Tag: Menopause Hacks

Beauty, Living Well, Well Being

Dealing With Hair Loss Or Thinning Hair?

by Fab FernandesLeave a Comment on Dealing With Hair Loss Or Thinning Hair?

And you are pretty sure your hair loss or thinning has to do with your Menopause status, then let’s talk. I had that same problem as well. To be honest, my hair has been kind of thin my whole life. But I had lots of it. So, thin hair was never an issue for me. However, at a certain point (when Peri Menopause hit me) I began to notice that my hair was falling way too much, way more than it used to and I also noticed that my hair was not full as it used to be. Every where I went, I left tones of hair behind. It was embarrassing to say the least.

I only noticed some improvement, when things seem to go back on the right track, after some years of walking through the Menopause hell. And here are the things that help me to have my glowing hair back:

Me and my normal hair. No more thinning nor loss. Just slightly damaged for daily swimming.
  • The most important thing in my opinion is to make sure you have all the nutrients covered and sufficient in your body. Sometimes lack of nutrients like Zinc, Iron, B12, Folate, Boron and others can trigger the problem. The same can be said about some health conditions like anemia, thyroid issues, diabetes etc. So, you better check with your doctor to see if they are a factor. Just a little reminder: if your problem is not caused by deficiency or insufficiency of any nutrient in your diet, taking it on your own is not gonna help at all. For me, that helped a lot because I clearly had an issue to be addressed. It might be your case too. Or not.
  • Other thing to consider is to give your hair a good, long break from chemicals like dyes or bleachers. Those chemicals make your hair weaker and that can have a bad impact in your hair’s health. Letting it rest for a few months can give your hair a chance to regrowth. And stronger.
  • And since the subject is hair itself, there are special shampoos and conditioners and a whole bunch of other products to address the thinning issue. I used and loved the Nioxin kit for thinning hair. It did help me a lot. I still use it from time to time but I don’t think I need it anymore. Just love it. (#notapaidad)
  • In order to address hair loss there are some specific products like Minoxidil (Rogaine) or even some laser treatments that can help. I haven’t tried any of those cause I didn’t need it, but it’s fair to register this option here because it is an option.
  • Do things that can help alleviate your stress level, because stress on its own can be a major factor. Exercise, go for walks, meditate, practice some breathing techniques… find something or somethings that ca help you with stress can be a treatment for your hair problem.
  • Ad of course, there are some hormonal imbalances due to Menopause that can be responsible. There are hormone therapies to address that, but you need to contact your doctor to see whether or not it’s a viable road for you.

And if you want to read more about Hair Loss And Thinning here is a good article on that.

Living Well, Well Being

Dealing With Memory Issues During Menopause

by Fab FernandesLeave a Comment on Dealing With Memory Issues During Menopause

It’s well known that one of the many symptoms of Menopause (Peri, Menopause or Post Menopause) is having memory issues. In my case it was one of the big side effects of my ordeal with Menopause since Peri Menopause started in my late 30s. Again, not so sure if it was Menopause to blame or my B12 deficiency or the mix of both, in any case my memory was hit badly. I couldn’t access memories from my childhood or teenage years, I couldn’t even remember what I had eaten for dinner… it was this empty void for basically any little thing… Sometimes it was really hard to find the right words to say simple, everyday things in my own language because words would vanish from my vocabulary. Retain information was another major problem for me. And of course, writing was one of my most difficult task. Actually up to this date still is. Getting better, but still not ideal. But comparing myself now from a few years ago I can say that I have a quite normal memory. Not a brilliant one but a normal one. And I am very grateful for it. And I do, because I refused to accept it as something that comes with aging. It is not. In my opinion, it comes from some sort of deficiency in our bodies. And we can turn its table. How? Well, I only can tell you what I did that had some great impact in improving my memory issues. Here I go:

Image by DarkmoonArt_de from Pixabay

I made sure I had all the nutrients I needed. Especially those to put my Methylation back o track. It is really important that you find a doctor that can evaluate whether or not you need extra nutrients and work with him/her to keep yourself functioning well. In my personal opinion and experience, as we get older we need way more nutrients to keep up and if we don’t get them that is when things get weird, off.

I also believe that Meditation can help to ease our minds and nurture it. Meditation and other Zen practices that work for you to release some stress and improve your quality of life. Even Breathing Exercises can do this trick.

Other thing that I did and recommend is to keep your brain busy and constantly working, being stimulated. And with that in mind I decided to learn languages, play some silly games that exercised my brain like Stop, Color Code and so many others. Everyday I played (and still do) a little bit (or a lot!). I also decided to start this blog, in another language, to do that as well. Everyone of those things have been very helpful. And over the years it has become much easier. At the beginning any of those tasks was extremely hard. But I kept up. And it paid off.

So, if you have memory issues as a Menopause symptom, give those things a try. But don’t expect that it get fixed overnight. It won’t be. It can take a little while till you see some improvement. But until then, don’t give up, just keep up.

Well Being

Try This Trick To Make Your Maca Powder Tastes Better

by Fab FernandesLeave a Comment on Try This Trick To Make Your Maca Powder Tastes Better

If you take Maca powder you probably felt its, let’s call it, peculiar taste. It is not something yummy to say the least. Au contraire. I hear you. But worry no more cause I have the perfect trick so you can have your Maca powder without ewing it.

How? Try mixing your Maca powder with cinnamon powder over a mashed banana. Yes, first pealed the banana and with a fork mash it all. Then add plenty of cinnamon powder, enough to cover the whole mashed banana. Then add the Maca powder and mash it all together till Maca and cinnamon blend completely.

This would be enough to enjoy your Maca powder without tasting it. But you can also add some Chia seeds, Flax flour and Oat Bran to it. That is what I do. I like it and I do believe my body needs the nutrients and fibers from them. You can skip the Chia seeds and the Flax flour and just add the Oat Bran though. Or just eat the banana with Maca and cinnamon. It will do the trick.

1. The peeled banana. 2. The already mashed banana. 3. The banana with cinnamon powder over it. 4. The banana with cinnamon and the maca powder. 5. The banana with cinnamon and the maca powder all blended. 6. With oat bran blended over it.

In any case, you will not feel the Maca taste at all.šŸ™

And yes, if you don’t know yet… Maca is a good option for all of us who are going through peri-menopause, menopause or post-menopause. It can alleviate the symptoms related to it like hot flashes, low libido, vaginal dryness, interrupted sleep, poor memory, anxiety, stress issues and it can help with our bone health as well. It is also a good source of Copper, Vitamin C and Iron.

But when taking Maca be aware of this: If you have a low thyroid condition or it is heading towards it, bare in mind that Maca powder may interfere with the normal function of the thyroid gland because it containsĀ goitrogens. Having said that, there is a gelatinized kind of Maca which is boiled and pressurized in order to remove all the starch from it. Nothing else is added. Because of it, this kind of Maca is much easier to digest and because it is boiled, it can diminish the impact of the goitrogens in your thyroid.

Still, be careful and ask for your doctor’s help on this.

Well Being

Why I Always Drink Coconut Water

by Fab FernandesLeave a Comment on Why I Always Drink Coconut Water
Cheers!
Image by Adriano Gadini from Pixabay.

I can say with no hesitation that Coconut Water is by a mile my favorite drink. I could drink it all day long instead of water. Love it. Love it. Love it. But besides that little detail, I also drink Coconut Water every single day because it has a good amount of phytonutrients, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, it is one of the best things to keep me hydrated from inside out (and I am a hydration freak as you probably already know) and last but never least, it is a great source of potassium, a mineral I need in extra doses to keep at bay some OverMethylation side effects and I do prefer to drink it rather than take a pill for it. And yes, I am yet to talk about Methylation, so stay tuned cause soon I will.

Anyways, every day after my morning walks I rest for a while drinking some refreshing Coconut Water. That is the best moment for me to indulge in it. It is my little ritual. Afterwards I feel cooled down and restored. But you could also drink a little bit here and there throughout the day.

Other facts and benefits of my beloved Coconut Water:

  • It has only 46 calories in a 240 ml, 3g of fiber, 2g of protein, 10% of RDI Vitamin C, 15% of RDI Magnesium, 17% of RDI Manganese, 17% of RDI Potassium, 11% of RDI Sodium, 6% of RDI Calcium.
  • It may help lower blood pressure. Or at least keep it in its healthy range.
  • It may prevent and/or address cramping. It is way better than a banana for it, thanks to its Potassium levels.
  • It is healthier and in some cases can be better in terms of nutrients than a sports drink as well. It will all depends on which nutrients you are after.
  • It may provide cardioprotective effects due its nutrients.
  • It may reduce the risk of kidney stones.
  • It may help to address diabetes.
  • It may protect against oxidative stress.
  • It may maintain bone, teeth health and muscle strength.
  • It is one of the best ways to keep the body well hydrated.
  • It aids the body to retain hydration.
  • It helps to maintain the proper fluid balance in the body.

But like everything in life, approach with moderation. Since Coconut Water has a high level of Potassium, it can lead to an OD of it (Hyperkalemia.) And it can be dangerous. It also can lower way too much your blood pressure, causing irregular heartbeat, a heart attack and even paralysis.

Sources: WebMDand Mercola.