This is my personal story…
It vaulted me out of bed in the middle of the night. I dreamt that I was swimming in a waterfall, the jungle air warm and humid as I languished in the rushing water to avoid the heat. And then the waterfall came to a screeching halt and the once soothing condition I was in started to produce a simmering whirlpool underneath me and I realized, I was slowly being cooked like a soup on top of a giant fire while people watched, pointed and laughed with a sinister, bellowing laugh.
I jolted to my feet to find myself in a pool of sweat, my clothes and sheets underneath me soaked and steamy, my heart racing. What a nightmare!! Trying to compose myself, the scariest part was, the palpitations didn’t go away even after 10 minutes. I thought for sure I was having a heart attack. After all, my mom had just recently passed away from a massive one.
My instincts told me to run to the bathroom, where I peeled all the sticky clothes off my body and jumped into a cool shower, while the pounding of my thoughts made me lightheaded. “How can this be happening?” I thought. I eat well, take care of myself and I just had a physical and the doctor said everything was ok. As the cool water rushed over my head and a few minutes passed, I felt my senses calm to a normal level and realized I was probably going to be ok. That was the first time it happened. I was having a hot flash. I had just turned 51 years old a few months before and had never experienced anything like it.
I had just been talking to a good friend of mine who went through early menopause at age 42, and I remember thinking, wow, I’m 51 and I’m still not even in perimenopause! I have a period that comes like clockwork, and I’ve never skipped one since I was 12 years old. I even had a name from my long-time friend – ‘Louise.’ Louise was so reliable I lived my important moments based on her visits. I even planned my wedding date to come in the middle of her cycle. I was kind of proud of myself for still being so ‘young’ in my biological clock. And then it happened. Four months into the COVID pandemic, my regular visitor decided not to show up. I was shocked. How could the symptoms come on so quickly? From zero to 60 in weeks? Was it the sadness of COVID and the ‘new normal’ we were trying so desperately to get used to playing with my hormones or is this really it?
It’s true that hormone fluctuations can make you feel like you’re flying sideways a lot, but I wasn’t ready to give up hopes of being a newly-rewed hot mama, even if the hottest part of me at that moment was my insides. As I was researching the hundreds and thousands of pages online to find a game plan, I was hard-pressed to find out what I should be eating. The advice was more about what medication to look into and that I should probably seek some psychological help for the inevitable depression I was about to face. Look, I’m not knocking that for the women who need to go on medication. I’m just the kind of person who likes to try and feel better with food, lifestyle and habit adjustments first. The truth is, I’m scared to death of taking medication because I saw someone very close to me cocktail meds a lot and ultimately, it ended up causing a lot of severe health issues.
My motto is, you can pick your medicine cabinet – the one in your bathroom or the one in your kitchen. The prescription will either come from your doctor or a dietician – it’s a choice.
I started putting the pieces of the puzzle together so that I could give myself and others experiencing the same ‘chaos’ in their lives a little peace. Here’s what I’m super clear on. Your hormones don’t have to run like wild horses without the ability for you to bridle them. It’s not like that. We’re not on the end of this leash! You can wrangle them in by filling up on foods that help balance blood sugar and hormones, especially estrogen and progesterone along with serotonin, cortisol and dopamine so you feel good more – no matter what age you are. You are the master of that pony, my friend. And Lord knows we could all use some legit feel-good inspo.
I put together a comprehensive Happy Hormones pdf download and it breaks down:
- The best foods to eat
- Hydration
- Supplements
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Lifestyle habits
LISTEN TO EP 65: Managing Menopause with Food & Lifestyle HERE
This free ebook really comes from the heart because I know first hand how challenging an emotional rollercoaster – at any age – can be. I hope you’ll grab it and encourage your friends to do the same. Let’s be real. You’re often the hub of the wheel of your family and if you’re not feeling good, no one is, either. You’ve got to prioritize yourself and it starts right now. Here’s to living your best life! xxMareya
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE EBOOK