11. Get a Checkup — Don’t avoid going to a doctor. If you’re afraid of being prescribed too many drugs, seek out a holistic doctor but do try to go to a doctor at least once a year to get an overall checkup. It’s good to be aware of your weight, your blood pressure, and to keep getting pap smears and breast exams as directed by your doctor.
12. Don’t Tan — Tanning is a mistake at any age. It’s okay, and good for you to get sun exposure to get your daily needs for vitamin D met, but tanning in or out of a tanning bed is very dangerous. If you’ve done this your entire life and are at menopause now you likely have many regrets about doing it, such as aged skin, skin cancers or more. Stop now and you may be able to work towards rejuvenating your skin.
13. Use Virgin Coconut oil — There is evidence that the fat from coconut oil is good for you! Look it up and read about coconut oil and see for yourself. In addition to being good for you to eat, it’s great to use as a lotion or moisturizer all over your body!
14. Eat Fermented foods — Fermented foods are high in nutritional value and full of probiotics. So, now you can eat that kimchee without feeling bad. It’s good for you! Your body needs micro-flora to digest properly and to be healthy, fermented lactic-acid foods are perfect for creating a healthy digestive tract. Try to eat one serving of fermented food a day.
15. Eat dark chocolate — Dark chocolate has antioxidants, and mood enhancers. Dark Chocolate releases the chemicals in your body that make it think it’s in love. This effect lowers your blood pressure, and increases your energy level, thus making you not only feel healthier but actually become healthier. Try to eat chocolate bars that are 80 percent or more full dark cacoa and low in sugar. You can make your own with coconut oil, raw cacoa powder, and agave if you are so inclined.
1. Make the choice to change — If we do things that aren’t healthy, we always have the option to change. Right after you make a poor choice, the never moment it happens, you have a new opportunity to change. You don’t have to wait until tomorrow, you can start changing today.
2. Take it one day at a time — Learn to take care of one day at a time. Yes, we do have to concern ourselves with the basic necessities of life, but living as if today is your last day on earth, and enjoying every moment of it from your first awake breath in the morning, until you fall asleep in dream land at night will go far to helping you live a healthier life.
3. Change small things in steps — If you have a large goal to achieve such as weight loss, getting a degree, or even getting your home organized, start small. Knowing the end result you desire, put that end result in a date a reasonable distance into the future then work backwards to today breaking down the goal so that when you look at today, you see a small picture of what you need to do today to make it to the end result, say a year from now. Want to lose 50 lbs., in a year, and then you simply need to lose less than 1 lb. a week to be successful. That one pound adds up to eating only 500 calories less than you do right now to maintain your current weight. To break it down further, if you only eat three times a day, then decrease your calorie intake by about 167 calories a meal. That could be the difference between drinking a glass of water and drinking a glass of sweet tea!
4. Eat more veggies — Not only do veggies have fewer calories in them than other foods, but they have more liquid volume, thus filling you up faster. They also have more vitamins and minerals than other foods. Add an extra serving of veggies to your day and you’ll find that you eat less calories and you are healthier too! Try adding veggies to your morning omelet in place of meat.
5. Eat more Fruit — We’ve been made to feel guilty for eating fruit, as if it’s as bad as eating cake and other confections, but the truth is, no one ever got fat eating fruit. Fruit is good for you and has vitamins and minerals and healthy sugars that your body needs for energy. Try adding a serving of raw fruit to each meal or eating fruit for breakfast. Raw fruit is best because it is alive with the nutrients you need.
Like the foundation on your home, your hormones and glands are to the endocrine system. Your endocrine system releases more than 20 hormones directly into your bloodstream. The most important part of the endocrine system is the pea sized pituitary gland which is right beneath the hypothalamus at the base of your brain.
The secretions of pituitary hormones are influenced by many environmental factors aside from stress and emotions such as the weather outside and how much light you’re exposed to. One of the things that the pituitary gland controls your menstrual cycle.
Why do you need to know this?
Knowing that factors such as loss of sleep, your emotional state, and even the amount of sunlight you’re exposed to can affect your hormone levels can assist you in helping yourself in a natural way to control your menopausal symptoms.
Some tips:
Get plenty of sunlight – in our culture we’re taught to avoid the sun, to wear sunscreen. But, more and more evidence suggests that we should try to get at least 15 minutes of unaltered sunlight each day. Try going outside with the most skin exposed, without sunscreen, without sun blocking eye protection, for just 15 minutes per day. Try it for 30 days and see if your mood has improved or not.
Get plenty of rest - Most of us were told that we need 8 hours of sleep per night but few of us get it. Between working, housework, kids, grandkids, and everything that we do, most of us are getting less than we need. The important thing to remember is that the 8 hour number isn’t true for everyone. If you are rested, and do not feel sleep deprived then you are likely fine. But if you are tired, fall asleep easily in unexpected places, or feel irritable a lot, try getting more sleep. If you can figure out and work around your natural rhythms, you might be surprised at how little sleep you need if you do it at the right times.
Eat right – There are foods that support the endocrine system such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins such as fish. Fish provides healthy Omega 3, 6 and 9 oils which directly affect the endocrine system. If you can’t eat fish at least twice a week consider finding some pharmaceutical grade Omega oil supplements.
Exercise – Get some exercise daily, even a short 30 minute walk can do wonders for your health.
