Yesterday I met with a Wellness Coach and it was one of the best things I’ve done for myself in a while. I went in knowing that she could probably help me with the challenges of “menopause symptoms,” but I was pleasantly surprised to learn she will address the “whole me.” Everything from nutrition & exercise to time management to how I manage stress and how much fun I have. The goal is to create a more well-balance me, to make sure I take care of the areas that are neglected so that I can live a vibrant and long life.
All this time, I thought I was eating well. Wrong. My coach explained how that oatmeal every morning and garden salads for lunch could be part of my problem–it all has to do with insulin resistance. Turns out that oatmeal is likely causing an early insulin spike in my system which my body can’t handle. Here’s what an article from Women to Women, an online goldmine of info, has to say.
Of special concern to women is how insulin resistance disrupts fat metabolism. When the cells won’t absorb the extra glucose, the liver has to convert it into fat. Fat cells are loaded with glucose receptors, so this is a vicious cycle. Ironically, while the insulin-resistant woman is gaining weight, her cells are actually “starved” for glucose, so she feels exhausted and tends to eat carbohydrate-heavy foods in search of energy.
These extra fat cells are also little estrogen factories. So weight gain contributes to the estrogen dominance that causes so many symptoms during the early stages of perimenopause.
In addition, women approaching menopause are particularly prone to becoming insulin resistant due to metabolic changes related to fluctuations in adrenal and thyroid secretions. In fact, the decrease of certain hormones, like estradiol, may trigger a resistance to insulin in patients who never experienced it before. Certain blood pressure medications can mask symptoms without treating the problem. Frequently, women unwittingly make their symptoms worse by fighting weight gain with low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets. More on insulin resistance.
So what do I do? Ditch the oatmeal in the morning, eat it for dinner, and load up on protein for breakfast. We should be eating 20 grams of protein in the mornings to get us going. Things like deli meat, cheese and eggs, saving the whole grains for my evening meal. I am a salad-eater for lunch, so I need to make sure I have plenty of protein there, too. Add some lean meat to the salad and I’ve got a more balanced meal. Bottom line, a few changes in my diet may just take care of some of my gripes. No pills, no complicated diets, just a better balance.
Another goal for this week is to do a better job with time management. That’s my other weak area. I will work harder at ordering my day and prioritizing more so I won’t let the hours slip away trying to do too many things. Quiet time first, then breakfast, then exercise, then the other things on my list. I have a feeling I’m going to have to start getting up earlier as well. Uh oh, I am NOT a morning person.
I have another appointment next week with my coach where we’ll set more goals and take a hard look at where I need to make improvements. Good to be accountable to someone who is so kind, encouraging and smart. I highly recommend Lucinda–go for a free session if nothing else and you’ll come away knowing more about yourself and setting attainable goals that will make you feel better, too!
Click here to meet Lucinda of Dream Lifestyles Coaching
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