As a female, we all know that at some point we’re going to reach peri-menopause. This mysterious place in life where everything changes and we try to navigate what is going on from day to day. And just when you think you have it all figured out, things change, or they don’t change again and we are left feeling confused.
After years of working with women, I can assure you one thing is true – the habits you create before you hit peri-menopause in yours 30’s and 40’s will have a direct impact on how you go through menopause.
Our habits around food and exercise is so important. The most comment complaint we get when we chat with new clients in their 40’s “I am doing all the same things I was before – working out, eating clean and I am still gaining weight” – the problem – their hormones have changed and thus what they used to do before doesn’t work so well now.
Here are 3 habits to develop now, so that peri-menopause and menopause doesn’t see all your hard work over the years diminish.
Sleep
As we get older, recovery is key for staying healthy and looking young well into our 50’s and 60’s. While we sleep our body is recovering from all the stress we put it through during the day. This is also when all our hormones are re-setting and refreshing for the day ahead. No less than 7 hours a day. Netflix and Hulu are not your friends to un-wind if they are keeping you up and night – instead, watch your favorite show the next morning during your cardio. Curious about the perfect routine for Sleeping…check out the book Sleep Smarter – it provides 21 really good tips.
Exercise
The key here…don’t beat your body up. Give it a good challenge, work it so you feel the muscle ache a bit the next day letting you know you did something but the days of pushing it really hard don’t need to happen. Your body has great muscle memory. Hit the weights to sculpt and define lean muscle – this alone will put you ahead of the game since we keep losing muscle when we hit our 40s.
Not a big fan of exercise – then just find your favorite form of movement. Just remember, bodies at rest stay at rest and bodies in motion stay in motion. I want to keep moving, so I stay in motion daily.
Nutrition
This one is key, and for many the hardest dang part of it all. In the 100s of women we have worked with, the nutrition basics are the same:
- Reduce sugar consumption
- Reduce grain consumption
- Pay attention to the amount of alcohol you are drinking
- Add in good fats and lean protein
We know…none of these are particularly easy to do, but your waistline and your future self will thank you. We’ve got programs to help with kicking the above bad habits to the curb. Our 21 day detox will basically reboot your system and flush out your toxins. Know that you will need a bit more support to change your habits? Check out our hormone solution that helps women rebalance your hormones and lose the frustrating weight that you don’t want to carry into peri-menopause or menopause.
“The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game” James Clear Our goal – for you to win the game of life by living your best life, whatever your hormone status is . Building healthy habits in peri menopause leads to an easier post period life!