Peri-what-o-what?!?

"You have entered perimenopause."  Say what?!

It was said quite matter-of-factly to me this past January at my annual doctor's appointment. The woman whom I had trusted with my health since I was 22 years old, the one who doled out great advice to me on everything from nutrition to skin care to hemorrhoids, the woman who delivered my precious baby girl, for crying out loud - this woman was feeding me a line of crap. No, no, no, I insisted. I'm just moody, and bloated, and forgetful, and more irritable than usual, and bloated, and I have a bit of insomnia, my heart has been palpitating some, I can't focus, I get dizzy easy. Did I mention how bloated I was? And I seem to have gained about 10 pounds that refuse to budge. That's all. Oh, wait a minute....Oh!!!

She was right. Perimenopause, that time in a woman's life that resembles puberty in reverse, had found me. Overtaken me. Threatened to out smart me. After going home, processing, giving myself time to cry (yes, I cried. Don't judge.), I decided my hormones were not going to get the best of me. I am reserving the best of me for my family and friends. Hormones will have to take a back seat. 

So I've been educating myself slowly... reading books, perusing blogs, taking what I know from my schooling in nutrition to tweak my diet, learning from others' trial & error in their journeys, adding & subtracting supplements to my daily regime, and beginning to use more essential oils daily (which has been way more helpful than I ever could have imagined.) I'm tackling the issues one by one, starting with the issue that is driving me the craziest. That would be bloating. I am over it. Over. It. 

As I go through this life phase, it helps me to write (okay, rant) about it, so I'm going to use this blog to do just that. And I'll share any tips, tricks, and tid-bits that help me, as well as those that just don't. Maybe someone out there will take something from here that helps them. 

When it comes to bloating, here's a list of foods I've found make it so much worse for me. Chocolate, alcohol, bread, dairy (except Greek yogurt - plain- without the yummy fruit flavors, unfortunately), caffeine, carbonation, gum, pasta, and sugar. That last one is my nemesis. I know sugar does me absolutely no favors, especially as I age. But I love it so! 

I've been doing my best to avoid these bloating triggers, especially sugar, as well as following this list of advice:

1. Don't drink through a straw. This causes you to swallow extra air, resulting in bloating. Plus I've heard it makes your mouth wrinkle and age prematurely.
2. Skip chewing gum and hard candy. Doing these things also causes extra air to be swallowed.
3. Avoid carbonation. The yummy fizzy drinks are full of gas and will bloat your belly.
4. Cut down on caffeine. It may over-stimulate your gut, causing it to puff up. 
5. Cut back on alcohol. It's very dehydrating and constipating, which is another fun peri- symptom in and of itself that quite obviously causes bloating. 
6. Eat potassium-rich foods. Potassium can help relieve bloating by reducing water retention. These foods include in order from highest in potassium to lowest: lima beans, kale, avocado, spinach, salmon, banana, mushrooms, broccoli, beets, cantaloupe, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, cabbage, yogurt. 

Probably the two most important habits I have that help me the most are exercise and staying hydrated. If not for my running and my Indy Adventure Boot Camp, I would be the biggest hot mess in town. I am a full believer that if you are not lifting weights, especially after the age of 40, you are doing yourself an injustice. I love my bootcamp very much and this year, I'm striving to use heavier weights because I know the benefits will way outweigh the struggle.

 Also, I'm recording my ounces of water that I drink daily and trying to keep it at 80 oz. or more. This seems to really help with my bloating problem. The timing of when I drink has become important as well. In the book, The Food Babe Way by Vani Hari, she explains why we should not drink with meals. She says, "If you drink cold water with your meal, energy required for digestion is diverted. While eating, you want all of your energy directed at breaking down food so your body can easily assimilate the nutrients and eliminate waste and toxins." Wow! That made so much sense to me and since I've been practicing this habit, my bloating has decreased significantly. She recommends drinking your water 20 minutes before meals or 30-60 minutes after meals. 

Lastly, there are two essential oils that I'm using to help ease both bloating and just general women issues. Those are Di-Gize and Dragon Time from Young Living, which is the brand I use because of it's purity and track record in the industry. For some reason, the herbs that were recommended to me for women issues did not settle well with my system. I became very dizzy and nauseous while on them. So I switched recently to oils, and though I was somewhat skeptical, I have been more than thrilled with the results I'm seeing (and feeling)! 

Therein lies what I've learned about bloating so far. Mine has eased up since following all this advice, which makes me less irritable, so that's two menopausal dwarfs tackled at once! Now if I could just quit waking up at 2 a.m...

Young Living Essential Oils

Wow! It's been an incredibly long time since anything has been posted on here. I've still been learning, loving, and living all things health & wellness. It's most likely always going to be a great passion of mine. In fact, in the past year of no posts, I've introduced a new love into my life...Young Living essential oils. These oils have found their way into my home via diffusion, cleaning supplies, flavorings for water, body lotion, and most recently, moisturizing face cream. 

This face cream is the only lotion that has worked for my aging, drying skin. Better yet, since I made it, I know exactly what's in it and maybe more importantly, what's not. Here's a list of the ingredients and their benefits for your skin:

• 1/2 cup cocoa butter: for improved skin elasticity and tone
• 1/4 cup coconut oil: this heals damaged skin and promotes collagen production
• 2 tbsp sweet almond oil: to smooth and rejuvenate skin
• 2 tbsp jojoba oil: has been shown to reduce the signs of aging
• 40 drops Frankincense essential oil: personally, I have noticed this oil smoothing my skin tone

Directions to mix:

• Melt the cocoa butter in a double boiler.
• Mix the melted cocoa butter with the coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and jojoba oil in a medium mixing bowl and refridgerate until the mixture begins to harden.
• When the mixture is cooled and hardened, use a stand or hand mixer to whip it, scraping the sides of the bowl often, until the mixture is well combined.
• When its all fluffy, add the Frankincense in and whip again until combined. 

This makes A LOT of face cream, enough to share with a friend or store half in the fridge for use later. Also, you only need a tiny bit to moisturize your face, so this stuff should last a good long while. 

Young Living essential oils have made such a difference in my life that I have decided to become an independent distributor, mainly so I can get a discount on the oils I use, but also so my friends and family can benefit from what I'm learning. If you are interested in knowing more or have any questions whatsoever, please email me at roude@sbcglobal.net.

My favorite home-made flavored water

This recipe is labeled as a detox water. It is said to be detoxifying, especially for the skin. All I know for sure is that it tastes delicious, which helps me in reaching my daily water intake goal.

In a pitcher of water (I used a 2 quart pitcher), add 1/2 to 1 sliced lemon, 1/2 of a sliced cucumber, and 10-12 mint leaves. I found that an entire sliced lemon was a little overpowering for me. Also, I did peel the cucumber, but some people don't and that's just fine. Let the water sit in the fridge overnight so the flavors all mesh together. Enjoy fresh, flavored water the next day!

Just fyi stuff ~
  *lemon water is great to drink first thing in the a.m. because it sets up the digestive system to do it's best work for the rest of the day
  *the mint leaves will keep your breath fresh all day long as you sip your water, and also aids in digestion
  *cucumbers are great for clear skin

Celebrate National Almond Day!

Today is National Almond Day, my favorite nut of all time. Thankfully, in addition to being tasty, almonds also have many health benefits.

~ Almonds can help regulate cholesterol. Regular consumption can help reduce your bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise your body's good cholesterol (HDL).

~ Almonds are great for your heart. The Vitamin E found in almonds acts as an antioxidant and can reduce the risk of heart disease. The presence of magnesium in the nut helps us to avoid heart attacks.

~ Almonds are naturally very low in sodium, making them an excellent choice for those with high blood pressure. The potassium they contain can also help regulate blood pressure.

~ Almonds also help in reducing the rise in sugar and insulin levels after meals. This offers protection from diabetes.

~ Almonds contain folic acid, which helps to reduce birth defects in newborns, making almonds a great snack during pregnancy.

~ Almonds can provide us with an energy boost. The presence of manganese, copper and Riboflavin helps in energy production.

The American Heart Association recommends 4 servings of healthy, raw nuts (like almonds) per week for good heart health. Besides just snacking on a handful, almonds are also a great replacement for cheese and croutons in a healthy salad. They are also a perfect topping for your morning bowl of oatmeal or your afternoon yogurt.

How To Make a Great Green Smoothie

Common Vitamin Mistakes

There's a right way, and a wrong way, to take your daily supplements in order to achieve their maximum health benefits. For example, it is best to take a multivitamin and a fish oil supplement with food because the natural fat in the meals we eat will help absorb the supplements while also keeping your stomach from feeling queasy.

Another popular vitamin, especially during the cold/flu season, is vitamin C. The biggest mistake in using C is taking too much all at once. It's been said that people who take more than 500 mg at one time may experience diarrhea and/or stomach cramping. But most people do like to take 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day. So a good solution is to take a morning dose and an afternoon dose.

B-vitamins, known energy and mood enhancers, are also a popular choice amongst the masses. Due to the fact that they are energy enhancers, taking B-vitamins too late in the day can cause insomnia for some people. So its best to take them in the morning.

The fat soluble vitamins, A -D -E and -K, all require the presence of fat to be optimally absorbed into the body. So take these supplements with food, preferably food with a healthy fat present, like nut butter or avocado. Also helpful to note is that vitamin E and vitamin C play nice together. They "recharge" one another so they stay activated for a longer period of time.

Millions of Americans take calcium these days hoping to strengthen their bones and avoid osteoperosis. However, so many of us take it only in the morning, which is the worst time of day to take calcium. The metabolic processes our bodies go through that create new bones are most active at night. So take your calcium supplement in the evening or before bed. Also, if osteoperosis is an issue for you, ask your doctor about taking vitamin D and magnesium along with your calcium.

The trickiest vitamin of all is iron. Really, you should only take this supplement under the advice of your physician. But if you do use iron, make sure not to take it at the same time as vitamin E. These two block each other, so you will absorb lower levels of each if they are taken together. Wait 2-3 hours in between taking iron and vitamin E. Vitamin C, on the other hand, increases iron's absorption, so it's a good idea to take 100 mg or so of vitamin C with your iron.