Perimenopause – Your Questions Answered

Perimenopause – Your Questions Answered

 

Perimenopause is a different experience for each of us, yet there are several common themes and questions.

Fortunately, nutrition and lifestyle medicine can be a big help at this time of transition.

From hot flushes and anxiety to low mood and vaginal dryness, making changes to what we eat and how we live can make a powerful difference during perimenopause.

This blog answers some common perimenopause questions, and you can find out more in my new book ‘Natural Nutrition for Perimenopause – What to eat to feel good and stay sane’ available from Amazon, YPD Books, Waterstones online, and Tullivers in York.

 

Natural Nutrition for Perimenopause - What to eat to feel good and stay sane book cover by Sally Duffin Perimenopause Nutritionist

Heavy Periods

Q. My periods are getting heavier and I’m starting to experience a lot more irritability and anxiety. I’ve just turned 41 – could this be perimenopause?

A. Yes. Some of the first signs of perimenopause are changes to moods, period frequency, and/or period flow. These can start happening in your mid to late 30s. However, many women don’t notice this if they’re taking the Pill or using hormonal implants.
Fluctuating oestrogen levels affect our brain just as much as the ovaries and womb lining. There are oestrogen receptors throughout the brain, and each area responds differently to changes in oestrogen levels. For example, if the amygdala doesn’t receive enough oestrogen we can feel more anxious and fearful. If the hypothalamus (our central temperature regulator) is affected we can experience hot flushes.

Try keeping track of your symptoms to see if they fit into any kind of monthly pattern. To help manage the anxiety. follow the tips below in the Q&A for Anxiety & Low Mood.

Heavy periods can increase your iron loss, so be mindful of regularly including iron-rich foods throughout your cycle:

– Haem iron (animal source) is the most bioavailable form for us to absorb and use, and is found in red meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.
– Non-haem iron is found in animal foods too, and also in vegetables – especially dark green leafy veg; pulses, dried fruits, nuts, wholegrains, and Blackstrap molasses. Combine vitamin C rich foods with non-haem iron sources to aid absorption.

Q. My periods are incredibly painful and heavy and I don’t want to take the Pill or have a coil fitted. Do I have to put up with this until after menopause?

A. Symptoms like this can be a sign of fibroids or endometriosis. Both conditions are influenced by oestrogen and hormone fluctuations. During the early stages of perimenopause we can be in a temporary state of oestrogen dominance. Because we stop ovulating every month, there’s very little progesterone produced to counter-balance oestrogen. Unfortunately it can take months, even years, for fibroids or endometriosis to be diagnosed as many doctors fail to recognise how serious the symptoms are. Ask for a referral to a gynaecologist who will be able to offer the right support and testing. It will also be helpful to get your iron levels checked to make sure the heavy periods aren’t depleting your iron stores.

Hot flushes

Q. Hot flushes are keeping me awake every night. I’m feeling exhausted all day, and having difficulty concentrating at work. What can I do?

A. Hot flushes are one of the most distressing perimenopausal symptoms. I can’t promise these tips will get rid of them completely but they can certainly reduce the severity and frequency:

– Minimise caffeine as much as possible. Avoid it altogether if you can! This means tea, coffee, energy drinks, and chocolate. And decaff versions too – sensitive people can react to the trace amounts of caffeine left in decaffeinated drinks.

– Keep your blood sugar levels balanced by eating within 2 hours of waking, replacing refined carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, cakes, sweets, biscuits etc) with smaller portions of wholegrain versions, and only snacking if there’s a gap of more than 5hrs between meals.

– Try drinking sage tea or taking sage tablets or tincture. The A.Vogel ‘Menosan’ tablets and tincture are a licensed herbal remedy for managing hot flushes and sweats and can help with temperature regulation.

– Relax! Stress is a big trigger for hot flushes. We can’t always make stress go away but we can change how we respond to it. We can do this by building daily downtime into our schedules. This might mean going for a mindful walk, listening to music, following a guided meditation, doing crafts or creative writing, or simply soaking in a bath with essential oils. Mindful relaxation (as opposed to flopping in front of Netflix) is a great way to build our resilience to stress.

Anxiety & low mood

Q. Since starting perimenopause my moods have been really low. I feel anxious and depressed a lot of the time. I’m also really tired. Is this normal?

A. Mood swings and anxiety can be symptoms of perimenopause, but they can also be linked to other conditions. Have you had your thyroid checked? Depression and fatigue can be signs of an underactive thyroid. Many women start to experience thyroid issues around the time of menopause so it’s worth getting your thyroid hormome levels checked with your GP. Ask them to check your levels of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), T4 and T3 (thyroid hormones) and thyroid antibodies. The thyroid antibodies are important because an underactive thyroid may be due to auto-immunity.

If your thyroid is OK, look at ways to manage the anxiety and depression and low energy:

– Follow the blood sugar balancing tips (see previous Q&A) as poor blood sugar balance can worsen mood swings.

– Include at least 3 servings each day of foods rich in magnesium and B-vitamins such as avocado, sweet potato, nuts, seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, poultry, and eggs. These nutrients are vital for mood balance and energy levels.

– Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Our brains need 7-9hrs each night, with at least 1 hr of that before midnight. Aim to be in bed by 10.30pm-11pm to give yourself the opportunity for a good rest.

– Include mindful relaxation time each day. Yoga, journalling, mediation, spending time outdoors in natural surroundings, and crafts are all known to be beneficial for managing depression and anxiety.

– Swap regular tea and coffee for herbal teas that soothe and support the nervous system. Lemon balm, chamomile, oat straw, valerian, and lavendar are good options.

Phytoestrogens

Q. I’ve been told to eat phytoestrogens. What are they and where can I find them?

A. Phytoestrogens (phyto = plant) are naturally occurring substances found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. They have a similar effect to human oestrogen, but are hundreds and hundreds of times weaker. They’re not a hormone replacement therapy by any means.  Instead, they have a modulating effect on our fluctuating oestrogen levels and may help reduce hot flushes and offer protection to our bones.

There are 3 types of phytoestrogens. The top food sources include:

  • Isoflavones found mainly in soybeans (edamame) and fermented soy products like tofu and miso. You can also find them in chickpeas, aduki beans, kidney beans, and red clover. Red clover seeds can be sprouted – try sprouting them alongside mung beans and alfalfa seeds.
  • Lignans flax seed is by far the richest source, followed by sesame seeds, broccoli, and cashew nuts.
  • Coumestans found in mung bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts.

Q. Is soy safe to eat? I’ve read so many conflicting things about it!

A. Soy foods certainly are a controversial subject! Unfortunately a lot of the research done on soy uses raw soy extract – not the natural wholefoods recommended for perimenopausal women. The soy foods suggested for perimenopause are the fermented soy products like tofu and miso, and whole cooked soy beans. These foods are part of the traditional diet in Far Eastern countries where women have far fewer menopausal issues. Having said that, no food is entirely suitable for everyone, and some people find soy difficult to digest. If you have any concerns about soy, give yourself peace of mind and enjoy other phytoestrogen foods instead.

Meet the Practitioner – Kerry Taylor, Menopause Coach

Meet the Practitioner – Kerry Taylor, Menopause Coach

Today I’m talking to Kerry Taylor, Menopause Coach.

Kerry works with large organisations and private 1-1 clients to offer support on all aspects of the menopause transition.

Based in a beautiful part of the world – south west France – Kerry has a global reach with her online business.

Kerry Taylor, Menopause Coach

SD Hi Kerry, thank you for joining me today. Can you start by sharing a little about your background and how you came to be a Menopause Coach?

KT Hi Sally, of course. So, I qualified as a nurse originally, 18/19 years ago. Then about 10-12 years ago I worked on a joint project between the NHS and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) helping people with long term health conditions to get back into work. 

After that project ended, I began to work freelance in workplace health and occupational health with people who had long-term mental health conditions. 

I worked with lots of different organisations and employment sectors and noticed a lot of referrals from women in their 40s and 50s.  These women were suddenly experiencing symptoms like anxiety, depression, loss of concentration, poor memory – to the point where they thought they might have dementia.

None of this was being picked up as menopause, and this really piqued my interest. I thought there’s a lot of this going on and there’s not a lot of support being given. 

What these women needed was a lot of practical advice on how they can manage their symptoms, how they can maintain their attendance at work. So, I did additional training with the British Menopause Society and transitioned into doing menopause coaching.

Two women at work, chatting

Fantastic, it sounds like each stepping stone of your career has led you to this point!  Who do you currently work with?

KT I work with a large organisation on their occupational health, and with women in 1-1 sessions.  I ran a session with a client’s husband recently.  Their relationship was really struggling, and she wanted him to hear from someone else about what’s going on for her and how he can help.  He found it really helpful and has become a lot more understanding and empathetic, even to the point of knowing when to walk away and give her some space!

SD Getting the partner onboard is so important, isn’t it.  Often the husband or partner is struggling because the woman is so overwhelmed and can’t communicate what she needs.  Once they know what’s happening, they feel more able to offer support.

What is the situation like in France regarding public perception of menopause and how it is managed by healthcare professionals?

KT France is slightly lagging behind in terms of accessing up to date research on HRT (hormone replacement therapy). But the main difference is that if you visit a doctor here, they will do a full raft of investigations right away because they recognize that early intervention prevents problems further down the line. 

They are big on complementary therapies and natural remedies here.  If I go to my doctor and say I’m experiencing brain fog and other symptoms and I think it’s menopause she will immediately send me for a mammogram, a smear test, and a gynaecologist referral.  And that will all be done within 2-3 weeks.

But the gynaecologist will first say they are going to prescribe herbal remedies and skin creams and so on before thinking about synthetic medications like HRT.  Which is fine, but in some cases, HRT is the best approach and yet you must go through everything else first to get there.

SD Wow, this is such a contrast to the UK system.  Women here are struggling to get a telephone appointment with a GP and if you do manage to get one, the treatment approach is usually HRT or nothing! Even once you have a HRT prescription, there’s no guarantee the pharmacy will have any!

SD Can you explain a bit about what sort of workplace support is available to women, and how they can access it?

KT Sure.  So, this obviously varies between organisations and what resources they have available, but generally speaking employers are keen to offer support. 

I always start by advising women to look through the company policies on staff wellbeing and read them through the lens of menopause.  For example, it’s easy to think that a policy on stress management doesn’t apply to menopause but stress makes menopausal symptoms worse. 

Once you’ve identified some relevant policies approach your manager and start the conversation about getting help and support. 

The kind of support companies offer varies but it might include:

  • A specific menopause policy
  • Stress management and/or staff wellbeing policy
  • Employee Assistance Programme that might cover counselling, CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), or seeing a physiotherapist
Woman talking on the phone

Hot flushes are one of the most disturbing symptoms for women.  In terms of specific practical support, women can ask to be seated near a window and have a desk fan if it’s an office situation and have access to cold drinking water facilities.

Uniforms can be problematic for hot flushes.  If the uniform is provided ask about size and fabric options.  Some women find the maternity size most comfortable because of its loose fit and often lighter fabric.  This is really helpful when bloating is a problem too.  If there isn’t a maternity option, ask about having the uniform in 2 different sizes.

Working from home may be an option for some women. This can help with managing symptoms of brain fog and anxiety.  It removes all the distraction and demands of an office.

SD Fantastic advice there, thank you.  Lots of practical tips for women to try.

Finally, if you could share one golden nugget of advice for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause, what would it be?

KT When I see women who are overwhelmed and being hard on themselves about how they are struggling to cope I always say, “what would you say to your best friend if they’d just come to you and told you all this?” 9 times out of 10 they come back with a much kinder response!

It’s so important to be kind to yourself, to recognize the need for help and don’t assume you can power through on your own.  If it all feels like too much, do a brain dump of all your symptoms and worries on paper and then work out the main barriers and challenges.  Break them down into manageable chunks and go from there.

SD Small steps, that’s the best way forward.  Thank you so much Kerry, it has been a joy speaking with you.

Find out more about Kerry’s work and connect with her at:

www.kerry-taylor.com

Instagram @kerrytaylormenopausecoach

Facebook Kerry Taylor Menopause Coach

Kerry Taylor, Menopause Coach
picture of my hand holding a copy of Natural Nutrition for Perimenopause

_________________________________________________

Order your copy today!

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York Publishing Services

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“Reading this book has helped me understand how my diet (and lifestyle) can support my body through perimenopause. And it’s written beautifully too.” – Amazon reviewer

 

5 Simple Ways to Feed Yourself with Kindness & Care

5 Simple Ways to Feed Yourself with Kindness & Care

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

What springs to mind when you think about self care?
Eating a delicious meal?  A relaxing yoga session?  Enjoying a massage or spa treatment?
Do you even think about self-care at all?

Finding time to look after ourselves can be hard, especially when other people depend upon our time and attention.  Yet we all have at least three opportunities for self-kindness and care every day: breakfast, lunch, and evening meal.

Maybe you’ve fallen into the habit of skipping meals or eating hurriedly between meetings and appointments.  Perhaps you don’t even care what you eat, so long as you refuel and can make it through the day.

Such unkind eating habits do more than deplete your body of nutrients and are worth exploring to detect any underlying causes.

Being too tired to cook for example, is often a reason for missing meals, but this will of course perpetuate the situation and worsen fatigue.  Feeling overwhelmed and out of time is another possible reason.  Exhausted lady holding her headDepending on who organises your schedule, dealing with this may mean having an honest conversation with your boss, or creating space in your own diary to eat meals each day.

Skipping meals forces your body to produce more stress hormones to support the levels of glucose in your blood that keep your muscles and brain working.  A short burst of stress hormones is easily dealt with, but ongoing stimulation can contribute to some nasty health issues including high blood pressure and gaining fat around your middle.

Eating on the run and eating too quickly can trigger all kinds of digestive problems: from indigestion and bloating, to pain, cramps, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms.

Allowing yourself a few moments to pause, sit, and eat can make a huge difference! Learning (or re-learning) to chew food thoroughly can alleviate a lot of digestive discomfort, and even help with maintaining health weight balance.

To start a new simple habit of self-nourishment, kindness and care, try one or more of these 5 steps this week;

  1. Create time to sit and enjoy breakfast. This can be a small meal: a smoothie perhaps, or poached egg on sourdough toast.  Whatever it is, be sure to sit down and take ten minutes to chew thoroughly and enjoy your food.
  2. Prepare a large pan of soup and freeze in individual portions so you have ready-made lunches for the week ahead.
  3. Make a mug of your favourite herbal tea, sit somewhere peaceful for twenty minutes and savour the flavour.
  4. Buy a vegetable you’ve never cooked before and find a new recipe for it.
  5. Let the rainbow in by including 6 different colour fruits & vegetables each day. Choose 1 from each of these groups: red, orange, yellow, green, blue/purple, and white.

 

Feeling inspired?  Do share your thoughts in the comments below, or over in the Facebook group – we’d love to hear from you!
And you might also like to read;

Depression & Anxiety – What to Eat to Feel Good

Does Food Affect Your Mood? Find out with this FREE Food, Mood and Movement Tracker #1SmallStep

Get Organised with this FREE 7-Day Meal Planner! #1SmallStep

7 Energy Boosting Breakfasts – #1SmallStep

 

 

 

Depression & Anxiety – What to Eat to Feel Good

Depression & Anxiety – What to Eat to Feel Good

Depression and anxiety can hit any of us at any time.  When it does, taking time to prepare food and eat well can be incredibly difficult.
You can feel overwhelmed by life, paralysed by anxiety, and have little interest in cooking and eating.

The irony is that certain foods and nutrients can support mental wellbeing.  Feeding your brain with mood-balancing nutrients is an important step on the path to recovery.  The key to making these changes is to keep them practical and manageable.

Take small sustainable steps, one at a time.

Let’s look at some of the important nutrients that support mental wellbeing, and easy ways to incorporate them into your daily routine.

Go with your gut

As always, we need to start with digestion.  If you’re not breaking down your food properly and absorbing the nutrients it doesn’t matter how many fancy foods and supplements you take – none of them will work.

The trillions of bacteria living in our digestive system – also known Lady's hands on her tummy, digestionas our microbiome – are the subject of ongoing research.  Our gut and brain are communicating constantly via nerve pathways and chemical messengers, many of which are produced or influenced by friendly gut flora (probiotics).

Many of the research studies looking at probiotics and mood balance are small scale but the results are promising and it is now known that certain species, including Bifidobacteria which thrive in the colon, can positively affect mood.

Small Steps to Big Changes

– Nourish your microbiome by including fermented foods 3-4 times a week.  Try sauerkraut, kefir (dairy or coconut water), natural plain yoghurt, or kimchi.  Do not use if you have histamine problems as fermented foods are rich in histamine.

– Swap raw foods for warm, cooked foods that are easy to digest; for example swap your lunchtime salad box for a vegetable soup or reheated leftovers.

– If you have ongoing digestive problems seek help!  Food sensitivities, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Coeliac Disease can all contribute to depression and anxiety, so find a BANT Registered nutrition practitioner in your area for personalised support.

Fats are your brain’s best friend

Your brain contains 25% of your body’s cholesterol, and an awful lot of polyunsaturated omega-3 fats.  If you’re still buying ‘fat-free’ and ‘low-fat’ foods you are doing your brain a great disservice – please stop!

This is because fats provide structure to our brain cells and help them communicate with each other.  Without enough of the right sorts of fats the messages between brain cells are like a bad mobile phone signal, all crackly and broken up, and there’s a knock-on effect on mood balance.

The long-chain omega-3 fats (most commonly found in oily fish) also have anti-inflammatory actions.  Increased inflammation is associated with several mental health disorders, including depression.  Inflammation is known to alter the balance of mood chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, and affect areas of the brain linked to motivation and perception of threat.  Not every person with depression has increased inflammation but it is a key factor for many, making anti-inflammatory foods part of a brain-health food plan.

Small Steps to Big Changes

– Include oily fish 2-3 times a week.  Think SMASHT – salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herrings and trout! A fish and omega 3 supplement capsules

– If you’re not keen on the taste of oily fish, sneak it into a fish pie or mix tinned sardines / mackerel in tomato sauce into a tomato based veggie sauce.

– Vegetarians & vegans: make sure to include pumpkin seeds and oil, flax oil, walnuts, or a blend like Udo’s Oil every day to top up your levels of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA).  This converts to EPA and DHA (the omega-3 fats found in the brain) but a lot of it is lost in the conversion process hence the daily intake.

Proteins – brain building blocks!

Mood chemicals like serotonin and dopamine are made from amino acids, the little building blocks that make up proteins.  If you’re not eating enough protein you might not have enough amino acids to support the production of mood chemicals in the brain.

Small Steps to Big Changes

– Keep a Food & Mood diary for a week and see how often you eat good quality protein rich foods.

– Aim to include a palm-sized serving of protein with every meal: choose from eggs, good quality meat or fish, lentils, chickpeas, nuts and seeds.

Vitamin D

The sunshine vitamin is a big player for mental health.  There are vitamin D receptors throughout our brains, and low levels are thought to play a role in the development of SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Vitamin D levels are commonly low here in the UK thanks to the cloudy cool weather.  Do get your levels tested before jumping in with a supplement though, so you can get an idea of how much to take.  Ask for a test from your GP  or use the simple home test kit available from www.vitamindtest.org.uk 

Once you know your levels, you can decide whether to supplement or not.  Optimum levels (based on cancer research studies) are between 75-100nmol/l.

Magnesium, folate & B6 – mental health teammates

During times of stress we need to eat plenty of foods packed with these nutrients to give our nervous system extra back-up.  Magnesium and B-vitamins (particularly B6 and folate) are essential for mood chemical production and function, as well as supporting our energy levels.

Small Steps to Big Changes

– Go green.  Dark green vegetables are rich in both folate AND magnesium.  See if you can include 2 generous handfuls of green leafy veg everyday.  Try adding a big handful of baby spinach to a smoothie or omelette.  Serve broccoli or peas with your evening meal.  If you haven’t got the motivation to prepare fresh veg, buy the ready chopped frozen stuff – at this moment in time it is more important for you to eat the veg than worry about it being fresh.

– Include at least two B6-rich foods everyday: choose from avocado, chicken, Avocadoturkey, lentils, banana, carrots, brown rice, nuts, and seeds.

– Relax in an Epsom Salt bath.  Epsom salts are rich in magnesium sulphate which can be absorbed through your skin.  Make sure the water is comfortably warm, add a few drops of essential oil if you fancy, and soak for a good 20 mins.  Remember to ban everyone else from the bathroom so you can bathe in peace!

 

I hope you find these tips inspiring, and feel able to try them out one at a time.  Feeding yourself well is one of the kindest things you can do, and you are worth the extra ten minutes it takes to prep something tasty.

Hop over to the Facebook group too – it’s a friendly place to share conversations and challenges all about digestive health and mental wellbeing; find us at Nutrition in York

Photo by Jurica Koletić on Unsplash

 

 

 

Lunches On The Go – #1 Small Step

Lunches On The Go – #1 Small Step

Prepared vegetables for lunch

Midweek lunch has to be the most neglected meal.

Squashed in between meetings, deadlines, errands, phonecalls, school runs, it’s too often relegated to Boring Sandwich, ‘Meal Deal’ or Nothing.  Unless you’re in France, in which case take two hours off and dine like you mean it.

Let’s change this.  Let’s spark things up.  Let’s make lunch something you can’t wait to eat, and gets others drooling with envy…

First things first: preparation.  As with all good meals, the magic is in the prep.  Create a list of foods to purchase every week so you always have the necessary bits to hand to make lunches.  If you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it!  Think about vegetables, salad leaves, fruit, tinned fish, fresh meat (see below), and grains like rice, quinoa and buckwheat for salads.

Once you’ve stocked up, take a few minutes to think about the week ahead: how many lunches do you need to prepare?  Where will you be eating?  Does it need to be cold food, or are reheatable items an option?

Use the free  7-Day Meal Planner to capture ideas!

Lady eating lunch

These lunch ingredients can be made in advance and will keep in the fridge for days, giving you plenty of mix-and-match options;

 – Slow cooked meat: at the weekend I like to slow cook a chicken.  I use a slow-cooker so it’s merrily cooking away while I get out and about.  We eat some for Sunday dinner, and the rest is left for pack-ups.  Slow-cooked ham works well too, just shred it with forks and you have pulled-pork filling for pittas or salad.

 – Houmous: there’s a classic houmous recipe from my friend Gina, or try these varieties from Deliciously Ella.

 – Roasted vegetables: chop peppers, aubergine, courgettes, and fennel into chunks and roast in coconut oil for 30-40mins.

 – Hard boiled eggs

 – Pesto: this works well with cashews instead of pine nuts.

 –Homemade soups

 – Brown rice or quinoa: remember to cool rice quickly and store in the fridge until eating.

All prepped?  Now to spend 10mins each morning creating that knockout lunch*….

(*or dinner as it’s known here in Yorkshire.  Breakfast, dinner, and tea.)

Salad Box: rice or quinoa topped with a protein (shredded ham / hardboiled egg / houmous / fish) and a mixture of roasted vegetables and handful of salad leaves.  Dress with a drizzle of olive or flax oil, squeeze of lemon, and black pepper.

Sandwiches: not the boring ones.  Swap dull bread for good quality sourdough or for gluten-free options think creatively and use nori wraps, corn tortillas, or large butterhead lettuce leaves to hold the fillings.

Soups: my all time favourite lunch.  Enjoy with oatcakes and houmous or small chunk of good quality cheese.

Pasta Box: leftover pasta (regular or gluten-free) with pesto, roasted vegetables and cherry tomatoes.

Eating Out

This can be tricky when you have specific dietary needs like gluten or dairy free, but it is getting easier.  I was deliriously happy to discover a ‘Leon’ outlet at the motorway services recently and enjoyed a delicious wheat and dairy-free chicken and brown rice meal!

People eating lunch in a cafe

If you know your options are limited when eating out, carry some basics with you like trail mix and a piece of fruit so you can top up if there’s not much available.

Most city centres have a Pret and an M&S: Pret have a good selection of soups, salad boxes, chopped fruit, and snacky things like nuts and hardboiled eggs with spinach.  Marks & Spencer offer mixed grain salads, picnic sized cheeses, chopped fruit, nuts, and houmous pots.

Stuck at a tiny cafe in the middle of nowhere?  How about a baked potato, omelette, or soup.

Whatever your day holds, a nourishing lunch is essential to sustain your energy and wellbeing.  Symptoms of fatigue, irritability, anxiety, poor concentration and depression are all influenced by the foods we eat, so give your body it’s best shot at working well by feeding it with love and care.

Try these ideas and see what a difference they make to your life – do let me know via email or over in the Facebook group!

You might also like;

Does Food Affect Your Mood? Find out with this FREE Food, Mood and Movement Tracker #1SmallStep

Get Organised with this FREE 7-Day Meal Planner! #1SmallStep

7 Energy Boosting Breakfasts – #1SmallStep

 

PHOTO CREDITS: UNSPLASH