There is Merit in Future-Proofing Your Body

Most women in the prime of their lives don’t put much thought into where they’ll be at in 20- or 30-years’ time, but hormonal health experts suggest there is merit in doing so.

The so-called ‘change of life’ women go through has become a hot button topic in the past few years, with Australian personalities like Alison Bray, Naomi Watts and Mia Freedman opening up about their hormonal health challenges.

This Menopause Awareness Month (October) former Olympian and Happy Healthy You co-founder Lisa Curry OAM and her team are encouraging women to prepare for the transition much earlier.

The payoff? An easier transition into perimenopause and menopause, and reduced symptom severity.

“Paying attention to our health and fitness is beneficial to us all no matter our age,” says Lisa, who has been open about her health journey in recent years.

“Eating a balanced diet can slow down weight gain while regular exercise strengthens muscles and bones which assists in optimal body composition.”

Lisa and her business partner, Naturopath Jeff Butterworth, and their team of wellbeing experts specialise in hormonal health.

“Every woman will have a unique experience with menopause. We suggest that a holistic approach is best and of course our opinion is that natural is preferred over pharmaceutical solutions, so why not choice natural first,” Lisa added.

“We’d like to encourage Australian women (and men) to change their perceptions. Menopause is not a disease, it’s a life process and needs to be understood.

“Everything you can do to improve your general health and wellbeing will result in a reduction of symptoms – that’s a win-win for the everyone in the family unit.”

Natural medicines can be used as tools to accelerate the transitional process and encourage the body to produce the necessary levels of hormones it needs for its wellbeing, and to avoid many of the symptoms commonly associated with menopause.

1. Consume a predominantly plant-based diet, avoiding sugar wherever you can and cut down on alcohol, and caffeine specifically.
2. Exercise regularly to reduce hot flushes and improve mood and sleep. Simple and fun things like dancing and walking in nature are pick-me-ups.
3. Focus on a healthy sleep routine — beauty sleep is real! If you sleep with a snorer, it’s OK to sleep in different rooms to get the quality sleep you need. No one will judge you for looking after yourself.
4. Implement stress management/release techniques regularly. When was the last time you took an hour just for yourself?
5. Use natural medicines wisely to support your body to transition and produce its own hormone production.

While the team at Happy Healthy You encourages prepping in advance, for those in the perimenopause, menopause or postmenopausal phases of their life it’s often a juggle between the natural route or Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

“Our suggestion is always to go natural first. Give it 60 days and if it doesn’t work then consider HRT as an option, the best result will always come from nourishing your body during this time.

“Our practitioners are online daily to guide and support you,” Lisa noted. “It’s never just one thing, sleep, exercise, living what you do and consuming nutrient dense food always helps with unhappy hormones.

“Ultimately, if you decide on HRT, we can still support you by having you supplement it with Happy Hormones, which will help guide your body through this phase. Without a natural supplement like this, you may find yourself struggling to come off HRT in years to come.”

Whether you’re in your 20s, 30s or closer to your 40s and 50s, Happy Healthy You offers a free online health assessment, it takes just a few minutes and could be a health game-changer.

Lisa and the wellbeing team also offer a full suite of free resources, from articles to recipes, access to clinicians and subscription opportunities.

For more details or a free 10-minute consultation with one of our practitioner’s head to happyhealthyyou.com.au, there’s something for everyone.