It’s time we stop feeling like we’re falling apart and start regaining control of our bodies, minds, and lives.
Who’s with me?
If you’ve been told,
- “It’s just menopause.”
- Or, “you’re just getting older.”
- Or (my favorite), “it’s all in your head!”
Then consider this your call to arms.
Not terribly long ago, doctors didn’t know a whole lot about women’s health (especially as we aged). Although women diligently showed up at their doctor’s office with their women’s intuition screaming, “something just isn’t right,” they were often escorted right out the door with a patronizing, “you’re just getting older, sweetie.”
Although many women still experience this, we can now hold our heads high knowing there is plenty of science to back up our long-trusted intuition.
So let me set the record straight.
Brain fog, weight gain, depression, and insomnia are not natural and normal parts of aging that we should humbly accept.
They are symptoms of a bigger issue, one that can absolutely be helped (with a bit of perseverance, the right lab work, and a medical professional who understands what is really happening with your body).
Regardless, there are some things that you can start doing right now to kickstart your efforts!
If I could give you just one piece of advice that will help you live a longer, healthier, more comfortable life, it would be this:
Focus on reducing inflammation this year, and watch your other symptoms start to disappear.
Chronic inflammation has been identified as a key risk factor in many common symptoms and diseases. Weight gain, arthritis, strokes, irritable bowel disease (IBD), diabetes, heart disease, depression, cancer, and other chronic illnesses all have inflammation at the root.
Make Inflammation a Thing of the Past
Chronic inflammation is linked to a number of diseases that can lead to a host of unwanted symptoms. And, for many, these diseases eventually lead to death (think cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer).
Yet well before those diseases set in, you may experience some warning signs. These signs come in the form of unpleasant side effects of chronic inflammation (such as mood disorders, digestive issues, weight gain, trouble fighting infections, chronic pain, and fatigue).
The good news is, we can greatly decrease chronic inflammation by making small dietary and lifestyle changes. In turn, our symptoms will subside and we’ll reduce the risk of coming down with one of those dreaded diseases.
Below are some guidelines that I recommend to all women who are struggling with unexplained symptoms of brain fog, weight gain, depression, and insomnia (especially if your symptoms could be linked to your thyroid or Hashimoto’s disease).
These are all simple–yet powerful–changes you can start making to kick this decade off right!
Clean Up Your Diet
Focusing on eating the right foods will help heal your body, create positive physical changes, as well as give you the energy to tackle all of the things on your 2020 bucket list.
You may have heard the phrase, “clean eating” pop up recently.
Clean eating refers to eating foods that are minimally processed (avoid anything that comes pre-packaged, as much as possible), avoiding foods with added fats, salt, and sugar, and consuming mostly whole foods… like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and meats.
Yes, you’ve heard this before. But we often link these changes to our weight and physical appearance. While eating healthier may help your waistline, there’s much more at stake. Consciously choosing foods that lower inflammation will have a much longer-term effect on your health and the way you feel day in and day out, and you can start seeing those improvements fairly quickly after changing your diet. Give it a try!
If you don’t know where to start, here are some delicious recipe resources to get you going.
Cleaning up your diet now means your energy will begin to return as the year progresses, but there is more you can do if you want to have the energy of your twenty-something-year-old self.
Eliminate Fatigue
Chronic fatigue is a common problem reported by many Americans. This isn’t something you can cure with a nap. It’s much more than that. It’s a type of tired that just doesn’t go away.
As it turns out, chronic fatigue is closely linked to your energy levels. It’s actually one of two factors that impact chronic fatigue.
Besides lowering your inflammation, you should also work to improve the antioxidant status in the body.
Again, this comes down to diet.
In particular, 3 diets have shown promise in decreasing fatigue.
- The anti-inflammatory diet
- The Mediterranean diet
- The leaky gut diet
What all of these diets have in common is that they focus on whole, minimally processed foods such as leafy green vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
Here’s a quick overview of what to look out for when changing your diet:
-
- Eat a low-glycemic index diet. Reduce sugar and refined carbohydrates as those foods can trigger insulin and inflammation.
- Increase omega-3s. These fatty acids have been shown to be anti-inflammatory and can also help to manage autoimmune diseases.2
- Add some berries. Berries give your body the anti-oxidant power it needs to fight inflammation. Some research even suggests berries can offset the damage done by an unhealthy meal.3
You’ll also want to avoid common trigger foods.
If you think you might be experiencing chronic inflammation, you don’t need to wonder any longer. We can work together to determine what’s happening inside your body and why you might be experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, insomnia, weight gain, and depression. I will streamline the process for you, once we have the “lay of the land” by performing the correct functional health lab tests. Testing and not guessing.
It starts with getting the proper functional lab work.
Once we identify the issue, we can move forward with a dietary, supplement, and lifestyle plan to help alleviate your symptoms and (most importantly) set you on track for a long and beautiful life! You are not alone in this health journey. Contact our office to learn more, or click here to schedule a free clarity call!
Sources:
- The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, Washington, DC 20009, USA. cgnh@bellatlantic.net
- Haß, Ulrike et al. “Anti-Inflammatory Diets and Fatigue.” Nutrients vol. 11,10 2315. 30 Sep. 2019, doi:10.3390/nu11102315
- J Atheroscler Thromb. 2011;18(4):318-27. Epub 2011 Jan 13.
- Attenuation of meal-induced inflammatory and thrombotic responses in overweight men and women after 6-week daily strawberry (Fragaria) intake. A randomized placebo-controlled trial.
