December 15, 2025 • 28 mins
December doesn’t have to drain your energy or derail your goals. I'm reframing the festive season with a calm, hormone-aware game plan so you can enjoy the food, the parties, and the people without the restrict-then-regret rollercoaster. If perimenopause or menopause has made social months feel harder, you’ll learn what’s changed in your body and how to work with it.
I break down why midlife physiology reacts differently to stress, alcohol, poor sleep, and sugar, and how small shifts create a big buffer: protein-first plates that stabilise glucose, planned drinks that protect sleep and mood, and short post-meal walks that flatten spikes and clear your head. You’ll hear seven simple non-negotiables for December, from not “saving calories,” to prioritising movement and strength training, to treating sleep as a superpower. I also open up honest strategies for emotional triggers—grief, family dynamics, comparison, or loneliness—and swap guilt for compassionate tools like boundaries, journaling, and choosing pleasure on purpose.
This is a maintenance-first mindset for the holidays: protect anchor habits, avoid all-or-nothing swings, and restart at the next meal rather than waiting for Monday. With clear structure and gentle accountability, you can step into January energised, proud, and in control. If you want tailored support and a plan that matches your hormones and lifestyle, explore the Glow Protocol and set up your Peri Weight Loss Assessment for January.
Are you a woman feeling stressed, flat and experiencing the challenges of perimenopause or menopause?
It’s time to reclaim your youthful energy, radiance and self-assurance (and your ideal weight).
I’m here to help with my proven method.
Here's how I can support you -
1. Hit your health and wellbeing goals this year, balance your hormones and lose weight with your own personalised protocol, based on your body's biochemistry. Sounds awesome right!! Book a free 30 minute Peri Weight Loss Assessment with me so we can discuss your health and wellbeing goals and also see how I might be able to support you. Book your call here.
2. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook - @the.perimenopause.path
3. Join the waitlist for my innovative NEW 8 week group program, In Your Skin™️, for women in perimenopause and post-menopause who want effective solutions to manage skin changes at this time of life.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Susie Garden and this is the Ageless and
Autumn Podcast.
I'm an age-defying naturopathand clinical nutritionist, and
I'm here to bust myths aroundwomen's health and ageing so
that you can be ageless andawesome in your 40s, 50s, and
beyond.
(00:20):
The Ageless and Awesome Podcastis dedicated to helping women
through perimenopause andmenopause with great health, a
positive mindset, and outrageousconfidence.
Hit subscribe or follow now andlet's get started.
Hello, gorgeous one, and welcometo this week's episode of the
Ageless and Awesome Podcast.
(00:41):
So we're kind of on thecountdown down to Christmas,
right?
And today's episode is oneyou'll probably want to kind of
save.
You may want to share it withyour friends.
I'd love it if you do that.
I get so many more podcastlistens when you share, and it
really does help women and helpthem to kind of, I don't know,
(01:02):
take a little bit more care ofthemselves.
So I think you'll probably wantto come back to this podcast
because we're going to talkabout how to survive the festive
season with energy, maintainingyour weight, particularly if
you're in periopostmenopause,without feeling deprived,
guilty, like, oh, I'm going toneed to start all over again in
(01:23):
January.
Because, you know, let's behonest, December is not just
about food.
It's more social events, morealcohol.
It's disrupted routines.
My gosh, my routine has been sodisrupted by all of the
different kinds of activitiesand catch-ups with friends and
family and that kind of thing.
(01:43):
Less sleep, emotional triggers.
Christmas brings up a lot, andthe festive season generally
brings up a lot for many people.
Family dynamics and a whole lotof pressure.
It's pressure we put onourselves, don't we?
And also pressure potentiallyfrom others to drink more, to
eat more, to go out more.
(02:05):
So for women in peri andpostmenopause, this can be the
perfect storm for weight gain,for inflammation, for
exhaustion, blood sugar chaos,and the dreaded January regret.
So today I wanted to reframe thefestive season for you and give
(02:26):
you some practical, realisticstrategies that actually work
for midlife bodies.
So let's get into it.
So let's talk about why thefestive season can hit midlife
women a little harder.
So first, you know, let's clearsomething up.
Like if you find December hardernow, or the festive season,
(02:47):
let's refer to it, the hardernow than you did in your 30s,
it's really not in your head.
Your hormones, your metabolism,your nervous system are
different.
And here's why.
The progesterone decline makessleep lighter and makes it less
(03:10):
easy for you to cope with thenormal stressors that you would
cope with.
Cortisol is more reactive, andthat will also influence your
blood sugar level.
Recovery from alcohol is slower.
I have really noticed this,particularly over the past 12
months.
And I'm post-menopause for acouple of years now, and I'm
(03:32):
really, and interestingly, andI'll talk about this in a future
episode.
I'm wearing a smart ring.
I started wearing a smart ringmaybe four or five weeks ago,
something like that.
It has been so eye-opening.
Um, and my body, andparticularly my heart's response
to alcohol has just beenincredible to watch when you
(03:54):
actually can see it tracked.
So I am gonna do an episode onthis one.
I've just had a little bit moretime working with this smart
ring because it's reallyinteresting, and I really,
really recommend that maybe youput that on the Christmas list
uh because it's pretty awesome.
So, yes, recovery from alcoholcan definitely be slower uh for
women in midlife.
(04:15):
Inflammation is definitely gonnarise more easily because of our
lowered um estrogen andprogesterone, and of course, our
muscle mass is decliningnaturally in our 40s and beyond,
and that lowers our metabolicflexibility.
So things that you once got awaywith, like late nights, sugary
foods, skipped meals, alcohol,now can show up quickly as
(04:39):
bloating, weight gain, sleepdisruption, fatigue, anxiety,
sugar cravings, and the rest ofit.
But this doesn't mean you can'tenjoy the festive season, right?
It just means that you need adifferent strategy, not more
restriction, that's for sure.
(05:02):
And the biggest mistake I seewomen make at this time of year
is they swing betweenrestriction and overindulgence.
Have a think about that and howthat might look for you.
Do you find yourself doing that?
This can kind of look likesaying, like, I'll be good today
because I'm going out tonight.
(05:23):
I'm gonna save my calories fortonight.
So you skip meals, maybe, maybeyou're avoiding carbs, maybe
you're under-eating all day, andthen you're overeating at night,
you're drinking more, maybe yoursleep is impacted, your blood
sugar is all over the place.
That leads to next day cravings.
It also leads to that emotionalstuff, that guilt, that negative
(05:48):
self-talk, that self-loathing uhthat many of us experience when
we feel like we've let ourselvesdown.
And then that cycle just startsagain.
And this pattern is a recipe forweight gain.
It's a recipe for hormonedisruption, which of course is
gonna impact your mood.
It's gonna make you feel down onyourself.
(06:08):
That can lead to emotionaleating uh and fatigue.
And when you're fatigued, you'vegot less ability to cope with
stress, you're probably morelikely to head for the sugar and
the caffeine because that'sgonna potentially give you more
energy for the short term.
So it is a really um bad cycleto get into.
So restriction before indulgencealmost always backfires,
(06:31):
especially in peri- andpost-menopause.
So the goal isn't perfection,the goal is stability.
Okay.
So the festive season kind ofadvice that I give my clients,
I'm just gonna go into now.
And these are look, I kind ofcall them non-negotiables, but
(06:53):
I'm also a big believer in, youknow, we're all grown-ups and
you can pick and choose alittle, but if you follow like
more of it as a non-negotiable,and some of us really like to
have rules to follow and justgo, yep, this is exactly what I
need to do to survive thisseason, then consider these
non-negotiables that I sharewith women inside the Glow
Protocol.
(07:13):
And they work beautifully.
So eat normally during the day.
Like, don't save calories inadverted commas.
You know how if you've listenedto the podcast for a while, you
know how I feel about calories.
Um, and if you want moreinformation about that, please
message me on Instagram attheperimenopause path.
I do have little dots betweenthe and perimenopause and path.
(07:36):
Um, or you can email me hello atsusegarden.com.
So do not save calories.
And what I mean by this is don'tsort of semi-starve yourself
during the day so that you caneat more at night because you
know you're going out, or youwant to save calories so you can
drink more.
And I used to do this uh when Iuh this is more than 10 years
ago now, before I studiednutrition, I would literally put
(07:59):
everything in my fitness pal andthen would go, right?
I want to have a couple ofdrinks tonight, so I need to
save about 300 calories.
So that's got to come fromsomewhere, and it just leads to
some pretty disordered eating.
Well, certainly did with me.
So make sure when I say eatnormally during the day, eat
protein at every meal.
So eat protein at breakfast, eata balanced lunch, and if you're
(08:24):
on like a personalized nutritionplan for my clients that might
be listening to this, like eatyour normal um nutritional meals
that have been provided for you.
This leads to stable blood sugarand better choices later.
Uh, rule number two, if we wantto call them rules, is protein
(08:46):
first always.
So if you're at an event, scanthe table for protein first.
And in fact, if you know thatthe first thing that's gonna
happen when you arrive at yourfamily's place or if you're
arriving at a party or whateverit is, if you know that the
first thing's gonna happen isyou're gonna get a drink put in
your hand, then before youactually get out of the car,
(09:09):
just have a handful of almonds.
Take some raw, skin-on almondswith you and just have like a
small handful of almonds.
That's your first bite ofprotein, and that will just help
you manage your blood sugar.
But if you're inside, scan thetable for protein first and
build your plate around that andalso add what you enjoy.
Protein protects muscle, itstabilizes glucose and insulin
(09:32):
and it reduces overeating.
Um, and I would also add to thatchew your food really well
because that will also helpprevent overeating.
So being more mindful whenyou're at events, particularly
if it's at like a stand-up eventwhere there's hors d'oeuvres and
things coming around.
It is so easy to overeat whenyou're just not even keeping
(09:54):
track of that food.
So, rule three, choose pleasureintentionally because not
everything on the table is worthit, right?
Ask yourself, what do I actuallylove here?
What do I want to eat?
And eat the foods you trulyenjoy, not everything out of
obligation.
I think these days, at this timeof life, you can say no.
(10:16):
Like if someone really builds upa plate for you, you don't have
to eat everything on the plate.
(12:20):
You know, treasure your body,really look after yourself.
And if you're getting loaded upa huge plate and expected to eat
it, that's not fair.
Like if they haven't taken intoaccount your the fact that
you're female, the fact that youyou might be smaller than the
average male.
Um, you know, it's we are mostof us in our generation have
(12:43):
been raised that you eateverything on your plate, and
it's rude not to, but I thinkreally you just got to look at
your portion size and keep tothat.
Leave stuff behind if you don'twant to eat it.
Don't force feed yourself toplease somebody else.
Okay.
Learn to say no.
That's I guess the take-homemessage from that.
Uh, rule four, alcohol isoptional and you can be
(13:06):
strategic with it.
Alcohol, and this is what I'velearned wearing this ring, my
gosh, it disrupts your sleep.
I mean, I already knew that.
Um, but what it's doing to myheart, the the fact that I'm not
getting to my normal low heartrate during sleep, which is
really important.
The fact that my heart ratevariability is not as good as it
(13:27):
is when I'm not having a drink.
And literally, I had one drinkon Saturday night just gone, and
the difference it made to mysleep, the difference it made to
my heart rate, and my heart ratevariability was unreal from one
drink.
So it's I'm learning so muchfrom wearing this ring.
Um, anyway, back to it.
Uh alcohol disrupts sleep, itraises your cortisol, it
(13:49):
destabilizes your blood sugarand increases fat storage.
I mean, once your body detectsyou've got alcohol in your
system, it stops a lot of otherprocesses to detoxify it and get
rid of it because it is a toxin.
Your body will recognize it assuch.
So, you know, really consider doI need to have this drink?
There are so many fantasticnon-alcoholic options these days
(14:15):
that um you can mix and match alittle.
So decide before the event.
And this is really important,actually.
Decide before how many drinksyou're gonna have.
You know, decide how many daysam I gonna drink this week and
stick to it.
Perhaps make yourself thedesignated driver.
Everyone will love you for that,and then there's no pressure to
(14:36):
drink.
I find I do that a lot becauseit does take a lot of that peer
pressure off.
And always, always eat beforedrinking.
As I mentioned before, even ifit's just like a handful of
almonds, that is a bit of a gamechanger when it comes to how
quickly alcohol will um get intoyour bloodstream and start to
kind of wreak havoc.
(14:58):
Rule five, move daily.
And I really recommend walking.
Walking reduces the blood sugarspikes, it lowers cortisol, it
supports your digestive health,it improves sleep.
And you know, 10 to 20 minutesis fantastic.
And if you eat, sorry, if youwalk after eating, that's
(15:22):
actually even better.
So a lot of us, I mean, I'mdriven by the desires of my
dogs, so I don't get a choice.
But um, you know, I get up and Iwalk immediately.
But I found that if I like eatlunch and then go for a short
walk during the day, it bringsmy energy up, brings it clears
(15:44):
my mind, and I know that ithelps manage my blood sugar from
the meal that I've just eaten.
So if in your routine,particularly over the holidays
where our routines are a littlebit all over the place, um, if
you can manage a walk, even ifit's a short 15, 20 minutes
after eating, that's gonna beway better for you than doing it
on an empty stomach.
(16:05):
So there's a hot tip.
Um, but yeah, if if you can domore, so that's my next point is
strength training, uh, thenthat's still matters.
You, you know, like I wouldsuggest that you continue to
train at the level you'retraining.
Um, obviously, if you're onholidays or you're away from
(16:26):
home, that's a little different.
But even, you know, maybe justget a pass for a local gym and
try something different.
Go to some classes, perhaps ifyou don't feel motivated to
train on your own.
Maybe go to some classes thatthat are fun and will get your
body moving.
But if you can still continueyour strength training, my gosh,
(16:46):
a muscle is your metabolicsafety net during periods of
indulgence like this.
Particularly also, like a lot ofus, I know it I do it all a lot
as well.
Like in that period betweenChristmas and New Year, that new
year, there's a lot of justsitting around, isn't there?
There's a lot of sitting around,eating leftovers, and not doing
(17:07):
very much, particularly becausewe have Christmas in the
Southern Hemisphere andcertainly in Queensland, where I
am, very, very hot, very hot.
So you don't really feel likedoing much.
So if you can walk, if you canswim, if you can do your
strength training, do some sortof movement, dancing is
fantastic, then do that.
(17:28):
Uh, rule seven is prioritizesleep over everything.
Late nights add up quickly.
Even one poor night of sleepincreases hunger, reduces your
insulin sensitivity, raisescravings.
So protect sleep where you can.
It will really pay youdividends.
(17:49):
So let's move on.
They're my seven rules.
I might just recap them veryquickly, actually.
So eat normally during the day,don't save calories.
Protein first, always.
Choose pleasure intentionally.
Not everything that's presentedto you is actually worth it.
Alcohol is optional and you canbe strategic about it.
(18:10):
Walk or move every day.
Strength training still mattersand prioritize sleep.
So, how to maintain your weight,perhaps over this festive season
without depriving yourselfwithout dieting and inverted
commas.
You know, I hate that word.
Um, because I'm a real believerin personalized nutrition and
(18:31):
having nutrition that is alifestyle.
So here's the mindset shift thatchanges everything at this time
of year.
So, unless you're specifically,and I do have some clients that
right now are actively workingon weight loss and are about to
even start their weight lossplans in this next week or just
over this last weekend havestarted, and that is great.
(18:54):
Um, but if that's not for you,don't sort of try for fat loss
in an environment where you arereally feeling pressured to be
socializing and you've got a loton.
You know, even if you maintainyour weight, that is awesome.
(19:14):
So, and maintenance means, youknow, staying within a range,
not gaining momentum with weightand starting to put on a couple
of kilos.
There are some stats, and Ican't remember the exact, but
it's something like everyChristmas period or this festive
season period, the average, Ithink Australian, I think it's
(19:35):
Australian data, it might beAmerican data, puts on, I think
it's two to three kilos.
And the majority of those peopledo not take that weight back off
again.
So, and that is a real driver oflong-term weight problems.
So try to stay within a range ofweight.
Try not to sort of gain momentumwith weight gain.
(19:56):
Protect your habits.
As I mentioned before, myroutine has been really out,
which means I've not been doingall of my reformer Pilates.
I've got my PT in place.
That's non-negotiable becausethat's you know a very specific
appointment.
But my reformer classes I canbook in and book out as I like.
So I've had the last fewweekends just not doing it
because I've had other thingson, and I'm really feeling it
(20:20):
and seeing it in my body.
So really trying to protectthose good, healthy habits is
key.
And I've locked it all in thisweek, and I'm just not that
there's non-negotiableshappening with that because I
can really, as I said, feel itand see it.
I also avoid extremes.
(20:41):
Um, don't as like, and then whatI mean by that is more like not
flogging yourself with exercisebecause you've had a couple of
big meals, not um having all ofthat negative self-talk when
you've overeaten.
Love yourself, respect yourself,be kind to yourself.
(21:02):
That that's what this season isall about.
Rest for many of us, we've we'veworked really hard.
This year has not been a greatyear for many of us as well.
So use this time to rest,regenerate, restore, recoup, uh,
be kind to yourself.
And doing this alone reducespressure and self-sabotage.
(21:25):
So, some other maintenancestrategies that do not weigh
yourself daily.
Okay, focus on how your clothesare fitting.
Maybe weigh yourself once aweek, maybe take a measurement
of your waist once a week andpriority, prioritize consistency
over intensity when you'relooking at movement.
And if you feel like, oh, I'vehad a massive blowout, I'll
(21:48):
restart eating well on Monday,don't wait for Monday, just
restart at the next meal.
That's what I love about workingwith nutrition is you can go out
and And eat and enjoy yourself.
And the very next time you havea meal, you can go back to what
you know works really well foryou.
One meal never ruins progress.
(22:11):
Okay.
One month of chaos, however,can.
What I always say to my clientsis, you know, if you think about
the month of December.
And for many people, our festiveseason with work parties and
things like that starts maybemid-November even.
But let's just work it over onemonth, just for ease of maths.
(22:33):
So there's um, excuse me,there's 30 days in September.
That's three meals a day, let'ssay that's 90 meals.
90 meals.
If you have 10 meals that are abit extreme, 10 meals out of 90,
it's kind of just a blip.
It's not a massive problem.
(22:56):
So please don't beat yourself upover that.
If you can keep your breakfastas close to a normal breakfast
for you as possible, if you canmake sure you're always eating
protein, all of that sort ofstuff, that's really going to
make a huge difference.
One meal never ruins progress.
One month of chaos can.
(23:19):
I also just wanted to bring up alittle about emotional eating
and festive triggers.
And I think most of you willknow what I'm talking about.
The festive season bringsemotional landmines, family,
family that you possibly onlysee at this time of year.
Maybe going and staying atsomeone's house that you know
you may not know themparticularly well, but they're
(23:42):
family.
Um, there can be grief if you'remissing loved ones at the table
this year for potentially thefirst time, or just for a long
time.
There's comparison, of course,often happens with family when
it gets when you get together,hearing what other people's kids
have done and how amazing theyare.
And there can be loneliness ifyou don't have people to spend
(24:05):
this time of year with, and alsoexpectations that maybe just
don't get fulfilled.
And food often becomes comfort.
And instead of asking, why am Ieating this?
Try what do I need right now?
What do I need right now?
(24:26):
Sometimes it's rest, sometimesit's boundaries, sometimes it's
connection, and sometimes it'snourishment, not necessarily
nourishment with food, butnourishment of the soul.
There is no shame in emotionaleating, but awareness gives you
choice.
(24:46):
I think that's probably all Iwant to say about that at the
moment.
But yeah, maybe doing somejournaling on what do I need
right now?
Why am I eating all of this whenI know I'm not gonna feel good
either physically or good aboutmyself?
So, what do I actually need?
Why am I doing this?
So I want to talk a little bitabout how I support women
(25:08):
through this season.
Um, because having thataccountability and support is
critical if you're wanting tomake changes to the way you eat,
if you're wanting to get yourgood health back, you're wanting
to maintain healthy moods,you're wanting to get your
energy back, you're wanting tosleep better.
(25:32):
When you have a personalizedplan and you have support and
accountability, you don't go offthe rails so easily.
You don't fall into shame, youdon't feel alone, you have a
clear plan, accountability,mindset support, permission to
enjoy yourself and a strategythat works for your hormones.
(25:54):
Um, and you can enter Januaryfeeling energized, feeling proud
of yourself, feeling in controland feeling ready for the year
and not just depleted anddragging yourself into January.
So if you're heading into thefestive season or in this
festive season feeling worried,feeling nervous, or you're
(26:15):
already exhausted, let me leaveyou with this.
You don't need to be perfect,you don't need to miss out, you
don't need to punish yourself inJanuary because you feel like
you've been bad in invertedcommas over this festive season.
What you need is structure, youneed nourishment, you need
(26:36):
self-compassion and support.
So, you know, if that'ssomething that you would love,
if you'd love to have someguidance, know exactly what to
eat and the exact portion sizesand how much water to drink and
what meal timing works best foryou.
If you want accountability andmindset support, I'd love to
invite you to explore the GLOBEprotocol.
(26:57):
So it's my signature program forwomen in peri and postmenopause
who want sustainable weightloss, energy, peace, relief from
hormonal chaos without extremes.
I am fully booked for December.
Just wanted to put that outthere.
I think I may still have someappointments left for peri
(27:18):
weight loss assessments.
If not, book yours for Januaryalready because I am already
booking uh people into January.
I've already got quite a numberof people starting their
protocols in January.
Um so yeah, find you'll the linkis in the show notes here, or
email me hello at susygarden.comif you want to see if I can
(27:38):
squeeze you in for a very weightloss assessment this week.
Um so thank you for spending thetime with me today.
If this episode helped you,please share it with a friend
navigating this same season oflife.
She'll thank you.
Um until next time, take careand enjoy the festive season
(27:59):
with confidence.
Thanks so much for joining me onthe Ageless and Awesome podcast.
If you would like this episode,please make sure you click the
little plus button if you're onApple Podcasts, or the follow
button if you're on Spotify, sothat you get each new episode
delivered to you every singleweek.
If you feel like writing me afive star review, you would
(28:22):
absolutely make my day.
If you found this episoderesonated with you, head over to
my Instagram and DM me at thePerimetaports Park.
I would love to connect withyou.
Hi, I'm Susie Garden and this is the Ageless and
Autumn Podcast.
I'm an age-defying naturopathand clinical nutritionist, and
I'm here to bust myths aroundwomen's health and ageing so
that you can be ageless andawesome in your 40s, 50s, and
beyond.
(00:20):
The Ageless and Awesome Podcastis dedicated to helping women
through perimenopause andmenopause with great health, a
positive mindset, and outrageousconfidence.
Hit subscribe or follow now andlet's get started.
Hello, gorgeous one, and welcometo this week's episode of the
Ageless and Awesome Podcast.
(00:41):
So we're kind of on thecountdown down to Christmas,
right?
And today's episode is oneyou'll probably want to kind of
save.
You may want to share it withyour friends.
I'd love it if you do that.
I get so many more podcastlistens when you share, and it
really does help women and helpthem to kind of, I don't know,
(01:02):
take a little bit more care ofthemselves.
So I think you'll probably wantto come back to this podcast
because we're going to talkabout how to survive the festive
season with energy, maintainingyour weight, particularly if
you're in periopostmenopause,without feeling deprived,
guilty, like, oh, I'm going toneed to start all over again in
(01:23):
January.
Because, you know, let's behonest, December is not just
about food.
It's more social events, morealcohol.
It's disrupted routines.
My gosh, my routine has been sodisrupted by all of the
different kinds of activitiesand catch-ups with friends and
family and that kind of thing.
(01:43):
Less sleep, emotional triggers.
Christmas brings up a lot, andthe festive season generally
brings up a lot for many people.
Family dynamics and a whole lotof pressure.
It's pressure we put onourselves, don't we?
And also pressure potentiallyfrom others to drink more, to
eat more, to go out more.
(02:05):
So for women in peri andpostmenopause, this can be the
perfect storm for weight gain,for inflammation, for
exhaustion, blood sugar chaos,and the dreaded January regret.
So today I wanted to reframe thefestive season for you and give
(02:26):
you some practical, realisticstrategies that actually work
for midlife bodies.
So let's get into it.
So let's talk about why thefestive season can hit midlife
women a little harder.
So first, you know, let's clearsomething up.
Like if you find December hardernow, or the festive season,
(02:47):
let's refer to it, the hardernow than you did in your 30s,
it's really not in your head.
Your hormones, your metabolism,your nervous system are
different.
And here's why.
The progesterone decline makessleep lighter and makes it less
(03:10):
easy for you to cope with thenormal stressors that you would
cope with.
Cortisol is more reactive, andthat will also influence your
blood sugar level.
Recovery from alcohol is slower.
I have really noticed this,particularly over the past 12
months.
And I'm post-menopause for acouple of years now, and I'm
(03:32):
really, and interestingly, andI'll talk about this in a future
episode.
I'm wearing a smart ring.
I started wearing a smart ringmaybe four or five weeks ago,
something like that.
It has been so eye-opening.
Um, and my body, andparticularly my heart's response
to alcohol has just beenincredible to watch when you
(03:54):
actually can see it tracked.
So I am gonna do an episode onthis one.
I've just had a little bit moretime working with this smart
ring because it's reallyinteresting, and I really,
really recommend that maybe youput that on the Christmas list
uh because it's pretty awesome.
So, yes, recovery from alcoholcan definitely be slower uh for
women in midlife.
(04:15):
Inflammation is definitely gonnarise more easily because of our
lowered um estrogen andprogesterone, and of course, our
muscle mass is decliningnaturally in our 40s and beyond,
and that lowers our metabolicflexibility.
So things that you once got awaywith, like late nights, sugary
foods, skipped meals, alcohol,now can show up quickly as
(04:39):
bloating, weight gain, sleepdisruption, fatigue, anxiety,
sugar cravings, and the rest ofit.
But this doesn't mean you can'tenjoy the festive season, right?
It just means that you need adifferent strategy, not more
restriction, that's for sure.
(05:02):
And the biggest mistake I seewomen make at this time of year
is they swing betweenrestriction and overindulgence.
Have a think about that and howthat might look for you.
Do you find yourself doing that?
This can kind of look likesaying, like, I'll be good today
because I'm going out tonight.
(05:23):
I'm gonna save my calories fortonight.
So you skip meals, maybe, maybeyou're avoiding carbs, maybe
you're under-eating all day, andthen you're overeating at night,
you're drinking more, maybe yoursleep is impacted, your blood
sugar is all over the place.
That leads to next day cravings.
It also leads to that emotionalstuff, that guilt, that negative
(05:48):
self-talk, that self-loathing uhthat many of us experience when
we feel like we've let ourselvesdown.
And then that cycle just startsagain.
And this pattern is a recipe forweight gain.
It's a recipe for hormonedisruption, which of course is
gonna impact your mood.
It's gonna make you feel down onyourself.
(06:08):
That can lead to emotionaleating uh and fatigue.
And when you're fatigued, you'vegot less ability to cope with
stress, you're probably morelikely to head for the sugar and
the caffeine because that'sgonna potentially give you more
energy for the short term.
So it is a really um bad cycleto get into.
So restriction before indulgencealmost always backfires,
(06:31):
especially in peri- andpost-menopause.
So the goal isn't perfection,the goal is stability.
Okay.
So the festive season kind ofadvice that I give my clients,
I'm just gonna go into now.
And these are look, I kind ofcall them non-negotiables, but
(06:53):
I'm also a big believer in, youknow, we're all grown-ups and
you can pick and choose alittle, but if you follow like
more of it as a non-negotiable,and some of us really like to
have rules to follow and justgo, yep, this is exactly what I
need to do to survive thisseason, then consider these
non-negotiables that I sharewith women inside the Glow
Protocol.
(07:13):
And they work beautifully.
So eat normally during the day.
Like, don't save calories inadverted commas.
You know how if you've listenedto the podcast for a while, you
know how I feel about calories.
Um, and if you want moreinformation about that, please
message me on Instagram attheperimenopause path.
I do have little dots betweenthe and perimenopause and path.
(07:36):
Um, or you can email me hello atsusegarden.com.
So do not save calories.
And what I mean by this is don'tsort of semi-starve yourself
during the day so that you caneat more at night because you
know you're going out, or youwant to save calories so you can
drink more.
And I used to do this uh when Iuh this is more than 10 years
ago now, before I studiednutrition, I would literally put
(07:59):
everything in my fitness pal andthen would go, right?
I want to have a couple ofdrinks tonight, so I need to
save about 300 calories.
So that's got to come fromsomewhere, and it just leads to
some pretty disordered eating.
Well, certainly did with me.
So make sure when I say eatnormally during the day, eat
protein at every meal.
So eat protein at breakfast, eata balanced lunch, and if you're
(08:24):
on like a personalized nutritionplan for my clients that might
be listening to this, like eatyour normal um nutritional meals
that have been provided for you.
This leads to stable blood sugarand better choices later.
Uh, rule number two, if we wantto call them rules, is protein
(08:46):
first always.
So if you're at an event, scanthe table for protein first.
And in fact, if you know thatthe first thing that's gonna
happen when you arrive at yourfamily's place or if you're
arriving at a party or whateverit is, if you know that the
first thing's gonna happen isyou're gonna get a drink put in
your hand, then before youactually get out of the car,
(09:09):
just have a handful of almonds.
Take some raw, skin-on almondswith you and just have like a
small handful of almonds.
That's your first bite ofprotein, and that will just help
you manage your blood sugar.
But if you're inside, scan thetable for protein first and
build your plate around that andalso add what you enjoy.
Protein protects muscle, itstabilizes glucose and insulin
(09:32):
and it reduces overeating.
Um, and I would also add to thatchew your food really well
because that will also helpprevent overeating.
So being more mindful whenyou're at events, particularly
if it's at like a stand-up eventwhere there's hors d'oeuvres and
things coming around.
It is so easy to overeat whenyou're just not even keeping
(09:54):
track of that food.
So, rule three, choose pleasureintentionally because not
everything on the table is worthit, right?
Ask yourself, what do I actuallylove here?
What do I want to eat?
And eat the foods you trulyenjoy, not everything out of
obligation.
I think these days, at this timeof life, you can say no.
(10:16):
Like if someone really builds upa plate for you, you don't have
to eat everything on the plate.
(12:20):
You know, treasure your body,really look after yourself.
And if you're getting loaded upa huge plate and expected to eat
it, that's not fair.
Like if they haven't taken intoaccount your the fact that
you're female, the fact that youyou might be smaller than the
average male.
Um, you know, it's we are mostof us in our generation have
(12:43):
been raised that you eateverything on your plate, and
it's rude not to, but I thinkreally you just got to look at
your portion size and keep tothat.
Leave stuff behind if you don'twant to eat it.
Don't force feed yourself toplease somebody else.
Okay.
Learn to say no.
That's I guess the take-homemessage from that.
Uh, rule four, alcohol isoptional and you can be
(13:06):
strategic with it.
Alcohol, and this is what I'velearned wearing this ring, my
gosh, it disrupts your sleep.
I mean, I already knew that.
Um, but what it's doing to myheart, the the fact that I'm not
getting to my normal low heartrate during sleep, which is
really important.
The fact that my heart ratevariability is not as good as it
(13:27):
is when I'm not having a drink.
And literally, I had one drinkon Saturday night just gone, and
the difference it made to mysleep, the difference it made to
my heart rate, and my heart ratevariability was unreal from one
drink.
So it's I'm learning so muchfrom wearing this ring.
Um, anyway, back to it.
Uh alcohol disrupts sleep, itraises your cortisol, it
(13:49):
destabilizes your blood sugarand increases fat storage.
I mean, once your body detectsyou've got alcohol in your
system, it stops a lot of otherprocesses to detoxify it and get
rid of it because it is a toxin.
Your body will recognize it assuch.
So, you know, really consider doI need to have this drink?
There are so many fantasticnon-alcoholic options these days
(14:15):
that um you can mix and match alittle.
So decide before the event.
And this is really important,actually.
Decide before how many drinksyou're gonna have.
You know, decide how many daysam I gonna drink this week and
stick to it.
Perhaps make yourself thedesignated driver.
Everyone will love you for that,and then there's no pressure to
(14:36):
drink.
I find I do that a lot becauseit does take a lot of that peer
pressure off.
And always, always eat beforedrinking.
As I mentioned before, even ifit's just like a handful of
almonds, that is a bit of a gamechanger when it comes to how
quickly alcohol will um get intoyour bloodstream and start to
kind of wreak havoc.
(14:58):
Rule five, move daily.
And I really recommend walking.
Walking reduces the blood sugarspikes, it lowers cortisol, it
supports your digestive health,it improves sleep.
And you know, 10 to 20 minutesis fantastic.
And if you eat, sorry, if youwalk after eating, that's
(15:22):
actually even better.
So a lot of us, I mean, I'mdriven by the desires of my
dogs, so I don't get a choice.
But um, you know, I get up and Iwalk immediately.
But I found that if I like eatlunch and then go for a short
walk during the day, it bringsmy energy up, brings it clears
(15:44):
my mind, and I know that ithelps manage my blood sugar from
the meal that I've just eaten.
So if in your routine,particularly over the holidays
where our routines are a littlebit all over the place, um, if
you can manage a walk, even ifit's a short 15, 20 minutes
after eating, that's gonna beway better for you than doing it
on an empty stomach.
(16:05):
So there's a hot tip.
Um, but yeah, if if you can domore, so that's my next point is
strength training, uh, thenthat's still matters.
You, you know, like I wouldsuggest that you continue to
train at the level you'retraining.
Um, obviously, if you're onholidays or you're away from
(16:26):
home, that's a little different.
But even, you know, maybe justget a pass for a local gym and
try something different.
Go to some classes, perhaps ifyou don't feel motivated to
train on your own.
Maybe go to some classes thatthat are fun and will get your
body moving.
But if you can still continueyour strength training, my gosh,
(16:46):
a muscle is your metabolicsafety net during periods of
indulgence like this.
Particularly also, like a lot ofus, I know it I do it all a lot
as well.
Like in that period betweenChristmas and New Year, that new
year, there's a lot of justsitting around, isn't there?
There's a lot of sitting around,eating leftovers, and not doing
(17:07):
very much, particularly becausewe have Christmas in the
Southern Hemisphere andcertainly in Queensland, where I
am, very, very hot, very hot.
So you don't really feel likedoing much.
So if you can walk, if you canswim, if you can do your
strength training, do some sortof movement, dancing is
fantastic, then do that.
(17:28):
Uh, rule seven is prioritizesleep over everything.
Late nights add up quickly.
Even one poor night of sleepincreases hunger, reduces your
insulin sensitivity, raisescravings.
So protect sleep where you can.
It will really pay youdividends.
(17:49):
So let's move on.
They're my seven rules.
I might just recap them veryquickly, actually.
So eat normally during the day,don't save calories.
Protein first, always.
Choose pleasure intentionally.
Not everything that's presentedto you is actually worth it.
Alcohol is optional and you canbe strategic about it.
(18:10):
Walk or move every day.
Strength training still mattersand prioritize sleep.
So, how to maintain your weight,perhaps over this festive season
without depriving yourselfwithout dieting and inverted
commas.
You know, I hate that word.
Um, because I'm a real believerin personalized nutrition and
(18:31):
having nutrition that is alifestyle.
So here's the mindset shift thatchanges everything at this time
of year.
So, unless you're specifically,and I do have some clients that
right now are actively workingon weight loss and are about to
even start their weight lossplans in this next week or just
over this last weekend havestarted, and that is great.
(18:54):
Um, but if that's not for you,don't sort of try for fat loss
in an environment where you arereally feeling pressured to be
socializing and you've got a loton.
You know, even if you maintainyour weight, that is awesome.
(19:14):
So, and maintenance means, youknow, staying within a range,
not gaining momentum with weightand starting to put on a couple
of kilos.
There are some stats, and Ican't remember the exact, but
it's something like everyChristmas period or this festive
season period, the average, Ithink Australian, I think it's
(19:35):
Australian data, it might beAmerican data, puts on, I think
it's two to three kilos.
And the majority of those peopledo not take that weight back off
again.
So, and that is a real driver oflong-term weight problems.
So try to stay within a range ofweight.
Try not to sort of gain momentumwith weight gain.
(19:56):
Protect your habits.
As I mentioned before, myroutine has been really out,
which means I've not been doingall of my reformer Pilates.
I've got my PT in place.
That's non-negotiable becausethat's you know a very specific
appointment.
But my reformer classes I canbook in and book out as I like.
So I've had the last fewweekends just not doing it
because I've had other thingson, and I'm really feeling it
(20:20):
and seeing it in my body.
So really trying to protectthose good, healthy habits is
key.
And I've locked it all in thisweek, and I'm just not that
there's non-negotiableshappening with that because I
can really, as I said, feel itand see it.
I also avoid extremes.
(20:41):
Um, don't as like, and then whatI mean by that is more like not
flogging yourself with exercisebecause you've had a couple of
big meals, not um having all ofthat negative self-talk when
you've overeaten.
Love yourself, respect yourself,be kind to yourself.
(21:02):
That that's what this season isall about.
Rest for many of us, we've we'veworked really hard.
This year has not been a greatyear for many of us as well.
So use this time to rest,regenerate, restore, recoup, uh,
be kind to yourself.
And doing this alone reducespressure and self-sabotage.
(21:25):
So, some other maintenancestrategies that do not weigh
yourself daily.
Okay, focus on how your clothesare fitting.
Maybe weigh yourself once aweek, maybe take a measurement
of your waist once a week andpriority, prioritize consistency
over intensity when you'relooking at movement.
And if you feel like, oh, I'vehad a massive blowout, I'll
(21:48):
restart eating well on Monday,don't wait for Monday, just
restart at the next meal.
That's what I love about workingwith nutrition is you can go out
and And eat and enjoy yourself.
And the very next time you havea meal, you can go back to what
you know works really well foryou.
One meal never ruins progress.
(22:11):
Okay.
One month of chaos, however,can.
What I always say to my clientsis, you know, if you think about
the month of December.
And for many people, our festiveseason with work parties and
things like that starts maybemid-November even.
But let's just work it over onemonth, just for ease of maths.
(22:33):
So there's um, excuse me,there's 30 days in September.
That's three meals a day, let'ssay that's 90 meals.
90 meals.
If you have 10 meals that are abit extreme, 10 meals out of 90,
it's kind of just a blip.
It's not a massive problem.
(22:56):
So please don't beat yourself upover that.
If you can keep your breakfastas close to a normal breakfast
for you as possible, if you canmake sure you're always eating
protein, all of that sort ofstuff, that's really going to
make a huge difference.
One meal never ruins progress.
One month of chaos can.
(23:19):
I also just wanted to bring up alittle about emotional eating
and festive triggers.
And I think most of you willknow what I'm talking about.
The festive season bringsemotional landmines, family,
family that you possibly onlysee at this time of year.
Maybe going and staying atsomeone's house that you know
you may not know themparticularly well, but they're
(23:42):
family.
Um, there can be grief if you'remissing loved ones at the table
this year for potentially thefirst time, or just for a long
time.
There's comparison, of course,often happens with family when
it gets when you get together,hearing what other people's kids
have done and how amazing theyare.
And there can be loneliness ifyou don't have people to spend
(24:05):
this time of year with, and alsoexpectations that maybe just
don't get fulfilled.
And food often becomes comfort.
And instead of asking, why am Ieating this?
Try what do I need right now?
What do I need right now?
(24:26):
Sometimes it's rest, sometimesit's boundaries, sometimes it's
connection, and sometimes it'snourishment, not necessarily
nourishment with food, butnourishment of the soul.
There is no shame in emotionaleating, but awareness gives you
choice.
(24:46):
I think that's probably all Iwant to say about that at the
moment.
But yeah, maybe doing somejournaling on what do I need
right now?
Why am I eating all of this whenI know I'm not gonna feel good
either physically or good aboutmyself?
So, what do I actually need?
Why am I doing this?
So I want to talk a little bitabout how I support women
(25:08):
through this season.
Um, because having thataccountability and support is
critical if you're wanting tomake changes to the way you eat,
if you're wanting to get yourgood health back, you're wanting
to maintain healthy moods,you're wanting to get your
energy back, you're wanting tosleep better.
(25:32):
When you have a personalizedplan and you have support and
accountability, you don't go offthe rails so easily.
You don't fall into shame, youdon't feel alone, you have a
clear plan, accountability,mindset support, permission to
enjoy yourself and a strategythat works for your hormones.
(25:54):
Um, and you can enter Januaryfeeling energized, feeling proud
of yourself, feeling in controland feeling ready for the year
and not just depleted anddragging yourself into January.
So if you're heading into thefestive season or in this
festive season feeling worried,feeling nervous, or you're
(26:15):
already exhausted, let me leaveyou with this.
You don't need to be perfect,you don't need to miss out, you
don't need to punish yourself inJanuary because you feel like
you've been bad in invertedcommas over this festive season.
What you need is structure, youneed nourishment, you need
(26:36):
self-compassion and support.
So, you know, if that'ssomething that you would love,
if you'd love to have someguidance, know exactly what to
eat and the exact portion sizesand how much water to drink and
what meal timing works best foryou.
If you want accountability andmindset support, I'd love to
invite you to explore the GLOBEprotocol.
(26:57):
So it's my signature program forwomen in peri and postmenopause
who want sustainable weightloss, energy, peace, relief from
hormonal chaos without extremes.
I am fully booked for December.
Just wanted to put that outthere.
I think I may still have someappointments left for peri
(27:18):
weight loss assessments.
If not, book yours for Januaryalready because I am already
booking uh people into January.
I've already got quite a numberof people starting their
protocols in January.
Um so yeah, find you'll the linkis in the show notes here, or
email me hello at susygarden.comif you want to see if I can
(27:38):
squeeze you in for a very weightloss assessment this week.
Um so thank you for spending thetime with me today.
If this episode helped you,please share it with a friend
navigating this same season oflife.
She'll thank you.
Um until next time, take careand enjoy the festive season
(27:59):
with confidence.
Thanks so much for joining me onthe Ageless and Awesome podcast.
If you would like this episode,please make sure you click the
little plus button if you're onApple Podcasts, or the follow
button if you're on Spotify, sothat you get each new episode
delivered to you every singleweek.
If you feel like writing me afive star review, you would
(28:22):
absolutely make my day.
If you found this episoderesonated with you, head over to
my Instagram and DM me at thePerimetaports Park.
I would love to connect withyou.
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