As a women-owned and women-run business, we feel passionate about bringing our BB superwomen all the information they need to bring their womanly superpowers to life!
That’s why this week we’re going to be talking about PERIMENOPAUSE, what it is, how it affects your body and how you can work to overcome its symptoms!
What is Perimenopause?
Perimenopause is defined as the period of time `around menopause”. For many women, this stage starts around the age of 35 and lasts until the beginning of menopause.
Perimenopause has got a bad reputation and many women fear it happening to them because it comes with a few scary symptoms, such as:
- Mood swings
- Weight gain
- Period problems
- Lack of energy
- Loss of sex drive
- PMS
BUT WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!
Alisa Vitti, functional nutrition and women’s hormone expert explains that although the hormonal shifts are real, the symptoms that come with it are optional!
The symptoms of perimenopause can actually be minimised with a PHASE-BASED SELF CARE ROUTINE and learning about how to better manage your body’s hormonal balance.
PHASE-BASE SELF CARE
So it seems that a phase-based self care routine will solve all your perimenopausal and hormonal imbalance problems. But what exactly is a phase-based self care routine? Thankfully, we’re here to break it all down for you!
Alisa Vitti explains that there are 3 CORE ELEMENTS of a successful phase-based self care routine:
1. PHASE -BASED EATING
This involves eating specific foods each week of your cycle and changing what you eat to support optimal hormonal balance and metabolism.
This strategy ensures you’re getting key foods at critical times to break down any excess estrogen that could be causing breakouts and PMS as well as:
- Improving the quality of your period
- Supporting fertility
- Boosting sex drive
- Increasing energy levels
- Lifting your mood
CLICK HERE to check out Alisa Vitti’s 4 WEEK FLO FOOD CHALLENGE to get your hormones back into balance in just 4 weeks!
2. PHASED-BASED EXERCISE
Alisa Vitti explains how the cyclical nature of our menstrual cycle provides the perfect architecture for planning how and when to work out.
During each phase of our cycle, our body is primed for different kinds of exercise, says Vitti.
This strategy will help you avoid burnout and any of the unpleasant perimenopausal symptoms!
For a complete breakdown of what types of exercise to do during each phase of your cycle, CLICK HERE!
3. MAXIMISE MICRONUTRIENTS
Alisa Vitti says that supplements are a non-negotiable part of achieving hormonal balance to support a symptom-free perimenopause.
Although food should be your first strategy to heal your hormones, it’s important to supplement this with specific micronutrients to give the body the extra love it needs during times of hormonal shifts.
Alisa outlines the vital supplements women nearing perimenopause should take:
- B-Complex Boosts progesterone production and works with your liver to help process estrogen.
- Eviagnesrum: Supports the production of critical hormones that support the optimal performance of your endocrine system.
- Liver oetoxifier: Your liver plays a vital role in maintaining hormonal balance and keeping symptoms at bay. In order to detox efficiently, the liver needs a fully stocked supply of micronutrients and antioxidants.
- Probiotics: A healthy microbiome is essential for managing hormonal conditions. Women aged 35-45 need optimal gut health to absorb the key micronutrients in food and supplements.
In order to cycle-sync, it’s super important to track your Infradian Rhythm properly. We recommend using Alisa Vitti’s app `MyFLO Period Tracker’.
SUPPORTING YOUR LIVER
Finally, Dr Libby, a women’s nutritional biochemist explains that maintaining a healthy liver is vital to managing your hormonal balance and achieving a symptom free perimenopause.
Many women don’t know this, but one of our liver’s most important roles is to process and detox our 1->odies of excess estrogen.
Excessive levels of estrogen can result in:
- Fatigue
- Acne
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Brain fog
- Mood swings
- Weight gain
Dr Libby uses the below diagram to highlight exactly how our liver works to process estrogen and what can happen if our liver is too busy processing other junk like alcohol, caffeine, sugar, etc…
As you can see, if our liver gets too busy getting rid of other toxins, it will release estrogen back into our bodies resulting in a hormonal imbalance and some unpleasant symptoms!
Want some more info? One of our favourite books that highlights and explains everything women’s wellness is `Women’s Wellness Wisdom’ by Dr Libby.
Want to know more about how we can help you on your fitness journey? As a women-owned and women-run gym we know exactly what you need to reach all of your goals!
Let’s kick this off with an awesome BB workout! Grab a free week pass below and try us out!
Maddy, Scotty & the BB Team
