February 24, 2025 • 18 mins
What if understanding the role of cortisol could transform your perimenopause experience? This week on the podcast, as we navigate the fluctuating tides of hormones like progesterone and oestrogen, you'll learn how to tackle the challenges of fatigue and brain fog that seem to mirror perimenopausal changes. Stress management becomes your ally in this journey, and I promise insights into how your daily habits, like caffeine consumption and late-night binge-watching, can wreak havoc on your cortisol levels.
To help manage the turbulence, we dive into practical strategies for stress reduction and healthier living. Explore how setting boundaries with technology can enhance your sleep, and how tools like planners and the Pomodoro technique can streamline your tasks. I'll share personal experiences, from the power of nurturing positive relationships to the balancing act of regular meals, all aimed at reducing stress and fostering well-being.
Are you a woman feeling stressed, flat and experiencing the challenges of perimenopause?
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
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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.
This week's episode I'm going tofocus on it sounds a little
(00:46):
boring, but, believe me, themore you learn about this topic,
I think, the more you'llrealize how much this is
impacting you.
I am talking about cortisol,and the reason for that is I've
done a few videos lately onInstagram talking about how
cortisol is running the show,often in perimenopause, and can
(01:09):
impact weight.
But there is so much more to itthan that, so, and there's so
much more to it than I canexplain in a one to two minute
video, so I thought let's pop iton the pod and get you
understanding the importance ofthis particular hormone, because
cortisol is a hormone andparticularly how it can impact
(01:32):
you when you're in your late 30s, 40s, 50s, even specifically in
perimenopause, but absolutelypostmenopause.
This is relevant as well, solet's get into it.
So, okay, let's talk about someof the hormonal things.
So, before menopause, the bodyeffectively kind of buffers
(01:54):
cortisol and stress, becausecortisol is a stress hormone.
When we are in our fight andflight, it's one of the primary
hormones.
When we're in fight or flightthat starts that cascade of
events that gets us in aposition physiologically to run
away from a threat or to fight athreat.
Before menopause, when we're inthat, even perimenopause,
(02:16):
actually the body effectivelybuffers the cortisol and stress
by balancing levels ofprogesterone and estrogen.
Okay, by balancing levels ofprogesterone and estrogen, okay.
So as progesterone and estrogenlevels drop during
perimenopause, the body'sability to manage cortisol
weakens and this means it cancause symptoms because we're
(02:41):
starting to get this elevatedcortisol and the body's unable
to buffer it as effectively asit used to.
And, interestingly, there was astudy done a little while ago
now, actually I think it was inabout 2009,.
It was published that showedthat cortisol levels increased
immediately after hot flushes inwomen, which I thought was
(03:04):
really interesting because often, certainly when I used to
experience hot flushes thatyou'd get like this slight, like
a split second sensation ofanxiety or fear.
Certainly, for me it was morelike this anxiety, just for the
tiniest amount of time, and it'ssomething that many women do
(03:24):
describe.
And now we know that youactually are getting a
physiological increase incortisol at that time.
And the thing is, high cortisollevels and menopause symptoms,
or perimenopause symptoms, arevery, very similar.
Let me list some out for you sofatigue, low energy, weight
(03:46):
gain, especially around themidsection area, brain fog,
changes in mood like anxiety ordepression, difficulty sleeping,
insomnia, cravings forunhealthy foods because cortisol
also interferes with yourglucose metabolism digestive
(04:10):
issues like bloating, low sexdrive and increased aches and
pains.
So these symptoms of highcortisol are very, very similar
to the symptoms of perimenopause.
So that's quite interesting tome.
And so now that we kind of knowthat our cortisol levels are
(04:33):
interrupted, I guess, byperimenopause elevated actually,
if we're more specific and thatthat can cause symptoms, that
really gives you an insight intowhy stress management is so
important.
It's one of the key things thatI've been banging on for years
(04:53):
on the podcast, and I wanted tokind of list a few habits that
also can interfere with cortisol, and you'll kind of recognize
that many of these habits happenwhen we're feeling stressed.
So one is having lots of coffee, relying on caffeine a bit too
(05:17):
much, needing coffee to getgoing in the morning, maybe
having an afternoon lattebecause you're just struggling
to get through that afternoon,and some people even having
coffee at night.
And often when I ask peopleabout coffee and I say, oh, you
know how many copies a day, andthey might say, you know two
flat whites, and I'm like, okay,are they double shots?
(05:38):
And often the answer is yes.
So really understanding what isin your coffee, for a start,
and making sure you know whetheryou're having a double or a
single, because sometimes that'snot quite clear, but also
looking at do I actually needthis to function or is it just
something that I enjoy?
Because if it's something thatyou actually really need to get
(06:00):
your brain going, to get yourenergy going, so that you can
get through your afternoon orget through your morning, then
there's some underlying thingsthat need to be addressed.
I'm not saying you have to giveup your coffee, but we want to
make sure that you're actuallyyour body's able to function
properly and you're not relyingon coffee for it to function,
and the thing is it can add toyour stress, so in terms of your
(06:23):
cortisol level.
So this is really important.
So other things that can kind ofincrease stress and also be
used as a perceived stressrelief is late night binging on
the streamers.
You know, if you're staying upbinging your favorite shows and
staying up late, it might feelgood at the time, but it's also
(06:45):
increasing your stress levelsdue to the lack of sleep and the
blue light exposure If you'rewatching it, particularly on an
iPad or your phone.
Remember, a good night's sleepis important for managing stress
.
So trying to get to bed byaround 9, 9.30 is kind of ideal
(07:05):
to make sure you're at leastplanning to get between seven
and eight hours of sleep and sothat you are not getting really
overtired.
Another thing that can be astress sort of management or
perceived stress managementtechnique but actually can
increase stress is hitting thedrive-thru or the Uber Eats and
(07:28):
sugary snacks, and I know it'slike super tempting when you're
busy to get it to just gothrough the drive-thru to get
dinner, but it is a surefire wayto increase your stress levels,
increase your cortisol,increase inflammation, put on
weight, all of the things, andyour body will benefit way more
(07:49):
from real nutritious foodinstead.
And that's a really easy one toovercome because it just comes
down to, when you cook, justcook twice the amount, freeze,
so you've always got nutritiousmeals in the fridge.
Another little habit is the olddoom scroll, which I think we're
(08:10):
all guilty of, probablyspending too much time scrolling
through social media.
For me, it's getting into thevideos and the reels and just
video after video after video,and of course that algorithm
knows you so well, knows, withan expert level, how to keep you
on that app.
You really have to cut througheither prevent yourself from
(08:34):
looking at it in the first place, if you know that's a weakness
for you, or really limit yourtime, maybe even pop an alarm on
your phone so that you knowwhen you've been looking for,
say, 10 minutes, five minutes,whatever it is, so that you make
yourself stop, because you canget this unnecessary stress from
comparisons.
For a start.
That's just the tip of theiceberg, really, but also it's
(08:57):
just dead time.
You may feel like it's relaxing, but I think under the surface
for many of us it is actually alittle stressful.
So try taking a break from yourphone and enjoy the calming
aspects of real life.
I know for me, I tend to, atsix o'clock, my phone goes in
another room and I stay wellaway from it and very
(09:19):
occasionally I start gettingback into a habit of looking at
it again and then I'm reallysuper strict.
I'm in a super strict phase atthe moment and it really means
that I'm enjoying watching thesunset and I'm enjoying, you
know, my food and I'm enjoyingspending time with family and
friends and things like that.
So I really encourage you toreally have a clean break from
(09:40):
your phone at a certain time ofday or evening rather, and
obviously phone calls are alittle different, but in terms
of being on the social feeds, itcan be pretty, pretty nasty for
the old stress and also,obviously, the blue light
interfering with your melatoninand your sleep.
(10:03):
Another bad habit is the lastminute everything.
So constantly dealing with lastminute deadlines can really
increase your stress levels.
Obviously, I don't think that'srocket science.
So getting organized by usingtools like planners, task
management apps, schedulingsoftware, can really help reduce
(10:23):
stress.
I find for myself, I usePomodoro technique during the
day so that I can really managemy time well, and Pomodoro
technique is where you focus ona task or a project for 25
minutes or 40, whatever time youreally want to make.
It Generally it's a 25 or a 45minute kind of block and then
you have five minutes off andthen you can get back into it,
(10:45):
and doing that really helps mefocus for that 25.
I tend to use a 25 minutereally helps me focus and like,
right, 25 minutes is that's whatI've got to do, and then have
the five minute break and thatreally helps me stay organized
rather than procrastinating,which is something that I used
to do without having any sort oftechnique and organization to
my day.
(11:06):
So trying to not to be lastminute with everything and maybe
trying not to take on too muchas well.
Another thing is toxicrelationships.
So spending time with negativeor toxic people can really
increase your stress levels.
Another one that's not rocketscience.
It might be helpful to evaluateyour social circle and focus on
(11:29):
relationships that bring youjoy, that bring you positivity,
and focus on relationships thatbring you joy, that bring you
positivity, and it can berelatively challenging sometimes
as an adult to expand the oldsocial circle.
That's something that last yearI really focused on and I got
involved in some Facebook groupswith some social clubs, kind of
(11:49):
locally, and that's really madelike an incredible difference
to my social circle.
So I totally recommend joininglike a local Facebook group
whether it's a hiking group or asocial group or whatever
because that can be that youwould be amazed at how many
women are looking to expandtheir social circle right now.
(12:09):
And maybe this is just aproduct of being in Queensland
with that post COVID migrationof many, many people from
Southern States.
Certainly, I'm meeting a lot ofpeople from a lot of women from
down South, but wherever youare, I'm sure you can find that
kind of way to meet new peoplewith a view to expanding that
(12:35):
social circle.
Right back on track with my list.
So skipping meals is anotherthing, because when you skip
meals, if you think, oh, I don'thave time to have lunch, for
example that's a really strongone I get from my clients I
don't have time for breakfast orI don't have time for lunch
Skipping meals can signal yourbody to increase stress hormones
(12:55):
.
So try eating balanced mealsregularly.
I you know me, I'm a bigproponent for three meals, no
snacks, and that will helpmaintain your hormonal balance
because you're getting thatinsulin and glucose management
in that five to six hours inbetween meals and that will
(13:17):
actually reduce your hungerhormones.
Final one on my list at themoment is sedentary lifestyle.
I'm sure there are many otherthings, but having a sedentary
lifestyle actually can increaseyour stress levels.
Try incorporating some physicalactivity into your day, like
even just going for a walk.
That can really help.
(13:37):
In fact, I think it's one ofthe best things you can do is go
for a walk, whether it's aroundyour neighborhood.
If you're lucky enough to livenear some sort of nature, like
the beach, or like national parkor state forest or even just
local parks where you've gotsome trees, that can be just so
good for helping manage stress.
(13:58):
I think we just we forget thatwe're animals.
We need to be around nature.
It is something that I think weneed on a cellular level every
day, some sort of contact withnature, and so, yeah, if you can
get out, have a walk.
Even better is if you can meeta friend or a family member,
(14:20):
because it improvesaccountability so that you
actually do do it on a regularbasis, and it's just nice to
connect with somebody and haveconversation.
So you know, I think this isprobably I'm just looking at all
of the notes that I've writtenon this today.
I think pretty much I'vecovered everything.
(14:44):
The main thing when it comes tocortisol and, you know,
maintaining a level that is sortof in our normal kind of range
is there's things like managingstress.
So we know that there arecertain things that help, that
deep breathing helps that a lot.
Mindfulness, meditation, yoga,that kind of stuff can really
(15:07):
help manage stress.
But anything that brings youjoy, anything that brings you
joy, will help to manage yourstress.
Also, really getting qualitysleep establishing a really
consistent sleep routine,ideally by going to bed and
rising at the same times eachday, really helps.
(15:29):
Even if you haven't slept well,it's better to actually get up
at your normal time rather thantry and sleep in.
That's what the research tellsus.
Moving the body, as I just wastalking about, that really helps
to reduce stress.
Regulate cortisol also regulateglucose.
(15:50):
Lots of whole foods in the diet,lots of fresh um fruits,
veggies, whole grains, nuts,seeds, all of those sorts of
things.
But also drinking lots of water.
Particularly filtered water, isreally nice because it tastes
better.
A lot of people say to me theydon't like drinking water
because of the way it tastes.
Filtered water helps get someof those chemicals out.
(16:13):
I know I've been drinkingfiltered water for so long now
that even when I have a shower,I can really smell the chlorine.
And it depends where you liveas well as to how nice the water
tastes.
Definitely, where I live, onthe Gold Coast, the water's not
fantastic in terms of tasteRelaxation I've mentioned.
(16:33):
And also, you know, look at yourcaffeine use.
Look at you know, am I reallyrelying on caffeine multiple
times a day purely because myenergy levels are so poor?
So, really looking at, okay,how can I reduce that a little
or increase my energy?
And maybe you do need to reallylook at what's my diet like.
What am I actually having theright amount of protein, the
(16:55):
right amount of healthy fats?
Do you need some support withyour diet in terms of
professional having a look at it, looking at it in the context
of the stage of life that you'rein, looking at it in the
context of what you like to doin terms of your activity to
make sure you're getting enoughfood, that you're getting the
right macro balance and that thefoods are actually supporting
(17:18):
your hormones.
So I hope that has been helpful.
I'd love to hear from you Ifyou've got any feedback or have
any questions that you'd like meto explore on the pod.
You can message me at theperimenopause path remembering
there's a little dot between theand perimenopause and
perimenopause and path or youcan drop me an email hello at
(17:43):
suzygardencom.
Thanks so much for joining metoday on the Ageless and Awesome
podcast.
If you liked today's episode, Iwould love it if you could
write me a five-star review.
It makes me so happy.
Also, make sure you click thelittle plus button if you're on
Apple Podcasts, or the followbutton if you're on Spotify, so
that you can get each newepisode delivered to you every
(18:07):
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.
Now, this will only beavailable until the end of
January 2025.
So be quick.
If you'd like to continue thediscussion we've had today, head
over to Instagram and DM me, orfollow me at theperimenopause
(18:31):
Path.
There's a little dot betweeneach word just to make it a
little bit more complicated, butI would love to connect with
you over there.
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.
This week's episode I'm going tofocus on it sounds a little
(00:46):
boring, but, believe me, themore you learn about this topic,
I think, the more you'llrealize how much this is
impacting you.
I am talking about cortisol,and the reason for that is I've
done a few videos lately onInstagram talking about how
cortisol is running the show,often in perimenopause, and can
(01:09):
impact weight.
But there is so much more to itthan that, so, and there's so
much more to it than I canexplain in a one to two minute
video, so I thought let's pop iton the pod and get you
understanding the importance ofthis particular hormone, because
cortisol is a hormone andparticularly how it can impact
(01:32):
you when you're in your late 30s, 40s, 50s, even specifically in
perimenopause, but absolutelypostmenopause.
This is relevant as well, solet's get into it.
So, okay, let's talk about someof the hormonal things.
So, before menopause, the bodyeffectively kind of buffers
(01:54):
cortisol and stress, becausecortisol is a stress hormone.
When we are in our fight andflight, it's one of the primary
hormones.
When we're in fight or flightthat starts that cascade of
events that gets us in aposition physiologically to run
away from a threat or to fight athreat.
Before menopause, when we're inthat, even perimenopause,
(02:16):
actually the body effectivelybuffers the cortisol and stress
by balancing levels ofprogesterone and estrogen.
Okay, by balancing levels ofprogesterone and estrogen, okay.
So as progesterone and estrogenlevels drop during
perimenopause, the body'sability to manage cortisol
weakens and this means it cancause symptoms because we're
(02:41):
starting to get this elevatedcortisol and the body's unable
to buffer it as effectively asit used to.
And, interestingly, there was astudy done a little while ago
now, actually I think it was inabout 2009,.
It was published that showedthat cortisol levels increased
immediately after hot flushes inwomen, which I thought was
(03:04):
really interesting because often, certainly when I used to
experience hot flushes thatyou'd get like this slight, like
a split second sensation ofanxiety or fear.
Certainly, for me it was morelike this anxiety, just for the
tiniest amount of time, and it'ssomething that many women do
(03:24):
describe.
And now we know that youactually are getting a
physiological increase incortisol at that time.
And the thing is, high cortisollevels and menopause symptoms,
or perimenopause symptoms, arevery, very similar.
Let me list some out for you sofatigue, low energy, weight
(03:46):
gain, especially around themidsection area, brain fog,
changes in mood like anxiety ordepression, difficulty sleeping,
insomnia, cravings forunhealthy foods because cortisol
also interferes with yourglucose metabolism digestive
(04:10):
issues like bloating, low sexdrive and increased aches and
pains.
So these symptoms of highcortisol are very, very similar
to the symptoms of perimenopause.
So that's quite interesting tome.
And so now that we kind of knowthat our cortisol levels are
(04:33):
interrupted, I guess, byperimenopause elevated actually,
if we're more specific and thatthat can cause symptoms, that
really gives you an insight intowhy stress management is so
important.
It's one of the key things thatI've been banging on for years
(04:53):
on the podcast, and I wanted tokind of list a few habits that
also can interfere with cortisol, and you'll kind of recognize
that many of these habits happenwhen we're feeling stressed.
So one is having lots of coffee, relying on caffeine a bit too
(05:17):
much, needing coffee to getgoing in the morning, maybe
having an afternoon lattebecause you're just struggling
to get through that afternoon,and some people even having
coffee at night.
And often when I ask peopleabout coffee and I say, oh, you
know how many copies a day, andthey might say, you know two
flat whites, and I'm like, okay,are they double shots?
(05:38):
And often the answer is yes.
So really understanding what isin your coffee, for a start,
and making sure you know whetheryou're having a double or a
single, because sometimes that'snot quite clear, but also
looking at do I actually needthis to function or is it just
something that I enjoy?
Because if it's something thatyou actually really need to get
(06:00):
your brain going, to get yourenergy going, so that you can
get through your afternoon orget through your morning, then
there's some underlying thingsthat need to be addressed.
I'm not saying you have to giveup your coffee, but we want to
make sure that you're actuallyyour body's able to function
properly and you're not relyingon coffee for it to function,
and the thing is it can add toyour stress, so in terms of your
(06:23):
cortisol level.
So this is really important.
So other things that can kind ofincrease stress and also be
used as a perceived stressrelief is late night binging on
the streamers.
You know, if you're staying upbinging your favorite shows and
staying up late, it might feelgood at the time, but it's also
(06:45):
increasing your stress levelsdue to the lack of sleep and the
blue light exposure If you'rewatching it, particularly on an
iPad or your phone.
Remember, a good night's sleepis important for managing stress
.
So trying to get to bed byaround 9, 9.30 is kind of ideal
(07:05):
to make sure you're at leastplanning to get between seven
and eight hours of sleep and sothat you are not getting really
overtired.
Another thing that can be astress sort of management or
perceived stress managementtechnique but actually can
increase stress is hitting thedrive-thru or the Uber Eats and
(07:28):
sugary snacks, and I know it'slike super tempting when you're
busy to get it to just gothrough the drive-thru to get
dinner, but it is a surefire wayto increase your stress levels,
increase your cortisol,increase inflammation, put on
weight, all of the things, andyour body will benefit way more
(07:49):
from real nutritious foodinstead.
And that's a really easy one toovercome because it just comes
down to, when you cook, justcook twice the amount, freeze,
so you've always got nutritiousmeals in the fridge.
Another little habit is the olddoom scroll, which I think we're
(08:10):
all guilty of, probablyspending too much time scrolling
through social media.
For me, it's getting into thevideos and the reels and just
video after video after video,and of course that algorithm
knows you so well, knows, withan expert level, how to keep you
on that app.
You really have to cut througheither prevent yourself from
(08:34):
looking at it in the first place, if you know that's a weakness
for you, or really limit yourtime, maybe even pop an alarm on
your phone so that you knowwhen you've been looking for,
say, 10 minutes, five minutes,whatever it is, so that you make
yourself stop, because you canget this unnecessary stress from
comparisons.
For a start.
That's just the tip of theiceberg, really, but also it's
(08:57):
just dead time.
You may feel like it's relaxing, but I think under the surface
for many of us it is actually alittle stressful.
So try taking a break from yourphone and enjoy the calming
aspects of real life.
I know for me, I tend to, atsix o'clock, my phone goes in
another room and I stay wellaway from it and very
(09:19):
occasionally I start gettingback into a habit of looking at
it again and then I'm reallysuper strict.
I'm in a super strict phase atthe moment and it really means
that I'm enjoying watching thesunset and I'm enjoying, you
know, my food and I'm enjoyingspending time with family and
friends and things like that.
So I really encourage you toreally have a clean break from
(09:40):
your phone at a certain time ofday or evening rather, and
obviously phone calls are alittle different, but in terms
of being on the social feeds, itcan be pretty, pretty nasty for
the old stress and also,obviously, the blue light
interfering with your melatoninand your sleep.
(10:03):
Another bad habit is the lastminute everything.
So constantly dealing with lastminute deadlines can really
increase your stress levels.
Obviously, I don't think that'srocket science.
So getting organized by usingtools like planners, task
management apps, schedulingsoftware, can really help reduce
(10:23):
stress.
I find for myself, I usePomodoro technique during the
day so that I can really managemy time well, and Pomodoro
technique is where you focus ona task or a project for 25
minutes or 40, whatever time youreally want to make.
It Generally it's a 25 or a 45minute kind of block and then
you have five minutes off andthen you can get back into it,
(10:45):
and doing that really helps mefocus for that 25.
I tend to use a 25 minutereally helps me focus and like,
right, 25 minutes is that's whatI've got to do, and then have
the five minute break and thatreally helps me stay organized
rather than procrastinating,which is something that I used
to do without having any sort oftechnique and organization to
my day.
(11:06):
So trying to not to be lastminute with everything and maybe
trying not to take on too muchas well.
Another thing is toxicrelationships.
So spending time with negativeor toxic people can really
increase your stress levels.
Another one that's not rocketscience.
It might be helpful to evaluateyour social circle and focus on
(11:29):
relationships that bring youjoy, that bring you positivity,
and focus on relationships thatbring you joy, that bring you
positivity, and it can berelatively challenging sometimes
as an adult to expand the oldsocial circle.
That's something that last yearI really focused on and I got
involved in some Facebook groupswith some social clubs, kind of
(11:49):
locally, and that's really madelike an incredible difference
to my social circle.
So I totally recommend joininglike a local Facebook group
whether it's a hiking group or asocial group or whatever
because that can be that youwould be amazed at how many
women are looking to expandtheir social circle right now.
(12:09):
And maybe this is just aproduct of being in Queensland
with that post COVID migrationof many, many people from
Southern States.
Certainly, I'm meeting a lot ofpeople from a lot of women from
down South, but wherever youare, I'm sure you can find that
kind of way to meet new peoplewith a view to expanding that
(12:35):
social circle.
Right back on track with my list.
So skipping meals is anotherthing, because when you skip
meals, if you think, oh, I don'thave time to have lunch, for
example that's a really strongone I get from my clients I
don't have time for breakfast orI don't have time for lunch
Skipping meals can signal yourbody to increase stress hormones
(12:55):
.
So try eating balanced mealsregularly.
I you know me, I'm a bigproponent for three meals, no
snacks, and that will helpmaintain your hormonal balance
because you're getting thatinsulin and glucose management
in that five to six hours inbetween meals and that will
(13:17):
actually reduce your hungerhormones.
Final one on my list at themoment is sedentary lifestyle.
I'm sure there are many otherthings, but having a sedentary
lifestyle actually can increaseyour stress levels.
Try incorporating some physicalactivity into your day, like
even just going for a walk.
That can really help.
(13:37):
In fact, I think it's one ofthe best things you can do is go
for a walk, whether it's aroundyour neighborhood.
If you're lucky enough to livenear some sort of nature, like
the beach, or like national parkor state forest or even just
local parks where you've gotsome trees, that can be just so
good for helping manage stress.
(13:58):
I think we just we forget thatwe're animals.
We need to be around nature.
It is something that I think weneed on a cellular level every
day, some sort of contact withnature, and so, yeah, if you can
get out, have a walk.
Even better is if you can meeta friend or a family member,
(14:20):
because it improvesaccountability so that you
actually do do it on a regularbasis, and it's just nice to
connect with somebody and haveconversation.
So you know, I think this isprobably I'm just looking at all
of the notes that I've writtenon this today.
I think pretty much I'vecovered everything.
(14:44):
The main thing when it comes tocortisol and, you know,
maintaining a level that is sortof in our normal kind of range
is there's things like managingstress.
So we know that there arecertain things that help, that
deep breathing helps that a lot.
Mindfulness, meditation, yoga,that kind of stuff can really
(15:07):
help manage stress.
But anything that brings youjoy, anything that brings you
joy, will help to manage yourstress.
Also, really getting qualitysleep establishing a really
consistent sleep routine,ideally by going to bed and
rising at the same times eachday, really helps.
(15:29):
Even if you haven't slept well,it's better to actually get up
at your normal time rather thantry and sleep in.
That's what the research tellsus.
Moving the body, as I just wastalking about, that really helps
to reduce stress.
Regulate cortisol also regulateglucose.
(15:50):
Lots of whole foods in the diet,lots of fresh um fruits,
veggies, whole grains, nuts,seeds, all of those sorts of
things.
But also drinking lots of water.
Particularly filtered water, isreally nice because it tastes
better.
A lot of people say to me theydon't like drinking water
because of the way it tastes.
Filtered water helps get someof those chemicals out.
(16:13):
I know I've been drinkingfiltered water for so long now
that even when I have a shower,I can really smell the chlorine.
And it depends where you liveas well as to how nice the water
tastes.
Definitely, where I live, onthe Gold Coast, the water's not
fantastic in terms of tasteRelaxation I've mentioned.
(16:33):
And also, you know, look at yourcaffeine use.
Look at you know, am I reallyrelying on caffeine multiple
times a day purely because myenergy levels are so poor?
So, really looking at, okay,how can I reduce that a little
or increase my energy?
And maybe you do need to reallylook at what's my diet like.
What am I actually having theright amount of protein, the
(16:55):
right amount of healthy fats?
Do you need some support withyour diet in terms of
professional having a look at it, looking at it in the context
of the stage of life that you'rein, looking at it in the
context of what you like to doin terms of your activity to
make sure you're getting enoughfood, that you're getting the
right macro balance and that thefoods are actually supporting
(17:18):
your hormones.
So I hope that has been helpful.
I'd love to hear from you Ifyou've got any feedback or have
any questions that you'd like meto explore on the pod.
You can message me at theperimenopause path remembering
there's a little dot between theand perimenopause and
perimenopause and path or youcan drop me an email hello at
(17:43):
suzygardencom.
Thanks so much for joining metoday on the Ageless and Awesome
podcast.
If you liked today's episode, Iwould love it if you could
write me a five-star review.
It makes me so happy.
Also, make sure you click thelittle plus button if you're on
Apple Podcasts, or the followbutton if you're on Spotify, so
that you can get each newepisode delivered to you every
(18:07):
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.
Now, this will only beavailable until the end of
January 2025.
So be quick.
If you'd like to continue thediscussion we've had today, head
over to Instagram and DM me, orfollow me at theperimenopause
(18:31):
Path.
There's a little dot betweeneach word just to make it a
little bit more complicated, butI would love to connect with
you over there.
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