5 Fresh Tips to an Empowered and Joyful Menopause Journey with Menopause Coach Sue May
Learning how to have an empowering and joyful menopause journey can be overwhelming, but you’re not alone! Check out these 5 Fresh Tips to having an empowered and joyful menopause journey with menopause coach, Sue May.
Sue May is a Menopause and Midlife Transition Coach. She specializes in coaching the Gen X woman who wants to understand what is happening during this challenging life phase (peri-post menopause). She uses her expertise in nutrition, HRT (hormone replacement therapy), mindset, and lifestyle to support women to feel their best to thrive in their personal and professional lives.
As one of Sue’s clients says, “With Sue’s advice and insight I’ve finally understood what symptoms could be attributed to peri-menopause. She empowered me to do something about it! The education and tips she provides have me feeling more energetic, and happier and my sleep is better too!”
You can learn more about Sue May on her Fresh Starts profile.
5 Fresh Tips to have an empowered and joyful menopause journey:
Be informed so you can be your own best advocate! Less than 20% of ob-gyns are educated in menopause, yet we sometimes let them guide us to decisions that are not necessarily in our best interest. There is SO much good, science-based information out there. The book Estrogen Matters is a good place to start. It explains in detail why we became so afraid of hormone replacement, and how HRT, for women that are candidates, can actually lower your risk of certain diseases while easing symptoms at the same time.
When it comes to nutrition, remember that sometimes the stress we put on ourselves to eat "perfectly" all the time can cause more stress to our body than the food itself. While nutrition is a potent tool for health, we must remember to choose a sustainable way of eating. Focus on being healthy and strong, not just "skinny" or looking a certain way. In my own practice, I work with clients on adding in more anti-inflammatory foods, as our inflammation naturally increases in menopause when our estrogen decreases.
If you haven't already - start strength training! In midlife, we start to lose both muscle mass and bone density. Adding in weights and resistance training will help to preserve and build muscle, as well as keep us functionally independent by increasing mobility and strength. I like to say I'm not training for my "beach body,” I’m training for my "old lady body" so I can keep moving and grooving into old age!
Understand that there are over 34 confirmed symptoms of menopause. This is NOT just "in your head" and you don't need to struggle if a practitioner has told you that this is "just an inevitable part of aging." You can feel vibrant and energized at this time of life. Estrogen has many functions in our body, including bone, heart, and brain health. Everyone associates menopause with hot flashes, but it's so much more than that. It's depression and anxiety, brain fog, insomnia, and joint pain (to name a few), and can lead to heart disease and osteoporosis. There are so many ways to be supported, so (going back to tip 1) keep yourself informed and know that there is support out there and you deserve to be heard.
Heed the words of Brene Brown in this quote about midlife: "Midlife: when the Universe grabs your shoulders and tells you ‘I’m not f***ing around, use the gifts you were given.’" Life is simply too short to not go for your dreams. This is the time of life when we realize how much time we wasted giving a crap about what others think, or not being our true selves. There's no time for that. Prioritize yourself. The term "self-care" is thrown around a lot, but self-care needs to be more about self-compassion. Love yourself in all your perfect imperfections. Not when you lose 10 lbs, or get that job, or find true love... now. Practice gratitude. It really does change your internal compass to start focusing on the positive. But, like strength training or eating well, it really is a practice and can take time. Keep at it!