Read the full video transcript below
Today's topic
Hello and welcome to my weekly video blog. And today on A.Vogel Talks Menopause, I'm going to ask you are you feeling a bit sluggish just now?
Now, are you feeling tired that you lack energy, that you just want to sleep, that you want to hibernate, you want to eat starchy, fatty, sweet foods, and you just want to keep warm? Well, if the answer is yes, believe it or not, this is a really common occurrence as we approach the winter.
Now for all of you ladies who are not in the UK and Ireland, if you live in other countries where there is a seasonal difference, then you may well be experiencing the same things at some point.
How does winter affect the thyroid and metabolism?
Now, what happens at this time of the year as it gets darker, as it gets colder? Our thyroid function down-regulates. And what that means is our thyroid runs at a slower pace. Our metabolism, which is the rate at which our body burns up energy, slows down as well.
Why thyroid function and metabolism slow down.
Now, in nature, if we go back to when we were living in caves, this was really important because this could actually be the difference between surviving a winter and not surviving a winter. Because in those times, obviously, it was a lot colder, we would get colder, there would be a lot less food, and our body had to find ways of conservating the stores of fat that we had on our bodies and also enable us to stay alive when there was less food around. And so, the thyroid would turn our thermostat down, and that's all very well.
In those days, it was absolutely fine because there was less food around. And as I say, if you're stuck in caves, not being able to get out, not being able to exercise, your body would almost go into a state of semi-hibernation.
Why this can cause problems today
The problem is we don't have that situation today. We have central heating. We have loads of food around the whole time. So here we are in a situation where our thyroid, our metabolism, our energy output is slowing down. It's making us tired. It's making us want to just huddle and do nothing and crave sweet foods.
But we're not in the same situation. And this can cause an awful lot of problems because we will end up putting on more weight during the winter. So our metabolism slows down. We still eat the same amount of food. We're not shivering because we're not cold, so our body is burning less energy. We're eating more food, and our thyroid is running at a slower rate.
So this situation can cause all of these problems that I mentioned earlier around happening during the winter or during the coldest seasons regardless of where you happen to live.
What can you do about it?
So what on Earth can you do about this? Well, there's a couple of really simple things.
How diet can help
Watch your diet. We do have cravings for more sweet things, starchy things, and fat things in the winter so just keep your diet under control. Try and avoid stocking up on carbs. If you feel that you need fatty food, then obviously go with your really healthy fats, such as coconut oil and virgin olive oil as well.
How exercise can help
Get some exercise. And I know we don't feel like exercising up here where I live. It's dark when I get up in the morning. It's dark when I go home. And the last thing I want to be doing, especially if it's raining, is to run around the block at lunchtime. But it's very important to get some kind of exercise on a regular basis just to keep your metabolism running well at this particular time.
How fresh air can help
We need fresh air. And what happens? We've got the central heating, we've got air conditioning, and we've got those awful chemical air fresheners that a lot of people have in their houses during the winter. These are full of chemicals. They can also interfere with our liver function.
These chemicals can be found in our bloodstream, and they can contribute to our feelings of lethargy. So it's really important to get as much fresh air as you can. And this is where trying to get out, and I do try honestly, to get out at lunchtime just for a quick 10-minute brisk walk.
The other thing you can do, which I know a lot of you will shudder at, but I do it because I actually feel it helps me to sleep better, is during the winter, unless it's really, really cold, is to have a window vent open so that you're getting a constant supply of fresh air while you're sleeping. And that can make a difference, especially if you're also getting flushes and sweats during the night.
How acupuncture can help
You can look at acupuncture. Acupuncture is wonderful for helping to balance thyroid functions. So it is one that is certainly worth looking into if you feel that you're putting on a lot of weight and you're finding it hard to shift. And it also helps with the feelings of kind of lethargy and lack of energy and motivation, too.
How kelp supplements can help
You can also look at kelp supplements. And for those of you who've been watching for a little while, you know that kelp was one of my five secrets of the menopause.
It is a super supplement to take because it contains iodine, and iodine is very important for supporting your thyroid. And we know for a lot of women that poor thyroid function is a big issue in the menopause.
So you can look at a nice kelp supplement, but just make sure that you don't overdose on iodine. It's very important that you stick to 150 UG per day. And don't take anymore because that could affect the thyroid function in other methods as well.
So a nice kelp tablet can be a really useful addition to help support your metabolism and thyroid during the winter. And kelp is also good for your hair. It's also good for your nails. And some women in the peri-menopause find it can help to ease breast tenderness and discomfort as well. So it's giving you quite a few different benefits.
How B Vitamins can help
You can also look at things like B vitamins as well. B vits are great because they help to give you that little bit of energy. But just remember to take them with your breakfast and not with your evening meal because they may interfere with your sleep.
So as you can see, this is another one of the situations which we don't normally think would affect us as we go through the menopause. But our own body rhythms are very important in keeping them the right away and also helping to keep ourselves balanced as we go through the menopause.
So I hope this was of interest for you. And let me know if any of you have noticed any of these changes as winter sets in because it's always good to get confirmation of these things. And I will look forward to seeing you next week on another edition of A.Vogel Talks Menopause.
