Are you worried about going through menopause? How can we go through this transition period in life with more ease, more grace, and more flow? Find out the lifestyle strategies that we can take with a certified health coach and functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner Maria Claps. You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode43 Topics Discussed in this Episode: Why our hormones decline after age 35 What we can do about the weight gain that comes on during menopause as well as all the menopausal symptoms that show up How we can thrive in menopause How exercise, adrenal health, liver detox and a nutrient-dense diet play really important roles in menopause Bioidentical hormone intervention How inflammation plays a role in menopause Key Takeaways: Perimenopause is the time that precedes menopause, and it’s different for every woman. There is no technical, medical description or even diagnosis for it, but it’s the time when women experience shifting periods. If your period starts coming regularly close together, like 21 days or less, that’s a cause for concern. You definitely need to visit your gynecologist just to rule out endometrial buildup at that point. Once your progesterone level drops, it’s never coming back. Menopause in and of itself is a state of chronic, low-level inflammation, and women can correct that with hormone therapy. For women who are drinking more than two glasses of wine a night, it increases their estrogen by 250%. Women in menopause need to get comfortable with lifting weights and with things like Pilates. Action Steps: Take your 40s seriously and make sure that you’re eating nutrient-dense food. Learn to get in touch with your own body and have some type of stress-relieving practice. You can’t live without cortisol, but make sure that it’s not too high or too low. Respect your body’s rhythms. Get some sun in the morning. Get adequate sleep. Eat nutrient-dense food. Don’t eat the same foods over and over again. Have an educated discussion with your physician about using birth control pills. Take the DUTCH Test. Support your immune system. Exercise and reduce your toxic load. Support your bile production. Find non-food ways to socialize and give yourself a boost. If you absolutely can’t get rid of your perfume, at least don’t spray it on your neck, spray it on your clothes instead.   Maria said: “Hormones don’t work if you’re eating bad food and you’re drinking way too much alcohol and you’re not sleeping, don’t bother doing hormones. It’s a whole package.” “Hormones don’t exist in a vacuum. They go into receptors… And if those receptors need nutrients and if you don’t have those nutrients and you have just a buildup of toxins in the body, then your hormones are not going to be able to appropriately connect with the receptors.”   Thanks for listening! Important Announcements: Catch the final days of registration for the 12-week Metabolic Reset Weight Loss Program! This is a high-fat, whole foods approach to really balancing your body. If you have thyroid or autoimmune issues or if you have 20, 30, 40-plus pounds to lose, or if you have PMS, diabetes, or PCOS, this is hands down the program that’s really going to help you address all those issues and start feeling vibrant and energized and truly living your best life! If you have any questions about it, don’t hesitate to email me or reach out to me over on Instagram, @holisticwellnessfoodie. If you haven’t yet left us a rating and a review, please do! They mean so much to us! Take a screenshot of your review and email it over to us, and get our FREE 3-Day Hormone Balancing Meal Plan.   Links to things we talk about in the show: DUTCH Test   Recommend Products: Oceans Alive Perfect Press Oils EASE Magnesium Rabbit Air   Where you can find Maria Claps: Maria’s Website Maria’s Facebook Maria’s Twitter (@coachclaps) Maria’s Instagram (@mariaclapshormonehealth)   Where you can find me: Samantha