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Since I wrote about my hormone struggles a few months ago, I've got alot of feedback and questions about how I'm going. I didn't realise so many people are going through same heartache and disappointments as me despite all the effort they're putting into training and eating well. |
| Now over 6 weeks has passed and I'm actually feeling alot better but I've had to make many adjustments to my habits, food and lifestyle to achieve a sense of hormonal balance in my life. Outlined below are the things that I've changed, omitted and added to get to that happy place. I'm not truely happy yet but I'm certainly getting there! |
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1. Cut caffeine and pre workout to decrease cortisol. One of the first things I did was to decrease these. I usually have 2 coffees and a preworkout before training. I couldn't totally cut out coffee but still keeping one black coffee in the morning. |
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| At first when I cut out my preworkout, I was totally lacking in that oomph to train but eventually I got into the groove and don't use pre workouts but have replaced that with BSN Amino X to have during training. I had got into the habit of having coffee after lunch but have changed this to Green Tea. Now I have about 3 green teas a day and feeling alot more mellow and sleep is better too. | ||
| 2. Eat more healthily with more variety. Looking back on my food diary, I noticed I was pretty much eating the same old thing over and over without much variety. For the past weeks I've consciously been trying to eat different foods but at the same time dropped food that felt was making me bloated. Gone is kumera and pumpkin which were weighing me down, rice was making me seedy so have replaced my carbs with amarinth and quinoa which are ancient grains and easier to digest in my gut. |
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I've been eating alot more salads and have got an obsession with Beetroot salad from Nosh. Was never a big fan of fruit but have added this back into my diet. Now I'm enjoying pineapple and berries as part of my post workout drink but have super charged this with glutamine and super greens so that I have the macronutrients I need for energy and repair at the cellular level. |
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| 3. Supplementation. What I mean by this is not just protein powder or aminos, but getting in the minerals that I maybe missing in my diet. I find Calcium and Magnesium supplement has been really good for decreasing muscle soreness and helping with general energy production and sleep. ZMA has been a staple in my diet for a long time to help with sleep support but since adding calcium and magnesium during the day my sleep has been alot deeper and more satisfying. Have reading up on zinc and this is one of the key mineral to help with decreasing aromatising. That is decreasing testerone into estrogen. I know there's a much more technical process that goes on with zinc in the body but that is my basic laymans explanation. In addition to DIM, I'm also taking 1 capsule of Vitex a day to help with balancing hormones. |
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4. Get Sunshine!!! Sunshine makes me and Trixie too. We probably don't get enough vitamin D in our diets which is why I always try and get at least 20min of sunbathing in when the sun is out! Vitamin D helps with the production of Melatonin which in the end helps with better sleep. Plus lying down is very relaxing and a great way to decrease cortisol. Win Win! |
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5. Training My energy and recovery levels have definitely picked up since my new eating changes. Eventhough I haven't done any real cardio (except walk Trixie), my weight hasn't really changed, which is a good thing. But the way my muscles look is finally starting to change. Feel that my chest and back is starting to get a little leaner but still having issues with my big fat arms. |
| I'm training 4 days a week and keeping my weights heavy. One thing I've learned is to not train if I feel tired or exhausted as I would just be getting nowhere. Now that I'm feeling better I'll add in low intensity cardio in the mornings. | |
| 6. Do things that make you happy with people who make you happy! I love being a PT and I love the way my clients love me inflicting pain on them in a fun way. Helping them really makes me happy. I'm finding through them, that I've reignited my own passion for training and I'm loving seeing all the changes I've been able to make on their lives. So thank you my awesome clients for choosing me as your PT! |
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| Apart from creating great bodies, I also like making things happen and using my creativity to ideas in to action. I have a few projects in the pipeline which I'm putting together for the NZ Fitness Expo. It is keeping me stressed but in a happy way! |
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Summary |
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Im not an Amazon Goddess just yet but I'm certainly taking the right steps to get there! Hope this helps you to deal with your own hormone issues! Lisa |
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