Menopausal Hotties
The hottest topic in town: Hottie’s Menopause Manual
The Emma Heaven magazine is proud to present the Hottie’s Menopause Manual..
Did you know that there are - brace yourselves - 34 reported symptoms associated with the menopausal journey?
Ohhh yes hotties you read that right! Not 3 to 4 but a goddamn 34 of the cheeky little blighters. You may want to make a cuppa or pour yourself a large glass, and sit comfortably as it’s a looooong list.
Do not fear though warrior hotties, as we are going to take them in our stride and steadily work our way through them.
Hopefully this will arm you with the knowledge, power and humour required in order to deal with the emotional and physical minefield that is the menopause.
We continue with…
4. Fatigue
Well hotties we are getting through our list of 34 reported symptoms of the menopause.
Remember, you may not experience them all, or even none at all, but for the majority of us, we will have at least several of these and to varying degrees!
This month the focus is on that other ‘F word’ - Fatigue!
So if you're reading this and struggling to stay awake and it’s not ‘cos you’ve been burning the candle at both ends, or, you have little interest to continue reading this, then it’s more than likely it’s the dreaded ‘F word’ which assails many a hottie. Yes, you could well have menopausal fatigue.
It's very real and super frustrating as it can leave you feeling in a constant state of blahhhh and mehhhh….you’re all too familiar with trying to disguise a(nother) yawn, or furiously blinking to keep your eyes wide open and to stay focused! It can be the stuff of nightmares.
Energy is totally zapped from even the most basic of tasks, seeming like too much effort or totally wiping you out. Overnight you feel as if you’ve gone from being the life and soul of the party to counting down the seconds until you can leave to go climb into your PJs or steal a nap on the party host’s sofa!
Concentration becomes quite the challenge. Wakey wakey hotties - hope you're still with us, or have rejoined after a much needed power nap. Ohh and I’m sorry to say that a good night’s sleep may also be another ‘casualty’ and a long distant memory thanks to the menopause. And don’t even mention ‘memory loss’ to me - it feels like a relentless menopausal circle. Sigh…Oh how I’d so love to be a square right now, I’m so tired of this menopausal cycle. And I’m way too knackered at the moment to even think of exercising...
As we approach menopause, our hormones bob up and down like a rubber duck floating on a wild stormy sea.
Decreasing female sex hormones - progesterone and estrogen - can make us less able to relax enough to get that much needed sleep. This sleep deprivation affects everything we do. I think it’s time to call in the sleep fairies - oh how I so wish that they were real; I swear it’s the lack of sleep ‘delirium’ kicking in!
As fairies (sadly) don’t exist, here are a few things we can do to help kick fatigue to the kerb:
If you’re able, try taking a power nap of 20-30 minutes is ideal. If it’s good enough for Olympians it sure is for us hotties.
Get fresh air: Fill your senses and lungs. Taking a walk in nature can rebalance and re-energise us. Yes, it really is a walk in the park. Or as the cognoscenti are known to call it, ‘forest-bathing’...
Don’t over exercise: Whoop whoop now that’s a tip I am totally here for. Aiming for 30 minutes a day will have a positive impact such as a power walk, yoga or cycling - these will boost your circulation and increase your energy.
Swap out the high caffeine drinks for herbal or decaffeinated teas/coffees and drink plenty of water, especially in the warmer months.
Turn off the technology. Swap it out for journaling, meditation or listening to music; perhaps unwind with a relaxing podcast, or read a book.
Emptying your mind of worries or tasks can help you unwind, ready to embrace those sweet Zzzzz’s 💤.
Stay cool: Keep the bedroom nice and cool; natural cotton-rich bedding will help draw heat away and keep you cooler if you're ever ‘visited’ by the night sweats!
Be kind to yourself. You are important. Make time for you.
Medications can help to rebalance lost hormones - there are so many positive benefits and it’s worth a visit to your GP to discuss what you need to navigate your way through menopause. There is also a huge range of herbal supplements to explore too.
The important thing to remember hotties is to know that you have the right to feel your best, and to be your best. Help is out there. Please don’t settle. Let’s banish the fatigue and sparkle brighter than ever before. We deserve it. YOU deserve it!
Love
Julie
Hottie’s Menopause Manual
30. Hayfever & Allergies
“I’ll be back” - those famous immortal words uttered by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator films could have been specifically (m)uttered about the peri/menopause!
Why/how you may ask…?
Well, just when you thought you were about to make it through to the other side, to escape the onslaught of symptoms thrown at you daily, then lo and behold, they come back at you, sometimes stronger than before, sometimes loaded with a new arsenal of weapons, ready to attack again; and - like Arnie - these symptoms are bloody relentless! Those pesky menopause symptoms need to be terminated once and for all.
Unfortunately for us hotties, we have to patiently wait out our ‘dark fate’ and soldier on as best as we can, waiting for ‘salvation’, when lo and behold, (yet) ANOTHER symptom rears its ugly head.
It’s ‘judgment day’ for hayfever & allergies.
When our immune system comes under stress, it releases histamines, which cause allergic reactions. Due to the intimate connection between our hormones and our immune system, it is not unusual to notice some changes to our allergy profile during the peri/menopause.
The hormonal changes of peri/menopause affect the nervous system, digestion and sleep thus causing significant fatigue, all of which leads to a weakened immune system, which can make us hotties prone to hayfever and allergies, even if we have not been previously affected by them.
The most common symptoms of histamine in peri/menopause are rashes, itching, flushing, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), indigestion, breathlessness, palpitations, migraine, dizziness, anxiety/panic, joint aches and nasal congestion.
So, how do we go about terminating this (not so) little list of goodies?
- Keep an eye out for what’s triggering your allergies. Forewarned is forearmed
- Staying well-hydrated will help by reducing the concentration of histamines in your system
- Plenty of sleep will help take the stress off your immune system
Most importantly, don’t forget the peri/menopause drill and our helpful playlist of kick-ass tunes to terminate those menopause blues and stick two fingers up to whatever symptoms you are currently experiencing.
As with anything related to our bodies and our health, if you are experiencing difficulties, it makes sense to seek advice from your GP or health professional to see if there are any medications or other treatments that may help your symptoms.
So listen up hotties - this famous quote from Terminator is bang on the money and we should take inspiration from it:
"The future has not been written.
There's no fate but what we make for ourselves"
The menopause is going to take its course in some form or another whether we like it or not; but how we deal with it is entirely up to us. We can either sit there, let it take over and wreck our lives, or we can rise up, stare it in the face, look it in the eye, and tell it to back the f*ck off!
It will not defeat us - because what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.
A sense of humour is vital for dealing with this erratic and occasionally overwhelming period of our lives and armed with important information, knowledge, understanding and support, then we can kick this Terminator's arse and cheekily bid it adios - hasta la vista, baby!
Uprising - Muse
Titanium - David Guetta feat. Sia
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
Survivor - Destiny’s Child
Fuck You - Lily Allen
I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
I’m Still Standing - Elton John
Set You Free - N-Trance
Rise - Katy Perry
Roar - Katy Perry
Take On Me - A-Ha
Things Can Only Get Better - D’Ream
The Only Way Is Up - Yazz and the Plastic Population
Let’s Go - Calvin Harris feat. Ne-Yo
Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) - Backstreet Boys
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