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There used to be a time when I didn't enjoy eating salads. Quite frankly, I'd still be hungry after eating a salad. Now, they are one of my absolute favorite meals. One of my favorite salads is a salmon salad with spinach as a base. I add avocado, carrots, cucumber, black beans, chick peas, banana peppers, shredded apples, grapes, oranges and feta cheese for a little bit of fat and flavor. No I don't use any dressing as the fruit adds a bit of juice and the cheese adds some flavor. My other favorite salad is a spinach salad with grilled shrimp. I add a boiled free range egg, avocado, table spoon of feta cheese, watermelon, shredded apples and mint. Both of these salads are absolutely delicious.

I am feeling absolutely fabulous!!! I have been hot flash free and void of many of the other perimenopause symptoms for over a year now. I attribute that to my new lifestyle. I work out more consistently and I no longer eat large amounts of refined carbs. I stopped drinking my favorite beverage of all time too- Sweet Tea. I noticed that when I drank it my body would start radiating heat from my chest up to my head. I almost felt like I was going to pass out. Those heart palpitations have disappeared completely. I have regained my balance. Of course I no longer feel weak.

Actually, since eating for nourishment, I have a renewed sense of energy. I feel like I can go go go. I have reached many of my goals but I still have many more goals to reach. I know that as long as I keep Him first and take care of myself, the sky really is the limit.

I will be sharing with you soon some of my favorite recipes and exercises so please stay tuned.....

Pilates is a great low impact exercise that I do on a daily basis. Its a wonderful way for me to stay toned and flexible. It helps me to rid myself of toxicity, stress and creates great balance and form. I can do 30 to 45 minute pilates' sessions and not feel as though I'm going to overheat. Since more moderate forms of exercise can trigger a hot flash, pilates is a wonderful way to tone the body, build lean muscle and lose weight. Some of my favorite pilates exercises are the following: pelvic curl, leg circles, pendulum, criss-cross, hip dip and leg lifts.

Pilates has me feeling good and I know that it can do the same for you...

I was reading an online article in EveryDay Health recently on the surprising triggers of hot flashes. Although the article mentions several triggers that I'm very well aware of I want to talk about three of the triggers that you may not here about often.

1. Emotions Why emotions: “Many women report getting hot flashes when they’re having an emotional response to something,” Dr. Gass says. That’s because stressful emotions make the blood rush to our skin’s surface, triggering a hot flash. It’s similar to becoming “red in the face” when we’re angry or feeling “flushed with emotion.” That explains why my body would heat up when I would get stressed. I felt a wave of heat coming upon my body and sometimes I would sweat profusely. Other times, I wouldn't. One of the ways I get rid of stress is by working out. I do pilates primarily because its a low impact exercise that helps me to tone and tighten my core and overall body. It's a great way to release energy and it certainly improves my mood and my mental health. Pilates has helped me to achieve great balance and superior flexibility. I feel so awesome after a thirty minute pilates session. Ladies here are some suggestions on ways to relieve stress. Watch a funny video, low impact exercise, talking to a friend/mentor who is inspring/encouraging, or simply lighting a fragrant candle and listening to classical musical with the lights dimmed.

2. Sure exercise is a great way to relieve stress and decrease hot flashes ,however Dr Gass says that cardiovascular exercises boosts your heart rate. A boosted heart rate is good for your health but the body temperature rises with your heartbeat. It will have you feeling very heated. My daily exercise regimen consist of pilates and sometimes I'll jog on the treadmill or outside. Since those exercises are low impact, I don't experience a heat rush/wave or hot flash while doing those.

3. Tight clothing is another trigger. Tight clothing – especially when made from “unbreathable” fabrics like nylon, spandex or polyester – keeps you toasty by preventing body heat from escaping through your skin says Dr Gass. I remember wearing tight jeans and a wave of heat would hit my chest first and move all the way to my head. Since I didn't want to give my fitted jeans up, I wear jeggings or jean leggings which work well for me. They can be very stretchy and accomodating depending upon the brand. Ladies, it really is a good idea to wear clothing that isn't so tight and that will allow the skin to breathe. Remember the fabric that you wear is a big part of how well your skin will breathe and ultimately how well you'll feel.

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT.....

Those three triggers were discussed because some women may not be aware of how some of our behaviors can affect how we feel and ultimately cause a hot flash.

Unfortunately, perimenopause brings a fair amount of heat with it. Yes I am talking about those CRAZY hot flashes. My hot flashes were severe so I had to immediately address the issue. I would get extremely hot to the touch from the waist up to my head. I've listed fifty ways in "Withstanding The Fire: Surviving The Big P" to cool down. Right now, I'll mention three ways that helped me to get through the day and night.

1. At the onset of a hot flash, I would run both of my wrists under extremely cold water for atleast a minute to two minutes of time. It would rapidly lower my body temperature and I felt a little cooler right away.

2. I took a certain blend of herbs. The herbs stopped my night sweats in its tracks. Within 3 days of me taking the herbs, my night sweats stopped completely and I was able to sleep through the night. They really worked for me. (The herbs are mentioned in my book).

3. Also, I bought a hand held mist fan with varying speeds. At the onset of a hot flash, I would sit down and fan myself until it passed. The mist fan really helped me to cool down.

Withstanding The Fire: Surviving the Big P

This ebooklet is about my perimenopause journey. I want to share with other women how I healed my body and balanced my hormones naturally. (No, it didn't happen overnight). I decided that eating to balance my hormones was a better option for me after researching the side effects of certain medications and procedures geared towards alleviating/decreasing perimenopause symptoms. Of course the side effects varies from woman to woman. Also, It appears that your mental health may be affected.

One of the ways I balanced my hormones naturally was to remove refined carbs from my diet. White rice, white pasta, white bread and fried potatoes have always been a staple in my diet. I gradually removed each one of them. Yes, it was very challenging for me initially but I took it day by day. After a month of eliminating those refined carbs from my diet, I felt much better. I replaced the refined carbs with complex carbs. That change has made a big difference with my health overall.

Remember, what may work for me may not work for you.. As always, please consult a medical professional to discuss all of your options regarding perimenopause treatment.

Withstanding The Fire: Surviving The Big
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Withstanding The Fire: Surviving The Big P

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It has been one year since I've experienced a hot flash!!!!! (I'm feeling so blessed)! I feel absolutely amazing!!!!! I'm so determined to share my journey with other women. I want other women to know that lifestyle changes really do matter. Sometimes lifestyle changes can make all the difference in the world. Lifestyle changes include diet, environment, exercise and even challenging one's mind. Certainly prayer has played a major role in my well being, however faith without works is dead. (James 2:26)

My ebooklet "Withstanding The Fire" will be out soon.

Its been a while since I experienced my last hot flash. Of course, I attribute that to lots of prayer and following a relatively healthy lifestyle. I will continue to keep you guys posted on how well I am managing perimenopause especially those crazy hot flashes. I've had quite a few people to ask me how I lowered my body temperature during the midst of a hot flash. I decided to put all of that information in an upcoming e-booklet called "Withstanding The Fire". It will address and suggest ways to lower your body temperature. I can't wait for you to get some great information. As always please consult with a medical doctor if something just doesn't feel right. Please....Stay Tuned....

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I have been hot flash free for over nine months. My energy level has shot through the roof. I attribute this to lots of prayer, healthy eating, exercising consistently, taking occasional herbs and getting plenty of sleep/rest.

Prayer really does change things. I pray on a daily basis. Yes, I pray more now than I ever did before. Matthew 7:7 says "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you". I pray when I am in need of a blessing but I also pray to thank God for being so awesome to me. "LIKE ONLY HE CAN"!!

My diet consists of fresh fruit and veggies. I absolutely love beans and lentils that are seasoned with herbs. Occasionally, I will have salmon that is either grilled or baked. I drink two liters of water daily sometimes adding fresh fruit and veggies. I try to stay away from fried food. Also, I've decreased starchy food such as white rice, potatoes, pasta and bread. (Yes you guys, the good ole stuff) Anyway, I feel great, so I won't complain.

I exercise four to five days a week. I just love doing pilates. It has me feeling wonderful and looking super toned. Sometimes, I'll run 3 to 4 miles to change up my routine.

Yes, there are herbs that I use to take that will knock the worst hot flash out. Stay tuned as I will discuss that at a later date.

Sleep is key to me feeling my absolute best. As long as I am getting good quality sleep at night, I feel refreshed and highly energized upon waking up in the morning. SLEEP IS LIFE.... Even if I have goals, I understand that its okay to close my eyes for a few hours and rest my body/mind.

Perimenopause is the time period in a woman's life that is right before menopause. Its the time when the ovaries gradually begin to make less estrogen. (Johnson MD, 2018) Perimenopause can start as early as a womans 20's but typically starts when a woman is in her 30's, 40's or 50's. Unfortunately there is no way to tell when perimenopause will strike because its different for every woman. Some women will just start experiencing symptoms out of the blue. Other women may notice that something just isn't right.

At the perimenopause stage, hormones may become unbalanced and will create health challenges/symptoms for many women. Some women may not have any symptoms at all or their symptoms may be very mild. Other women may have very severe symptoms. Unfortunately for myself, I experienced very severe symptoms. I had hot flashes that I'd liken to one experiencing heat stroke. I would get so overheated. My skin would be very warm. My head would ache and I felt like I was going to pass out at anytime. I was off balance. I just didn't feel like myself. My head would be "very foggy". I couldn't think clearly. My heart would race for several minutes at a time. I was experiencing hot flashes 3 to 4 times a week.

At night, I experienced hot flashes/night sweats too. I would be awakened at night by heart palpitations and I would be dripping in sweat. My body would have tremors. One moment I was extremely hot and the next I would have a chill. I felt so weak. I didn't want to get out of the bed at times. Also, my sleep schedule was virtually nonexistent. I would get a couple of hours of sleep a night. I would be extremely tired the next day. I had no energy. Honestly I felt like I just couldn't go on.

Perimenopause symptoms will vary from woman to woman. The following are some of the more common symptoms: hot flashes, breast tenderness, fatigue, irregular periods, low sex drives, mood swings, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, urine leakage when coughing or sneezing, fatigue, etc. (Johnson MD, 2018)

In Jan of this year, I experienced my very first hot flash. I had accompanied one of my clients to the emergency room. It was freezing inside of the ER. I had my jacket on and I was still cold. An hour had passed and I started sweating and feeling very warm. It lasted for at least ten minutes. I was cold again. At the time, I thought I was catching a cold. As the days passed, I never experienced any cold symptoms. I didn't think much of this incident.

Two weeks later, while at work, my heart started racing. The heart palpitations came out of nowhere. I thought I was having a heart attack. My chest started to heat up. This time the heat was more extreme. My skin felt very warm. My head started to ache. I was getting dizzy and I felt like I was going to pass out. I immediately sat in a chair. I was so weak. My coworker called 911 and the paramedics responded within minutes. My vital signs were taken and they confirmed that my heart rate was faster than normal. I was taken to the er via ambulance. The doctors drew my blood, ran a couple of tests and determined that all my vital signs/tests were normal. I was discharged from the er after five hours.

I made an appointment to see my doctor. Hormone tests were given. My doctor confirmed that my hormone levels were fluctuating and that I was starting perimenopause. At that time I thought, "I'm only 42 years old. That is way too young". My doctor informed me that you can start perimenopause in your twenties but typically it can start in your 30's, 40, or 50's. Every woman is different.

Ladies, we all want to feel good and look our very best. In order to feel good you have to feed your body the right amount of nutrition. Of course this varies from lady to lady. That’s why it’s so important to visit your doctor/nutritionist.

Several months ago, I started the perimenopause transition. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a smooth one. One significant change for me was severe hot flashes. I would get so overheated that I almost felt like I was going to pass out. I felt so weak and off balanced at times. I just didn’t feel like myself. I had to do something. I did some research. I learned that my diet played a huge role in how intense perimenopause symptoms can be. I changed my diet. I exercised more consistently. I made other changes to my environment and I even started taking herbs. After a couple of weeks, I felt so much better. I haven’t had any hot flashes in the past four months. I have a renewed since of energy. I feel great!!

Ladies, you can also make perimenopause symptoms easier to manage or dissappear altogether by making lifestyle changes too. I will show you more specifically what I've been doing to keep those hot flashes away and feel my absolute best. I'm so excited to share my journey with you. Hopefully I can encourage you to live your best life!!

Nicole W.