What do you know about the perimenopause?
Did you know that joint pain can be a sign of perimenopause/menopause?
The menopause and all it brings has been featured widely in the media in the past couple of years and the recent debate in the Houses of Parliament with the private members bill to help women get better treatment and cheaper access to HRT is a welcome addition to the changes that need to happen.
But how much do you know about the earlier stages of the menopause and what can you do to help yourself deal with the changes that are happening to your body? How can you navigate your way through the myriad of information that is out there on Dr. Google? How can you approach your GP and have a conversation with them about your options? What about HRT or alternatives that can help? What if breast cancer runs in your family?
You may already know you are in this so-called transition stage - perhaps not. You may be having symptoms that you have put down to something else or just feeling frazzled because, let's face it, it's been a pretty challenging 18 months for so many of us. But how much of this could be perimenopause and what can you do to manage this stage of your life? Many women don’t even realise that the joint pain they are experiencing could be linked to the menopause and there are many more symptoms that can creep up on us. All of which can leave us anxious, depressed and lacking in motivation and energy.
Perimenopause and Menopause
Things you may already be experiencing are
Hot flushes
Erratic periods
Mood swings
Disturbed sleep and consequently fatigue
Decreased libido and vaginal dryness
Urinary Weakness
Night sweats
And you still have to keep functioning and working!
I know from speaking to many of our clients that these symptoms can creep up on us and often we don't even think about the menopause or consider that what we are feeling or suffering with can be linked to it.
We are living and working longer than ever before and spinning lots of plates full of commitments to family, both young and old, working and keeping a home running smoothly and is it any wonder that many of us feel tired, anxious and depressed as we try not to let anything fall?
When you are flat out with all of this, it’s really hard to put yourself and your health ahead of everyone else, as women and often as mums we are really good at putting everyone else in front of our needs. How do you eat well and sensibly when you have so much to do every day? How easy is it to reach for a glass of wine or a bag of crisps instead of something more sustaining - and how often do we can say “I’ve had a rubbish day I deserve this”?
Lets help you understand how you can support your body and better your health and wellbeing with our next health webinar. It’s on Sunday 23rd January at 7pm with women's health specialist GP Dr Sally Bell. Sally is a menopause specialist and following some family health issues realised that she wanted to offer a broader scope to her patients. She is a passionate advocate for good food, nutrition and where food comes from. She runs retreats and workshops in all aspects of health and wellbeing from Gut Health to Recovering from Cancer and more.
For your chance to get better informed and help you make better decisions about your health and manage this stage of your life join us using the link below. It will cost you £3 and all profits will go to the Hope Centre in Northampton who help the homeless and those in food poverty.
Sally trained as a GP then worked as an aid worker in Dafur and Uganda. She then spent 8 years as an inner city GP and now works part time for the NHS in critical care alongside her private practice. She is a specialist in hormone health, perimenopause and menopause as well as a qualified Functional Medicine Practitioner.
She practices in a private clinic in Hampton in Arden and another in Nottinghamshire, holds health retreats at the Michelin starred Hampton Manor, speaks on health issues for BBC radio and is an ambassador for Slow food and Venner nutrition, campaigning for access to real food for all.
Dr Sally is currently launching an online platform for women’s health issues, offering trusted information and courses to help recover your health.
In her words....'Many of us enter our perimenopause with little to no idea of what to expect. I want to change that. I believe that perimenopause is just as important and momentous in women’s lives as the times we began our menstrual cycles, became sexually active or carried a child in our womb. If we can understand the changes that are going on in our bodies we will be better equipped to navigate this sometimes confusing and painful period of our lives.'