Are you a woman over 40 and wondering what may be contributing to you not feeling well and your current health condition?
Many women over 40 have issues including hormonal imbalances, pre-diabetes or diabetes type 2, digestive issues (IBS, IBD, constipation, stomach pain), insomnia, or autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and rheumatoid arthritis. Or maybe you don’t have a diagnosis but know something isn’t right.
You just know you have symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, trouble losing or keeping weight off (especially around your waist), hair loss, trouble sleeping, digestive issues (constipation, diarrhea, cramping, acid reflux), sugar cravings, headaches, and mood issues like anxiety or depression.
If that’s you, you are not alone. I’ve been there and many of my clients have, too.
What are potential causes of these symptoms and your current health conditions? (Some may surprise you.)
Genetics, age, and life stages
Toxins – food, environment, skincare, chemicals in air, water, etc.
Diet and food triggers
Digestion
Hormonal imbalances
Lifestyle – sleep, stress, exercise
Thought patterns, mental and emotional health
Infections/Bacteria/Viruses/Parasites
Medication side effects
Spiritual life
Daily environment – people you’re around, family, friends, work, the “world”
I like this analogy. Imagine your body as a giant bucket that has many spigots or faucets on it. There are numerous things filling up your bucket. Some of these you have control over and others you don’t. For example, you don’t have control over your genetics, your DNA. You were born to your parents and had no say in the matter, right? But your diet you are able to control. So your bucket is filled up with both types of things. As you can see from the list above, the majority are things that you do have control over. You do have a choice and can do something about them.
But if your bucket is filled up with more poor choices or unhealthy things, what do you think will happen? Your body, mind, spirit, life, and your health will probably be poor. If your bucket begins to overflow, you’ll experience symptoms like headaches, depression, excess weight, pain, hormonal imbalances, insomnia, digestive issues, and more. But if it’s filled up with many good and healthy things, you and your health will be optimal.
Here are two factors you initially didn’t have control over, but you can use them to make modifications to help:
Genetics – You don’t have control of your genetics. You were born to who you were born to, and you can’t change that. But if you are aware your family history has some types of health issues in it, then you can prepare to do everything within your control to stay healthy and prevent yourself from getting that condition.
Age and Life Stages – You are getting older each day. That’s just a fact of biology. You were once a child, then a teenager in puberty, then grew up and maybe experienced pregnancy, then entered perimenopause, and finally menopause. This is simply the way God created our bodies. So you cannot change your age or what stage you’re in. But you can, however, keep yourself healthy and prevent premature aging by using nutrition and lifestyle modifications plus mindset and spiritual health to stay as young and as vibrant as possible.
Here’s an example of a client I worked with. Sarah (name changed) had one parent who had diabetes, was obese, ate only junk food, didn’t exercise, had a negative attitude, and didn’t do anything to herself emotionally, physically, spiritually – you get the picture. Sarah was already overweight, had pre-diabetes, skipped meals and frequently ate fast food, exercised only occasionally, and was feeling a bit depressed.
Sarah decided she wanted to do whatever she could to prevent herself from further metabolic issues like full blown diabetes type 2 as she aged. At first it was for outer beauty; she didn’t want to gain any more weight and wanted to avoid premature aging.
So we worked together so she could do whatever she could within her control. She learned what foods have less processed sugar and which ones gave her more energy and kept her full. She was in perimenopause at first and then once she hit menopause, she researched. I gave her some suggestions of places to research, she talked to her doctor, did more research, and then she made the decision to use bioidentical hormones to replace what her body was low in so she’d sleep better, manage stress better, and help with weight and mood. She also learned what foods triggered her stress and how to keep toxins at bay the best she could. And when she plateaued and felt she was at a standstill for a few months, she was able to get to the root cause by learning she had some parasites and how to eradicate them. Hers was not an easy fix, but she achieved her goal because she persevered.
So you see, sometimes it’s a simple fix. Maybe you only need to change one thing. And sometimes it takes a little more digging.
What about you? Do you wonder how and why you are where you are? Think about it this week. Do a quick survey of your health and ask yourself, “What’s my biggest health issue I’d like to work on this year? And how did I get to where I am right now?” You still have a lot of this year left and can improve your health and wellness. If you want help, reach out to me. I’d love to help guide and support you on this journey. Click here to schedule a free 20-minute consult.
“Health is like money, we never have a true idea of its value until we lose it.”
Josh Billings
Leah Cheshire is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and a retired homeschooler and speech-language pathologist. She has experienced fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, hormonal imbalances, weight issues, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and IBS and has also worked with clients who have similar conditions. Using nutrition and lifestyle management, she and her clients decrease symptoms and increase their energy and joy. Contact her here to see how she can help you.
