We chat to Lisa Walker – Clinical Manager & Lead Researcher at BePure, about the importance of our hormonal health – and helpful tips we can all introduce to feel good today.
1. Why is our hormonal health so important?
Women’s sex hormones do so much more for their bodies than just enable them to menstruate and reproduce. In fact, they play a large part in many of our daily functions and are critical for many life milestones.
There is no doubt that women’s sex hormones are powerful for their wellbeing and deserve to be respected for their many capabilities and contributions to our health.
2. What are your favourite ways to optimise women’s health?
- Food
I love a wholefoods approach for women, first and foremost. I then like to focus on having every main meal centered around a palm size serving of protein, 2 fists of fibrous and watery vegetables, and enough carbohydrates and/or fat to keep blood sugar levels stable and the body satiated between main meals. -
Lifestyle – my top tips for women are:
Make regular time for yourself, prioritise sleep and downtime, and learn to love some form of resistance training. -
Nutrients
Specifically Magnesium for a quick win. It supports periods, moods, sleep, relaxation, muscle health and hormonal balance (to name a few). It’s the one mineral all women really benefit from taking in supplement form.
3. What are your top tips to support a healthy cycle and comfortable PMS symptoms?
PMS is heavily influenced by your diet and lifestyle habits - more so than your hormones. Believe it or not, you can have hormone balance and PMS at the same time.
PMS relief can be supported through:
- Limiting coffee and alcohol
- Getting 8+ hours of sleep
- Keeping yourself well-hydrated
- Eating nourishing wholefoods
Looking for additional support for PMS? Try BePure CycleCalm – a herbal blend designed to support PMS & regular cycles. If you’re in perimenopause, this can also be a great helping hand for you during this stage.
Heavy, uncomfortable periods, breast tenderness or fatigue? Try BePure EstroClear – a herbal blend designed to support balanced oestrogen levels via healthy detox pathways.
4. Menopause can be both a liberating and challenging change for many women. How can we experience more calm and comfort during this stage of life?
I advise my clients to embrace the menopause transition with both hands. The more we fight this inevitable change of life, the more frustrated we can become with the journey and the changes that occur within in.
Know that there are many ways you can influence how menopause shows up for you. There are things you can do to make it easier. Food, exercise, supplements, and mindfulness are all things that can be leveraged to make this transition better. For many of the women I support, sometimes just having someone to talk to about what you are going through can make a world of difference and help you find strategies to navigate this transition, that like all things, this too shall pass.
Looking to support temperature changes, sleep or mood? Try BePure MenoCalm – a herbal blend specifically designed with all of the above in mind to support a smooth transition through menopause.
5. If you had to pick your top three favourite minerals and vitamins for overall hormonal health, what would they be?
Top of the list is iron, magnesium & selenium.
Iron because women generally just need more than they get from food and the difference between not enough and enough can be like night and day for our mental wellness, sleep, skin health and energy levels.
Magnesium because, in my humble opinion, it’s the master mineral for hormonal health, nervous system function and a great night’s sleep.
Selenium, because we just don’t get enough from our food. This amazing mineral is critical to our thyroid function and reproductive health, and it protects us body from damage caused by free radicals and infections.
6. What nutritional tips would you share with a woman just starting out on her journey to optimise hormonal health?
Start with the basics - they are powerful. This means taking time to make changes to your food habits, hydration, caffeine intake, alcohol consumption, sleep hygiene, and movement. These foundations are powerful for our hormonal health and our overall wellbeing.
7. And finally, what are your favourite ways to nourish yourself & feel good every day?
- Daily movement
I love moving - just ask the team at BePure. I’m the one always dancing in the kitchen. Daily movement is a non-negotiable for me - it can turn a crumby day into a great one and a great day into an even better one. I have learnt to love a mix of weights, cardio, dance and yoga. I say learnt to love because I haven’t always loved lifting heavy but have found a way to love the challenge and results this kind of training provides. -
Prioritise sleep
This sounds a bit basic but trust me - sleep deprivation is my kryptonite. I am a hot mess without it. When I sleep well and focus on catching zzz’s my body performs at its best mentally, physically and hormonally. -
Taking time to breathe between meetings, events and busy moments
For me, just a moment in time to focus on breathing resets my nervous system. If I’m stressed, worried, overwhelmed or overthinking, just breathing is my way of taking that next step towards feeling good.
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