perimenopause - starting healthier regime - tips please!

Women's health
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Hi Mooma - how's the juicing going? Any favourite recipes? What are your vertigo exercises? An awful lot of people seem to have inner ear probs - when the kids were little and having continual probs with glue ear etd, one of my neighbours swore by echinacea - I never tried it so can't say.

Back to the gym today. I've been cutting my portions steadily but I have a lot of trouble staying away from food in the evening, tiramisu jumped me last night, what's a girl to do?! I just like feeling really full at night, especially when I'm feeling low/sorry for myself. I'm going to have to start knitting or doing my nails at 7pm or something.

I don't have migraines often but for those who do, there was an interesting article in the Daily Mail (see online) about magnets and a new treatment.

Also in the DM, I've heard it before, but for apple types like me, a low GI diet is best - wholegrain everything I think.

I woke in the middle of the night again, this time I told myself there was nothing to worry about and to go back to sleep, and I did. I'd gone through it in my head before I went to sleep, thinking should I try sudoku at 3am to see if it helped, going through it before I went to sleep helps my night terrors as well.

I'd say men have no idea what we go through, but I remember my dad saying in my wedding speech that men knew full well who the stronger sex was (not them). It's hard sometimes but it could be worse so it's chin up and gym time (I call it grym now, see what I did there!)

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Haha. Yes a good description I think. I havnt done as much juicing recently: it's difficult with a spinning head! My favourite juices are usually the ones with spinach in. I surprised myself that I liked it so much. I put apple, pineapple, spinach, cucumber, lemon, celery and root ginger through and that's really nice. Ginger is anti inflammatory too so all good. The exercises the doc gave me were Brandt Daroff and I did them for a month and things improved a bit but now suddenly much worse again. I googled those exercises and a few places were saying that weren't much good so trying Semont exercises now. Horrendous doing them but if they work, all weel and good. I'll look up echinacea and see what it says. And yes whole grain natural foods seem the way to go for lots of things. Xx

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sorry about your headspinning, Mooma, sounds like something off The Exorcist! I get it with cold viruses (and go deaf), must be awful to have it so much.

forced myself to the grym, I felt pressure behind my eye again so took anti-inflamms before I left the house, the changing room was full of babies having swimming lessons; I had eggs for brekkie so set the machines to calories and worked breakfast and part of lunch off - I'm aiming to work off brek & lunch by the end of next week. I feel better already, my jeans aren't so tight. The machines also monitor blood pressure so I kept mine reasonable to avoid triggering the migraine, it's sort of bubbling away at the min so I'll take more anti-inflamms in a mo.

I'm watching what I eat but not going hungry, apart from that evil tiramisu (my husband bought it for me cos he felt sorry re migraines), I'm making sensible choices. I know it's only Day 3 of the new healthy regime but it's going ok. I'm seeing losing the weight as a project but, hopefully, maintaining the weightloss will be easier this time.

I used to eat a lot of quinoa so am reintroducing that, and beansprouts, I've bought myself a small wholegrain loaf for the week and put it in the freezer so I can take out one slice at a time. I used to be soo healthy and slim and it's actually fun remembering what I used to do and eat, I've got into such bad habits. And its Mothers Day on Sunday so I'll see if I can add a juicer to my long list! Won't cost him much more than a bottle of wine & box of chox.

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I am really glad to see this thread. For me, I want to start exercising again. I fell away from it but I really did feel better overall when I was exercising. Obviously, the weight came off more easily, too.

I also think I need the exercise to protect my bone density.

Weirdly, when I exercise, I have a lot more control over my appetite. I don't know why that is. I'm going to start again today.

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Good for you Cal-Mel!

I started exercising again this week, 3rd visit of the week to the gym today. I have to force myself there - this morning I was so ratty with the family that I thought I owed it to them to go!

And I have been trying to watch my diet - it is getting easier, the migraines have stopped (I gave up coffee and cut right down on sugar 5 days ago) and I am not indulging myself food-wise. I have bought lots more fruit & veg - for when I get the munchies and to cut down on carbs on my plate.

Today, I exercised away my breakfast and my lunch - it helps that my portions and meals are getting smaller! My skin already looks and feels better and I've lost a couple of pounds. Having my MP3 makes all the difference, I just keep going. I know not to overdo it cos then I'm tired the rest of the day, but I feel full of energy.

There was a woman in the changing room today dealing with a hellish kid that was screaming, full pelt, tantrum not upset, and she was being calm but authoritative but going on and on, the combination was awful. I finished getting ready for the gym, I caught her eye, she tensed up, I walked up to her and put my hand on her arm and told her she was doing great. I could have said many things but she was holding on in there and really stressed and she didn't need unlooked for advice, let alone to be judged. Her face just relaxed and lit up, I felt really touched.

We all have stress in our lives, it's up to you how you react to it but sometimes a helping hand or kind word makes a difference in how we feel about ourselves and cope.

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Saw in Daily Mail yesterday a spray specifically designed for menopausal women, "to calm, soothe & hydrate the delicate skin on women's ecks, chests & faces", handbag sized, aloe vera, glycerin & castor oil with a light menthol scent - Physicool Rapid Cooling Mist £9.99

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Thanks Gilly. What a lovely thing to do. Glad the week has gone well. A couple of pounds is great. No idea how I'm doing. Can't look down at the scales. Lol. I'll have a look at that spray.xx

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On week 2 of healthy regime - cut down on sugar, cut out coffee, am making sensible choices re food and am going to the gym DAILY this week, I feel better, skin looks better, I can see my cheekbones again and have now lost 5lbs since I started, 10 days ago. I feel more confident, less anxious, have not had one night sweat in the past week but have had one night terror - funnily enough, after mother's day! I don't know if that's sleep apnoea or stress related but it was worse than usual, so I'm actually going to do something about it and see the GP about it - I've had this for 3yrs. I found smaller portions, especially at dinner, means I am no longer bloated or windy, to the distinct relief of everyone else! I've just made soup for tea for evryone and put in a can of coconut milk - just gives it this gorgeous fragrance. Coconut is one of those foods that are supposed to make you feel fuller. My shoulders have been fine and my ankle is improving (all were affected by joint pain). I've also decided to chuck away the hair dye - I'm sure evryone knows they're not exactly healthy - and go white, 1" roots so far, looks like a halo smile

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Great stuff Gilly. So pleased it is all working. Just having a fresh juice and hoping to do three days next week so fingers crossed a few pounds will come off and I'll feel better. Keep up the fantastic work.xxx

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Googled hair loss and receding hairline etc and found this may be helped by dietary changes - by coincidence Graze offered me some half price snack boxes so I've subscribed to regular fortnightly deliveries of nuts, seeds, berries, olives etc to raise my levels of vitamins and minerals

Not at the gym much during the school hols but have asked my husband to go to work late a couple of mornings and he's having a few days off so I can get to the gym and maintain my fitness level, weight loss and motivation until I get back in my regular routine. I find it very hard to exercise at home but am on my feet more than usual and watching what I eat. I've also picked up my knitting again and make sure I always have a book on the go, to make sure I have a bit of quiet time.

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Considering my snoring today - I've always been a snorer; my husband's recently joined in out of sympathy! I read in my trusty Daily Mail re a couple with same problem and they trialled lots of remedies so I'm going to give it a go - they recommended, out of nasal strips/tubes, face strap, finger rings etc a simple throat spray so found that at nearly half price on Amazon and am going to give it a go.

Kids at home, I had a day of pigging sweets etc and paid for it that night with heavy sweats so cutting out sugar again. Not exercising per se but make the most of good weather and get gardening when I can (my secret project this year is to get as many butterflies in the garden as poss so am planting as many plants to attract em as I can - nothing more beautiful than flocks of butterflies), watching what I eat - making good choices - to avoid regaining what I've lost so far, and it's working for once.

Stress levels rise, woolly head etc - I make lists, sit down and sort paperwork, plan ahead as much as I can, say no or can-I-think-about-that-&get-back-to-you a lot. I think I'm getting more assertive and confident.

I read something about earthing sheets whilst I was looking into snoring - all to do with receiving natural energy from the earth as we were made to walk bare footed and everythings tarmac'd and concreted now; happily I've always trotted around bare footed as much as I can and will make a point of it now despite fallen arches etc!

First Graze box due today, my fortnightly treat, hope it works magic on my receding hairline.

Still going grey (white really), roots a very visible 1", the kids tell me that hair grows fastest in the summer so am thinking of chopping off my long & now weird looking locks at the end of the summer term and going for it. I like coloured hair on others but some women just look fabulous with natural hair, I suppose it's how you carry it off that matters.

Backache, boob ache, feels like a period's coming on despite it being less than 3 wks since I started the last one. It feels like my body's flushing out the last eggs before it all stops. I ignore it, take pills or talk about it if I need to, adapt what I'm doing, go with how I feel.

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Hi Gilly. Hows it going? I've begun walking today and dug out the pedometer to set myself a daily target. Going to do a 10 day detox once I get all the stuff together. Trying to stay positive ( which is easier to do on the days I feel less yuk!). Hope you are still managing to keep up the healthy habits. Xx