What would you have done to prepare more for menopause?

I would have paid more attention to perimenopause, as I was so fixated on menopause.

I would have started eating phytoestrogen rich foods at the beginning or mid 40’s, so that I would have avoided plantar fasciitis.

Been more diligent with eating foods rich in omega 3, 

seaweed every day,

5 to 10 walnuts a day,

flax oil and hemp seeds. 

I would have worked out how to cook amaranth in a way I loved a whole lot earlier.

Added herbs to every meal a whole lot earlier than I started to.

I would have started resistance exercise in my 30’s, and prioritised exercise time, instead of prioritising my work.

I would have been eating sauerkraut daily from my 30’s, to ensure that I was having plenty of vitamin K2.

I would have become vegan earlier, given up dairy earlier, so I could focus on getting more calcium rich foods,

eating oranges daily, and a dried fig, eating more tofu and ensuring I had legumes every day, instead of eating fetta and other cheese for protein. 

I would have worked out a way to sleep longer and not get into the bad routine I had of managing on 5 hours of sleep a day.

Would you consider using HRT, do you think there is a place for it?

For some people, they are drawn to HRT, and that is their path. It was never mine.

I think if you have tried all the things.

Like replacing inflammatory foods 

- meat

- dairy

- eggs

- sugar

- alcohol

- preservatives 

- smoking 

- caffeine

with foods that support menopause, like legumes, wholegrains, soy, dandelion tea, chamomile tea, moringa etc., and given it a really good crack – 6 month minimum, and adding in lots of phytoestrogen rich foods, and you still struggle, then looking at 

alternatives like, 

ashwaganda and other herbs, and then HRT.

I know many of the side effects of HRT have been debunked, but the one that remains is that it can increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's, which is enough for me to never go near it.

Some people don’t want to change their lifestyle though, and minimising or cutting out alcohol, meat or caffeine is never going to happen. Then, maybe the other things I suggest, with adding phytoestrogen-rich foods, etc., will not work, and then I guess people will then choose the medical path.

I have tried eating the phytoestrogen-rich foods, but my plantar fasciitis still persists. What would you suggest?

It could be that they won't work if you are still eating inflammatory foods – adding healthy foods on top of inflammatory foods may not have results, so if you want to get rid of plantar faciitis the natural way, then you may want to consider eating a more natural diet – like wholefoods, and consider eating organic produce.

I have body pain – sore shoulder roaming pain, what can I do.

Most common is in the hips, feet and can be all over. It often gets misdiagnosed as arthritis, but is often gluteal tendinopathy, due to a drop in oestrogen. It also can be osteopenia and osteoporosis.

So it's important to eat foods high in omega 3, collagen and nitric oxide.

Omega 3 I mentioned earlier 

and these are the foods high in collagen; 

Eat these foods daily for collagen production; 
soy - in the form of milk in your dandelion tea, 
either tempeh or tofu once a day, 
black beans and other legumes - include a serve daily, 
seeds - pepita, sunflower and chia seeds (do you have my pepita sprinkle recipe - if not, write to me for it),
pistachios, peanuts, cashews - include them with your daily five walnuts and three brazil nuts, 
 
 Then there are some randoms that help collagen production. 
 aloe vera - make this into a drink - blend fresh aloe vera with filtered water and add some lemon juice,
 turmeric, 
 liquorice, 
 pomegranate pearls or juice, 
 cinnamon, 
 dill.

Then, for nitric oxide - beetroot, celery, and parsley daily are the ones that spring to mind, and then you can sign up for the nitric oxide fact sheet for more of these foods. 

I get hormonal migraines which are debilitating?

This is from the drop in oestrogen, so yet again, you need to eat phytoestrogen rich foods daily, and if starting out on perimenopause, start now. Ensure you are getting adequate sleep. Check out your iron, copper and zinc levels and if you have low blood pressure eat more salty foods or put pinches of salt in your water.

I have a fear of getting osteopenia and osteoporosis

Ensure you are getting 100mg of calcium daily for under 50s and then 1300mg.

Also eat sauerkraut every day for calcium synthesis.

Also get out in the sun when you can, for vitamin D 

Make sure your iron levels are good.

Avoid calorie restriction, as this is one of the leading causes of osteopenia. No crazy diets or fasting leading up to perimenopause, and during the stages of menopause.

Do resistance exercise. 

I have gained a lot of weight, how can I shift this.

Take a listen to podcast 42, as this is where I talk about sleep and lack of correlation to weight gain.

Also, it is important not to snack. When you put on weight, the hunger hormones go out of whack, and the only way to get them in control again is to not snack. To eat three meals a day and have a 4 to 5 hour break in between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner and a 12 hour break from dinner to breakfast.

What are perimenopausal symptoms and what is menopause?

They are super similar. In perimenopause, you are still menstruating; in menopause, you are not. So you need to do exactly the same things for perimenopause and menopause?

Sex hurts – what to do about this?

This is vaginal atrophy (GMS genitourinary syndrome),

the thinning of the vaginal walls.

From a food perspective you can do this:

Foods that can help with GMS below

Water – drinking more water than normal – up it to 2.6 litres a day.

Foods to help GMS

Cranberry – 100 % - fresh or dried berries – if they don’t have sugar.

Sweet potatoes and other root vegetables like yam, yakon and jicama – help keep mucous membrane healthy.

Omega fatty acids – flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts. 

 Soy – rich in phytoestrogens 

Avocados – may enhance lubrication and oestrogen levels. 

Aloe Vera – can add to smoothies or blend with water.

Leafy greens – due to high vitamin E, magnesium and calcium – blood purifying.

Foods rich in pre-biotics and probiotics. 

On a practical level, love making may have to be different, consider tantra, get a vaginal herbal cream, self-please as it is important, as sexual activity with a partner or on your own can bring more elasticity into the vagina.

Recipe

Miso broccoli green olive pasta

A simple pasta recipe. 

Gluten free pasta which has amaranth and brown rice or quinoa and brown rice for some good protein.

1 head broccoli cut small

2 cups herbs, basil is a great one or could be parsley (cut it finely)

2 tbsp olive oil 

¼ cup chopped green olives 

Zest of 1 lemon and a big splash of lemon juice 

1 tbsp miso 

2 cloves garlic 

1 onion chopped finely

1. Cook pasta to pasta cooking instructions.

2. Meanwhile, sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes in 1 tbsp olive oil and a big pinch of salt.

3. Place the broccoli into the frying pan and cook for a few minutes, then add ¼ to ½ cup water. 

4. Mix the miso with a small amount of water to make a miso paste.

5. Cook the broccoli until al dente, or how you like it. Stir in the herbs, green olives and lemon juice, cook for a few minutes, then stir in the miso.

FCT 

Have dulce flakes, or make a sprinkle with them in it, and have it in the centre of the table, so you sprinkle them on your food every time you eat.

Have a fabulous week and please share this podcast far and wide.

With gratitude Veet