Mom Life After 40
At 43 I feel blessed. I’m financially stable. I’ve shared a life and home with my husband for over 17 years now. I birthed 2 incredible, smart, sweet, defiant, healthy kids who are my motivation. I am running a business that I love, that gives me a sense of purpose.
But as blessed as I feel, it doesn't come easy. Life is also freaking stressful! Why? All these things that allow me to feel blessed also have a degree of stress attached to them. And 2020 didn’t make it any easier.
The last year and a half has been especially challenging. I finished nutrition school in early 2020 and right as I was ready to launch my business we went into the first COVID19 lockdown, the kids had to continue school at home, and my husband and I had to figure out how to continue with our businesses from home, just like everyone else.
My dad, who had been sick for a long time, had to go into the hospital for surgery and subsequently passed away. Flights were grounded and so I was unable to attend his funeral back home in Honduras. To this date I have not been able to see my mom and siblings, to hug them and have a good cry.
The Trahans, July 2021.
On top of it all last year I started to experience irregular periods. This prompted a call to my doctor who sent me for some bloodwork and then further tests. It seems based on the results that I am going through perimenopause. This is the 5-8 years before women enter into Menopause, which marks the cessation of our reproductive stage.
So to say my stress levels have increased this past year is an understatement - and this has been going on for a while now. And as I’ve mentioned many times in the past, stress can wreak havoc on your health. Even we nutrition and fitness professionals have to deal with it.
Why am I telling you all this? Why am I sharing this oh so personal information?
Because I am sure I am not the only one going through it.
I am lucky that I have a great doctor, who knows what I do for a living and knows me well. She recommended I keep focusing on my diet and exercise routine to help deal with symptoms and if in the near future I feel this is no longer enough then we can look into other interventions.
Perimenopause can be a very difficult time. It can cause: Irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, sleeping problems, mood swings, changes in sexual function, fragile bones, high cholesterol, etc.
Lovely, isn’t it? It can feel like a long and tedious time. Our hormones are changing as our reproductive time is coming to an end. And even though this is a normal process all women go through, it doesn’t mean it will be easy to deal with.
How have I dealt with this?
There are a lot of things that are out of my control, but for me focusing on what I can control - taking care of my body and mind and pouring my energy into my family and business - has helped me through it all.
My recommendation to any woman going through this is to keep on top of your physical check ups with your doctor. Tracking your menstrual cycles and symptoms as well as asking lots of questions and weighing your options is extremely important. Your doctor is likely to suggest you eat healthier and exercise. But what does eating healthy really mean and where can you get the information you need to make the correct nutritional decisions? Researching on Google is challenging, the information out there can be so overwhelming and contradictory.
To help you, here are some of the things I am focusing on:
Making changes to my diet (which doesn’t include trendy diets or eliminating carbs) by focusing on getting enough lean protein (we need more as we age), complex carbs (lots of fiber), good fats (hello nuts and seeds!) and all the fruit and vegetables I can get.
Exercise is also a must. An exercise program that includes resistance training, flexibility/stretching and enough recovery, will not only help keep bones and muscles strong but will have an incredibly positive impact on our mood.
Focus on good quality sleep. This one can be tricky for many of us but believe me, if there is one thing that needs to be addressed right away, it is sleep!
Finding ways to manage stress. The odd day at the spa will not cut it!
We need strategies to support our nervous system to move from a ‘fight or flight’ state to a ‘rest and digest’ state. I have found that journaling, spending time outdoors and exercise have helped me greatly. Connecting with people, like really connecting not just through social media, has also been amazing.
And during these unprecedented times don't forget to be gentle with yourself, make time to do things that bring you joy and do those often.
I am drafting an 8-week program to focus on this challenging stage of life and how we can stay healthy and fit. It’ll launch soon and will be a great way for women to come together to learn, share and support each other. Details will be announced soon.
If you are curious about the program, take a minute to fill out my survey for a chance to win a spot in my program.