute stress doesn’t impact us as much as long term stress.

Chronic long term stress can be much more damaging. People who suffer long term stress may suffer acute stress regularly and/or live in chaos or crisis. They tend to take on too much, have too many balls in the air and feel suffocated by the demands and pressure of life.

Ways to reduce stress (try one or two)

Take an honest look at your lifestyle Ask for help Accept help!! Delegate Sleep/rest/nap Mindfulness/meditation/deep breathing exercise Have fun and laugh more Have orgasms ;-) (great for estrogen levels too) Get out for a walk in nature during the day Practise visualisation (may sound woo woo but VERY powerful) Hug more Exercise Clean up your diet use teas/herbs

The stress response is our "save your life" response and we wouldn't be here without it. If we were being chased by a tiger, the adrenals would produce a small amount of cortisol which would give you the instant energy you need to save your life.


When we are under stress or any perceived threat we produce one of three responses:

FREEZE

FLIGHT

FIGHT

Cortisol causes the liver and the fats cells (mostly around the belly) to release sugar or glucose into the bloodstream; raises heart rate; raises blood pressure; makes you hungry and interrupts sleep.

Blood sugar problems, heart health, sleep and cravings issues are describing the majority of health concerns we see in the Western World today - all related to cortisol!

Today, with busy lifestyles being the norm, stressors are steady, chronic and constant, which can keep cortisol levels elevated for weeks and even months at a time.

Cortisol triggers cravings for comfort foods and releases extra glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream. This in turn triggers the release of excess insulin. While the insulin is trying to drive glucose into the cells, chronic stress delivers way more glucose than we need.

The result: the excess glucose gets stored in its favourite spots: hip and belly fat, which is four times more sensitive to cortisol than the fat under the skin.

There's more..... Chronically high insulin levels tell the brain not to release another hormone called leptin, which tells the body to stop eating. The brain thinks we have enough food because of the higher insulin levels.

Without leptin, the brain gets a starvation message which drives us to crave quick-energy comfort foods (high fat and sugar) which end up being stored as fat.

This starvation response in turn sends a message to spare any reserve energy by being less active, which is also linked to fat storing.

Chronically high cortisol levels are also related to poor sleep quality. Lack of sleep triggers the release of the "hunger hormone" called ghrelin. In the absence of regular sleep, the stomach and pancreas produce ghrelin to stimulate appetite, often resulting in weight gain.

Bottom line: We are not wired to thrive on long term, constant and chronic stress. Helping the body reset itself to enjoy a stress-free lifestyle will have the BIGGEST impact on our health and well-being.

Managing stress levels by using the techniques above will be your first step to recovery. You can also try some supplements to help lower cortisol levels.

Tulsi tea (holy Basil) is a great cortisol lowering herb.

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen and has been shown to decrease cortisol levels. Use it to balance the nervous system, it can be taken before bed to support healthy sleep and in the morning to support the body to handle any stress your day may bring.

In its simplest form, less stress= less body fat

HOT tip- supplement your diet with a good quality fish oil and try a stress busting herb


Weight loss – The very annoying menopause muffin top

Weight loss is much harder as you go through the

peri menopause years. Post menopause your fat

cells are producing estrone a type of estrogen. Your

body wants to hold onto fat to keep producing

estrogen as the ovaries stop making it.

Estrogen is the name of a group of hormones that we produce in the ovaries until menopause. These hormones are estrodial which is the strongest and the main source of estrogen until menopause,

estrone which is less potent and estriol which is weak and which we have in abundance particularly in pregnancy.

So we know Estradiol is the primary source of estrogen until menopause, then what happens? The body switches to Estrone as its source. Estrone is produced in the adrenal glands and your FAT cells. Your body will produce more fat cells to produce more Estrone. Your body will also protect these fat cells as it needs them to produce Estrone.

Are you keeping up?

So when you hit menopause you tend to gain fat. You are fighting against your body’s own physiology when you try to lose this fat. Your body will even break down protein tissue i.e. muscle rather than use its fat for energy.

We need to keep and gain lean muscle tissue in menopause to keep the metabolism fired up. This means resistance training.

We need this for three reasons.

1. You need to keep using up your glycogen stores in your muscles so when you eat you don’t lay down fat

2. The more lean muscle you have the higher your metabolism will run. 3. You look and feel better!!

Insulin also rises when Estrone rises. Too much insulin in the system leads to insulin sensitivity and potentially type 2 diabetes and all the associated health risks. Insulin resistance means your body cannot deal with excess sugars in your blood (carbohydrates). The body will store the excess sugars as fat. The more fat you have, the more Estrone you produce and so the cycle continues.

Research has shown that low estrogen levels during peri‐menopause stimulate appetite. Can you see now how the odds are stacking against us??


Stress causes cortisol levels to rise in the body. Your body perceives any stress on the body as a stressor not just the ‘I feel stressed at work’ stress. For example your body sees the reaction caused by irritants to the body, like processed food, as a stress. High cortisol levels will also add to the fat bank as high cortisol levels will affect your digestive system and ultimately your body will lay down more fat.

If you are peri menopause and want to lose weight do it NOW!! Do not put if off because it is so much harder when you hit the menopause. It is not impossible to lose weight but it will be much harder. Remember that early menopause is much more common than it used to be. You may think you have lots of time but do you really know that? There are no guarantees. Even if weight loss isn’t a goal follow the suggestions below for you own health and vitality.

HOT tip – you need to find an exercise and nutrition plan that suits you. Stick to it

consistently and have patience. Don’t give up if you don’t see any results in one week (note

to self!)

Which leads us on to nutrition………

Nutrition

Eating for health and well‐being is more important

than eating for weight loss and can be two different

things. If you focus on eating for health you will

naturally lose weight as well as experience the health

giving benefits. If you eat for weight loss (diet) then it

will be a short lived exercise.

Your liver has to be one of the most important

organs of the body. It works hard eliminating toxins from the body and does this very

efficiently. When we over burden the liver with more and more toxins it cannot cope. Over

consumption of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, pesticides, chemicals from skin care products, all

take its toll on the liver.

We need the liver to be working optimally to balance our hormones. An over worked liver

will make you feel tired and sluggish. An overworked liver means poor bowel movement,

which means you don’t excrete excess hormones.

Balancing blood sugar levels is also key in keeping hormones and energy levels balanced.

This means reducing anything that sends your blood sugar levels high (google high GI foods

for a list of foods to reduce)

Nutrition Tips


No more diets or fads (do you promise?)!! They don’t work and will make you fatter

in the long run

Focus on adding lots more vegetables into your diet (think every meal)

Eat plenty of FAT (fat is not the enemy and will keep you satisfied. Eat avocados, oily

fish, organic, unprocessed lard, flaxseeds and coconut oil every day to keep you juicy

and your hormones purring)

Eat soy but only whole soy (Edamame beans) and fermented soy (miso)

Add Maca to your diet (has been shown to help with libido, insomnia, depression,

memory, energy, hot flushes and body mass index)

Cut back on caffeine and alcohol

Reduce processed and packaged foods

No more nasty artificial addictive (read food labels)

Reduce carbs (simple sugars, potatoes, pasta, bread etc) as peri menopausal women

cannot tolerate them like they used to be able to

Reduce or eliminate gluten and look after you’re your digestion

HOT tip – If you focusing on eating for health and focus on what you can ADD into your diet

you won’t feel deprived. It’s human nature to want something we have been told not to eat!

HOT tip – Accept that you will not have the body you had pre menopause!! Embrace and

make the most out of your curves!

What do I do?

What are your symptoms?

What you do is dependent on your symptoms. If you are only experiencing slight symptoms

then the best course of action is to let your body do what it is designed to do. Support your

body through this change by changing lifestyle through nutrition and exercise. Simple

changes can have a big impact; you really are what you eat.

Rather than fixing one symptom at a time e.g. hot flushes address your overall health and

wellbeing first by using the steps in this report. If you are still experiencing symptoms you

will need to investigate further.

If you are suffering with symptoms start by changing your lifestyle as above. Try the herbal

supplements, remember they are not a quick fix but supplement your existing good

nutrition.

Get moving and exercise, this will help lift your mood and make you feel better. Weight

bearing exercise is important for bone strength and aerobic exercise will keep you

cardiovascular system healthy. Add some resistance type training to your exercise plan. This


will stop any muscle from being lost and will help keep your figure toned. The more toned

muscle mass you have the higher your metabolism will run. Find a class or a trainer to help

you. Keep your body fat down as excess weight causes many known health issues as well as

sending your hormone system into disarray.

Discuss your options with your GP.

Find a Bio‐identical Hormones therapy practitioner.

How long does it last?

There is no answer for this as we are all different. The peri‐menopause years can last for up

to ten years. The main concern of many women is the feeling of the unknown. Many women

are fearful because they are not sure what to expect, how long it will last or what to do

about it. Do not suffer in silence. Simple changes can make a huge difference. The more

women talk about the menopause the more we will realise that it is a natural phase of our

life and we need to support each other.

Changing one of the below things that we have covered in this report should start to change

your symptoms for the better. Take your time and don’t try and change everything all at

once. You need to be a bit of a ‘self’ detective and start to really notice what is going on

with your body and mind. Take the time to really feel what’s going on and ask yourself will

make the biggest difference? Trust your gut reaction

1. Education

2. Mindset

3. Exercise

4. Sleep

5. Stress

6. Weight Gain

7. Nutrition

This is not the end!

We have only scratched the surface in this report. This report will certainly get you started

on the road to freedom. The human body is complicated and every system is intertwined.

What’s works for one woman may not work for another. There is so much you can do to

help yourself breeze through the menopause transition.

Be kind and patient with yourself.

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