Thread by @sarasheridan

So Menopause adventures: A THREAD👇of things that have worked for me. It's a personal journey but here's what I did. 1st, when I started researching most of what I read was way too subjective so I decided I needed measureables. Tip 1: take your base temperature every day. /1

If you have an iphone the health app will let you track it. I discovered my temperature was on the low side. 37 is normal. Days I woke with a 35 were bad days. Days that started 36 were better. And yes, there are ways to bring your temperature up. Among the most effective ... /2

eating protein & carbs together every 4 hrs, eating breakfast when I got up & having dark hot choc before bed. Hot flushes: These happened separately - but keeping my basal temp at 37 ie improving my metabolism helped balance the hormones that gave me hot flushes. No question/3

Once I had enough base temp data & it was pretty balanced I cd measure what made it worse. For me, caffeine is good (1or2 coffees a day) & alcohol is a nono. Most baked goods lower my basal temp the next day. This is not good news - just information. This is how it is for me. /4

Having a scoop of collagen a day has definitely kept my skin plump, my hair thick etc. It's the only supplement that's positive. Next I experimented w/ brain fog. Excellent news: best fix for brain fog is sugar. 😂 My body reacts the same to sugar, fruit, maple syrup & honey. /5

It also helps boost temperature. But it's best w/out additives so not cake (baked goods, remember?) I use fudge & icecream tho. Also fruit. I don't have brain fog any more. Oh and always with protein. My favie: milky coffee with fudge or table. Can add scoop of collagen. Winner.

What I've noticed is that small changes made consistently are best. Now I'm eating raw carrot every day, which I've read helps regulate oestrogen. I've been oestrogen high all my life, so it's a revelation. As well as temp, I monitor my resting pulse (bpm) every day. /6

75-95 is good. Mostly I fall in that range. Lower/higher and it's a bad day. Extreme things just don't work - it's about holding steady so next bit of good news. Flogging myself with cardio brought the temp down. I walk, do pilates and lift a few weights. No running any more. /7

I was a long time runner. It was difficult to stop. But my body is honestly thanking me - for a while it felt as if I was at war with my biochemistry. But there's a reason it's called the change. You have to. Understanding the messages my body is sending has really helped. /8

Having measureables means I have a baseline. At the moment I'm lowering my polyunsaturated fat intake & I think that's positive (still collecting data). Turns out my granny had the right idea - soups, stews, some tablet and fruit and take it easy. I have put on weight btw. /9

That wrecked me at the start. I've always been an 8-10. What this has taught me is feeling well is more important than the size of my waist. I'm eating more but I'm eating healthily for me. I can measure that. My aim is to get my diet right for my body(& eat as much as I can) /10

My granny wd be delighted. She believed in steady home-cooked food w/ no additives & that's what's turning out best. Tx for listening to my menopause tips. Hope they help you figure out what yr body is up to. Everyone is different. Good luck fellow hormonal sisters! xx

Since someone asked: meals incl Beef sausage w/ mash. Homemade chicken soup w/ rice noodles. Stewed beef cheeks w/ root veg. Rice tagliatelle bolognaise. Cullen skink. Baked potato with tuna &cheese. Omelettes. Fruit/ juice w/ that. Also mebbe icecream. I mean, it's ok.

Snacks include white coffee with fudge, icecream (keeps coming up), dates with cheese, fruit and Greek yoghurt, dark hot choc, orange juice with some collagen stirred in (I like a wee bit of salt in this). Good luck.

Also: symptoms I had that I don't have any more. Cold nose, hands & feet. Bloating. Crying/raging at practically nothing. Poor sleep. Worried all the time. Brain fog. Stray hairs.
Any of this familiar?
I still have some indigestion/heartburn/nausea but I am working on it...

I also have a slightly compromised immune system. It's been a tough year cos of #LongCovid and I think it's going to take time to ascertain whether this is helping with my high white cell count etc. But will keep you posted. x