Transcript

Hello. Hello ladies and welcome to the Hormone Hub. It is great to have you here and today I’m gonna talk about something that is synonymous [00:01:00] with menopause and that is hot flushes. Now what we’re gonna cover, will actually sort of help you whether you’ve got any kind of hormonal imbalance and regardless of what your hormonal symptoms are, this is going to help.

 But I wanted to sort of specifically kind of jump in and cover hot flushes cause I know they are a big bone of contention for a lot of women. Now the causes of hot flushes aren’t completely understood. So, you know, it’s definitely low estrogen when you know you are in peri, late perimenopause and that estrogen level drops really low.

 It affects the part of our brain that provides the thermostat for body temperature. So, you know, and there’s so many things that it can influence or influence this. So stress, anxiety, you know, eating certain foods, alcohol, you know, all of these things can definitely influence the frequency and the intensity of hot flushes.

So we’ll have a look at some of those. So, you know, if you [00:02:00] haven’t had a hot flush, like what is it? You know? And I will put my hand up. I actually have never had a hot flush, so, you know. Popular reporting is that they generally start in the chest area and they spread sort of across the chest, up the neck, to the face.

They can also spread over the whole body. They’ve been described to me as like a burning, overheating sensation. Some women get red skin, you know, that really flushed hot red skin and then varying degrees of sweating. So, you know, having to strip off and change your shirt to, you know, mild perspiration.

So, you know, like everything, every woman experiences hot flushes differently. Some of them can be mild and quick. Others can have, you know, one a day, some women can have up to 20 a day. So, you know, and then some of these women have night sweats, you know, instead of, or as well as hot flushes. You know, it’s where they literally wake up in a puddle.[00:03:00] 

So, yeah, good times. Alright, so let’s just have a look at, you know, some of the things we can do. And like I said, this is gonna apply for you regardless of whether you’re having hot flushes or any kind of hormonal symptoms. You know, this is sort of how we are going to help support your hormones and balance your hormones.

Now, if I have a big coughing fit halfway through this, I have just, what is it, day 10 now of Covid. So I’m on the road to recovery. I feel a thousand times better than I did this time last week, but still, yeah, have it. And I don’t know if you remember, a couple of weeks ago I joked about my son going down to schoolies, on the Gold Coast.

So he graduated year 12, went to the Gold Coast, and you know, at the time there were all these warnings about, oh, well, you know, COVID is running rampant, blah, blah, blah. And they’re encouraging the kids to wear masks. Now, can you imagine, you know, you’ve got 20,000 17-18 year olds partying away with their 20,000 new best friends wearing [00:04:00] masks.

You know, my kind of like advice was like, surely they would be better off promoting sunscreen and condoms, but no, masks was the thing. Now having had covid for 10 days, I really wish, really, really wish he had worn the bloody mask. Anyway. We’ll, we’ll persevere through. All right. So, so I just sort of wanted to sort of like give you the experience of one of my clients.

So she’s a, you know, 50 year old office manager. She was suffering terribly with hot flushes and night sweats, which was why she came to sort of start working with me in the first place. And it got to the point where, you know, she just felt she was losing her confidence. She felt really embarrassed all the time, you know, particularly when she was at work because she said there was just no warning.

So she said it could happen in the middle of a meeting. She said it could happen on the bus, on the way to work. And she said for her, the heat started to rise from her legs. And [00:05:00] then by the time it hit her head, she said she could feel it coming up her body. By the time it hit her head, she would instantly start sweating and then, you know, she had it during the night as well, so she would wake up in just a bucket of sweat, and have to change the sheets.

So she would kick her husband out of bed, change the sheets, change her clothes, and you know, she was exhausted. So no wonder. She had been offered HRT from the doctor, but she, she wanted to go down that natural path, you know, which is fine. And you know what? HRT is also fine too, and we’ll talk about more of that in a sec.

So we started her on a hormone balancing program. We had plenty of, you know, fiber, plenty of phytoestrogens, which, you know, I’ll get into what they are in a sec. And we also had some targeted supplements to kind of like boost her, boost her hormones a bit as well. So here’s what she sort of said. And you know, in her initial email to me, she said, oh, hot, hot flushes were ruining my [00:06:00] life.

 I was having over 10 a day, and that would happen any time, any place. Had to carry a towel with me, plus a mini fan. And I just hope there was somewhere to hide whenever it happened. I was so tired as well. The night sweats would interrupt my sleep. When I started to balance out my estrogen, things started to improve.

Then we looked at possible triggers for the sweats. Stress was a big one. So she started to develop some deep breathing exercises each day, and that really helped. She also realized that alcohol was a big trigger. So after she did the 10 day detox, the kickstart, that just incidentally, we will be running again early January, so keep your eyes posted for that.

You know, and her hot flushes, just by taking alcohol out of her day-to-day life, reduced her hot flushes by half. So, you know, putting all these things in place, she’s now sweat free and feeling confident again. So I thought I would just share her story with you [00:07:00] just so you know that it is possible.

And certainly, you know, when we’re talking about, you know, HRT and things like that, you know, there are so many options. And yeah, like I said, we’ll get into that in a sec. But, so what did we do with Polly? So first up, what we wanna do is we want you to nourish yourself. So we want you to give your, you know, when you give your body and you give your hormones all the nutrients they need, you know, they can start to work properly, okay? And they can be in balance. And then when this happens, when your body is getting what it needs, it starts to relax because it knows that everything’s working. So first up, go for green.

So as much green leafy vegetables, you know, there’s no, they’re not saying that for shits and giggles, , it’s a real thing. And particularly our cruciferous veggies. So our broccoli, our Brussels sprouts, our water crests, kale, you know, all of those good things. They help our liver detox any kind of like excess hormones.

So all [00:08:00] those recycled hormones that we don’t want, we wanna get rid of, you know, that’s where all your beautiful leafy green, cruciferous veggies can help. Now, next up is ditching the sugar. Okay? So this includes your artificial sweeteners, okay? Your body cannot tell the difference between sugar and, you know, nutri sweet or whatever chemical artificial sweetener you’re having because you know that sweet signal goes to your brain, your brain registers that it’s had something sweet, insulin goes sky high and you know, we need to get that down. So, we wanna ditch sugar, we wanna ditch your artificial sweeteners, you know, any of your packaged, processed foods.

You know, for all my chocoholics out there it is okay to have dark chocolate. We wanna go for 70% or over. And this is just gonna help you balance that blood sugar and help reduce those insulin levels because remember, that insulin is [00:09:00] one of our big fat storers. Okay, so then next up is we want, I want you to start sprinkling your seeds, ladies, everywhere.

So seeds are a good source of fiber. They’re a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals, phytoestrogens. So phytoestrogens are, you know, it’s been a bit of a contentious issue, but they’re actually really good for us. So whether we are in perimenopause or menopause, you know, phytoestrogens in our diet are, you know, amazing.

So this is things like chia, flax seeds, sesame, pumpkins, or pepitas, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds. We can put them in your smoothies. We can, you know, natural yogurt. You can put them on your porridge, you can put them in your salads, you can have them as a trail mix, you know, so many options. But yeah, seeds are actually really beneficial, and helpful for your hormones.

 Sesame seeds also is super high form of calcium, better than dairy. [00:10:00] I know, I said it. Okay. And then the next thing we want you to poop. Okay, so get pooping. Sort out that digestion. So if you’ve got bloating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, heartburn, anything like that, we need to sort that out. We want you to in, you know, be able to absorb the nutrients from your food, and we want you to eliminate it properly.

So, you know, part of what we can do there is, you know, upping your fiber. So that always helps. So make sure you are drinking enough water, preferably filtered water. You are getting enough fiber from fruit, from vegetables, from whole grains, from nuts, from seeds, including, you know, probiotic foods.

So these are your fermented foods. So miso, kefir, tempe, sauerkraut, natural yogurt. So they, they all feed your good gut bugs, or, you know, they sort of add to your good gut bug colony. Then we want the prebiotic fibers, which is your, oats, leeks, sweet potatoes, those things, they’re [00:11:00] what feeds your good gut bugs.

So we need to get that balance between the probiotic and the prebiotics right. Now, what we wanna do also like here is, you know, you can have the world’s most perfect diet, but if you are not absorbing the nutrients from your food, we’re missing the mark. Okay? So we wanna make sure that, you know, we don’t have any food intolerances and this is why, you know, one of the, things that I do with ladies when they first come into the program, we do a food sensitivity test.

 And this identifies exact foods, so we are not taking out whole food groups unnecessarily. So it makes it easier to stick to. If it’s easier to stick to, we get better results. Okay. So, yeah, so definitely. But you know, if you’re not doing a, a food sensitivity test, you know, have a think about, you know, how does your body respond to wheat?

How does your body respond to dairy? Like if you know that it bloats you, if you know that it constipates you if you know that it gives you diarrhea, you know, why are we still eating it? [00:12:00] So yeah, so just kind of, you know, and awareness is everything. So we just need to kind of start bringing in that awareness in, you know, does this food work for me?

And yeah. Of course, if you don’t want to guess and you wanna find out exactly what foods work for you, then by all means, let me know and we can do that food sensitivity test. Okay, so the next step in sort of supporting your hormones, ditching those hot flushes, is to reduce stress. Okay? So this is scheduling in some relaxation every single day.

So this could be just 10 minutes of deep breathing will reduce our cortisol levels, get us outta that fight or flight mode. When we have elevated stress over a period of time, this increases our blood sugar, it increases our fat storage. You know, particularly though, that spare tyre around the middle that no one wants, it can drain our energy.

It suppresses our immunity, it impairs our digestion, slows our sex function, hormone function, all of the [00:13:00] things. So stress has a profound effect on our hormones. Can also cause PMS, can cause digestive issues, fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, it increases our risk of heart disease, diabetes, and if we don’t prioritize this, you know, and I think, a lot of women sort of are aiming to eat really healthy and you know, you can have the absolute best diet in the world.

You can have, you know, be taking a million supplements. But, you know, if we don’t prioritize the way we manage stress, it’s going to, you know, counter those efforts. Okay. And also too, like chronic, elevated stress is a one-way ticket to adrenal fatigue. So this is where we start to feel wiped out and exhausted.

You know, when this chronic stress goes on too long. So what we wanna do is we wanna chill out, okay? We wanna relax, we wanna breathe deeply. You know, taking regular breaks from technology. [00:14:00] You know, I’ve started on a, you know, ‘phones down’ time, and I’ve started that with my whole household cause I noticed that my kids were starting to, you know, be permanently have their phone glued to their hands, so I’ve detached their phone at night. I’m sure they go and steal it back afterwards, but, you know, I feel better. So yeah, so meditating be still every single day. Do more of the things you enjoy. So what, what lights you up? What brings you, you know, makes you laugh?

What brings a smile to your face? Do more of those. Say no more often. You know, you’ve heard me say before, no is complete sentence. We don’t have to justify it. We just need to say no. And yeah, support your adrenals, you know, by doing all the things that I just mentioned. 

All right. Now the next step is we want to have a little bit of a cleanse.

Now, I’m not talking about a detox. I’m talking about, you know, what is around us that is impacting our hormones. So, you know, chemical estrogens. So this is where we look at, you know, so there’s lots of chemicals out there that go and attach themselves to our estrogen [00:16:00] receptors. So what we wanna do is identify them and swap them out.

So swapping plastic for glass or stainless steel or ceramics, is a big one. Particularly water bottles. So all those chemicals in your water bottle, you know, leech into your water, you know, with those plastic water bottles. So switch to more natural brands for toiletries, cosmetic, household cleaners, you know, there’s a lot you can get in the supermarket these days.

You know, they’re not all perfect, but they’re gonna be better than the highly fragranced products that we’ve been, you know, using, just because it’s in the supermarket doesn’t mean it’s okay to use. You know, with your products and your cleaning products, go organic if you can, you know, limit your exposure to pesticides. Especially be aware of, you know, fruit and veggies where we eat the skin, you know, that’s where the, the pesticide sits. So, you know, soaking it in a one-third mix of vinegar and two-thirds water, you know, it breaks down those, those [00:17:00] pesticides. When it comes to hot flushes and when it comes to hormonal symptoms, limiting your caffeine and alcohol can significantly help you, you know, reduction in hot flushes, better blood sugar balance, you know, you are not using cortisol to, uh, sorry, caffeine, to kind of boost your cortisol levels to get you through the day. And you know, and also here too, consider, you know, if we’re talking about cleansing, can you, you know, opt for a more natural method of contraception or hormone therapy?

So things like the pill, the mirena, the depot injection, you know, they’re all synthetic hormones, so it just kind of masks. It’s giving us a bandaid over the top, but there’s lots of other options. There’s, you know, bioidentical HRT, so very effective. They’re much lower dose and therefore much less risk.

And I think, you know, for if your [00:18:00] symptoms are impacting the quality of your day-to-day life, you know, it’s a hundred percent worth considering and having that conversation with your doctor. Now, this isn’t to say that it’s a magic pill and you can’t do all these other things. So what I’m saying is, you know, if we think of the way we nourish ourselves, if we think of the way we manage our stress, if we think of, you know, what, we surround ourselves, you know, from a product point of view in our homes, in our day-to-day life, what we are putting on our skin, all of these things are gonna support our hormones, and ultimately, you know, improve our symptoms if we need, you know, to take that to the next level. You know, HRT is is a great option, but we don’t want to see that as a magic pill because it’s not. All right. So I just wanted to put that out there. So things like, you know, when on that cleansing, you know, drinking filtered water over regular tap water, making sure we’re sweating. So this is where, you know, your infrared saunas are [00:19:00] amazing, epsom salt baths, dry skin brushing, all helps that detoxification process.

And, you know, if we’re doing all of these things, you know, losing weight will, will come. Okay. And it will come naturally if you, because the more body fat that we have, the more estrogen you know we have because our fat cells, you know, produce estrogen. So what we wanna do is, you know, reduce that, that body fat and then that is gonna impact and help us, you know, manage those hormonal symptoms. So, you know, and I, easier said than done, I know, and this is why I created the Weight Loss Wisdom program. Because I know for some women, you know, just getting the weight off is hard and I understand that. So that’s why I created this program. And if you think of it as my down and dirty weight loss program, we get in, we get the weight off, and then, you know, that comes out of your [00:20:00] head. You don’t need to worry about that excess weight, you know? And then we work on how do we maintain that new weight? How do we, you know, keep your hormones supported? You know, keep that metabolism, you know, firing. So yeah, all of those things. So if weight loss is your bug bear, you know, talk to me because I can definitely help.

Now, the next thing to support your hormones is to move your body. So starting with sitting less and moving more. Walking definitely for the win. So, you know, start half an hour. We all have half an hour in our day. Okay, go for a walk. High intensity. If you can do high intensity exercise without needing to have a two hour nap afterwards, go for it.

 It, it’s really good for you. But on the flip side, if it’s, you know, making you feel tired, if it’s exhausting you, it’s, it’s not doing you any favors right now. It’s, you know, increasing your stress response and it wants to encourage your [00:21:00] body to store fat. We wanna build some muscle ladies, so, you know, going to the gym, resistance training, yoga and Pilates are amazing, you know, just to keep that muscle going, but yeah, move your body. Okay. Alright. So there the sort of like the four things that we can do. So, nourish your body, manage your stress, clean up the chemicals around you, and move your body. Now, we all know this. None of this is rocket science, so I just wanna kind of like wrap it up by sort of saying, all right, so why don’t we do this?

Okay. Now the biggest thing I hear from a lot of women, and the biggest reason for not taking action is I don’t have enough time. I don’t have enough time to meal prep. I don’t have enough time to cook, you know, from scratch. I don’t have enough time to exercise. I don’t have time to relax. I can only relax after the kids have gone to bed.

Okay, I get it. I’m [00:22:00] busy too. Alright. But what if we reframed it into, you know, and just rethink the way that we think about it. Okay. So it’s not a priority for me right now. All right, so instead of saying, I don’t have time to meal prep, why don’t we say, I’d love to, you know, change the way I eat, but it’s not a priority for me right now.

I’d love to relax, but it’s not a priority for me right now. I’d love to put myself first, but it’s not a priority for it for me right now. Okay. I’d love to exercise. But it’s not a priority for me right now. So, you know, we all have the same amount of time and your priorities and whether or not you wanna own it or not, you know, is how you choose to spend those hours.

Okay. So it’s amazing how much time you can find when you prioritize the things that are important, you know? So I really encourage you to make a [00:23:00] commitment to yourself. You know, set a target date, have something to aim for, and that’s when you finally make that first step. So, if you take a long time, either thinking about doing something or you know, trying to go it alone without support and accountability, life generally gets in the way and before you know it, you’re back doing the same old thing again. Okay. And I know this, and I’m saying it because I see it time and time again. So, you know, and the flip side of that is with the, the ladies I work with, once they start getting those small rungs on the board, once they start getting those achievements, it builds the momentum.

Then they get their energy back. They start shifting weight. They’re feeling calmer, they’re feeling more balanced, and they all say the same thing. I should have done this years ago. Okay, so I’m gonna leave that with you. All right. And that’s, yeah, just a, a reframe and hopefully that is helpful for you. If you need some help, you know where to find me.

All right, ladies, well thank you for [00:24:00] listening and I’ll see you in the next episode.