Top 3 Tips to Thrive During Menopause!

Plus a Hormone Balancing Maca Smoothie!

Menopause. The biggest problem with menopause is the way our Western culture has characterized this time in a woman’s life. Our society and our medical system treat this as “the end” of beauty, good sex, usefulness and value. The death of our youth. This is the furthest thing from the truth! It is a sacred time when a woman blossoms and comes into her own.

So, my first tip is to change your mindset. Embrace what life has to offer and treasure this time in your life. It is an awakening and brings the promise of a beautiful “phase 2” of life. If you are sensitive to the hormone changes, seek the care of a functional medicine professional to assist with supplements/botanicals or bioidentical hormones to ease the transition. A knowledgeable professional can do this safely and effectively.

Tip #2: Exercise. Keep up your cardio and add in strength training. Resistance training with weights is crucial to maintain muscle mass. As testosterone decreases, we tend to lose some muscle and weight training naturally builds muscle. As estrogen tapers, some bone loss occurs (aka osteoporosis/osteopenia). Stressing the muscle actually builds bone. Twenty minutes twice a week is all you need!

Bonus tip: Weight lifting and high intensity interval training (HIIT) increase testosterone and help with libido, giving a little kick to your sex drive! Yeah!

Tip #3: Practice Self Care and Self Love! Life is moving so fast from 20 to 40 with building a career and raising a family that we simply fall off the proverbial list. Well, perimenopause is the time to put yourself back on your “List of things to do”! Make time for a massage or a manicure or some much needed “me” time. I am here to tell you that it is ok; in fact it is critical to a successful menopause transition. Fall in love with yourself. Love your body, it is the vehicle that your soul has been given to roam this earth in this lifetime. Accept yourself as the beautiful creature that you are: inside and out!

Begin to think of menopause as a new beginning, a conduit into the best years of your life. When you move from AC to DC, you have the constant ability to be in touch with your creativity and intuition. Begin to live your life from the inside out and Thrive!

Hormone Balancing Smoothie with Maca

Ingredients 

• 1-2 tablespoons almond butter
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (1-2)
• 1 or 2 teaspoons maca powder
• ó teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1 ó cups unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• 2 medjool dates, pitted or half a frozen banana
• approx 10 ice cubes

• Optional Add-in’s:
• 1 tablespoon plant-based protein powder
• 1 small handful of kale
• 1/4 avocado

Preparation

1. 1. Simply add everything to a blender and mix until smooth.
2. Taste and adjust flavors, if necessary
3. Serve and enjoy!