Spring is here and its time to re-set for the season. Like cleaning out our closet it’s time to re-visit our 4 Pillars of Women’s Health:
Stress Management, Life-Style modification/nutrition, Exercise/motion and of course Hormone balance.
Take inventory with the understanding that even small changes can make a huge difference as all 4 Pillars are connected and create the foundation of your health.
- Life-Style modification: Tweaking our lifestyle is an on-going event that continues to feed our ability to optimize our health. Its important to look from the outside in objectively. No self-judgement, no deprivation, just choices. Start my structuring your hydration. Meaning? Measure your water. Simply saying “I drink lots of water” has no qualification or accountability. It needs to be quantified. Is it 2 Litres or 3 Litres?
- Exercise: Lets make it simple. First of all, it has to “speak to you”, it can’t feel like a chore, and it doesn’t need to be an hour of cardio. At our age excessive exercise simply works against our metabolism. Start simple and build it out. Perhaps you can add in a 10-15 minute walk every second day at lunch or mid-afternoon when your energy tends to dip. Remember everyday may not be perfect, however every change is significant in working towards supporting your 4 pillars of health.
- Stress Management: Stress and the health of our environment is a big influencer on our well-being. It creates so many ebbs and waves in our ability to cope on a day-to-day basis. Stress can affect our clarity, perception of life circumstances and sleep patterns. Unfortunately, it will trickle its way into all aspects of our health, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. There is a strong tie between stress management and the pillar of Life-style modification. It’s always about understanding the science.
For example, stress eating links to our Cortisol and visa vera. Eliminating bad carbohydrates or lowering sugar can assist in balancing Cortisol. Simply put high sugar or for some women any sugar, spikes our Cortisol and can deplete our access to our tools of stress management. - Hormone Balance: As we age many women recognize that hormones or their underlying chemistry is influencing all 4 pillars. Simplicity starts by being accountable to
The other pillars of health recognizing that it will spill over to a small degree in positively influencing hormone balance. Don’t ignore your symptoms. Don’t accept it as part of aging. Don’t cross your fingers and hope these unwanted symptoms will disappear on their own. It just doesn’t work that way-listen to your inner voice. Take inventory by properly testing your hormones. Consider it the re-set your body is desperately craving.
Women are often overwhelmed by our responsibilities at work and home. Self-care is best framed as self-respect for ourselves and those in our immediate environment. Today is the day to invest in your self and take inventory!
For further information, text 416-884-8444
or e-mail kelly@avitaintegrativehealth.ca
