Menopause expert Dr Naomi Potter has revealed how you can ease perimenopause symptoms 'without spending a penny' during her appearance on Gabby Logan's podcast Mid.Point.
Menopause looks and feels different for every woman no matter which stages of menopause you're experiencing. But, arguably, the hardest challenges are experienced during the first stage, perimenopause, which can last for up to 10 years before menopause finally happens.
You have to first deal with the shock of it beginning and come to terms with the diagnosis - and then there's all of the perimenopause symptoms to deal with. But Dr Naomi has now revealed her expert advice for handling the often life-altering reality of what perimenopause really feels like - and you don't have to spend a penny to see results.
"Making sure that you have brilliant sleep hygiene," is her first tip. This means that you need a comfortable bed and surrounding bedroom environment as well as a solid nighttime routine and sleep schedule that allows you to wind down easily and relax properly at night.
This doesn't have to cost a lot, it can be as simple as incorporating some expert tips to building a better nighttime routine into your evenings, like getting more sunlight during the day or meditating before getting into bed. Activities like these, Dr Potter explains, help you to reduce stress 'as much as possible' so your body can rest and recuperate overnight.
'Looking at your diet' is also key, she says. "A lot of perimenopause symptoms can make you reach for things like sugar, and caffeine and alcohol in a way of self-medicating." But, the expert explains, "If you are aware of those things, then you can stop yourself and be conscious about the right choices. And then that feeds back and improves symptoms.
"Just reducing your caffeine intake, or completely eliminating caffeine, can be just one thing that can make the most tremendous difference - and the same with alcohol" she adds. "If you just consciously stop drinking or reduce your alcohol significantly, those can make incredible differences."
Getting exercise is another big piece of her advice. "Exercise is just phenomenal," she says. "Even if it's just a walk outside in nature, it sounds really cliche, but if you think about the amount of time that we spend indoors in comparison to the amount of time that [our] ancestors spent indoors, it's just completely different."
So, by getting outside, being active, sleeping better and eating more consciously, you can ease many of the symptoms of perimenopause and, as Dr Potter points out, do so 'without spending a penny.'
