Summer is one of the best seasons in the entire year. Trips to sandy beaches, vacationing, going to different places, and many other fun activities can be done during this season. Yet, for women in perimenopause and menopause, this can also prove to be a challenging time. Some may not even get to “Beat the heat” and enjoy the season at all!

Why? This is because as you may have read before, women in perimenopause and menopause have to deal with a lot of changes in their bodies. One of these changes would be hormonal fluctuations. These fluctuations can cause a wide variety of symptoms which include mood swings, headaches, hot flushes, tiredness and so much more.

What we need to know about hormones

So how exactly do hormones affect us at this age and what can we do about it?

Before anything else, we must first get to know our hormones. Hormones can affect our bodies in a number of ways. Hormones are at least in part, responsible for things in our body such as hunger, memory, sleep, stress regulation, mood regulation, energy levels, menstrual cycles and so much more.

As perimenopause beings in the early to mid-’30s, we can feel our hormones fluctuating all throughout our lives. Some women report signs of fatigue and anxiety. night sweats, brain fog, and sometimes even digestive issues. As our body ages, it can be normal for hormones to fluctuate and cause a variety of symptoms, but hormones alone aren’t always the sole culprit.

This is because other factors in our lifestyle can also contribute to these symptoms we so often associate with the rise and fall of our hormones. These factors can include but are not limited to things such as nutrition, alcohol intake, lack of exercise, improper use of medication, high sugar intake in foods, and chronic stress. All these things can also cause symptoms such as lack of sleep, inflammation, poor digestive health,

So if we want our hormones to be nice to us, we must also be nicer with the way we treat our bodies. Our hormones don’t just suddenly make radical shifts on their own without any of the things in our lives influencing them. So we must take charge and improve our lives by doing the things mentioned below especially now that it is summer:

Enjoy seasonal food

Summer only rolls around once a year, and as such, we must take the opportunity to enjoy eating the seasonal foods that it brings us!

There are lots of fruits and vegetables that are way more common in the summer such as watermelons, berries, corn, cherries, tomatoes, and so much more. With these seasonal healthy foods, you can even make a salad with vegetables that is also more common in this season such as broad beans, broccoli, cucumber, peas, peppers, courgettes, etc.

Having a good amount of fiber, minerals, and vitamins given by these selections of healthy food to add to your diet this season would also do wonders for your hormone levels and simply make you healthier overall.

Spend time outside

Spending time in nature has always been proven to be relaxing and is able to reduce the amount of stress in our bodies. Now in the summer season, the amount of daytime we see increases even more.

It’s now a great chance or us to soak up some more sunlight and get vitamin D too. Vitamin D is great for our bones, mood, cognitive function, as well as our circadian rhythm which helps us sleep a lot better!

In addition, being one with nature is always a great experience. Seeing, hearing, and feeling around us can also make us feel even more alive.

Less alcohol, and more water

Summer can also be a time for many parties and get-togethers. With these comes many unavoidable drinking sessions which can not only damage our livers but also be bad for our hormonal health as well. It can even lead to hot flashes, headaches, poor sleep, and hot flashes aside from the usual hangover as well!

Instead of drinking alcohol such as wine gin, beers and etc., we could try getting into the habit of making drinks such as kombucha to get an even healthier digestive health which is very important at our age. Making lemon water and cucumber water is also a great alternative refreshment we can make for the summer. Aside from this, we should also try non-alcoholic fruit cocktails too!

Wear sunscreen

As much as we need vitamin D in our bodies, too much sunlight can often cause damage such as sunburn and increase our chances of skin cancer too. Sunlight can help with skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, and eczema however it’s still important to make sure that we’re protecting from harmful UVA rays with SPF.

It’s also important not to forget our hair! Hormone shifts can cause hair to become drier and brittle, so we want to be sure to protect from additional sun damage by wearing a hat and avoiding too much direct sun.

As we head into perimenopause and menopause, our skin is more prone to becoming itchy, dry, and more easily irritated. Speaking of brands, Emepelle and Votary have some of the best products specifically designed for menopausal women like us. The latter uses natural plant oils and gentle retinoids to take care of our skin as an example.

Use essential oils

Speaking of oils, using natural oils has been found to increase relaxation and even boost our moods. These can help create a sense of emotional balance for us and decrease our stress levels.

Some of the top essential oils that we recommend are Lavender, Peppermint, Geranium, Clary sage, and Rosemary. For example, you can make a wonderful body spray using eight drops of Clary sage, six drops each of Geranium, and Peppermint, and ¼ cup of witch hazel. You can add and combine them onto a spray bottle and use them as intended.

Get quality sleep

Sleep is vital for us if we want to be functioning human beings. This is even more true now that we are in our perimenopause and menopausal stage. Sleep is when our body heals itself and when our hormones try to get back to safer levels. Therefore, having a good quality sleep is all the more important.

One of the major complaints we all have during the summer season is the sweltering heat we so often have to face during the day that extends all the way to the evening. So during the summer season, make sure you have good airflow in your bedroom or have an air conditioning unit or a fan to help keep you cool as you sleep. The last thing you want is to wake up in the middle of the night feeling all sweaty and needing to take a shower to get rid of the icky feeling.

Another thing you can do is to get nice curtains that can block out any sunlight or alternatively, you can get eye masks of your choice to make sure your sleep doesn’t get disturbed. Wearing breathable linen or cotton fabric sheets can also keep you feeling fresh at night when you sleep. In short, invest in good quality sleep and your body will thank you for it!

Bottom line

These are the best things you can do to ease your worries or struggle during perimenopause and menopause, especially during this summer season. We all love summer and we deserve to get to enjoy it. So don’t let perimenopause or menopausal symptoms get in the way of your summer fun and follow these tips to have a great time this summer season!

Doors Open for July!

Louise x