Did you connect with your why?

If not, stop reading this and start reading THIS.

If yes, read on because now you’ve got your why we can take a look at the how.

Well you’ll be delighted to hear it’s going to take just a few minutes of your time each day.

I want you to start tracking your symptoms to work out what your triggers are because if you don’t know what’s causing a flush, a sweat, or an energy bomb how can you possibly stop it?

Write down what you discover or tap the information straight in your phone or laptop – whatever works best for you.

Focus on four key areas:

What you eat and drink

Spicy food and very sweet foods can trigger hot flushes, palpitations, mood swings and plummeting energy levels.

Caffeine is another common trigger for hot flushes, anxiety and insomnia. It’s also linked to menopause weight gain.

Sadly, it’s likely alcohol will spark a whole range of symptoms too.

How you exercise

Did you know certain types of exercise will make your menopause symptoms worse?

Cardio exercise such as running at the same pace creates stress on your system, increases your cortisol levels and can make sleep really difficult. It certainly won’t help get rid of that menopausal middle either.

If you love running like I do you just need to mix it up a bit. Add in some bursts of speed so it’s more like a HIIT workout.

Your lifestyle choices

Reducing stress is key to managing menopause symptoms and yet we can’t avoid stress in the 21st century. It’s everywhere.

There’s the obvious stuff like too many emails, difficult colleagues and traffic jams that can drive you crazy.

But your body can also get stressed out by the food you put in it, what you drink, the toxins you’re exposed to and the type of exercise you do.

Whilst you can’t avoid stress what you can do is manage how you react to those stressful situations and avoid triggering menopause symptoms.

Exposure to toxins

We’re exposed to a whole array of toxins these days. The polluted air we breathe and the chemicals in cleaning and skin care products can all lead to worsening menopause symptoms.

Plastic water bottles could be the source of your problems. It’s not the water that’s the problem in fact it’s extremely important to stay well hydrated, the problem is the plastic bottle.

Unless marked BPA free, plastic bottles are full of xenoestrogens, a chemical substance that mimics natural oestrogen and makes your symptoms worse.

The materials your clothes are made from contain chemicals which can cause a reaction. What do you wear in bed and what material are your sheets made from?

What you need to do now

Focus on the one or two symptoms you most want to be free from and get tracking to work out what your key triggers are.

If you already know what your triggers are but you feel stuck and don’t know how to manage them click here to book a time in my diary and let’s talk.  I’d love to help you get control of your menopause symptoms so you can get back to feeling like yourself again.