The femme Journal
The Link Between the Japanese Diet and Reduced Menopause Symptoms
Incorporating elements of the Japanese diet into your meals can be a natural way to reduce menopause symptoms. Adding soy-based foods, fatty fish, and green tea can help support hormonal balance and overall wellness.
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Understanding Vaginal Dryness in Perimenopause and Menopause: Breaking the Silence
Many women feel embarrassed or hesitant to talk about vaginal dryness, even with their doctors. However, open discussions can reduce stigma and encourage more women to seek help. Vaginal dryness affects not just physical comfort, but emotional and sexual well-being as well. It’s a natural part of life for many women during perimenopause and menopause, yet it’s still often under-discussed, leading to unnecessary suffering.
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Embracing Menopause Positively: Small Lifestyle Changes for Big Benefits
Menopause marks a new chapter, and while it comes with challenges, it’s also an opportunity for growth and self-care. By making small, consistent changes to your lifestyle, such as eating healthier, focusing on mental well-being, and staying active, you can embrace this transition with confidence and positivity.
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The Importance of Sleep for Women's Health
September is National Sleep Month, so let's investigate the importance of sleep for our health. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, sleep often takes a backseat to other priorities.1 in 5 people in the UK aren't getting enough sleep, and women and other minorities are more likely to be affected. Yet, sleep is a cornerstone of health, particularly for women, who juggle multiple roles and responsibilities. Understanding the importance of sleep and how to prioritise it can lead to significant improvements in overall wellbeing, productivity, and quality of life. Why Sleep Matters for Women's Health Hormonal Balance Women experience various hormonal changes throughout their lives, including menstrual cycles, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. Quality sleep plays a critical role in regulating these hormones. Lack of sleep can disrupt the delicate hormonal balance, leading to issues such as irregular menstrual cycles, increased premenstrual symptoms, and complications during pregnancy and menopause. Mental Health Adequate sleep is essential for mental health. Women are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, conditions that can be exacerbated by sleep deprivation. Restful sleep helps regulate mood, improve cognitive function, and enhance emotional resilience. It is during sleep that the brain processes emotions and memories, which is crucial for maintaining mental health. Physical Health Sleep is vital for physical health. It allows the body to repair and regenerate. Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to a higher risk of various health issues, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. For women, who are at a higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases, sleep is particularly important in maintaining a robust immune system. Reproductive Health Quality sleep can positively impact reproductive health. It supports healthy fertility and pregnancy. During pregnancy, adequate sleep is crucial for the health of both the mother and the developing baby. Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea, are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. Aging and Longevity Sleep affects how women age. Poor sleep quality accelerates the aging process, contributing to the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and decreased skin elasticity. Moreover, consistent, quality sleep can enhance longevity, ensuring that women not only live longer but also enjoy a higher quality of life in their later years. Top 5 Tips for Prioritising Good Sleep Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule Maintaining a regular sleep-wake cycle helps regulate your body's internal clock. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This consistency can improve the quality of your sleep. Create a Sleep-Conducive Environment Transform your bedroom into a sanctuary for sleep. Ensure that it is dark, quiet, and cool. Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows. Remove electronic devices that can emit blue light and disrupt your sleep. Practice Relaxation Techniques Incorporate relaxation techniques into your bedtime routine to unwind and prepare your body for sleep. Activities such as reading, taking a warm bath, meditating, or practicing deep-breathing exercises can help you relax and fall asleep more easily. Be Mindful of Your Diet and Exercise What you eat and drink, as well as your level of physical activity, can significantly impact your sleep. Avoid caffeine and large meals close to bedtime. Engage in regular physical activity, but try to finish exercising at least a few hours before bed to avoid being too energized to sleep. Limit Screen Time Before Bed Exposure to screens before bedtime can interfere with your ability to fall asleep. The blue light emitted by phones, tablets, and computers can suppress melatonin production, a hormone that regulates sleep. Aim to turn off electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime and engage in calming activities instead. Conclusion Sleep is not a luxury; it is a necessity, particularly for women's health. Prioritising sleep can lead to profound benefits, from hormonal balance and mental health to physical wellbeing and longevity. By following these tips and making sleep a priority, women can improve their overall health and enjoy a more vibrant, balanced life. So tonight, turn off your screens, unwind with a good book, and embrace the restorative power of sleep. References: https://mentalhealth-uk.org/help-and-information/sleep/
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Boost Your Wellbeing: 5 Simple Steps to a Happier Life
Maintaining good mental health is crucial for overall well-being, and the NHS provides a comprehensive guide to enhancing your mental health through five key steps: Connect with Others: Engaging with friends, family, and colleagues helps build a support network. Whether it's sharing meals, joining clubs, or simply catching up over a call, these connections provide emotional support and a sense of belonging. Be Physically Active: Physical activity is not just about improving fitness; it also boosts mood and reduces anxiety. Activities like walking, cycling, or even gardening can be effective. The key is to find something you enjoy that fits into your daily routine. Learn New Skills: Acquiring new skills can boost your self-confidence and provide a sense of achievement. Whether it's learning to cook, taking up a new hobby, or pursuing an online course, the process of learning can be as rewarding as the skills themselves. Give to Others: Acts of kindness and giving can create positive feelings and help build a sense of community. This could be through volunteering, helping a neighbour, or simply giving a compliment. These actions not only benefit others but also enhance your own mental wellbeing. Be Mindful: Mindfulness involves paying full attention to the present moment, including your thoughts, feelings, and the world around you. Practices like meditation, yoga, or even mindful walking can help you develop this awareness, reducing stress and improving your emotional health. For those seeking more support, consider exploring online resources, local community centres or networks, or speaking with a mental health professional. The NHS website offers further guidance and links to supportive services, providing a good starting point for anyone looking to improve their mental wellbeing. Tips and tricks: When starting anything new, start small. Our blog on habit stacking gives the lowdown on how to create consistency with new habits, check it out here. Enlist a friend or family member: going it alone is hard! Finding someone to keep you on track can help, and make it more fun in the process. Celebrate the small wins! Create some really small goals to focus on. You wouldn’t expect to run a 10k straight away, so neither should you expect to change your lifestyle overnight. Journaling is a great tool for mindfulness but can be a tricky skill to master, so a guided journal can help you to get started. If you've got time, volunteering is a great way to make friends and build community, and it makes you feel good. Council websites will often have a volunteering portal which you can sign up to. Check out Stoke-on-Trent Council's version here. For more detailed advice and support options, visit the NHS's mental wellbeing guide.
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The Digital Detox Movement: Reclaiming Your Life from Social Media
The digital detox movement advocates for taking intentional breaks from digital devices, particularly from social media platforms. This movement is not about shunning technology entirely but about finding a balance and fostering healthier relationships with our digital lives.
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Celebrating Women's History Month
As March unfolds, so does a vibrant celebration of resilience, courage, and achievement — Women's History Month. It's a time to reflect on the extraordinary contributions of women throughout history and their ongoing journey towards equality and empowerment. This annual observance provides a poignant opportunity to delve into the rich tapestry of women's experiences, from the unsung heroines who shaped communities to the iconic figures who defied norms and shattered glass ceilings. Across the globe, women have left an indelible mark in every sphere of human endeavour. From science, literature, and politics to art, business, and social activism, their influence knows no bounds. Yet, too often, their stories have been relegated to the footnotes of history. Women's History Month serves as a powerful corrective, amplifying their voices and illuminating their legacies. We celebrate visionaries like Marie Curie, whose ground-breaking research in radioactivity earned her two Nobel Prizes, or Rosa Parks, whose act of defiance catalysed the civil rights movement. We honour the resilience of Malala Yousafzai, who continues to advocate for girls' education despite facing adversity, and the tenacity of Amelia Earhart, whose pioneering flights inspired generations of aviators. But Women's History Month is not only about commemorating the past; it's also about galvanising action in the present. It's a call to address persistent inequities and dismantle barriers that hinder women's progress. It's about fostering an inclusive society where every woman and girl can thrive, irrespective of their background or circumstances. In today's world, we see women leading businesses, commanding armies, and spearheading social movements. Yet, we also recognise the unfinished work ahead. Gender disparities persist in areas such as pay equity, representation in leadership roles, and access to healthcare and education. Women continue to face discrimination, violence, and systemic injustices. As we honour the achievements of women past and present, let us recommit ourselves to the pursuit of gender equality. Let us amplify women's voices, challenge stereotypes, and create pathways for advancement. Let us support initiatives that promote women's empowerment and ensure that every girl grows up in a world where her dreams are limitless. This Women's History Month, let's celebrate the courage, resilience, and achievements of women around the world. Let's honour their contributions, learn from their stories, and work together to build a future where gender equality is not just a dream but a reality. After all, when women succeed, societies prosper, and humanity thrives.
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The link between mood and food.
This blog discusses how different types of food can affect our mood and well-being. It highlights the link between what we eat and how we feel, noting that processed and refined carbohydrates like white bread and pasta can leave us feeling bloated and low. On the other hand, certain foods can improve our mood by affecting the neurotransmitters in our brain. The key takeaway is the importance of consuming the right nutrients to maintain balanced neurotransmitters and stabilise blood sugar levels, which can positively impact mood. Written by Julie Gough Our bodies respond differently to types of foods in different ways. There is link between what we eat and how we feel. Some foods including processed and refined carbohydrate like white breads and pasta can leave us feeling bloated and also making us feel low; others can actually improve our mood. This is because what we eat can affect the neurotransmitters the brain produces and therefore how we feel. We must feed our brains the right nutrients to produce balanced neurotransmitters to boost our mood. Our blood sugar also impacts our mood, foods high in sugar can cause a sudden increase in blood sugars this is then followed by a quick crash when our body clears the sugar, these sugar lows can impact our mood making us feel low Good Mood Foods Omega-3 and omega-6 fats are found in oily fish (e.g. wild salmon, sardines, trout and mackerel) raw nuts and unsalted nuts and seeds. These fats have been well researched for brain health having a critical role in the structure and function of the brain and therefore can impact mood. The body cannot make these fats, so must be part of the daily diet. Aim to include oily fish in your diet 2-3 times a week and have a handful of nuts and seeds daily as a snack. If you don`t like oily fish then you could take an omega 3 supplement. These contain fibre that can slow down the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream and stabilise blood sugar levels. Complex carbs also contain B vitamins, magnesium and zinc, which are brain-boosting nutrients. Complex carbs include: oats, beans, brown rice, rye bread, pluses and vegetables. This is vital for good brain health and increase release of mood boosting chemicals in the brain as well as helping to maintain blood sugar levels. Aim to include protein into every meal. Good sources include eggs, poultry, seafood, tofu, fish, beans nuts and seeds This is an amino acid (amino acids are the building blocks of protein) which our body converts into serotonin our ‘feel good’ hormone. Foods to include: peanuts, turkey, salmon and eggs. To boost your mood, include these foods in your diet daily. Bad Mood Foods White breads, pasta, cakes, chocolate, fizzy drinks and many high sugar breakfast cereals can cause blood sugar fluctuations increasing the feelings of anxiety leading to a low mood. Too much alcohol and caffeine too frequently can trigger the brain into producing hormones that may increase the feelings of stress and anxiety. Alcohol can also reduce serotonin the “feel good” hormone Found in meat, dairy products and also hydrogenated fats found in processed foods can compete with our good fats blocking them out impacting our mood. They can give you side effects including mood swings, headaches and dizziness. In addition heavy metals can be found in some foods including lead and mercury, which can impact brain health Our gut bacteria play a huge role in our mood and happiness, many factors play a role in producing the gut microbiome including diet, environment, season and health status. When the human microbiome is challenged with changes in diet, stress or antibiotics the physiology of the microbiome changes. The gut microbiome can regulate emotions and 90% of our serotonin (“feel good hormone”) are located in the gut and the most common pharmacological treatment for mood disorders are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which have gastrointestinal side effects.
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Celebrating your story with Anna Hobson
Drawing from her background in culture and human behaviour, Anna Hobson found her purpose in life coaching after experiencing mental health challenges, including eating disorders and OCD, during a challenging transition in her early thirties. Read on to learn more about self-sabotage. Written by Anna Hobson Hi I’m Anna Hobson and I’m a certified coach with the European Mentoring Coaching Council since 2016 and I’m affiliated with the UK's Association of Executive Coaches. Drawing from my background in culture and human behavior, I found my purpose in life coaching following a challenging transition in my early thirties. Having personally experienced mental health challenges, including eating disorders and OCD, I understand the impact of the "be perfect" mindset on quality of life. I’m passionate about helping others navigate their inner dialogue and self-narrative, particularly empowering women to reach their full potential. "The worst bully you'll ever experience in life, is yourself." As the ‘self love’ movement continues to gain momentum, we can find ourselves in juxtaposition. Are you comfortable with ‘self love’? What exactly does ‘self love’ really mean? Why do I still beat myself up about what I’m not doing, and overlook everything I am doing?! Cut yourself a little bit of slack please! I don’t know about you, but I absolutely am my own worst critic; from the finest of details about my work, my appearance, my behaviours. I critique myself on such a micro level it’s exhausting. We are being encouraged more and more to be kind to ourselves, but for many of us, this isn’t an easy feat. Without wanting to pay lip service to it, the act and habit of self love (I prefer self compassion) takes practice. By just noticing one thing that feels good about yourself, one thing you did well today, or by holding the space that little bit longer in the mirror to really accept your beauty, matters. Warm up your inner dialogue and stop bullying yourself. "Are your people, really your people?" Our family and friends form our largest influence of social connections and are usually the most important relationships in our world. But what if I asked you to notice how you feel when you’ve spent time around them? Have you ever seen those little fridge magnets in your local garden centre with quotes like ‘Friends are the family we choose’? It’s little nudges like this that as I’ve got older, have got me thinking. In my own adult life, when I’ve experienced highs and really tough and challenging lows, if I reflect on those times and I’m honest with myself, the people I thought would always be there, weren’t always there. It’s a hard reality to face into and can feel really quite painful, but it can also equip you to protect your soul, your energy and importantly, your heart. Your people are the ones who should champion you, celebrate you, care for you, be curious about you and your life, show you compassion, accept you, acknowledge your growth – not criticise it…. So I ask you, are your people, really your people? "Today, I choose to wear my own hat!" I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel as though the weeks fly by and whilst I have the bet intentions to squeeze every opportunity out of every day, I blink and another week has gone! There are many hats we wear; work hat, mum hat, wife hat, girlfriend hat, daughter hat, friend hat, chauffer hat, carer hat, chef hat, pet nanny hat, personal maid hat, fridge filler hat and so on… phew, that’s a LOT of hats and it’s nowhere near all of them. Question…. when do you take some properly selfish time to wear your own hat and show up for yourself? I suspect if you’re really honest, the answer will be rarely. Whatever that looks like, even if it’s a simple bubble bath, candles lit, with the door closed so you have some uninterrupted time, just for you. This is a call to action, for you to take some properly selfish time out. Show up for yourself today - the other hats can wait. I promise.
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In The Press
Simplify Your Fertility Tracking with Tempdrop
Take the guesswork out of cycle tracking with Tempdrop, the smart wearable thermometer that fits seamlessly into your routine. Designed to learn your unique patterns, it provides accurate, reliable insights without the hassle of early wake-ups or daily charts.
