Hello, and welcome to the chaos to come podcast episode number 59. I'm Sarah, the perimenopause naturopath your guide through this wonderful journey of perimenopause. So if you're over 40 feeling like your changing hormones are hijacking your mood, your energy, your weight. And you want to change that in a holistic way, then this is the place for you. 

Because each episode I share with you, my views on what the heck is happening in your body. Why you're feeling the way that you are and what you can do about it with actionable advice to help you feel more calm, in control, less stressed. And more comfortable in your body, mind and clothes. I'm so glad that you've joined me. 

Let's get right into discussing today's topics so we can start shifting your perimenopause experience from chaos to come.

Now I don't need to tell you that perimenopause is a time of significant change because I know you're feeling it in your body right now. I'm sure you all feel like your buddies playing by a new set of rules. Maybe got a new owner's manual that you don't have in your hot little hands, hot flushes mood swings, weight gain, heavy periods. All sorts of wonderful. Odd symptoms can come up. It's like a game of hormonal roulette, you know, you never know what's going to actually come up. I'm feel like every day is a little different and there's a new symptom obstacle in your path. And you, I just want to say.

Having a last period and moving into menopause, it doesn't mean all your symptoms are going to be magic the way. I know that's not the news that you wanted to hear today, is it? You're not going to be back in your skinny jeans quicker than a celebrity who's just given birth with a, you know, full house of Schiff and personal trainer and all of that. It just doesn't happen. 

It can take a while for your body to settle into menopause. And for some women that still doesn't mean the symptoms go away, but I want. I'm hoping fingers crossed. You've listened to enough of my poddy, and your Googling has also confirmed that you don't just have to endure feeling rubbish for the two to twelve years that perimenopause happens for it. And then, you know, beyond that in menopause, you don't have to put up with that.

Now, if we haven't met before, or you don't know me that well, I want to let you know that I am crazy passionate about helping you understand what the heck is happening in your body, what the hormone changes are doing, but also why isn't your body adapting or adjusting to the hormone changes? 

Because that's, you know, part of the reason that you get symptoms. I want you to know and understand what's driving your symptoms, not just oh, perimenopause and the hormone changes. There's other things that can be going on in there as well. So I want you to understand and know what's driving your symptoms. And how to use food as medicine to resolve those driving factors. Because that is how you get long-term symptom resolution, my friend. And it's sustainable and maintainable. If we're using food as medicine and not relying on pills or powders or other things, It's so much more empowering for us and we're in the driver's seat.

So the right nutrition really can help you navigate the changes of perimenopause with confidence. Makes the transition smoother, more manageable, and more enjoyable. Like you can really focus on the mental aspect of this metamorphosis, you know, like we've got the physical change, like the caterpillar going into a cocoon and then coming out as the butterfly, but we can do that mentally as well. 

So if we've got the physical stuff in check, we can really focus down on, you know, our purpose, what do we want for this next phase of life and how do we get to that as well? And, you know, when I studied to become a naturopath, I just wanted to teach people how to eat, how to work with their body, not against it, how to support it, to nourish it. I always felt like I never knew much about my body, my cycle, and how to fuel it. 

Like I studied to become a naturopath later in life. So the first half of my life, was all hush-hush periods were gross and dirty. Ooh, we didn't talk about that. We hid it away. Remember, you know, at school, you'd hide your tampons or your pads, because you didn't want anyone to know that you had your period because that's disgusting, you know, Actually our bodies a really amazing, like we create humans and grow them with our milk and every month we get ready for that possibility. Since it's crazy that we, that, you know, that's been so despised and put down as gross. 

It's actually really, truly amazing what our bodies can do. So just like we know the basics of our cars. Like, we put diesel not unleaded in or vice versa. We don't put water in that bit, but we put water in there. You know, we keep the tires pumped up. We know the minimum, we know what we need to do to keep it chugging along and serving us well, we also have an owner's manual and we get people to regularly service it for us. I never feel like it felt like we had that for our female bodies and we still don't even in the age of information that we're in now. There's too much information. 

 There's conflicting information. People making garbage information. You know, there's just a lot of rubbish on the internet as well. And we have to filter that out. It takes a lot of time and a lot of energy as well. We don't really have that definitive resource on bodies a, and how to support and nourish them. And, you know, I want you to have the owner's manual for your body, but I also want you to have the tools and skills to service it, which is, you know, looking after it yourself. So that you don't have to, you know, those pills, those powders, all those sorts of things. 

Those perimenopause supplements and products that are sold to you. Like, you know, paying a mechanic to look after your body, you're relying on someone else. So that's, you know, that's what drives me in my work and creating free content for you. Like this podcast, my blog, my social media posts. 

I want you to have not just the owner's manual. But the tools and the skills to look after it. I want you to be able to keep your body in top-notch condition now. But also ongoing into the future as well.

So when I work with women in their forties and beyond, I always emphasize that what you eat during perimenopause can make a world of difference. I mean, heck I talk about it every week on this podcast, I'm telling you food is medicine tips for how to incorporate things into your meals to help support nourish your body. And the reason that it makes such a big difference is because there's so much change happening in our perimenopausal bodies. 

So much physiological change. As well as mental and emotional change, but the physiological change that we have the opportunity to really influence our longterm health with what we do now, with what we eat, how we fuel ourselves right now. So, you know, it's not, I don't want you to follow the latest fad diet, or I don't even want you to cut out entire food groups. Because that's often what people think, you know, working with a naturopath might be, or be eating for health is cutting out everything, cut out, all the gluten, cut out all the dairy. It's really about nourishing your body with what it needs, giving it nutrients that best serve it, give it the foods that best serve it for you so that all your good genes are turned on and the wonky ones get left off. So, you know, fast forward 40 or 50 years. It means that you're active and enjoying life, right until the end, instead of having a long life, but not being an active participant in it for the last 15 years or so, because that is the actual reality for many people right now. Humans are living longer, longer than we've lived before as like an average. But the quality of life, particularly in the last 15 years is not good. 

You know, have a think about the people that you know, that are over 80. And how you know, how they're living their life or what they're doing. Are they housebound? Are they able to still get out and about. You know, are they walking to the shops and looking at, are they still living at home? You know, that's a big thing. 

What do you want for that phase of your life?

I know what I want. I want a strong old woman body. So I'm still walking to the shops. Like my husband's Nana was when she was 94. She was still walking to the shops every day and getting her food and cooking and living at home. I want that for me as well. I want that for you too. I want to be an active participant in my grandkids' lives. And maybe you want that too. I want to, you know, when I retire, I want to travel. 

I want to do the hikes. You know, I want to go to Europe and I want to go to China and I want to walk along the great, great wall of China. And I want to do all of those things. I want to be an active participant in it, and that's why I'm investing in how I look after myself now. And that's why I encourage you as well. 

So I want to keep it easy to understand and use that's me. You. I want the path of least resistance for myself, but for you as well, I'm a busy mum. I'm homeschooling mum. I work and run my own business. Lots of you work and have kids. It's the busiest phase of life. We're juggling lots of stuff. So I'm all about keeping it simple so that we can actually do it and use it. 

So, here's what I'm going to talk to you about today. That was a really long intro. I'm going to talk to you about the perimenopause diet and I'm going to keep it easy to understand, and I'm going to tell it to you right now. Each meal should include protein, fats, phytoestrogens, and plants. There you go. Simple as that, get them on your plate. Now. I'm going to tell you a bit more about why I'm cheap, you know why these four elements they're snazzy. 

They go together. It's really simple. It's four things for you to remember on your plate. Yes. There's that, but they all play a crucial role in supporting your body through the hormonal shifts, and superior menopause. So let's have a look at each one. Protein. Building and maintaining muscle mass is so important, you know, that your muscle mass around your glutes and your quads is a great indicator of longevity because it prevents, it gets against falls as you get older and having a fall when you're over 70 is one of the quickest, well, the sequelae from that leads to poor quality of life and possibly death. So reducing your risk of falls as you get older. Is very important.

Now. There are also lots of other reasons to eat protein. I will do a future podcast on it because it is so important. But muscle mass naturally begins to decline. Actually, I'm doing a podcast episode on muscle mass and how we lose muscle mass in perimenopause and menopause next week. So that'll be episode number 60. And that accelerates because of fluctuating estrogen levels. 

So proteins really essential for preserving muscle mass, which supports your metabolism because your muscles or your glucose-burning factories. And keeps and they let you do the things that you want to do. They keep us upright, carrying our shopping, doing the things that we need to do. And eating enough protein at each meal keeps you fuller for longer. 

So it reduces the risk of those mid-afternoon sugar cravings, mid-afternoon energy slumps, and wanting to snack or craving for carbs or sweet things in between meals. So a protein-rich diet supports the maintenance of your muscle mass supports your metabolism, supports your energy, and keeps you feeling full. So for now, just think of protein as your body's Lego blocks. 

It's the building blocks for all your cells, muscles, and everything in your body there as well. And, neurotransmitters, like your brain mood compounds, everything. We need protein. Now fats, you know, I've done a whole episode, number 50 on fats because there's so important every day. But we're talking about healthy fats. You know, avocados, nuts, seeds, oily fish. 

They're really critical for self-structure, vitamins, hormone production, and hormone balance as well. They keep your skin supple and shiny and plump. Along with the protein, protein and provides collagen, which, It's really important for asking structure. There as well, but you know, fats also keep our brain sharp and our mood stable there as well. Fat's satisfying. But he has a feedback loop to tell you when you've eaten enough of them. 

So they help keep you full for longer. They slow down the absorption of glucose from the carbohydrates in your food. And again, keep those cravings at bay there as well, really important for yourself to structure and function in your hormones there as well. Now, phytoestrogens. I love phytoestrogens in you. If you've listened to my past episode of that. Oh, I've forgotten. 

I think it was 48. Their naturally occurring compounds are found in certain plants that mimic the effects of estrogen in the body. And these can be a game changer in perimenopause like, you know, many of my clients, Nikki always comes to mind with me. I'm not sure why, but anyway, she was doing great with her personalized nutrition plan from my 14-week program, the chaos to come method. She was still having some rough patches during a particularly stressful period. 

So she started incorporating some phytoestrogen-rich foods into our meals. I have flaxseeds and lentils and beans and legumes. And within the week, her hot flushes had eased and she was sleeping through the night again. So they really can make a difference. And that's why I think there's super important. 

It doesn't matter what phase of perimenopause or menopause you're at phytoestrogens can help you too. If you're getting more PMS symptoms. My client Zee, we were talking recently, and she was having some PMs. And adding phytoestrogens to her diet was what my recommendation was to help smooth out those fluctuations of estrogen that are contributing to the PMs there as well. You know, I use some too for myself, even though I'm in menopause, they help with my cognitive function, reducing hot flushes and maintaining my metabolic health there as well. 

So I love phytoestrogens. I have summit every meal and I encourage you to as well. You can go back and listen to the phytoestrogen episode or read it on the blog. If you want to know some more specifics about how much or what to eat of them. Now vegetable plants. Colourful vegetables and fruit are nutrient powerhouses. 

And yes, I said fruit because you don't need to skip on the fruit to be healthy or to lose weight in perimenopause or menopause because they add so much just like veggies do as well. They have a whole, each, you know, different colour has a different set of micronutrients in it, which is really important for supporting our overall health, especially in perimenopause and menopause. Veggies are rich in vitamins minerals, antioxidants fibre. 

They help prevent your body from oxidative stress that can increase during perimenopause and is what ages us really quickly as well. And the fibre that's in them is key for your digestive health. They support a healthy gut microbiome, which is a critical factor for your hormone balance and smoothing those fluctuations in perimenopause there as well. 

So I also did a gut hormone link episode of the podcast. I have forgotten to write down which episode it was, but if you go back to the podcast, wherever you're listening and have a scroll through, you'll see it. It's called the gut hormone link. Yeah, so a variety of colours on your prey plate, is bright. A variety of colours on your plate. Make sure that you're getting a wide range of nutrients. 

And the fibre in veggies keeps you full and satisfied. Are you sensing a theme there with those wonderful things that I've asked you to put on your plate? So yeah, when we put it all together, what does it look like? It's really easy. My friend eats well in perimenopause and menopause beyond just generally. You just imagine your plate. 

You've got a protein-rich food. It could be red meat, chicken, tofu, fish, whatever. Some healthy fats, maybe a bit of avocado or you've drizzled, some olive oil or flaxseed oil over your food as you serve it. Maybe it's got some edamame or some ground flax seeds sprinkled over it. And lots of your plate is filled with colourful vegetables. 

I can make some greens, bright colours, like carrots and even some starchy veggies like pumpkin or shock hurrah, white potato.

Who knew that you could eat carbs and lose weight? I did. And I hope you do too now. Right. So, you know, this doesn't just nourish your body. It helps you feel more in control of the changes that you're experiencing when you eat in a way that supports your body's needs. You're giving yourself the best chance to thrive in perimenopause and beyond. So, what do you think, does that feel doable for you? Can you imagine like how, what you would do, what you would achieve if you felt more energized, your mood was better, and you felt more like your old self again, what would you do with that energy?

 Pack more into your day. Hopefully not. Hopefully, if you are packing more things into your day with that extra energy, it's doing fun things that you want to do, not just your chores. That's what I want for you. Now, if you're feeling overwhelmed by the changes your body's going through, or you're tired of trying to figure out what to eat on your own. 

My PerimenoGO program could be exactly what you need. It's a four-week reset, designed specifically for women in perimenopause and menopause, giving you a clear, easy-to-follow nutrition plan with recipes that your kids can make and that they will like and it takes the guesswork out of eating for your hormones and for smoothing them through perimenopause and menopause and calming your symptoms there. As I said, he includes a four-week nutrition plan with recipes. 

That's really helpful. I think. So you can take action. And just implement it. And as you're learning through the training and the knowledge that I give you about the principles of how to eat for your best health in peri and post-menopause. go works with your body to help it better adjust to the hormone changes. 

So you can feel amazing in your body, mind and clothes again, which is what I want for you. Just like I have for me. That's all from me today. Thank you so much for listening and sharing your time with me. I'm looking forward to exploring muscle loss or muscle mass in perimenopause. What happens, what to do about it, how to prevent it. 

That's all in the next episode, I do hope you'll join me then as we help keep your perimenopause experience, moving from chaos to calm.