Angie Garton | Finding Yourself In Menopause

Ten best things about menopause

by Angie Garton | Aug 22, 2023 | menopause, peri-menopause

The 10 best things about menopause

Yes really.

Menopause has for too long been characterised by the words ‘loss’ and ‘decline’.

I want to push the pendulum the other way, to point out what you can gain – in a great way – from going through menopause*

*results may vary.

Of course, we all go through our own individual experience.

With this blog, I’m intending to highlight what can go really well for us when we’re acting on our needs – physically, mentally, spiritually.

I’m writing this from some personal experience (currently at peri menopause) but mostly from the hundreds of conversations I’ve had with clients.

1.) You become your own Wise Woman, the Elder. Nobody can dispute the wisdom and life experience you’ve gained.

2.) More fire in your belly on what really matters to you and what you’re willing to let slide (or not slide) – no more nonsense, lots more fortitude!

3.) You can ditch the patriarchal driven values that say our usefulness to the world is attached to youth and an ability to bear children. At menopause, we can have unequivocal say over our own worth, and we express it however we choose.

4.) You know who you are, what you need, what you want and what you’re capable of. It’s driven by curiosity rather than a need to please or fulfill the requirements of others.

5.) Stronger friendships and sisterhoods, as you find the people who really get you, and who you really want to be around.

6.) For those that require contraceptives to prevent pregnancy, you can look forward to ditching them! (please still practise safe-sex though)

7.) Plants. You gain loads more house plants. A near obsession with house plants (or is that just me?!)

8.) You end up adapting and amending your boundaries to reflect who you are, now. Physical, emotional, mental boundaries. It’s easier to say ‘no’ or ‘let me get back to you’ – far easier than ever before!

9.) You gain even more self respect, as you review who you’ve been and all that you’ve been through. Along with thousands of moments to practise self compassion and kindness.

10.) Freedom from periods, and period products, the dreaded leaking and the worry that comes with perching on a pale coloured sofa.

What would you add?

If you’re reading this and feeling annoyed, pissed off or wondering why you’re missing out – get in touch.

I’d love to send you some further support and guidance – send me an email here and tell me what you need help with.

If you’ve not yet joined my online community – Finding Yourself In Menopause – then check out the link below.

We are available to all women who are seeking reassurance not just information.

Finding Yourself In Menopause

Do this instead of meditation

by Angie Garton | Jun 6, 2023 | menopause, peri-menopause

If you’re feeling stressed, anxious, generally not feeling great mentally or emotionally – what do you do, to shift it quickly?

[June 2023]

There’s a lot of advice out there in the world of health and wellness, as preventative strategies.

Things you could choose do to help take a side-step around anxiety, emotional rollercoasters, low moods, irritability.

For example.. eat for blood sugar regulation, do what you can to support sleep, engage in different types of meditation or mind-body activities that feel soothing.

HOWEVER…

What about IN THE MOMENT, when it all gets too much?

When you’re irritable and upset, anxious and overwhelmed?

When the freedom of being able to choose is hijacked by the primitive part of your brain, so you might feel really stuck…

What then?

I’m not going to suggest protein and fibre in those moments. Or meditation apps.

Or supplements that we know are supportive of brain health!

‘In the moment’, even if that lasts a few hours or a whole day,

you need a way to move through those low feelings.

Because I promise you, it will shift again.

How can you make that happen, so how you feel doesn’t derail your day?

When you’re starting to spiral within yourself, when it’s overwhelming and upsetting and you just feel lost in all those feelings that start to resemble despair…

There’s TWO things you need to do,

and it doesn’t matter which order you them but I do want you to do them as soon as you can.

1.) Tell someone how you’re feeling

Tell someone you trust will hear you, even if they don’t exactly relate or know what to do. Being there to listen IS helping.

I encourage my clients to write a post in our community. Or to send me a message.

Say it in three words or three hundred. Whatever you can.

It’s important you break the feeling of isolation.

2.) Move

Move your body, try to avoid staying still.

It could look like… going up and down the stairs a few times.

Or circling your shoulders whilst standing up.

Swaying from side to side, looking around the room as you twist your body.

Or 10 jumping jacks.

Or a walk with the dog, any dog lol, that starts slow and then gets a bit faster.

Or it could be lying on the floor, bringing knees to chest and back down again, stretching your arms overhead.

All the other helpful things, like what you eat, how you exercise, supplements, what you do for sleep etc

they’re all great, are still worth the effort and DO work.

(you know caffeine and sugar exacerbate stress, low moods and low energy, right?)

The helpful preventative strategies, the benefits of lifestyle choices are running in the background, and sometimes you need something now, in the moment.

It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you as such, and perhaps how you’re feeling is a reasonable response to other things happening,

but you do need to do something differently to move through it.

There’s no single ‘right answer’ for this, and the two things I’ve shared above have come from years of helping not only myself but hundreds of other women, too.

This is a topic we frequently revisit in the Finding Yourself In Menopause, online community.

If you’ve not yet joined my online community – Finding Yourself In Menopause – then check out the link below.

We are available to all women who are seeking support not just information.

Finding Yourself In Menopause

You don’t know, what you don’t know

by Angie Garton | Apr 21, 2023 | menopause, peri-menopause

There was a specific moment as a child, when I realised that not everyone lived like my family.

I know you’re just dying for me to say we lived in a tin hut up a mountain.

That would have been very cool, but untrue.

I was ten maybe eleven when my whole class travelled to the Lake District, to spend a week in an old farmhouse. A kind of outward-bound type of trip.

Picture a dusty dormitory of bunkbeds, ghosts hiding in every corner, a stream to play/fall in, surrounded by mountains begging to be explored.

A proper middle of nowhere place, absolutely idyllic, probably a nightmare for the teachers.

Definitely a nightmare for the bus driver, who couldn’t drive the whole way down the track.

And my idea of heaven. Home away from home. Not that we lived in a farmhouse, but I was brought up on mud pies, poprivets and bailing twine.

I took my own walking boots instead of having to wear some from the pool of borrowed gear, so, y’know, that gave me a boost of confidence and I felt like a pro.

At a time in life when I didn’t feel very confident about very much at all.

It didn’t phase me one bit that for the whole trip, it was absolutely bloody freezing.

A lot of my friends complained of the cold and the fact that there was no central heating.

And that right there was the moment.

Central heating?

I didn’t really know what they meant by that.

At our house, every day when we came home from school, mum would ‘set the fire’ and then light it. Sometimes a helping hand with some old oil from the garage.

And of course the Rayburn stove was going for most of the year, too. That wasn’t so unusal for where I lived, in a rural community.

So, I just assumed everyone else was the same as us.

You just don’t know, what you don’t know.

Until you do know. And then it’s like.. whaat? why didn’t I know this before?!

I hear those words fairly regularly, from the women I help. Not because of childhood memories. Because of midlife and menopause.

You don’t know, what you don’t know.

In my experience, it’s definitely worth assuming that there’s always something more to learn, to understand.

Some of the most dangerous (as in, holding you back) words sound like “I already know that”.

I’ve heard a small handful clients say that, over the last seven years.

Sadly, it held them back. They weren’t as open to hearing different perspectives, and I really can’t do that bit for you.

Curiosity on the other hand, that can really take you somewhere.

If you’re curious, and want to find out more, get in touch with the link below. I’d love to hear from you.

Contact Angie here

April 2023

“I just want to feel like the old me”

by Angie Garton | Aug 17, 2021 | Uncategorized

(August 2021)

It’s one of the most common phrases I hear;
“I just want to feel like the old me again”

Some women tell me they feel lost, drifting
Many more women tell me they feel tired.
Physically and mentally ‘tired in my bones’ and also ‘tired of’ doing all the things,
So yeah, no wonder you want to go back to how things were.

Now, I know you value honesty and you’re willing to face facts, especially when there is guidance involved and not just cold reality.
If you’ve heard yourself saying ‘I just want to feel like the old me again’, and you’re also ready for my advice, then here it is…

Hormones have an influence on so many of the internal processes in your body/mind, I know you know that.
With hormonal shifts affecting neurotransmitters in the brain, and those shifts feeling unpredictable, of course you want to go back.

Most women tell me they ‘just know’ things are different inside, because they feel it.

Thing is, trying to be the person you were, do the things you did in the way you did in your 30’s and early 40’s, without any respect for the shifts and changed going on inside? -it would literally be like swimming against the tide.
Doesn’t mean you can’t feel better, though. A lot better.

I’m certainly not advocating ‘getting old before your time’.
I am definitely encouraging you to honour the changes that are happening now, and will continue to happen.

There will always be change, in life and in your body.

I see these peri menopause years as a direct invite from Mother Gaia, to readjust, revise, reconsider what’s going on for you and why.
Allow her that invite, really look at it, consider what it could provide you with rather than what might be taken away.
Confidence, intuition, motivation, truly loving yourself,
It’s all there for the taking, when you know how.

Hey, I know it sounds a bit fanciful, but of all the women I’ve helped over the years, it’s the ones who are able to make these course corrections and adjustments
(to what they’re doing, to who they’re being),
the ones who start to take a deeper view of how to respect this time for themselves,
they’re the ones who tell me how much better they feel.
They’re the ones I get messages from, to tell me how things are so much different for them now.
Not because they feel exactly the same as they used to, but because they’ve decided who they want to be.

Feeling better and more yourself is about allowing the change, not battling against it.
It’s about understanding what’s happening and knowing what you can do.
Don’t underestimate the confidence that can come from knowing you’re on the right path, in all ways. Personally, physically, mentally, nutritionally, spiritually.
How you feel, it’s not just about the hormones.

We used to call it ‘the change’ here in the UK, and whilst I prefer to give ourselves the correct terminology, the concept is still true.
It is a time of change, of course it is.
But all too often, it’s talked about in terms of unruly, unmanageable change.
Yeah, there is some of that involved but also, let’s not downplay the changes we can make ourselves.

In a body (and a life) that is constantly changing, feeling more ‘you’, isn’t necessarily about going back to how things were.
Rarely will anyone hold the same beliefs, values, goals and dreams their entire life.
You change, you upgrade.
You’ve changed, you see, in so many ways.

I know these current changes you’re going through aren’t all desirable or of your own choosing, but they do provide an opportunity.
To get really super clear on what’s important to you.
And oh my, what a platform on which to dive off, to live the next chapter of your life.

Honour this by serving yourself a huge slice of well deserved self-compassion.
And then by slowly and steadily making some decisions about your current direction – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.
What’s right for you – now, at this time?
(we’ve been looking at this in more detail over in my membership group, get in touch if you want the details).

I know you just want to feel normal, more like you again.

If you’ve had enough of trying to make sense of it all on your own, get in touch.
Let’s take it step by step, together.

The Big Three: The smart approach to alleviating menopause symptoms

by Angie Garton | Apr 30, 2021 | menopause, peri-menopause

The thing with alleviating menopause symptoms, is that treating each problem as a separate issue, isn’t going to work very well.
It could be hot sweats, weight gain, disturbed sleep, low energy, or many others I could mention.Trying to alleviate each symptom as they arise, can become a frustrating battle with yourself.

Way back in the early days of my menopause coaching, I was taught the ‘systems over symptoms’ approach by the remarkable Jessica Drummond in the US. This, combined with the knowledge I’d already gained from Burrell Education on their ‘peri to post menopause programme’ for health practitioners, both transformed the conversations and the experiences I was having with my clients.

I want to show you how you can harness this essential information and apply it, for yourself.

There are three essential elements for hormonal balance:

Liver health
Brain and Adrenal gland health
Blood sugar management

What does this even mean?

In a nutshell, it means supporting the body systems which have the strongest effect on what the hormones are doing.

As the largest organ in your body, your liver is the ultimate multi-tasker. On its daily / nightly jobs list are several hundred essential functions. There’s a hormonal clean-up operation on that list which would be greatly beneficial in terms of how your menopause symptoms are making you feel.

The adrenal glands do what they say on the tin, release adrenaline (adrenal-ine) when you need to react quickly. But – there’s a bit more to it that is really worth understanding, because these teeny glands have a huge role to play in how you feel in any given moment.

Optimal blood sugar management isn’t just for diabetics, oh no. Getting this bit nailed, can be make or break for everything from weight gain to anxiety and sleep.

I’ve been talking about these three things since about 2016. It’s easy to overlook them because the reality is, the practical application of this triad doesn’t sound quite as convincing or as sciencey (as someone with a BSc and MSc I’m reckon I can say sciencey is a real word).

For example, ‘eat lots of vegetables, drink water, be sure to poo often, take time off to do fun things that light you up, have a regular bedtime routine’
See what I mean?
It doesn’t sound as appealing as my triad on first glance, above.

So why do those three things underpin ALL my advice?

Liver Health

The liver is the main centre for oestrogen balance.
Get this bit ‘right’ and you can reduce your symptoms dramatically. Particularly oestrogen dominance issues like weight gain, sore breasts, PMT, reduced libido, irritability, disturbed sleep.

The majority of the processes for making and clearing away oestrogen (oestradial, for most of your life) happens in the liver.
Remember though, it’s not the liver’s only job.

Your body is so clever (hell bent on survival) that if you’re inadvertently giving your liver extra clearing up jobs to do (e.g. excessive sugar, alcohol), or you’re not getting enough rest and downtime to allow the hormonal processes to occur, you’re already sabotaging the system.
The result is just as you’d guessed; increased severity of symptoms.

Adrenal Gland Health

You have two adrenal glands, one sitting on the top of each kidney. Think of walnuts and you’re not far off the size. Small things that pack a powerful punch.

Every time your brain decides you’re in a fight / flight / freeze situation (real or perceived), your adrenal glands get the message to release adrenaline, to help ‘keep you going’.
At this point, body resources including the jobs of the liver, are diverted towards survival.

Hormonal balance is shifted away from ‘thrive’ and menopause symptoms are more likely to occur here.
Once the situation calms down, adrenaline dissipates and all is well again.

Think of an exciting rollercoaster ride or running for the train. Your body is designed to cope well with this short, sharp stress (or not, depending on how much you hate rollercoasters haha).

This is fine, until the source of fight / flight / freeze becomes more than a temporary event. When it’s a continual occurrence e.g. stress at work, unresolved problems at home, continual alerts on your phone, no time for you to relax… it becomes a cortisol issue AND a menopause issue.

The more we ask the adrenal glands to release cortisol (I use the word ‘ask’ with some sarcasm), the more the body pours its hormone building and balancing resources into making stress hormones.
Chronic cortisol competes with the calming and sleep promoting progesterone. It can feel like a jittery anxiousness and tiredness, at the same time.

This is the reasoning behind my advice around taking proper time off, winding down in the evenings with a short bedtime routine, sprinkling some self-care through the day, giving yourself five minutes to breath slowly and deeply, not relying on caffeine and sugary carbs to get through the day.

The other reason for taking care of your adrenal glands, is that they produce the DHEA hormone which is a precursor to oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
Once the ovaries retire, this becomes even more important. Well worth looking after that little hormone factory.

Blood sugar management

Nope, not diabetes. Same hormones though.
As we get older (not just related to menopause), you become less sensitive to insulin – the hormone which has a key role to play in managing the amount of sugar (or teeny tiny carbs, as they’ve been broken down into teeny tiny molecules).

This means, you naturally need more insulin to get the same response in the body. That’s ok, your body can work with that, it’s normal.
But if you keep promoting the release of insulin beyond the normal and expected (snack between meals, fruit at every meal etc), it will lead to an increased tendency for anxiety, tiredness, weight gain, potentially sleep issues and hot sweats too.

If you’ve followed me for more than five minutes you’ll know my love of saying ‘protein and natural fats at every meal’. Well, this is a large part of the reasoning behind that advice.

Keeping blood sugar levels stable can mean a few changes in daily habits, but it really is worth it for the pay-off can be weight loss, improved moods, better sleep, improved focus and concentration, reduced hot flushes.

As with any cool sounding triad (the great pyramids, the fire triangle, the three bears.. any more, anyone??), each side relies on each other. It’s a dependent relationship. Taking action on one side, helps the others, doing something for all three, and you’re starting to feel better.

Once the three sides are in place, even if in a small way, we can start to make progress with the fun stuff – to find ‘you’ again.

As always, you choose where you start.
I’ll encourage you from this page, or get in touch and I can help you a little more closely to speed up the process of feeling back to normal.

April 2021

« Older Entries

Next Entries »