5 ways to improve Cognition and Mood symptoms during Peri/ Menopause
Cognitive complaints are frequent in women experiencing peri- menopause, and can be associated with decreased quality of life if not managed or symptoms understood. There is, however, GOOD news...
§ According to research- “during the menopause transition…a woman’s brain may feel a little off, a little muddy, but when the transition passes, the clouds clear and the fog lifts”.
AND
§ There are steps we can take to significantly reduce the impact and incidence of these symptoms. Here a five things that will help:
1/ Food for thought - Foods rich in the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E help manage free radicals that can cause cell damage to the body, including the brain- think brightly coloured fruits and vegetables such as bananas, red peppers, spinach and oranges.
2/ Exercise - both your mind and your body. Do a mental exercise everyday- I’m loving WORDLE at the moment, or try a crossword or Sudoko, take up new activities like gardening, knitting, candle making 😉, anything that requires physical coordination. Movement of any kind is SO beneficial for cognition- even walking can increase brain size. Resistance or strength training can be particularly beneficial for menopausal women as the goal is to prevent loss of muscle tone as well as build and strengthen the muscles. Building muscle works to improve brain energy as it can also reverse some insulin resistance.
3/ Supplement - It’s nice to think that by eating organic whole foods sourced fresh from farmers markets makes it possible to get 100 percent of our necessary daily balance of nutrients, however this is in most cases just not possible. Magnesium and Taurine supplements have a multitude of benefits in keeping symptoms of menopause contained and have been found to be beneficial for brain health and cognition. In addition to magnesium and taurine, other nutrients to consider include vitamin B12, choline and MCT oil.
4/ Sleep - It sounds obvious and even easy, however as anyone who is experiencing any hormonal imbalance/ and or peri/menopausal sypmtoms will attest, it can be quite a challenge getting 6-8 hrs of good quality sleep each night. Whilst sleep disturbance is the second most common symptom after hot flushes and occurs during this transition as a result of many factors, good sleep hygiene practices will definitely improve your cognitive state.
5/ Therapeutic use of essential oils - There are essential oils to support and assist you to manage ALL of the many and varied physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms of menopause and hormonal shifts or imbalances- and these one of the areas explored in my Wellness Pillar (Pillar 1) of the Essentially Radiant Framework I use in Radiant, my 1:1 90 Day Coaching Experience.
Here’s what Jodie had to say about her experience of Radiant-
"My 90 days with Beccy was extremely beneficial dealing with post menopause symptoms. I always felt motivated and in a better mood following our fortnightly zoom chats." - Jodie F