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Category Archives: Change of LIfe

Here To Better Health: The Nutritionist

01 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by kathyd65 in Change of LIfe, Nutrition, That's Life, Transition

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Education, Health, Life, Nutrition, Personal experience

Food background. Fresh vegetables, fruits and blank notepad on a dark background. Concept of healthy eating, diet and planningHere’s to better health: The Nutritionist

During 2018 I read Eat Right 4 Your Type by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo. As I age my body responds differently to many of the foods I’ve been eating most of my life. After reading the book, it was suggested that I engage the services of a nutritionist to better understand which foods might be causing inflammation, joint pain, and intestinal distress.

I searched for nutritionists near me and reviewed websites of potential candidates, looking for someone who was qualified and whose mission resonated with me. The nutritionist I selected holds a Masters Degree in Nutrition Science from Cal State Long Beach and is a Registered Dietitian. This quote from her website was the deciding factor for me to make that first phone call:

“Together we will work on listening and honoring your body to restore and strengthen your health.  The end goal is for my clients to be an active creator of the lifestyle they desire.” – Amanda Sauceda

During our first phone conversation she outlined her program, which includes ordering a blood panel to determine how the body reacts to 140 different foods, beverage, flavor enhancers and food chemicals. Preparing for the appointment also included completing an extensive questionnaire about my lifestyle, health history, eating habits and concerns.

Today I met my new nutritionist face to face for the first time. She asked some clarifying questions about the questionnaire I filled out and I filled in the blanks. We discussed my life phase of peri-menopause, difficulties losing weight and keeping it off, and intestinal issues I’ve had. She then handed me a color-coded list of all the foods included in the blood panel and explained what each color represented: the green line items indicate non-reactive foods, yellow line items indicates a moderate reaction, and red line items items should be avoided (soybeans and rainbow trout are red liners for me).

Discovering that my body might respond adversely to certain foods based on my blood type was eye opening. Having a professional review the results of a blood test with me added some clarity to what I’ve read (it was suggested by more than a couple of people that I should use the Blood Type book as a guideline). For example, the Blood Type book suggests that for my blood type, which is A, I should consume more soy products and avoid beef, while the blood test results the nutritionist reviewed for specific sensitivities disagrees, instead indicating that soy for me is a BIG NO-NO, and beef is acceptable. (Lucky me – I was not a fan of the soy-based diet idea). Keep in mind, everybody’s results are different, and that’s why I sought out the guidance of a trained nutritionist instead of solely relying on a popular book.

After reviewing the results of the test with her, we determined a beginner’s game plan to see how I feel when introducing only the most non-reactive of the foods (the green line items) into my diet during a two-week period. She offered to send me some alternative recipe ideas and gave me the choice of when to begin this modified diet.

The purpose of this exercise, for me, is to help my body to function at its optimal level for my age. I want to live a long life and I want to enjoy and participate fully in that life.

I discussed the results of the test and the food plan with my husband, so we are on the same page.

During the first two weeks, I’ll be eating a limited number of items from the green liners:

Nutrition Week 1 and 2

Check back in for an update. I plan to start this food plan on Saturday, February 9.

Here’s to better health!

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Operation Transition & Truth

03 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by kathyd65 in Change of LIfe, Menopause, Peri-menopause, Perimenopause, That's Life, Transition

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Change of LIfe, Health, Life, Peri-menopause, Perimenopause, truth

Operation Transition & Truth

(Having read and re-read what I’ve written, I implore you to read it to the end, as you may find some useful information in my first – but not last – post on this subject. Please feel free to ask questions or leave comments. I, and many others, could use the wisdom of our collective experience).

June 5 – 14, 2018 – A very emotional week in the life of a 53 year old woman. Woke up at 8:00 am feeling ambivalent. Felt lost and uncertain about the course of the day upon taking those first breaths. Extreme irritability emerged as feet hit the floor. Sound of a trash bin lid slamming shut startled me beyond reason. Spouse entered the room with a loving smile and sudden rage at the intrusion overwhelmed my senses. Guilt for the rage followed quickly behind bringing on tears and great remorse. Logical desire to return to bed, pull covers over head and remain there for the rest of the day. It was 8:20 am. WHAT THE HELL?

I’ll tell you WHAT THE HELL, my friends. Peri-menopause. That’s WHAT THE HELL. Having talked to several of my girlfriends, some female acquaintances, and not a few strangers about this phase of life, I realize that although every single woman has or will experience this transition, not a lot of them understand that there’s a difference between peri-menopause and menopause. Nor do they often realize it when they are IN IT!

My first experiences with this transition were unexplained muscle spasms I thought were originating in my heart. Then I experienced two separate incidents of anxiety that I thought were heart attacks. They were not. These symptoms are directly related to the beginning phases of the Change of Life.

So – let’s start with simple: What is the difference between peri-menopause and menopause?

“Perimenopause, or menopause transition, begins several years before menopause. It’s the time when the ovaries gradually begin to make less estrogen. It usually starts in a woman’s 40s, but can start in her 30s or even earlier. Perimenopause lasts up until menopause, the point when the ovaries stop releasing eggs.”(1)

“Menopause is defined as the absence of menstrual periods for 12 months. It is the time in a woman’s life when the function of the ovaries ceases. The process of menopause does not occur overnight, but rather is a gradual process. This so-called perimenopausal transition period is a different experience for each woman.” (2)

During my recent emotional 8-day span, I experienced:

  • debilitating anxiety;
  • memory issues including short-term memory loss, an inability to focus or keep a thought, and confusion that led to anxiety attacks;
  • sudden, unexplained rage;
  • easily startled by unexpected, and expected, loud noises;
  • sudden, extreme fatigue;
  • slow-to-build extreme sadness; and
  • weeping uncontrollably, for no apparent reason.

Oh, and hot flashes, and night sweats.

I would gladly embrace hot flashes one moment followed by cold-to-the-bone the next, and difficulty sleeping, if it meant avoiding all that other stuff. Because, frankly, during that 8-day period I felt mentally unhinged. I felt insane – the thoughts that ran through my head were extreme, and the desire to take action based on those thoughts was STRONG.

“If I am experiencing theses many symptoms of peri-menopause,” I thought to myself, “then maybe other women are also experiencing this, too.”

September 2016: I overheard a couple of friends discussing women’s issues at a camp out and wiggled my way into that conversation. What I’d overheard was with regard to symptoms I recognized and possible remedies, and I wanted to hear what they were doing about it. This led me to a compounding pharmacist in February 2017, a saliva test, and several natural supplements that helped to manage the few symptoms I was having at the time.

October 2016: I began experiencing what felt like heart palpitations. Heart monitor for three weeks and not an inkling of a heart issue. My step-mom later told me that muscle spasms in the chest is an indicator of the hormones shifting.

November 2016: Realizing I may be entering what I thought was menopause (and discovered peri-menopause) I searched the internet for a book that could explain this transitional phase. I found one (ONE) out of print book titled Menopause & Emotions by Lafern Page. This book shed a lot of light on the emotional aspects of this transition, and a little more on the physiological aspect. I had hoped to find a LOT more written on the subject. There is the Internet, I know.

2017: Nothing major, Took supplements, rode minor roller coasters of emotion, had maybe three cycles (first one, in February, was very heavy and caught me by surprise; hadn’t had one in several months)

April 2018: Met with Women’s Issues Doctor to discuss a 3-day emotional roller coaster and the options I had to better manage the hormone change. The supplements were not working as well as they had been, or the change was increasing rapidly. I was offered Paxil or Bio-identical Estrogen and a synthetic Progesterone. I took the hormones. All my symptoms slowly improved.

June 2018: 8-day roller coaster and a cry for help. I searched on Psychology Today [Find a Therapist (3)] and made an appointment with a women’s issues therapist who was of an age that she’d probably already been through the Change of Life, and employed her assistance in providing strategies to weather the storm. I’ve had two sessions and here’s the most important thing I’ve gotten out of this so far:

“Women of our age were taught anger is not attractive, so we are unable to express anger. Bottled up for years, our only acceptable release of that anger is during PMS or during Peri-menopause. We blow up, then we blame the hormones.” I plan to return to deal with a lot of unaddressed anger.

All of this leads us to today, when I finally sat down and scratched the surface of a perfectly normal, natural transition that is rarely talked about. Well, I’m talking about it. I hope you found this first installment helpful. Please feel free to chime in.

In Upcoming Posts (not necessarily in this order): The Unsuspecting Spouse; Everybody’s Got a Remedy; Essential Oils – Hype or Help?; Those Who ‘Breezed’ Through It; What Mom Never Told Me; Supplements I Took, Still Take; Physical Exercise is Your Friend; Meditation for Relief

  • (1) https://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/guide-perimenopause#1
  • (2) https://www.medicinenet.com/menopause/article.htm
  • (3) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists?utm_source=PT_Psych_Today&utm_medium=House_Link&utm_campaign=PT_TopNavF_Therapist1

 

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