We easily forget the true purpose of food, especially at this time of year, when we are bombarded with messages about weight loss goals. Too often, we associate it with our external appearance — being beautiful, being thin, having a perfect body…
Yet, food is there to nourish our body. Neuroscientists will tell us that the nutrients provided by food literally determine whether our brain cells light up or not, develop or not, form new connections or fade and die. Nutrition is also our best ally when it comes to hormonal balance in one's forties.
Meet the 'four spirited ones' and discover how to balance them.
The approach of your forties is often summed up in three words: breast tension, irregular cycles, fatigue. All these symptoms have the same origin: your hormones are in turmoil. Your body, which you knew so well, is now showing previously unknown signs. Profound changes are beginning to gradually disrupt the organism, and the first external signs are appearing. This is the beginning of perimenopause.
Four interconnected hormones that we will call "the four fiery ones" act in concert on our body and mind, generating symptoms that may indicate that a rebalancing of these biological substances is necessary. Their influence is all the stronger as perimenopause approaches.
Cortisol
"The stress hormone"; the common symptoms associated with a cortisol imbalance are as follows: feeling "on edge", brain fog, fatigue, mood swings, poor sleep, anxiety, frequent colds, and the accumulation of abdominal fat, which proves difficult to eliminate.
Insulin
“The hormone that stores fat”: the most common symptoms include an increase in waist circumference (your waist is wider than your hips), an afternoon drowsiness, anger (and in particular the sensation of “hunger,” which is characterized by the difficulty of going without food), mood swings, waking up at 3 a.m., heavy or painful periods, sugar cravings, and pre-meal dizziness.
Thyroid
"The hormone of metabolism": symptoms may include extreme fatigue (especially in the morning), a feeling of sluggishness and weight gain, mood disturbances, anxiety, hair loss, dry skin, cold hands and feet and brain fog.
Estrogens
"The sex hormone"; the symptoms range from itchy, dry skin, vaginal dryness, lowered mood, reduced libido, hot flashes, night sweats, memory loss, cramps if your cycle is still ongoing—often accompanied by heavy bleeding—to water retention, bloating, breast tenderness, weight gain, and headaches.
It is essential to closely monitor our hormones as we enter and go through menopause, a stage of life that truly begins between the mid and late thirties. If we do not do so, we expose ourselves to chronic diseases.
The first good news? Lifestyle changes can make a significant difference. In this article, we present a 4-step happy hormone code that combines a healthy diet with self-care, appropriate physical exercise, and the elimination of toxic hormonal disruptors from your home.
- Consider food as medicine: eat proteins, healthy fats, slow-release carbohydrates, phytonutrients, and make sure to drink enough water.
- Favor cruciferous vegetables: they are packed with glucosinolates that not only help you fight infections, but recent studies suggest that they might also have potential in the fight against cancer.
- Consume foods rich in phytoestrogens, but make sure to seek out non-GMO sources (as we also do with our dietary supplements).
- Treat yourself to dark chocolate: rich in magnesium, it can help restore your cortisol levels. It can also have a very positive impact on your mood. In addition to 70% dark chocolate, we recommend you try organic ethically sourced cacao nibs as a snack or as a topping for your yogurts, cakes, or cereals.
Finally, the second piece of good news?
We include clinical doses of all these essential nutrients in our regimen Harmonie. Based on a unique synergy of 23 natural actives, Harmonie has been specifically formulated for the needs of women in perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. Enough to make your life easier and lighten your shopping list!
With love, the üma team.
