- In ‘The Menopause Reset,’ Mindy Pelz offers a holistic approach to managing the symptoms of menopause, providing women with the knowledge and tools to reclaim their vitality and well-being.
- To gain valuable insights into managing menopause and regaining your youthful vitality, continue reading the rest of this enlightening book.
The Menopause Reset (2021) is a comprehensive guide to alleviating frustrating menopause symptoms through achievable diet, lifestyle, and mindset changes that help you balance your hormones, metabolism, gut health, and more.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Challenge the taboo, take back your life: it’s time to talk about menopause.
Is menopause dragging you down with frustrating symptoms that make you feel off balance and not quite yourself? It is time to have an honest chat about menopause. It’s not a fleeting illness whose symptoms you can shake off after a week, but a transformative decade in life, full of unexpected twists and turns.
For years, hormone cycles have been by your side, making you feel lively, content, and sharp. Then, almost out of the blue, their comforting presence diminishes. It’s as if your hormonal pals decided to take an unplanned sabbatical, and you may be left reminiscing about the good old days.
Sadly, as a society, many keep their menopausal stories to themselves. Why aren’t people talking more, sharing experiences, and lifting each other up during this unique phase? Whether you’re a woman, non-binary, or anywhere on the spectrum of gender identity, many of these menopausal challenges – be it the sudden hot flashes, unpredictable moods, or weight that seems to sneak up – are shared experiences.
But here’s the hopeful part: this transition is more of a signal than a life-long setback. Every symptom, as trying as it may be, is your body’s way of communicating. It’s trying to tell you something. And if you pause and listen, there’s so much you can decipher.
Think of hormones as a beautifully orchestrated symphony. When in harmony, everything sounds just right. But if even one player is off-beat, it can pave the way for bigger health concerns, from heart ailments to certain cancers.
The solution isn’t in a magic potion, but in understanding and adjusting your lifestyle. An approach that aligns with your changing body and the ever-evolving world you live in.
Always remember: your body is a wonder. You’ve been designed in incredible ways. With the right knowledge and mindset, you can navigate this unique phase of life with grace and confidence. Menopause is a journey, and while it may have its bumps, together we can ride it out. Everyone deserves to understand and embrace this experience.
A personal journey
Imagine sailing through life without any major hormonal hassles – having a period without a hitch, conceiving a child effortlessly. That was the life of the author Mindy Pelz until her 40s came knocking. Suddenly, the tides shifted. She describes this decade-long detour as a wild hormonal ride, saying, “Overnight, I went from being a joyful, energetic, and kind person to being an emotional, hot mess.” It’s as if someone else was at the helm of her thoughts, sleep, and well-being.
Despite having a picture-perfect life on paper, complete with an amazing family and a thriving wellness practice, waves of deep and inexplicable depression began to wash over Pelz. These weren’t occasional bouts of sadness caused by life’s ups and downs. This was a different beast – deep, illogical, and consuming. Add to that nightly hot flashes that had her soaked in sweat, and anxiety that would jerk her awake, causing her mind to race uncontrollably. And the weirdest part? She was just 43 with a regular menstrual cycle. Classic menopause seemed a distant shore, especially with her mother’s own breezy experience in her 50s.
Some well-meaning folk pointed to medication, and others to the unavoidable perils of perimenopause, but something didn’t sit right. An interaction with a respected OB/GYN, however, threw her for a loop. She said, “I have a practice full of women your age who have those hormonal symptoms, and I honestly don’t know what to do with them. My medical textbooks have failed me.” This hit the author like a ton of bricks. If so many were suffering, surely, there was an environmental connection.
This revelation propelled Pelz on a mission to decode the effect of today’s toxic world on women’s health. Through intensive research, she delved into the potential of the body to detoxify itself using powerful tools like fasting and the ketogenic diet. Her breakthrough? An arsenal of strategies that not only reclaimed her joy, sleep, and sanity but also transformed the lives of countless women.
As Pelz passionately remarks at the age of 50, “I feel powerful and in control. I feel like me again.” Her journey offers hope and tangible solutions for those navigating the tumultuous waves of hormonal imbalance. It’s a testament to the incredible resilience and adaptability of the human body and spirit, showing that with the right knowledge, we can chart our own course back to wellness
Five steps to a reset
So, the onset of menopause can present many challenges, both physically and mentally. Fluctuating hormones during the transition can lead to disruptive symptoms like hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, weight gain, and just an overall feeling of imbalance. To counteract these symptoms, there are five key steps anyone can take.
The first step is to follow a ketogenic diet high in healthy fats, moderate protein, and low glycemic vegetables. This nutrition approach helps stabilize blood sugar and insulin, balances hormones like estrogen and cortisol. Even more, this dietary approach aids in weight loss, and improves energy and mental clarity.
Step two is incorporating strength training into your routine at least 2-3 times per week. Building muscle mass and bone density through weight lifting helps counteract the bone loss associated with lowered estrogen. But there’s no need for a fancy gym membership or special equipment: squats, planks, and targeted resistance training can be done at home.
The third step is about getting adequate high-quality sleep, which is essential to manage fatigue. For this, try keeping your sleep environment cool and dark, and limit electronics or screens before bedtime. If sleep is still elusive, practices like meditation and yoga can help establish healthy sleep patterns again.
Finding outlets to regularly reduce stress is also crucial, so this is the fourth step. While no one can control life’s ups and downs, you can use stress-relief techniques like journaling, hiking, massage, and counseling sessions to allow the body to reset. When you press pause on stress, menopausal symptoms often become more tolerable.
Finally, step five is to support your hormonal balance by clarifying your unique hormonal situation through lab testing, and then using bioidentical hormones, targeted supplements, and medications under a doctor’s guidance. Options like professional counseling or mindfulness practices can also help promote hormonal equilibrium.
Following this multifaceted reset plan can help minimize disruptive symptoms, while optimizing health and wellbeing during this period change.
Trust your gut
Let’s dive deeper into dietary strategies, since they’re so pivotal to wellbeing during the change of menopause. In addition to following a ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting is another key strategy that could help you sail through with more ease. Intermittent fasting means restricting your eating window so you get regular fasting periods. For instance, you could fast for 16 hours, eating only during an 8-hour window.
Why try fasting? Research shows it offers outsized benefits during menopause. During your fasting hours, the body shifts into fat-burning mode. This metabolic state, called ketosis, is great for dropping excess weight.
Fasting also lets your digestive system take a break. This can ease nasty issues like bloating, pain, or constipation. Even more importantly, fasting stabilizes blood sugar by preventing the spikes that come from constant eating. Balancing blood sugar means balancing hormones like estrogen.
Research also shows fasting boosts human growth hormone, or HGH, which takes a nosedive during menopause. One study found women who fasted for 12-hours overnight had increased HGH levels. More HGH means more energy and vitality!
Now, intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone. You may want to start with a moderate 10-12 hour daily fast, and work your way up slowly to longer periods. It’s smart to consult your doctor first, too. But many find intermittent fasting helps them stay healthy and feel great during the menopausal transition.
Emerging research shows that balancing your gut flora could also be key to easing unpleasant menopause symptoms. That’s because gut health profoundly affects hormone balance. An unhealthy gut environment allows bad bacteria to flourish. These bacteria release enzymes that deactivate estrogen and androgens. Low estrogen exacerbates menopause symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings.
On top of this, bad gut flora cause inflammation, negatively impacting immunity and wellbeing. They can contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance, brain fog, and fatigue, too.
To avoid bad gut flora, adjust your diet to avoid inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy, and sugar. Load up on prebiotic fibers from onions, garlic, bananas, and asparagus. These fibers feed healthy gut bacteria. Consider taking a probiotic supplement to introduce more good bacteria.
Bone broth is wonderfully soothing for a distressed gut. Its collagen repairs intestinal lining damage that leads to leaky gut. Yogurt, kefir, and fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha contain probiotics too, which help balance your gut bacteria.
Prioritize sleep, manage stress, and avoid unnecessary antibiotics when possible. These habits nurture gut microbiome diversity. With a healthy, balanced gut, those frustrating menopause symptoms tend to dramatically improve.
Remember, a healthy gut equals healthy hormones and vitality. Follow a gut-friendly diet, consider targeted supplements, and establish lifestyle habits that heal inflammation. Repairing your gut could allow you to feel steadier, calmer, and more vibrant through the transition of menopause.
Tackling stress and sleep
Along with your diet, how you handle stress and sleep can have an outsized impact on your overall wellbeing during menopause. Many feel tired and stressed during menopause – but you shouldn’t just accept it as the new normal. In fact, optimizing your sleep and stress relief can help you feel balanced again.
Let’s start with restful sleep. Be strict about keeping a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends. Set a reminder an hour before bedtime to start winding down. Turn off all screens and dim the lights. Try sipping chamomile tea or taking a warm bath. Consider blackout curtains and a white noise machine if you need them. As one woman shared, “I used to toss and turn all night. But once I committed to a regular sleep routine, I’m sleeping like a baby!”
Melatonin supplements can encourage sleepiness too. And don’t ignore things like snoring or daytime sleepiness – these might be signs that you have sleep apnea, which is where your breathing stops and restarts, reducing the amount of oxygen your body receives. If you have these symptoms, make sure to get them checked by a doctor.
Now for daily stress relief. Carve out time for relaxing activities like reading, gentle yoga, meditation, or just sipping tea. Escape outdoors to walk through nature and “forest bathe.” Consider talking to a professional counselor or joining a menopause support group. Journaling and gratitude practices can work wonders too. As one anxious woman put it, “Taking an hour a day for myself makes me feel so much calmer, even on hard days.”
Prioritizing sleep and stress management can profoundly impact your experience of menopause. Take control of your sleep and stress – you may be surprised by how balanced, energized, and vibrant you feel! Rest and relaxation help you reset so you can thrive.
Talk to the pros
Even if you address your diet, strength, sleep and stress with gusto, there may still be moments when you need to seek medical advice. Navigating this change is much easier when you have the right medical support.
First, get baseline blood work done when you feel your first symptoms of perimenopause to assess your hormone levels. Testing estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone helps identify any deficiencies to address. Discuss testing cortisol and thyroid too, as low levels can exacerbate symptoms.
Schedule annual check-ins to reassess hormones, especially if you’re experiencing new or worsening symptoms. Sudden weight gain, hair loss, hot flashes, or insomnia may indicate it’s time to retest.
See your gynecologist yearly for reproductive health exams, pap smears, and mammograms. Discuss any concerning dryness, pain, or changes. Ask about localized estrogen creams, lubricants, or devices to improve comfort if needed.
Since this is a whole-body change, get a comprehensive eye exam to check for age-related macular degeneration. And since cardiovascular risks increase post-menopause, you should also have cholesterol tested and discuss heart health with your doctor.
See your dentist regularly too. Hormone changes can heighten risks for oral infections, dry mouth, and cavities. Discuss supplementing calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and omega-3s for bone and heart health, too. But check with your doctor before starting supplements.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or low libido, consult a professional. Therapists can help manage challenging emotional symptoms. And consider seeing a registered dietitian to optimize your eating for menopause. A Registered Dietitian can personalize meal plans to your unique needs.
The key is maintaining open communication with your healthcare team. Together you can create a plan to help you feel your best through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond!
Conclusion
Through a ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, targeted exercise, restorative sleep, stress management, hormone support, and gut healing, you can achieve a comprehensive lifestyle reset to minimize disruptive menopause symptoms. In this way you can balance blood sugar, metabolism, hormones, and inflammation to feel steady, energized, and vibrant during the transition. You have the power to reclaim control over your health using diet, lifestyle changes, emotional support, and medical guidance, and to thrive through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond.
About the Author
Mindy Pelz
Genres
Health & Nutrition
Review
“The Menopause Reset” by Mindy Pelz is a comprehensive guide that addresses the challenges women face during menopause and offers a holistic approach to managing its symptoms. The book begins by explaining the science behind menopause and the hormonal changes that occur during this life stage. Pelz delves into the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of menopause, and she emphasizes that it’s not a one-size-fits-all experience. She guides readers through a five-step plan to help them take control of their menopausal journey.
Pelz’s five-step plan includes:
- Rebalance Your Hormones: She provides insights into how to naturally balance hormones through nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle changes. The emphasis is on restoring hormonal harmony to alleviate symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and fatigue.
- Restore Your Energy: Pelz offers practical advice on optimizing sleep, managing stress, and boosting energy levels. She stresses the importance of self-care and discusses strategies for improving sleep quality and reducing stress.
- Repair Your Gut: The book explores the gut-health connection to menopause symptoms and offers tips for enhancing digestive health through dietary modifications and probiotics.
- Reclaim Your Love Life: Pelz addresses the impact of menopause on sexuality and offers advice on how to maintain a satisfying and fulfilling sex life during this stage.
- Revive Your Mind: The author discusses the cognitive changes that can occur during menopause and provides strategies for improving memory and mental clarity.
Mindy Pelz’s “The Menopause Reset” is a valuable resource for women navigating the challenging phase of menopause. Her approach is well-researched, and she presents scientific information in an accessible and relatable manner. The book is filled with practical tips, recipes, and action plans to help readers effectively manage menopausal symptoms. What sets this book apart is its holistic approach, which recognizes that menopause affects not just physical health but emotional and mental well-being as well.
Pelz’s emphasis on hormone balance, gut health, and overall lifestyle changes makes this book a well-rounded guide to addressing the myriad symptoms that menopausal women experience. Her empathetic tone and personal anecdotes create a sense of camaraderie with readers, making the journey through menopause feel less daunting.
In summary, “The Menopause Reset” is a comprehensive, well-researched, and practical guide for women facing the challenges of menopause. Mindy Pelz provides a roadmap for women to take control of their menopausal experience and emerge feeling healthier and more vibrant.