October 28, 2024 • 34 mins
Did you know that supporting your brain health through perimenopause is crucial for your long term health? Join me as I dive into the significant changes in women's brain energy levels during perimenopause and menopause. With a focus on the interconnectedness of declining estrogen and symptoms such as mood swings, hot flashes, and memory lapses, this episode aims to empower you with knowledge to navigate these transitions with confidence. Listen in as I unravel the increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and discuss proactive steps to support brain health during this critical phase of life.
Explore the natural power of nutrition, stress management, and sleep quality for maintaining hormonal balance. Discover the benefits of including phytoestrogen-rich foods like flaxseeds and sesame seeds in your daily diet, and learn why grinding your flaxseeds fresh can make all the difference. From the nutritional perks of dark chocolate to the mood-boosting properties of berries, you’ll gain insights into smart dietary choices to support your well-being.
As we round out the episode, explore strategies to enhance your sleep quality and promote overall brain health. From reducing blue light exposure to incorporating magnesium supplements and essential oils, these tips are designed to optimise your rest. You’ll hear why creating a dark, cool sleeping environment and exploring antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory foods is crucial for restorative sleep. Stay connected for more empowering episodes and join the community discussion on Instagram @susiegardenwellness. Together, let’s transform the menopause journey into a time of vitality and strength.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Susie Garden and this is the Ageless and
Awesome podcast.
I'm an age-defying naturopathand clinical nutritionist and
I'm here to bust myths aroundwomen's health and aging so that
you can be ageless and awesomein your 40s, 50s and beyond.
The Ageless and Awesome podcastis dedicated to helping women
(00:24):
through perimenopause andmenopause with great health, a
positive mindset and outrageousconfidence.
Hit, subscribe or follow nowand let's get started.
Hello, gorgeous one, andwelcome to this week's episode
of the Ageless and Awesomepodcast of the Ageless and
(00:48):
Awesome podcast.
This week I'm going to talkabout our brain health in
perimenopause and menopause andhow we can potentially optimize
that, because did you know thatduring perimenopause, women
experience a pretty incredible30% roughly 30% drop in our
brain energy levels due to thedecline in estrogen?
(01:10):
That's a phenomenal change.
So let's explore how we canempower our brain during
perimenopause, during thistransition, with a bit of a
step-by-step guide for our brainhealth during menopause or
perimenopause.
But let's firstly look at whatis actually happening, because
(01:33):
if we can understand how thistransition can impact your brain
, it kind of helps to understandthe actions that we take to try
and support this as much as wecan.
To understand the actions thatwe take to try and support this
as much as we can.
So what is happening?
There's a few things.
Firstly, we look at this partof the brain called the
(01:54):
hypothalamus.
So it's right in the center ofthe brain.
It's like a master controller.
It controls our stress response, our relaxation response, and
it's also responsible forregulating our body temperature.
And obviously, if you've everhad the hot flushes of
perimenopause and I mostcertainly have you really notice
(02:14):
them when you can't regulateyour body temperature, how
debilitating that can be.
So there's that aspect, eventhough now they're actually also
suggesting because, remember, alot of the research around
perimenopause is really just atits early stages and they're now
(02:38):
also thinking with regard tothe hot flashes that there can
be a close relationship withyour blood sugar regulation and
your hot flashes.
So that's also a factor.
But if we just focus on brainhealth, for today we've got the
hypothalamus.
That's a pretty important partof your brain.
Then you've got the brain stem,so that's sort of towards the
(02:58):
back, kind of comes out of thetop of the spinal cord.
So if you I'm kind of feelingit at the moment the base of
your skull, where the spine sortof enters, it's just above that
is where your brainstem comesin.
So brainstem is all about sleepand wake, consciousness,
unconsciousness.
That's why if you get hit onthe back of the head there you
can get unconscious pretty quick.
(03:20):
And we know that hormonalfluctuations can impact that
part of our brain, our brainstem, and causing potentially one of
the causes of insomnia with thedrop in progesterone and
estrogen.
Also our emotional and ourmemory centers, the amygdala and
the hippocampus you may haveheard me reference those parts
of the brain before they laykind of underneath, parts of the
(03:45):
brain before they lay kind ofunderneath so when I say
underneath, so below, towardsthe neck, the hypothalamus, and
those are really sensitive toestrogen levels.
And so as our estrogen declines, our mood swings can happen,
our memory lapses might becomenoticeable, whether it's
forgetting people's names,whether it's forgetting words or
getting lost in a simplesentence, and it can be very,
(04:09):
very frustrating, particularlyin the workplace.
But also interestingly and Idon't want to scare people here,
but you know this brain energydecline has also been linked to
the formation of amyloid plaques, and that's associated with
Alzheimer's disease.
And while those plaques are nota definitive diagnosis of
Alzheimer's, they are certainlya crucial risk factor.
(04:31):
And so, yet again, we reallyneed to look after our brain and
be proactive about lookingafter our brain during this
transition.
So let's dive a little bit moreinto this Alzheimer's disease
link.
So I think it's reallyimportant, as women, that we
have some knowledge about this,because what we do know for a
(04:51):
fact is that women have a higherrisk of developing Alzheimer's
than men, and this riskincreases after menopause, and
researchers do suggest thatAlzheimer's may have its roots
in this midlife time, duringthis menopausal transition.
So it's really essential thatwe know about this, because this
(05:16):
gives us an opportunity againto change, to course, correct
our habits so that we are reallyprotecting our brain and, you
know, minimizing our risk tothings like Alzheimer's disease.
What we also know,interestingly, that if you have
a medically induced menopause,like a hysterectomy, or you have
(05:40):
your ovaries removed, that thishas been associated with
potential reductions in ourcognitive health or impact in
our cognitive health.
So obviously more research isneeded to understand this.
That is ongoing, which is agood thing.
It's really good that we'regetting so much more of a
(06:00):
spotlight on menopause andperimenopause, because our
generation of women is really, Ithink, the first to really be
putting that spotlight there andthe fact that we have these
powerful tools like podcasts,like social media, means that we
can really start to buildawareness from reputable sources
(06:21):
.
So what kind of things can we doto help protect our brain and
support our brain health duringthe menopausal transition?
Well, clearly, food that isgood for our body is going to be
good for our brain, and foodthat is bad for our body is
going to be not so great for ourbrain.
So we want to make smartdietary choices, and this can be
(06:48):
getting a personalizednutrition plan, like I have in
my GLOW protocol.
This can be following theMediterranean diet, for example.
That is probably the world'smost researched diet and we know
that it has fantastic benefitsfor health and that might be a
really good one to follow.
It's not a personalized plan,obviously.
(07:09):
It's still a general plan, butthat might be what works well
for you.
The thing is with theMediterranean diet, just as an
aside, it is much more than themeal plan.
It is a lifestyle and it's notjust about the food.
It's also about the fact thatit is community and that they
(07:30):
grow their own food.
They're very close to theirfood.
It's not.
They're not going tosupermarkets and buying food.
They're baking their breadevery day, they are making their
meals from scratch.
There's no processed food, nohigh sugar drinks and things
like that.
So there's something to beaware of that there has also
been discussion in the researchis is it possible to follow the
Mediterranean diet and get thesame benefits if you live in
(07:53):
America or if you live inAustralia or if you live outside
that Mediterranean region?
Because it is more than justthe food.
So one of the key features ofthe Mediterranean diet is its
inclusion of phytoestrogen richfoods, so plant sources of
estrogen.
These can be helpful inregulating or modulating the
(08:14):
hormonal fluctuations.
They are not like eatingestrogen.
I think there is a realmisconception about what
phytoestrogens are.
They help to support estrogen,estrogen modulation in the body,
but they're not like eatingestrogen.
So flax seeds is one of the bigones.
Flax seeds are really good foryou.
(08:34):
I eat flax seeds every singleday and these are the lignans
L-I-G-N-A-N-S.
Lignans are one of thephytonutrients in flax seeds and
these compounds help regulatethe hormonal fluctuations during
menopause.
They may you know, it alldepends, but they may reduce the
(08:56):
severity of symptoms like hotflashes and mood swings.
Maybe what I recommend withflaxseeds is that you buy them
and grind them yourself.
I tend to grind a few daysworth and I throw them in my
smoothie mainly.
But you must buy them from.
If you're going to buy themground, rather, you must buy
(09:18):
them from the fridge.
They grow rancid really easily.
If you're buying groundflaxseed or ground linseed is
its other word, other name Ifyou're buying that off the shelf
, it's probably rancid already.
So if you're buying ground,please get it from the fridge.
Otherwise, buy whole flax seedsand just grind them yourself in
a neutral bullet or somethinglike that Super easy.
They taste really good, they'rereally good source of fiber as
(09:41):
well, and you can mix them intoyogurt, you can mix them into
oats.
It's really easy to eat themand they're quite nice.
Also sesame seeds.
So sesame seeds also containthese lignans and other
phytoestrogens, so they helpwith that hormonal balance as
well.
They also are rich in calciumand magnesium, so that can
really help with your bonehealth.
(10:02):
I mean you'd have to eat a lot.
I'll be honest, you'll have toeat a lot of sesame seeds to get
a really good dose of calcium.
But you know it's possible, andparticularly if you have it in
the form of tahini.
So tahini is ground sesameseeds, and so you can actually
that's quite palatable.
Again, it's often something Iput in my smoothie or I make
salad dressings from it.
(10:23):
I can use it to make a littlechocolate sauce that I have if
I'm having a treat.
So, yeah, you can add sesameseeds themselves to salads to
stir fries.
Granola yeah, they're quitenice.
Dark chocolate yes, love beingable to list dark chocolate as
one of the good foods that canhelp with your hormones.
(10:47):
So dark chocolate.
So you're looking at least a70% cocoa content.
So not a sweet sort of milkchocolate.
You're looking for that darker,bitter chocolate.
And it offers a double benefitbecause not only does it contain
the phytoestrogens, it also hasantioxidants, so it protects
your brain cells from oxidativestress and therefore can improve
(11:09):
your cognitive function.
You know I would have darkchocolate fairly regularly.
I really love it.
I also put cacao in my smoothie, so I'm getting that benefit
every single day, really.
Chickpeas is another greatphytoestrogen food and it's a
(11:30):
Mediterranean diet staple.
It's also high in things likefiber.
It's good as a vegetariansource of protein and folate is
also really important and youcan use them.
You know hummus is a reallyeasy way to eat chickpeas Also
making a chickpea curry, usingthem in salads.
(11:52):
You can roast them for a littlesnack.
I really love chickpeas andthey're very easy to use.
Just again, I'll just sayGoogle, you know chickpea
recipes and you'll find somethings.
They're really actually veryeasy to eat.
Lentils are another legume thatare rich in phytoestrogens.
They also have a pretty goodiron content as well, which is
(12:15):
really important.
And yeah, again, lentils can begreat.
You can make little patties,you can throw them into soups,
you can I make a lentilbolognese, which I quite like.
You can make a lentil salad Ilove lentil salad and you can
put a tahini dressing on that.
They cook really quickly,particularly if you use, like
the red lentils or tinnedlentils.
(12:36):
You don't have to soak themovernight if you're using those
and they can be really good forvariety.
Whole grains obviously alwaysgood whole grains.
So you're looking at, um,unrefined foods like brown rice,
quinoa, um, that sort of stuffis very great, very good for
(12:56):
your complex carbohydrate, yoursteady release of energy, um,
good for brain energy.
And definitely you know you'rewanting to really avoid the, the
refined grains like your whiteflour, your white sugar, your
white rice, all of that sort ofstuff.
And the good thing is, theseMediterranean inspired
(13:18):
phytoestrogen rich foods notonly support your hormone
balance, but they alsocontribute to the overall
nutrient density of your diet.
So by including them in yourmeals, you're getting these
delicious food, these wholefoods, and nourishing your brain
during peri and menopause, butalso getting all of those
benefits of just really good,easy, healthy eating.
(13:42):
So that's probably all I wantto talk about with regard to
nutrition, but also, obviously,always hydration alongside of
that.
So always use the calculation35 mils of water per kilo of
body weight every day, and thatwill give you a really good
(14:03):
hydration level.
So the second aspect of usinghormone management for brain
health is to manage your stress.
When we are under stress, werelease cortisol, and cortisol
has a very dynamic relationshipwith estrogen.
(14:24):
When our stress levels are high, our cortisol levels rise.
This increase in cortisol candisrupt estrogen, and so stress
management is critical forhormone management.
So anything that brings you joy, that relaxes you is going to
(14:47):
help.
Brings you joy that relaxes youis going to help.
You know like it doesn't haveto be a really formal stress
management program that causesyou stress because it's like oh,
I've got all this stressmanagement stuff to do.
What we do know is elevatedstress can make menopause
symptoms worse, such as your hotflushes, mood swings, sleep
disturbances.
(15:08):
I mean, none of us want toreally feel stressed, right?
So things you can do to supportyour stress response, so that
you can stabilize your hormonesmore easily, is making it a
daily habit.
Whatever it is that you'regoing to choose to do, make it a
daily habit.
So, whether that is dedicatingfive minutes to sit and breathe
(15:33):
deeply and what I love aboutbreathing is that we have to
breathe right so you can do itwhile you're in the car, you can
do it while you are cooking,you can do it while you're
shopping, you can do it whileyou're working in front of the
computer.
It's just deep breathing intothe belly.
Of course, technique can bevery helpful, but if you don't
(15:57):
have the brain space for it justbreathing deeply into your
belly Ideally if you can do itquietly and not have to do
something else at the same time,that is going to get you a
better result.
And if you're just doing it forfive minutes, that will be
helpful.
If you do it five minutes twoor three times a day, that will
be even more helpful.
So please really think aboutthis.
(16:19):
What kind of little habits canyou bring in to help manage your
stress?
Of course, meditation has allof the research all of the
research but you know you doneed to get that benefit.
You do really need to belooking at like.
I think it's around 23 minutesa day and if you've never
meditated before, 23 minutes isexcruciating.
(16:44):
So I highly recommend, if youreally feel like you know what I
keep hearing about meditation,I really need to give it a go.
What I recommend is you get onone of the meditation apps I
really love for beginnersSmiling Mind.
It's an Australian app.
It has a lot of free content inthere, as well as paid content,
(17:06):
as well as paid content.
And I just totally recommendstarting with a minute.
One minute of just sittingquietly, focusing in your breath
, going in through the nose, outthrough the nose, in through
the nose, just feeling thebreath at your nostrils, feeling
(17:27):
the body moving as the ribsexpand, expand, feeling the
weight of your body in the seat.
Just do it for one minute, evenif you feel like doing it for
longer than one minute.
Set your timer, do it for oneminute and then maybe the next
day you'll do two minutes andmaybe the next day you'll do
three minutes and just work yourway up.
Don't try and sit and do 23minutes.
It is excruciating, as Imentioned, and you know, the
(17:51):
more frequently you can do thesetechniques, the better
resilience to stress you willbuild.
And then, as I mentioned before, like the deep breathing and
the meditation, is where a lotof the research is, but also any
activity that brings you joy isgoing to help Reducing stress,
through taking a walk in nature,spending time with your pets,
(18:15):
reading, sewing, anything thatyou enjoy doing, even if it's
cooking, something that youreally like.
That's all going to help bringyour stress levels down and
that's going to help with yourhormone health and your brain
health.
The last one I think I'm goingto talk about is prioritizing
(18:37):
sleep.
As you know, if you've listenedto my podcast for a while, you
know I have a love-haterelationship with sleep.
At the moment, I'm sleepingreally, really well.
I hope I don't just jinx myself, but I'm employing all of my
tools at the moment andeverything is working extremely
well.
You know, quality sleep is soimportant for so much of our
(19:01):
wellbeing, not just our hormones, not just our stress, not just
our energy.
There is so much that goes onwhen we sleep, when we don't
have good quality sleep.
Those processes, such asbuilding new hormones, such as
repair, such as lymphaticdrainage of our brain, like so
many things, happen while wesleep.
(19:21):
If it's not happening, then wehave issues, and that's one of
the first things I like to beable to support and restore in
women when I'm working with themis sleep, particularly because
I have a profound empathy withthat because of how long I've
dealt with insomnia and how manydifferent things I've tried to
(19:44):
get on top of it.
As I said, I seem to be on topof it now, which is fantastic.
So what are the things?
Let me talk to you about thethings that I do.
One of the most important things, I think, is starts at around,
let's say, six o'clock at night,or seven o'clock, depending on
(20:05):
how early you eat.
After I've eaten dinner,everyone in my household is fed.
Then the lights go down.
That is critical.
We're exposed to a lot of light, blue light, particularly
during the day, with all of ourscreen use.
Now, I do have blue lightblockers in my glasses.
(20:26):
That helps a lot and I dorecommend, even if you don't
wear glasses, to get a good setof blue light blocking glasses.
That particularly if youstruggle with sleep, because we
know that the blue lightinterferes with melatonin
production.
So that is one of the bigthings is blue light protection
and then reducing light at night.
(20:47):
As you know, we come from cavesand there was after sundown
there was no light until theydiscovered fire, and that's
still pretty low light.
And once that light goes low inyour house, it's a signal to
your body to start thinkingabout producing melatonin.
So for me, once everyone is fedand the kitchen's cleaned and
(21:12):
we've all done what we need todo, then I have floor lamps, I
have bench lamps and that is it.
That is what we have in ourhouse at night to help with that
relaxation and that reductionof bright light so that we can
start producing our melatonin.
And some of the big ones, Ithink, is our blue light
(21:35):
exposure and our bright lightexposure.
Next is our.
I use magnesium.
Magnesium is really helpful forrelaxing the brain and using
the right form of magnesium.
So magnesium glycinate is mypreferred one.
I will also sometimes use withclients magnesium threonate.
(21:58):
Really just depends on what'sgoing on with the client, but
that is fantastic for relaxingmuscles.
The glycine component relaxesthe brain as well.
Also, I use a weighted blanket,and that is a game changer, let
me tell you.
I also use a silk pillowcase,which I find just super
(22:20):
comfortable.
I know if I change and I use acotton or a linen pillowcase it
feels so harsh against my skin.
So I really feel that just evenhaving that extra level of
comfort is really important forgood sleep.
Having a really dark room.
If that's not possible wearinga sleep mask, I have a super
(22:42):
comfortable padded, velcro,adjustable sleep mask and that
has also been a game changer forme.
I put that on sometimes, Istart with it on, but most of
the time I'll generally wake ataround three, go the loo and so
if that's TMI, and then I'll popmy sleep mask on in preparation
for our early morning sunlighthere in Queensland because we
(23:04):
don't have daylight savings, soit's getting light, say, around
five I think, at the moment.
So having that sleep mask on isjust incredible for getting to
sleep.
Other things that can be reallylovely for sleep is having an
essential oils bath.
I don't have a bathtub, but ifyou can have a bath with some
(23:29):
beautiful lavender oil or justsome magnesium salts or
something like that, that can bereally beautiful.
Having herbal tea I actually dohave some herbal tea that
promotes sleep.
Uh, sometimes I have that,sometimes I don't.
Um, some people really benefitfrom doing deep breathing,
(23:49):
meditation or stretching beforebed.
I sometimes do that.
Uh, also, having done somemovement during the day, I find
that really helps with sleep.
If I I've been able to go toReforma or do some resistance
training, something like that,that's really sort of used a lot
of energy.
I find that that's reallyhelpful as well.
(24:11):
The temperature of the room thatyou're in and, again, I live in
Queensland, which is quite hot,particularly in summer, very
humid, and so really having acool room is important.
So, whether that's having a fanon, whether that's having
windows open, whether that'shaving air conditioning on, you
really need to get that coolroom to get the good sleep.
(24:34):
There's a lot in there.
There's a lot of little thingsthat I've just mentioned for
sleep.
I think that's probably aboutit for my checklist.
There will undoubtedly be otherthings that you might find work
well for you and that's awesome.
But, yes, sleep is superimportant and the difference you
feel from having a good night'ssleep to having been awake for
(24:55):
most of the night is just, oh mygosh, it's just devastating
when you can't sleep, it's waymore than just feeling tired.
So, yeah, if you're reallystruggling with sleep, that's
another thing that I really feellike you should focus on, and
food choices make a massivedifference as well.
Here's another trick.
I haven't needed to do thismyself, but have a couple of
(25:17):
kiwi fruit before bed.
They contain a plant form ofserotonin.
Serotonin is your buildingblock, your precursor to
melatonin, and there's beenresearch done.
You have to have two full kiwis, though that's a lot, two kiwi
fruits for sleep.
But yes, there's definitelywhat I find in the first week or
(25:37):
two of when women start theGLOW protocol and their
nutrition plan.
Associated with that is sleepcan improve out of sight, and I
really feel like that is becauseof the reduction in
inflammation in the body due tothe types of foods that they're
eating, because that nutritionplan is all about reducing
inflammation in the body.
I think that's about it.
I guess a couple of otherthings is.
(26:01):
I did talk about nutritionbefore, but I just I realized
now I didn't really fully focuson antioxidants and I just
mentioned about, you know, thereduction in inflammation that
goes on in the body when youstart a nutrition plan that's
personalized for you.
Now, if the personalizednutrition plan is out of your
reach, embracing nutrient-richfoods, particularly foods that
(26:26):
reduce inflammation, such asomega-3 fatty acids so they're
available in foods like fattyfish, flaxseeds, walnuts you may
need to take a fish oil or aflaxseed oil capsule.
Hemp oil is another plant-basedoption.
We get a lot of omega-6 in ourdiet.
(26:49):
We don't get a lot of omega-3generally, so that can be very,
very important to reduceinflammation.
Antioxidants, as I mentionedthey're basically really
brightly colored fruits, veggies, and they really help to
safeguard your brain fromoxidative stress.
So getting some antioxidantfoods in every single day will
(27:12):
be beneficial for you.
Also, b vitamins, particularlyB6, folate and B12, they're
critical for brain function.
They help build yourneurotransmitters, they help
regulate mood and cognition, soyou don't necessarily need to
get that from supplements.
(27:34):
Most people are eating enoughof these things, but if you have
a plant-based diet, your B12 inparticular may be a little low.
So you just need to make surethat you're supplementing if you
are plant only because it'svery difficult to get enough B12
from food.
But again, b12 and B9 or folate, that can be tested easily on
(27:57):
blood to see if you have enoughof that.
Test it easily on blood to seeif you have enough of that.
So, yeah, I think that'sprobably all I want to go
through today.
So I guess I just wanted to drawattention today to the brain,
because we talk a lot on thispodcast about hormone balance
and about other symptoms, but Idon't think I've spent a lot of
(28:19):
time on the brain itself andspecifically, the things you can
do to support your brain health.
And if this just all seemsoverwhelming and too hard,
remember that you know one, justeven one of these strategies is
going to help multiple thingsin your body.
You know, when you do stressmanagement, for example, that's
going to affect so many parts ofyour body.
(28:39):
It's not just your brain.
Same with the kind of foodsthat you eat, same with gosh.
Just about everything that Ihave mentioned on the podcast
today is not just going to helpyour brain.
It's going to help as many,many other things.
So please don't feel like, ohmy gosh, even more things I've
got to do.
No, no, this is all just aboutgood health and being mindful
(29:03):
about what you're doing tosupport yourself, and knowing
and having that power andfeeling empowered to take
control of your health to takecontrol of your future health by
making changes now to make surethat you are preventing brain
(29:24):
issues, because it is way harderto manage them down the track
when disease is present.
One of the whole reasons I leftconventional medicine to move to
natural medicine was thisprevention approach.
I love it.
It makes so much sense to meand that is what this is all
about.
And this is simple.
(29:45):
This is hydration, this iseating well, eating lots of
natural kind of foods, stayingaway from all the processed
foods and moving your body andbreathing intentionally.
So I hope that has been helpfuland that you've enjoyed a
little bit of a differentpodcast today.
(30:08):
Any questions, just let me knowat SusieGardenWellness on
Instagram or hello atSusieGardencom.
Enjoy the rest of your week andI'll be back shortly with Q&A
on Thursday.
Thanks so much for joining metoday on the Ageless and Awesome
podcast.
If you liked today's episode,please make sure you click the
(30:28):
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 week.
If you like free stuff, thenhead to the show notes and click
the link to receive my freeRadiant Reset Hormone Detox
Guide for Perimenopausal Women.
Or, if you'd like to continuethe discussion, head over to
(30:48):
Instagram and DM me atsuzygardenwellness.
I'd love to connect with you.
Hi, I'm Susie Garden and this is the Ageless and
Awesome podcast.
I'm an age-defying naturopathand clinical nutritionist and
I'm here to bust myths aroundwomen's health and aging so that
you can be ageless and awesomein your 40s, 50s and beyond.
The Ageless and Awesome podcastis dedicated to helping women
(00:24):
through perimenopause andmenopause with great health, a
positive mindset and outrageousconfidence.
Hit, subscribe or follow nowand let's get started.
Hello, gorgeous one, andwelcome to this week's episode
of the Ageless and Awesomepodcast of the Ageless and
(00:48):
Awesome podcast.
This week I'm going to talkabout our brain health in
perimenopause and menopause andhow we can potentially optimize
that, because did you know thatduring perimenopause, women
experience a pretty incredible30% roughly 30% drop in our
brain energy levels due to thedecline in estrogen?
(01:10):
That's a phenomenal change.
So let's explore how we canempower our brain during
perimenopause, during thistransition, with a bit of a
step-by-step guide for our brainhealth during menopause or
perimenopause.
But let's firstly look at whatis actually happening, because
(01:33):
if we can understand how thistransition can impact your brain
, it kind of helps to understandthe actions that we take to try
and support this as much as wecan.
To understand the actions thatwe take to try and support this
as much as we can.
So what is happening?
There's a few things.
Firstly, we look at this partof the brain called the
(01:54):
hypothalamus.
So it's right in the center ofthe brain.
It's like a master controller.
It controls our stress response, our relaxation response, and
it's also responsible forregulating our body temperature.
And obviously, if you've everhad the hot flushes of
perimenopause and I mostcertainly have you really notice
(02:14):
them when you can't regulateyour body temperature, how
debilitating that can be.
So there's that aspect, eventhough now they're actually also
suggesting because, remember, alot of the research around
perimenopause is really just atits early stages and they're now
(02:38):
also thinking with regard tothe hot flashes that there can
be a close relationship withyour blood sugar regulation and
your hot flashes.
So that's also a factor.
But if we just focus on brainhealth, for today we've got the
hypothalamus.
That's a pretty important partof your brain.
Then you've got the brain stem,so that's sort of towards the
(02:58):
back, kind of comes out of thetop of the spinal cord.
So if you I'm kind of feelingit at the moment the base of
your skull, where the spine sortof enters, it's just above that
is where your brainstem comesin.
So brainstem is all about sleepand wake, consciousness,
unconsciousness.
That's why if you get hit onthe back of the head there you
can get unconscious pretty quick.
(03:20):
And we know that hormonalfluctuations can impact that
part of our brain, our brainstem, and causing potentially one of
the causes of insomnia with thedrop in progesterone and
estrogen.
Also our emotional and ourmemory centers, the amygdala and
the hippocampus you may haveheard me reference those parts
of the brain before they laykind of underneath, parts of the
(03:45):
brain before they lay kind ofunderneath so when I say
underneath, so below, towardsthe neck, the hypothalamus, and
those are really sensitive toestrogen levels.
And so as our estrogen declines, our mood swings can happen,
our memory lapses might becomenoticeable, whether it's
forgetting people's names,whether it's forgetting words or
getting lost in a simplesentence, and it can be very,
(04:09):
very frustrating, particularlyin the workplace.
But also interestingly and Idon't want to scare people here,
but you know this brain energydecline has also been linked to
the formation of amyloid plaques, and that's associated with
Alzheimer's disease.
And while those plaques are nota definitive diagnosis of
Alzheimer's, they are certainlya crucial risk factor.
(04:31):
And so, yet again, we reallyneed to look after our brain and
be proactive about lookingafter our brain during this
transition.
So let's dive a little bit moreinto this Alzheimer's disease
link.
So I think it's reallyimportant, as women, that we
have some knowledge about this,because what we do know for a
(04:51):
fact is that women have a higherrisk of developing Alzheimer's
than men, and this riskincreases after menopause, and
researchers do suggest thatAlzheimer's may have its roots
in this midlife time, duringthis menopausal transition.
So it's really essential thatwe know about this, because this
(05:16):
gives us an opportunity againto change, to course, correct
our habits so that we are reallyprotecting our brain and, you
know, minimizing our risk tothings like Alzheimer's disease.
What we also know,interestingly, that if you have
a medically induced menopause,like a hysterectomy, or you have
(05:40):
your ovaries removed, that thishas been associated with
potential reductions in ourcognitive health or impact in
our cognitive health.
So obviously more research isneeded to understand this.
That is ongoing, which is agood thing.
It's really good that we'regetting so much more of a
(06:00):
spotlight on menopause andperimenopause, because our
generation of women is really, Ithink, the first to really be
putting that spotlight there andthe fact that we have these
powerful tools like podcasts,like social media, means that we
can really start to buildawareness from reputable sources
(06:21):
.
So what kind of things can we doto help protect our brain and
support our brain health duringthe menopausal transition?
Well, clearly, food that isgood for our body is going to be
good for our brain, and foodthat is bad for our body is
going to be not so great for ourbrain.
So we want to make smartdietary choices, and this can be
(06:48):
getting a personalizednutrition plan, like I have in
my GLOW protocol.
This can be following theMediterranean diet, for example.
That is probably the world'smost researched diet and we know
that it has fantastic benefitsfor health and that might be a
really good one to follow.
It's not a personalized plan,obviously.
(07:09):
It's still a general plan, butthat might be what works well
for you.
The thing is with theMediterranean diet, just as an
aside, it is much more than themeal plan.
It is a lifestyle and it's notjust about the food.
It's also about the fact thatit is community and that they
(07:30):
grow their own food.
They're very close to theirfood.
It's not.
They're not going tosupermarkets and buying food.
They're baking their breadevery day, they are making their
meals from scratch.
There's no processed food, nohigh sugar drinks and things
like that.
So there's something to beaware of that there has also
been discussion in the researchis is it possible to follow the
Mediterranean diet and get thesame benefits if you live in
(07:53):
America or if you live inAustralia or if you live outside
that Mediterranean region?
Because it is more than justthe food.
So one of the key features ofthe Mediterranean diet is its
inclusion of phytoestrogen richfoods, so plant sources of
estrogen.
These can be helpful inregulating or modulating the
(08:14):
hormonal fluctuations.
They are not like eatingestrogen.
I think there is a realmisconception about what
phytoestrogens are.
They help to support estrogen,estrogen modulation in the body,
but they're not like eatingestrogen.
So flax seeds is one of the bigones.
Flax seeds are really good foryou.
(08:34):
I eat flax seeds every singleday and these are the lignans
L-I-G-N-A-N-S.
Lignans are one of thephytonutrients in flax seeds and
these compounds help regulatethe hormonal fluctuations during
menopause.
They may you know, it alldepends, but they may reduce the
(08:56):
severity of symptoms like hotflashes and mood swings.
Maybe what I recommend withflaxseeds is that you buy them
and grind them yourself.
I tend to grind a few daysworth and I throw them in my
smoothie mainly.
But you must buy them from.
If you're going to buy themground, rather, you must buy
(09:18):
them from the fridge.
They grow rancid really easily.
If you're buying groundflaxseed or ground linseed is
its other word, other name Ifyou're buying that off the shelf
, it's probably rancid already.
So if you're buying ground,please get it from the fridge.
Otherwise, buy whole flax seedsand just grind them yourself in
a neutral bullet or somethinglike that Super easy.
They taste really good, they'rereally good source of fiber as
(09:41):
well, and you can mix them intoyogurt, you can mix them into
oats.
It's really easy to eat themand they're quite nice.
Also sesame seeds.
So sesame seeds also containthese lignans and other
phytoestrogens, so they helpwith that hormonal balance as
well.
They also are rich in calciumand magnesium, so that can
really help with your bonehealth.
(10:02):
I mean you'd have to eat a lot.
I'll be honest, you'll have toeat a lot of sesame seeds to get
a really good dose of calcium.
But you know it's possible, andparticularly if you have it in
the form of tahini.
So tahini is ground sesameseeds, and so you can actually
that's quite palatable.
Again, it's often something Iput in my smoothie or I make
salad dressings from it.
(10:23):
I can use it to make a littlechocolate sauce that I have if
I'm having a treat.
So, yeah, you can add sesameseeds themselves to salads to
stir fries.
Granola yeah, they're quitenice.
Dark chocolate yes, love beingable to list dark chocolate as
one of the good foods that canhelp with your hormones.
(10:47):
So dark chocolate.
So you're looking at least a70% cocoa content.
So not a sweet sort of milkchocolate.
You're looking for that darker,bitter chocolate.
And it offers a double benefitbecause not only does it contain
the phytoestrogens, it also hasantioxidants, so it protects
your brain cells from oxidativestress and therefore can improve
(11:09):
your cognitive function.
You know I would have darkchocolate fairly regularly.
I really love it.
I also put cacao in my smoothie, so I'm getting that benefit
every single day, really.
Chickpeas is another greatphytoestrogen food and it's a
(11:30):
Mediterranean diet staple.
It's also high in things likefiber.
It's good as a vegetariansource of protein and folate is
also really important and youcan use them.
You know hummus is a reallyeasy way to eat chickpeas Also
making a chickpea curry, usingthem in salads.
(11:52):
You can roast them for a littlesnack.
I really love chickpeas andthey're very easy to use.
Just again, I'll just sayGoogle, you know chickpea
recipes and you'll find somethings.
They're really actually veryeasy to eat.
Lentils are another legume thatare rich in phytoestrogens.
They also have a pretty goodiron content as well, which is
(12:15):
really important.
And yeah, again, lentils can begreat.
You can make little patties,you can throw them into soups,
you can I make a lentilbolognese, which I quite like.
You can make a lentil salad Ilove lentil salad and you can
put a tahini dressing on that.
They cook really quickly,particularly if you use, like
the red lentils or tinnedlentils.
(12:36):
You don't have to soak themovernight if you're using those
and they can be really good forvariety.
Whole grains obviously alwaysgood whole grains.
So you're looking at, um,unrefined foods like brown rice,
quinoa, um, that sort of stuffis very great, very good for
(12:56):
your complex carbohydrate, yoursteady release of energy, um,
good for brain energy.
And definitely you know you'rewanting to really avoid the, the
refined grains like your whiteflour, your white sugar, your
white rice, all of that sort ofstuff.
And the good thing is, theseMediterranean inspired
(13:18):
phytoestrogen rich foods notonly support your hormone
balance, but they alsocontribute to the overall
nutrient density of your diet.
So by including them in yourmeals, you're getting these
delicious food, these wholefoods, and nourishing your brain
during peri and menopause, butalso getting all of those
benefits of just really good,easy, healthy eating.
(13:42):
So that's probably all I wantto talk about with regard to
nutrition, but also, obviously,always hydration alongside of
that.
So always use the calculation35 mils of water per kilo of
body weight every day, and thatwill give you a really good
(14:03):
hydration level.
So the second aspect of usinghormone management for brain
health is to manage your stress.
When we are under stress, werelease cortisol, and cortisol
has a very dynamic relationshipwith estrogen.
(14:24):
When our stress levels are high, our cortisol levels rise.
This increase in cortisol candisrupt estrogen, and so stress
management is critical forhormone management.
So anything that brings you joy, that relaxes you is going to
(14:47):
help.
Brings you joy that relaxes youis going to help.
You know like it doesn't haveto be a really formal stress
management program that causesyou stress because it's like oh,
I've got all this stressmanagement stuff to do.
What we do know is elevatedstress can make menopause
symptoms worse, such as your hotflushes, mood swings, sleep
disturbances.
(15:08):
I mean, none of us want toreally feel stressed, right?
So things you can do to supportyour stress response, so that
you can stabilize your hormonesmore easily, is making it a
daily habit.
Whatever it is that you'regoing to choose to do, make it a
daily habit.
So, whether that is dedicatingfive minutes to sit and breathe
(15:33):
deeply and what I love aboutbreathing is that we have to
breathe right so you can do itwhile you're in the car, you can
do it while you are cooking,you can do it while you're
shopping, you can do it whileyou're working in front of the
computer.
It's just deep breathing intothe belly.
Of course, technique can bevery helpful, but if you don't
(15:57):
have the brain space for it justbreathing deeply into your
belly Ideally if you can do itquietly and not have to do
something else at the same time,that is going to get you a
better result.
And if you're just doing it forfive minutes, that will be
helpful.
If you do it five minutes twoor three times a day, that will
be even more helpful.
So please really think aboutthis.
(16:19):
What kind of little habits canyou bring in to help manage your
stress?
Of course, meditation has allof the research all of the
research but you know you doneed to get that benefit.
You do really need to belooking at like.
I think it's around 23 minutesa day and if you've never
meditated before, 23 minutes isexcruciating.
(16:44):
So I highly recommend, if youreally feel like you know what I
keep hearing about meditation,I really need to give it a go.
What I recommend is you get onone of the meditation apps I
really love for beginnersSmiling Mind.
It's an Australian app.
It has a lot of free content inthere, as well as paid content,
(17:06):
as well as paid content.
And I just totally recommendstarting with a minute.
One minute of just sittingquietly, focusing in your breath
, going in through the nose, outthrough the nose, in through
the nose, just feeling thebreath at your nostrils, feeling
(17:27):
the body moving as the ribsexpand, expand, feeling the
weight of your body in the seat.
Just do it for one minute, evenif you feel like doing it for
longer than one minute.
Set your timer, do it for oneminute and then maybe the next
day you'll do two minutes andmaybe the next day you'll do
three minutes and just work yourway up.
Don't try and sit and do 23minutes.
It is excruciating, as Imentioned, and you know, the
(17:51):
more frequently you can do thesetechniques, the better
resilience to stress you willbuild.
And then, as I mentioned before, like the deep breathing and
the meditation, is where a lotof the research is, but also any
activity that brings you joy isgoing to help Reducing stress,
through taking a walk in nature,spending time with your pets,
(18:15):
reading, sewing, anything thatyou enjoy doing, even if it's
cooking, something that youreally like.
That's all going to help bringyour stress levels down and
that's going to help with yourhormone health and your brain
health.
The last one I think I'm goingto talk about is prioritizing
(18:37):
sleep.
As you know, if you've listenedto my podcast for a while, you
know I have a love-haterelationship with sleep.
At the moment, I'm sleepingreally, really well.
I hope I don't just jinx myself, but I'm employing all of my
tools at the moment andeverything is working extremely
well.
You know, quality sleep is soimportant for so much of our
(19:01):
wellbeing, not just our hormones, not just our stress, not just
our energy.
There is so much that goes onwhen we sleep, when we don't
have good quality sleep.
Those processes, such asbuilding new hormones, such as
repair, such as lymphaticdrainage of our brain, like so
many things, happen while wesleep.
(19:21):
If it's not happening, then wehave issues, and that's one of
the first things I like to beable to support and restore in
women when I'm working with themis sleep, particularly because
I have a profound empathy withthat because of how long I've
dealt with insomnia and how manydifferent things I've tried to
(19:44):
get on top of it.
As I said, I seem to be on topof it now, which is fantastic.
So what are the things?
Let me talk to you about thethings that I do.
One of the most important things, I think, is starts at around,
let's say, six o'clock at night,or seven o'clock, depending on
(20:05):
how early you eat.
After I've eaten dinner,everyone in my household is fed.
Then the lights go down.
That is critical.
We're exposed to a lot of light, blue light, particularly
during the day, with all of ourscreen use.
Now, I do have blue lightblockers in my glasses.
(20:26):
That helps a lot and I dorecommend, even if you don't
wear glasses, to get a good setof blue light blocking glasses.
That particularly if youstruggle with sleep, because we
know that the blue lightinterferes with melatonin
production.
So that is one of the bigthings is blue light protection
and then reducing light at night.
(20:47):
As you know, we come from cavesand there was after sundown
there was no light until theydiscovered fire, and that's
still pretty low light.
And once that light goes low inyour house, it's a signal to
your body to start thinkingabout producing melatonin.
So for me, once everyone is fedand the kitchen's cleaned and
(21:12):
we've all done what we need todo, then I have floor lamps, I
have bench lamps and that is it.
That is what we have in ourhouse at night to help with that
relaxation and that reductionof bright light so that we can
start producing our melatonin.
And some of the big ones, Ithink, is our blue light
(21:35):
exposure and our bright lightexposure.
Next is our.
I use magnesium.
Magnesium is really helpful forrelaxing the brain and using
the right form of magnesium.
So magnesium glycinate is mypreferred one.
I will also sometimes use withclients magnesium threonate.
(21:58):
Really just depends on what'sgoing on with the client, but
that is fantastic for relaxingmuscles.
The glycine component relaxesthe brain as well.
Also, I use a weighted blanket,and that is a game changer, let
me tell you.
I also use a silk pillowcase,which I find just super
(22:20):
comfortable.
I know if I change and I use acotton or a linen pillowcase it
feels so harsh against my skin.
So I really feel that just evenhaving that extra level of
comfort is really important forgood sleep.
Having a really dark room.
If that's not possible wearinga sleep mask, I have a super
(22:42):
comfortable padded, velcro,adjustable sleep mask and that
has also been a game changer forme.
I put that on sometimes, Istart with it on, but most of
the time I'll generally wake ataround three, go the loo and so
if that's TMI, and then I'll popmy sleep mask on in preparation
for our early morning sunlighthere in Queensland because we
(23:04):
don't have daylight savings, soit's getting light, say, around
five I think, at the moment.
So having that sleep mask on isjust incredible for getting to
sleep.
Other things that can be reallylovely for sleep is having an
essential oils bath.
I don't have a bathtub, but ifyou can have a bath with some
(23:29):
beautiful lavender oil or justsome magnesium salts or
something like that, that can bereally beautiful.
Having herbal tea I actually dohave some herbal tea that
promotes sleep.
Uh, sometimes I have that,sometimes I don't.
Um, some people really benefitfrom doing deep breathing,
(23:49):
meditation or stretching beforebed.
I sometimes do that.
Uh, also, having done somemovement during the day, I find
that really helps with sleep.
If I I've been able to go toReforma or do some resistance
training, something like that,that's really sort of used a lot
of energy.
I find that that's reallyhelpful as well.
(24:11):
The temperature of the room thatyou're in and, again, I live in
Queensland, which is quite hot,particularly in summer, very
humid, and so really having acool room is important.
So, whether that's having a fanon, whether that's having
windows open, whether that'shaving air conditioning on, you
really need to get that coolroom to get the good sleep.
(24:34):
There's a lot in there.
There's a lot of little thingsthat I've just mentioned for
sleep.
I think that's probably aboutit for my checklist.
There will undoubtedly be otherthings that you might find work
well for you and that's awesome.
But, yes, sleep is superimportant and the difference you
feel from having a good night'ssleep to having been awake for
(24:55):
most of the night is just, oh mygosh, it's just devastating
when you can't sleep, it's waymore than just feeling tired.
So, yeah, if you're reallystruggling with sleep, that's
another thing that I really feellike you should focus on, and
food choices make a massivedifference as well.
Here's another trick.
I haven't needed to do thismyself, but have a couple of
(25:17):
kiwi fruit before bed.
They contain a plant form ofserotonin.
Serotonin is your buildingblock, your precursor to
melatonin, and there's beenresearch done.
You have to have two full kiwis, though that's a lot, two kiwi
fruits for sleep.
But yes, there's definitelywhat I find in the first week or
(25:37):
two of when women start theGLOW protocol and their
nutrition plan.
Associated with that is sleepcan improve out of sight, and I
really feel like that is becauseof the reduction in
inflammation in the body due tothe types of foods that they're
eating, because that nutritionplan is all about reducing
inflammation in the body.
I think that's about it.
I guess a couple of otherthings is.
(26:01):
I did talk about nutritionbefore, but I just I realized
now I didn't really fully focuson antioxidants and I just
mentioned about, you know, thereduction in inflammation that
goes on in the body when youstart a nutrition plan that's
personalized for you.
Now, if the personalizednutrition plan is out of your
reach, embracing nutrient-richfoods, particularly foods that
(26:26):
reduce inflammation, such asomega-3 fatty acids so they're
available in foods like fattyfish, flaxseeds, walnuts you may
need to take a fish oil or aflaxseed oil capsule.
Hemp oil is another plant-basedoption.
We get a lot of omega-6 in ourdiet.
(26:49):
We don't get a lot of omega-3generally, so that can be very,
very important to reduceinflammation.
Antioxidants, as I mentionedthey're basically really
brightly colored fruits, veggies, and they really help to
safeguard your brain fromoxidative stress.
So getting some antioxidantfoods in every single day will
(27:12):
be beneficial for you.
Also, b vitamins, particularlyB6, folate and B12, they're
critical for brain function.
They help build yourneurotransmitters, they help
regulate mood and cognition, soyou don't necessarily need to
get that from supplements.
(27:34):
Most people are eating enoughof these things, but if you have
a plant-based diet, your B12 inparticular may be a little low.
So you just need to make surethat you're supplementing if you
are plant only because it'svery difficult to get enough B12
from food.
But again, b12 and B9 or folate, that can be tested easily on
(27:57):
blood to see if you have enoughof that.
Test it easily on blood to seeif you have enough of that.
So, yeah, I think that'sprobably all I want to go
through today.
So I guess I just wanted to drawattention today to the brain,
because we talk a lot on thispodcast about hormone balance
and about other symptoms, but Idon't think I've spent a lot of
(28:19):
time on the brain itself andspecifically, the things you can
do to support your brain health.
And if this just all seemsoverwhelming and too hard,
remember that you know one, justeven one of these strategies is
going to help multiple thingsin your body.
You know, when you do stressmanagement, for example, that's
going to affect so many parts ofyour body.
(28:39):
It's not just your brain.
Same with the kind of foodsthat you eat, same with gosh.
Just about everything that Ihave mentioned on the podcast
today is not just going to helpyour brain.
It's going to help as many,many other things.
So please don't feel like, ohmy gosh, even more things I've
got to do.
No, no, this is all just aboutgood health and being mindful
(29:03):
about what you're doing tosupport yourself, and knowing
and having that power andfeeling empowered to take
control of your health to takecontrol of your future health by
making changes now to make surethat you are preventing brain
(29:24):
issues, because it is way harderto manage them down the track
when disease is present.
One of the whole reasons I leftconventional medicine to move to
natural medicine was thisprevention approach.
I love it.
It makes so much sense to meand that is what this is all
about.
And this is simple.
(29:45):
This is hydration, this iseating well, eating lots of
natural kind of foods, stayingaway from all the processed
foods and moving your body andbreathing intentionally.
So I hope that has been helpfuland that you've enjoyed a
little bit of a differentpodcast today.
(30:08):
Any questions, just let me knowat SusieGardenWellness on
Instagram or hello atSusieGardencom.
Enjoy the rest of your week andI'll be back shortly with Q&A
on Thursday.
Thanks so much for joining metoday on the Ageless and Awesome
podcast.
If you liked today's episode,please make sure you click the
(30:28):
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 week.
If you like free stuff, thenhead to the show notes and click
the link to receive my freeRadiant Reset Hormone Detox
Guide for Perimenopausal Women.
Or, if you'd like to continuethe discussion, head over to
(30:48):
Instagram and DM me atsuzygardenwellness.
I'd love to connect with you.
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