Today's topic
Today, I'm going to be talking about six things you can do in the morning that can help your menopause.
We're all busy people. Many of us have work. We're running round like idiots in the morning. But, one of the things I have found is that, if I prepare myself better in the morning, this helps both my body and my mind for the rest of the day.
1. Hydrate first
First of all, this is so, so important. And for those of you who have been watching for a while, you know how important water is. If you think about it, you've been sleeping for about seven or eight hours, or maybe longer, and you're going to be totally dehydrated. And, if you start off the morning dehydrated, that's going to make a lot of the menopause symptoms that you get during the day worse.
So, the minute you're out of bed, drink a large glass of warm or room temperature water - not cold because, if you take cold water, that's going to stress your digestive system and will probably end up giving you indigestion. So, number one, a nice big glass of water.
2. Next, have breakfast
This is another vital step in the menopause. You would never consider going on a long car journey without topping up the petrol and the oil, and it's the same with our bodies. The menopause is a long journey every single day for our body and it needs sustenance as well, so breakfast is really important.
What happens if we don't have breakfast? Our nervous system in the menopause is very often in flight-or-fight mode so, if you are running around a lot in the morning without breakfast, your body will think there is an energy crisis and it will slow down your metabolism.
Missing breakfast in the menopause can be one of the contributors to weight gain, so this is really important. The type of breakfast you have matters - try and go for protein, try and go with a little bit of healthy fats, and some kind of vegetables, or salad, or even things like tomatoes because these will help to keep your blood levels stable during the day, too.
If you really can't face breakfast, then maybe try one of the new protein powder drinks. There are lots of them out there. A lot of them are plant-sourced, and they don't take much to prepare or drink. And that will at least give you something to run on whilst you're getting ready for the rest of your day.
3. Take the right supplements with your breakfast
If you're taking magnesium for mood and anxiety, or your joints or headaches, then it's a good idea to take it with your breakfast. If you're taking B vitamins, again, these really need to be taken at breakfast because they give you a little bit of energy.
And, if you're taking a lot of energising supplements at night, that can end up interfering with your sleep. The same goes for sage. If you're taking our sage tablets for daytime flushes and sweats, then remember to take that with your breakfast as well.
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4. Get your oxygen in
Remember to breathe! When we're running around, when we're really busy, when our bodies and our minds are occupied with everything that's going on, we very often shallow breathe. And shallow breathing will rev up our nervous system as well. So, practicing slow, deep breathing all during the day is a fabulous little hack, if you like to help with menopause symptoms.
It can be really good if you're waiting for the kettle to boil, if you're waiting for the shower to run, if you're waiting for the bus, so anytime where you have literally two or three minutes where you're standing doing nothing, then just get into that practice mode of slow, deep breaths. It's a fabulous tool.
5. Wait to have your first cup of coffee or caffeinated tea
And I know a lot of you out there will be thinking, "But that's the only thing that keeps me going!".
Yes, it might keep you going. But it also revs up your nervous system and it also interferes with your blood sugar levels. And that first cup of coffee in the morning, especially if you have it when you first get up, it's dehydrating, so you're going to be even more dehydrated. It's going to really rev up your blood sugar levels and what that can do is give you palpitations, it can give you headaches, it can trigger flushes, and it could also make you more hungry, and increase your sugar cravings, too.
So, the best thing to do is maybe have that first cup of coffee about 9:00 or 10:00. I love a good cup of coffee and I usually wait until about 9:30 in the morning. I've had a good breakfast. I'm at work. I'm settled. I'm calm. And that's the best time to have your cup of coffee.
Drink it slowly as well because that will help to just sort of drip-feed it into the system rather than taking a large amount of caffeine in one go.
6. Avoid stressful situations
Probably the most difficult one of all is to avoid stress in the morning if you can. The problem is we do tend to rush about.
Very often, you're trying to think of a hundred different things before you walk out the door, especially if you've got family, especially if you've got a lot of work to do. Again, this rushing about with your mind all over the place will start to rev up your nervous system and that will put your body in the wrong place before you've even started your day.
So, try and give yourself plenty of time in the morning. I find, for me, I would much rather get up half an hour earlier and take my time than put the snooze button on and have an extra half hour in bed. So, for me, I'm up really early. The first thing I do is have my water, then I prepare my breakfast from scratch.
So, by the time I've done that, literally, half an hour has gone by since I've had my water. I will sit down properly to have my breakfast. I like to watch the news. I love to know what's going on in the world. So, for me, having 15 minutes of chill time watching what's going on sets me up for the day.
I'm a great believer in post-it notes, so they will be stuck all over the place reminding me of what I'm supposed to do the next day. And I have a little trick whereby anything I need to take to work the following day, I get ready the night before and I put in by the front door so that I don't miss it. This normally works.
Although, yesterday, I walked out the door and left my trainers behind! I was going to the gym straight after work and how I missed them, I don't know. But, again, if our mind is occupied elsewhere, then that's when the forgetfulness tends to really kick in. So, you know, try these tips.
See how you get on because I know, for me, just having that little bit of extra time in the morning to do the things that I need to do and want to do sets me up far better during the day. Then I have a less stressful time at work, and I have a more enjoyable time at work.
So, if anybody out there has other tips that can really help you to get started in the morning, please share them. We'd love to know all about them.
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