First thing’s first, the menopause is not a medical condition, even though at times it feels like it, its a natural part of life. As we reach the menopausal years, our hormones ebb and flow even more, and this can leave us with those dreaded symptoms – hot flushes, weight gain, irritability, tearfulness, vaginal dryness, insomnia, night sweats, loss of bone mass, to name a few.

Our bodies need to adapt to the changes, to the new  ebb and flow, and in that we need to find and restore hormonal balance. During the menopause, our sex hormones reduce, and we lose that ability to keep the perfect trio of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone in balance – this can massively affect our wellbeing and cause the symptoms many women have to deal with.

Our hormones need a steady flow of nutrients to be kept in check, western diet can unfortunately let us down especially with all the refined sugary  ‘food like’ products on the market today. Whats the ideal diet? Though there is no one size fits all, we need to keep blood sugars balanced and stable, embrace rainbows of fruit and vegetables, drink plenty of filtered water and have a balance of complex carbs,  lean proteins, and good fats, such as avocado and oily fish, nut, seeds and olive oil. It’s these good fats that help to synthesise hormones, and they can reduce inflammation, too. Take a look at some recipes from my book The Balance Plan for some inspiration. 

On top of this, it’s important to look after you – rest, relaxation, meditation are all key in keeping our hormones in tip-top condition, and in preventing spike of cortisol (the stress hormone), which can lead to extra weight gain and further imbalance hormones.

It’s important to remember that although there are foods that are really beneficial and can help to alleviate symptoms, there is no ‘one food wonder’ that can do it all. Creating a lifestyle that incorporates these foods (and self-care techniques) consistently is how you will benefit and notice the changes in your symptoms the most.

Here are four tips you can start implementing today:

It is important to eliminate certain, inflammatory foods from the diet. After all, we are what we eat! Foods which spike our blood sugars and in turn increase insulin can exacerbate symptoms and lead to weight gain especially around the middle. Excess belly fat in turn leads to excess androgens and oestrogen which can further exacerbate symptoms ; these include pastries, cakes, white bread and white pasta. In fact, I advise steering clear of refined sugar wherever you can.

Certain plants contain phytoestrogens, these are not the same as the oestrogens found in the body but they have beneficial effects and can help to support our bodies during this tricky period. They bind to oestrogen receptors in the body and exert a balancing effect.  There are over 250 plants that have these phytoestrogens in so we are spoilt for choice, these foods include flax and sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, oats and soy (non-gmo organic). Top tip, try adding ground flaxseeds to smoothie, oats, salads and vegetables. Can help alleviate constipation too.

Good fats like omega 3 fatty acid is essential for all health and hormonal balance. Plus it works to reduce inflammation in the body.  Ensure you are getting in enough of this good fat in the form of oily fish, nut & seeds, flaxseeds, olive oil, egg yolk, algae and avocado. Top tip; have a breakfast of eggs, salmon, avocado and spinach with a tablespoon of ground flax sprinkled on top.

Eat your  greens, in this case our broccoli. If you have read of my book The Balance Plan, you will see that broccoli features in my hormone balancing meal plan and recipes – in fact its one of my ‘detox warriors’; foods I have identified as having a positive effect on liver health and hormone balancing and which I recommend you try and eat on a daily bases. Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse, not only high in vitamin C, K, calcium and folate which are essential for immune, stress, healthy bones & teeth and fertility. But it also high in fibre to help you keep you regular  and Indole-3-carbinol which helps convert excess oestrogen into a safer form to be excreted. In addition it contains glucoraphanin and an enzyme called myrosinase & when you chew they mix together to form sulforaphane which helps with oestrogen detoxification. Top tip, try some broccoli sprouts, they are great in salads and smoothies.

If you are affected particularly badly by the menopause, come and see me in clinic, or you are welcome to join the waiting list for my Hormone Balance School.

Consult your doctor or health care practitioner for any health problems, before embarking on any new health regimes, using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications or food programmes.

Blood Sugar Hormones Menopause

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If I had to say what the thing I am most proud of in my life is, it would definitely be giving birth to my daughter, Isabella. I am honoured to be her mum. You see, three years ago I started thinking it was never going to be possible. Why you ask? Well, I am a girl that knows a thing or two about hormonal upheaval! Not one to do things by half measures, I have PCOS, hypothyroidism, adenomyosis (aka uterine endometriosis) and have unfortunately experienced two miscarriages.

I was able to deal with all the hormonal ‘crazy’ but it was after my first miscarriage in 2014 that I really started to despair. My worst fear became a reality, I had been told that I may never be able to have children in the past and suddenly I thought (extremely rude word) they may be right as the promise of my baby had been ripped away. I am not alone, see this in my clinic as well, hundreds of women who feel that due to having PCOS their dream of birthing a child may never happen and they are destined to ride this hormonal storm day after day. Well, I am here to tell you it doesn’t have to be like this! Trust me I have been there- I know what it’s like to only menstruate a few times a year but have what feels like permanent PMS, I know what it’s like to not be able to shift that tummy fat or struggle to fall  pregnant and unfortunately I know what it’s like to miscarry twice but I also know what it feels like to start correcting these things, that hormonal evolution where your hormones start to balance, yes this is possible. So as this month is PCOS Awareness Month I want to reach out to any PCOS ladies in our health tribe (and please share this with all the PCOS ladies that you know) and say I am here to help, please do not to lose hope. Yes PCOS comes with a host of symptoms and issues but it can be beaten – my beautiful daughter Isabella is a testament to that!

When I was first diagnosed with PCOS I thought I was alone, I was lost and all the information available at the time was all doom and gloom (thanks, Dr. Google!) But I wasn’t alone- it is thought that 10-20% of women have PCOS but many still remain undiagnosed. I list some of the recurring symptoms of PCOS in my book The Balance Plan but think along the lines of missing periods, facial hair, belly fat and subfertility; it is important that if you recognise any of these to go and see your GP for further investigation and work with a registered nutritional therapist to correct the underlying imbalance. You may still need medication (and I don’t mean just taking the Pill to mask your symptoms) but I cannot stress how much of a big difference you can make with the right nourishment and lifestyle choices. In short, in order to start correcting the imbalances but you have to make the change to see the change. What’s my biggest tip when dealing with PCOS? Start balancing those blood sugar levels, have a look at my blog on  Finding blood sugar balance to get started today!

I know that at times the symptoms are all consuming and there feels like there is no way out, but you can get your hormones back into balance. In my PCOS program the aim is to naturally address the imbalances which are known to be associated with PCOS. You can find out more about my PCOS program here.

Therefore symptoms may be alleviated because the underlying cause has been addressed. As a sufferer myself it was of utmost importance to share what worked for me with as many ladies as possible so life becomes one of the possibilities, not restrictions!  It’s such a big subject and this was more about my journey with PCOS as opposed to the science – but I will say one thing, although the label is PCOS we are all biochemically individual and will have different symptoms. If anything my wish is that this has given you some hope, a new thought on how to deal with PCOS and for you to realise you are not alone. Let me know if you have any questions by popping them in the comment box, or using #askangelique on social media, join the tribe and let’s show PCOS who is the boss.

Think of me as your hormone’s best friend – those of you who are familiar with my personal story will know that I walked this path for many years. Want to do more about balancing your hormones? Follow my 28 day plan in my latest book The Balance Plan.

Nourishing well wishes,

Angelique

Consult your doctor or health care practitioner for any health problems, and before embarking on any new health regimes, using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications or food programmes.

female health hormonal health Hormonal imbalance Nutrition PCOS

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These date-free delicious protein balls are packed with fibre, protein and healthy fats to keep you full and satisfied and are ideal for stashing in your handbag for a healthy snack.

Remember, although refined-sugar free, this recipe contains dried apricots and all dried fruits are high in fructose so should be eaten in moderation. You guessed it, this recipe should feature in the 20% of 80/20!

Ingredients

Makes 12-15

50g (1 3/4) oz raw almonds
100g (3 1/2 oz) raw cashews
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
30g (1 oz) almond flour
30g (1 oz) unsweetened desiccated coconut, plus extra for rolling (optional)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla powder
90g (3 1/4 oz) dried unsweetened apricots, chopped

Method

1. Place the almonds and cashews in a large bowl. Cover them with hot water and leave to soak for 30 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
2. Put the soaked nuts into a blender or processor and process to a thick paste, scraping down the sides of the blender as you go.
3. Add the melted coconut oil to the blender and process until the mixture has a nut-butter-like texture.
4. Add the remaining ingredients, apart from the apricots, and process gently to combine. Then add the apricots and process just enough to mix them in.
5. Take one tablespoon of mixture for each ball, rolling it in your hands to make 12-15 balls. I find wetting my hands makes the balls easier to roll.
6. You can roll the balls in extra desiccated coconut, if you like.
7. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Looking for more recipes? We are always busy developing new recipes so Join my Health Tribe to make sure you’re the first to hear all about them!

I wish you good health!

Consult your doctor or health care practitioner regarding any health problems, before embarking on any new health regimes, using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications or food programmes.

Healthy Snack the balance plan

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