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There’s a lil quiz, hormone healthy recipes, and my 3 top tips to support hormones during midlife.

If you’re a woman over 35, listen up: you are heading into your perimenopausal years where your hormones start fluctuating prior to menopause. Average onset of perimenopause is mid-40s, but it can start as early as your 30s depending on many factors like overall health and when your period started.

Perimenopause can bring all types of potentially unpleasant symptoms like wonky cycles, weight gain, hot flashes, insomnia, inflammation, and libido changes caused by hormonal shifts that differ month to month. This phase can last up to 10 years. But it doesn’t have to be unpleasant! In fact, many women report higher satisfaction during their mid life years because they feel more self assured and give fewer fucks.

However, some women experience potentially debilitating symptoms that can interfere with day to day life (and sleep!). Here are the non negotiable practices I recommend for any woman over the age of 35 to navigate and prepare your body for the perimenopause and menopausal years.

Three Non Negotiables for Women Over 35 (Perimenopause)

1. Prioritize protein and fiber for metabolism, satiety, gut health, blood sugar stability, and body composition. I wrote all about protein here and why you need 30 grams per meal + how to meet your protein needs (example meals and recipes!). Protein is essential for muscle mass which starts to decline rapidly in your 40s. And muscle is linked to longevity! Plus, protein helps keep you full and supports blood sugar which starts to rise as you age, causing inflammation and weight gain. So, focus on your protein goals.

I use this protein in my morning smoothies along with this collagen which brings it up to nearly 30 grams of protein at breakfast!

As important as protein is FIBER. We don’t get nearly enough of it. Something like 95% of Americans are not getting enough fiber daily. You need at least 25 grams and more like 30-40g ideally per day. Most people only get about 10 grams. Fiber feeds your beneficial gut bacteria which then produce byproducts (like short chain fatty acids) that keep your colon healthy. Fiber also keeps you full! And regular! And makes your poops nice and robust. Did you know your stool is a primary vehicle for detox? Your stool helps excrete excess hormones, cholesterol, and toxins from your body. If you’re constipated, all of this gets reabsorbed and can contribute to high cholesterol, fatigue, headache, and even hormone issues.

Some of the highest fiber foods include legumes (especially lentils), avocado, raspberries, cruciferous veggies, oatmeal. I mean you really can’t go wrong with any fruit or veggie here. Try a side of roasted veggies or a side salad with lunch and dinner to beef up your intake. I also use this fiber in my protein smoothies. It contains plenty of prebiotic fibers to feed your probiotic bacteria.

2. MOVEMENT: I cannot say this enough. Move your body daily! You don’t have to be pounding the pavement and running miles per day. Even just a few walks throughout the day count, especially after meals to improve blood glucose levels which start rising as we age.

Most importantly though, lift heavy things. Muscle beings to decline rapidly as you hit your 40s and 50s, and muscle is linked to longevity. So you want to make an effort to maintain or even build your muscle mass in your perimenopausal years. You do this by lifting heavy weights (as heavy as you are able) mixed with bodyweight workouts like yoga, squats, pushups, sit ups.

I do 10-15 pound weights, usually three sets of 10 – 12 (you’re meant to lift to ‘failure’ which means as many as you can do until you can’t anymore). I do shoulder presses, chest flys, rows, triceps, bicep curls, and usually an ab workout or 2 per week. I like the Betty Rocker’s workouts, and Nourish Move Love also has tons of great free workouts you can follow along with.

3. Sleep hygiene. When I work with a new client, I ask detailed questions about his/her sleep, because sleep has such a huge impact on all areas of your health: brain health, metabolism, blood pressure, energy, hormones, blood sugar. Your brain detoxes while you sleep! Your immune system is most active at night, scavenging for abnormal cells. Even one night of poor sleep can jack your blood sugar and cause cravings.

You may notice your sleep cycles starting to get fussy in your 40s, and this can be due to dropping progesterone levels. Hot flashes and night sweats due to dropping estrogen will mess with your sleep. Plus, our melatonin levels wane with age, and that can affect sleep also. Over half of menopausal women report sleep issues.

So you may need to pay closer attention to your daily habits to get better sleep. My biggest advice is to create a bedtime routine that includes the following:

• eat dinner 2-3 hours away from bedtime. Digestion or a full stomach causes poor sleep.
• dim lights an hour before bed to boost melatonin production
• avoid screens or use blue light blocking glasses
• take magnesium bisglycinate like this one
• have a consistent bed and wake time!

Also be aware that what and when you eat during the day will affect your sleep at night. Unstable blood sugar from erratic meals will mess with your sleep. Alcohol can wake you up around 3-4am. Too many refined carbs and not enough protein and healthy fats can also cause nocturnal hypoglycemia which wakes you up with that wired feeling in the middle of the night.

Here are some additional tips to help you put it all together and improve your sleep right away. I also keep these lozenges on hand in case I have trouble sleeping.

Conclusion

The perimenopausal years leading up to menopause require some adjustments and extra care to ensure you are supporting fluctuating hormones to reduce symptoms caused by these hormonal shifts. Start thinking about hormone support in your mid 30s to prepare yourself physically and mentally. You’re less likely to experience symptoms as you head into these years if you know what to focus on to support hormones.

My three non negotiables will help support fluctuating hormones to minimize symptoms. Make sure to focus on protein and fiber at meals; lift heavy things and get daily movement; and prioritize sleep hygiene!