There’s no way around it. When we hit midlife, we begin to wonder where our energy went, why sleep eludes us, and why that weight just won’t budge.

If you’re one of the fortunate ones, you’ve never had to battle weight or lack of energy. Or if you’re anything like me, you’ve fought with the scale all your live long days. Willpower and self-control have served you well thus far, but it’s just not working any more.

We try everything we know to do and yet, all those strategies that worked before don’t seem to have the same effect.

It can be very discouraging.

Behold…there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope and help for those navigating the tumultuous waters of midlife.

Let’s take a little journey back

Stop for a second and consider when you were in your 20s and 30s. You were the Queen of the World – feeling vibrant and energetic, hell, you may have even leaped out of bed each morning ready to take on the day – and win it!

You felt as if you could do whatever you wanted.

And rightly so, you had health and energy and the benefit of youth on your side.

You were full of expectancy for a happy, healthy life — a beautiful life.

Maybe your dream was a life filled with a great husband, a couple of kids, a nice home, and a great job! Maybe your long-term dream was to travel the world (at least, that was my long-term dream).

Moving on….

Those awesome years were full of happiness as well as invaluable lessons, but for the most part, they were fulfilling.

Sure your career has had its ups and downs and you’ve experienced your fair share of stress, but with age comes wisdom and you’ve learned how to set boundaries and take some time for your own self-care along the way.

Sure there were days you wondered how you’d make it through – you juggled the career, the kids, the house, the errands and the odd trip to the ER too – but you did it…and with those triumphs came a sense of cool confidence that accompanies wisdom and experience.

You are a rock star!

You’re living the dream!

SCREECH!!!

You hit midlife and all that comes along with it! Suddenly, everything seems to “go to xxxx in a handbasket!”

What’s up with THAT?

You had it all under control.

You had it in the bag! Instead:

• You’re irritated all the time
• Your weight is redistributing
• You feel fat and unattractive
• You suddenly despise the scale and
• Looking in the mirror confirms that the person in the reflection doesn’t ‘FEEL’ like you. Who the hell is she??

Speaking of feelings: You feel unfulfilled. You feel anxious. You feel upset and very emotional. At times, you feel depressed, frustrated, and even intolerant of those closest to you. Your grown kids and your hubby are getting on your last nerve more and more often.

Instead of dragging your butt out of bed (leaping to greet the morning sun is off the table) you’re hitting snooze 3-5 times – dreading the day.

What has happened to your wonderful life?

• You don’t feel good.
• You’ve lost your zest for life.
• Everything feels like a chore
• You’re ALWAYS irritated with something or someone because you just don’t get the help you need.

That’s just no way to live your life!

HORMONES – The key to happiness & fulfillment

It’s not a myth: Midlife hits and things change. Our feelings shift, and we just don’t feel like ourselves.

Hormones are playing a very key role in all this upheaval. And we’re not just talking about sex hormones. Our hormones control energy levels, appetite, and even our weight-management abilities. They directly affect blood sugar, metabolism, and appetite.

What Are Hormones?

Your hormones are part of the master control system of your entire body – and keeping your hormones happy means more happiness overall for you. Having a healthy blood sugar level, metabolism and appetite form the foundation for your optimal energy and weight.

So, how can your hormones get out of whack to zap your energy and pile up the pounds?

Hormones and Energy

Your metabolism is key for controlling your energy levels.

Metabolism itself is basically how much energy (calories) you burn. One of the main players of this is your thyroid hormones.

Your thyroid releases hormones that affect the metabolism of all the cells in your body. If it’s too low and your metabolism goes down (hypothyroid), you may feel cold, hungry and tired. If it’s too high and your metabolism is too fast (hyperthyroid), you may feel hot, jittery and lose weight.

For an ideal metabolism, ideal energy use, ideal body temperature, and an ideal weight you want happy thyroid hormones since they are the master controller.

Hormones and Weight

Your weight may be controlled by hormones more than you think!

Insulin controls your blood sugar and whether that sugar is stored as fat or not. When your blood sugar is too low, you may start craving sugar and carbs.

You also have hormones that control your appetite!

How hungry and how full you feel are controlled by the hormones ghrelin and leptin. When those get out of whack, you’ll find yourself wanting to eat because your body thinks you’re hungry and not satisfied…even if you’ve eaten a regular day’s meals and snacks.

Craving sugary food and carbs (more sugar) and not feeling full will cause you to eat more. Even if your body doesn’t truly need it, the hormonal signals tell you that it’s time for a snack.

Another culprit: the stress hormone, cortisol. When it’s too high for too long, it tells your body to store fat. And not just any fat – belly fat!

What Can You Do?

Your body is very complex and uses hormones to control many functions including blood sugar, metabolism, and appetite. These directly affect how much energy you feel you have, how much you weigh, and even where your body fat is stored.

Here are some ‘hormone-stabilizing’ solutions to help you with your energy levels and weight maintenance so you can feel better overall:

• Get regular exercise to use up excess blood sugar before your insulin has your body store it as fat.
• Try stress-relieving activities like deep breathing, meditation, or even some coloring – yes you’ve read that right; colouring is a proven stress-relieving activity – to reduce your (belly-fat inducing) cortisol.
• Support your thyroid with iodine-containing sea vegetables, fish, legumes, or even an egg.
• Balance your blood sugar with extra fiber from raspberries, avocados, or flax seeds.
• Reduce blood sugar spikes by replacing your juice or soda with fruit-infused water.
• Say no to sugar and wine – even if you love them, it’s highly beneficial to eliminate them or reduce them from your diet as they add to the stress load in the body.
• Get adequate sleep – it’s the best way to get rid of stress.
• Eat a healthy diet – eliminate junk, soda, and sugary items from your diet and choose plant-based foods and whole foods more often.
• Avoid white flour and processed foods.
• Add some omega-3 sources to your diet.
• Try fresh herbs for flavoring – some can be incredibly helpful in attaining a balance of hormones naturally.

Reduce Your Stress Load

Some studies show that meditation can help reduce cellular aging. Slowing down the aging process can help increase longevity. In fact, practicing meditation can help buffer this process.

No matter how busy you think your life is, you can always spare some time for yourself. At this time in your life, it’s important to make your health a priority.

Create a daily, weekly and monthly routine that honors your body, nourishes your soul and expands your mind – and you’ll see your stress levels reduce significantly.

Even something as simple as a walk in the morning or evening can be helpful. The more you work on your emotional wellbeing, the better your hormonal health will be.

The Good News

Attaining hormonal balance isn’t as difficult as you may think. Try some of these natural solutions to boost the health of your endocrine system and maintain a balance between different hormones.

I’d love to hear from you. Leave your comments for me below:

1. What will you try when it comes to balancing your hormones?
2. What do you normally do to support your hormonal health and reduce the stress in your life?
3. What new thing will you try?

If you’d like some information about increasing your energy levels, reducing or maintaining a healthy weight, or if you’d like some more strategies to navigate midlife with grace and ease, I’d love to chat.

Contact me to schedule your FREE Healthy Hormone Breakthrough Call. I’ll share some key strategies that will help you maneuver life through midlife and beyond. How? Email me at lwadsworth@verizon.net.