Tag: menopause

WOMEN’S GUT HEALTH RETREAT UK

Women’s UK retreat yoga, gut health retreat September 2023

A completely nurturing & immersive women’s wellness retreat in a stunning location in Dorset
Friday ~ Monday 4 days & 3 nights
Offering yoga, sound bath, meditation, talks with guest presenters & more.

All women welcome.

Fully catered for by award winning Naturopathic nutritionist, hormone & gut health specialist Trish Tucker May.
Passionate about using vibrant foods & natural medicines to nourish & heal, her lovingly put together menu will leave you glowing from the inside out!
Trish will share an inspiring & informative talk on ‘hormone & gut’ health. You will feel nourished with vibrant, organic plant based food, juices and smoothies.

Take a break from your busy life. Step off the busy treadmill and out of your daily routine. Recharge, reconnect and reset your gut health and your hormones.

More dates and locations coming soon.


Easy steps to beat the belly bloat

Did you know that 80% of women will suffer worse bloating as they approach the menopause along with a host of other unwanted symptoms?

Many women aren’t aware that there are some easy and quick ways to sail through this time and come out feeling better than ever.

Here are 5 simple steps to beating the belly bloat. You can watch a video here and please subscribe.

  1. Hydrate with 2 litres of water everyday but not while eating.
  2. Avoid trigger foods especially processed wheat, alcohol and sugar. Keeping a food diary can help with understanding the foods that trigger your symptoms.
  3. Chew your food well – slow down, sit down and just eat while eating – no watching, walking, driving or working.
  4. Digest enzymes that betain HCL can help immensely – talk to me about the best supplements. I stock them here
  5. Add in fermented and cultured foods to build bacteria – kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi can help. They are easy to make. I have a video here

If you’re struggling with any of this and would like to talk to me privately, I offer a free 30-minute call where I can find out more about you and see how best I can help.

Click on the book a call button on my website.

Need help right now – call me 07 984 326 956 or book a book directly into my calendar here

 

SPECIAL INVITATION

Extra weight?
Chronic health issues??
Lethargy?
Poor sleep?

Hormone hell?
Belly bloat?
Depression?
Irritability?

Yes…you can most likely chalk that all up to poor gut health.

All of these symptoms are your body’s way of telling you it’s time for a change.

So let’s do this. Together.

I will be running the Time To Nourish Kitchen Programme from the 14th Sept – 2nd Nov. We will meet each fortnight. You will have lifetime access to the entire programme which includes veg, vegan and omnivore recipes, shopping lists, and menu planners so it takes the guess work out of what to eat.

Each time we meet we will be making and tasting some of the recipes that you chose. We will also be exploring the cleanse and restore techniques. You will get a personalised welcome pack with some goodies and supplements. The programme also includes eBooks and chakra healing meditations for you to do at home.

Space is limited to 7 women and 4 places are already taken. Talk to me if you wish to join for one or all sessions.

I am so excited to offer this version of the programme where you will taste juices, smoothies and ferments from ingredients from my organic kitchen garden and local produces. Let me know if you have any questions. I would love to welcome, nurture and nourish you this Autumn.

Please email me here if you’d like to book: trish@trishtuckermay.com

Best Foods to boost libido

Ladies, we need all the help we can get when hormones are fluctuating in the perimenopause and menopause.

Your sex drive, or libido, is greatly influenced by biological and physical factors. What you put into your body can have a direct impact on how you feel and how your body reacts to physical stimulation.

Different foods stimulate different hormones and chemicals in your body and stimulating the right ones can help improve your libido.

Here are some foods that can help improve your performance and increase your sex drive.

1.Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C and a host of antioxidants, both of which have been linked to higher sperm count in men.

2.Avocados are good for your health in general, but especially for your heart health and blood circulation. They are packed with vitamins E and B6, potassium, and monounsaturated fats, which are all important for a strong, healthy heart.

3.Almonds contain selenium, zinc, and vitamin E. These minerals and vitamins have been shown to improve sexual health and performance. Zinc is helpful in producing testosterone, while vitamin E is good for heart health and selenium is helpful with fertility issues. The omega-3 fatty acids in almonds may also improve sex drive.

4.Sweet potatoes are rich in potassium, beta-carotene, and vitamin. Potassium helps with high blood pressure, which has an impact on erectile function. The beta-carotene provides vitamin A, which may be helpful in cases of infertility.

5.Pesto is great for peak performance because of its high levels of zinc. Women with higher levels of zinc are found to have better sex drive, and the pine nuts in pesto are an excellent source for this.

6.Watermelon is a great libido booster. It contains more lycopene than tomatoes and is comparable to Viagra in its ability to relax muscles and increase blood circulation to certain areas of your body.

7.Pomegranate is good for virility. Pomegranate has a positive effect on erectile dysfunction and has antioxidants that are linked to improved blood flow.

8.Coffee contains a particular stimulant that promotes a good mood, especially women.

9.Chocolate increases both serotonin and dopamine levels, leading to a happier, more relaxed, and less stressed state of mind. It is a great mood booster and has been shown in studies to heighten feelings of arousal and sexual passion.

10.Celery contains steroids called androsterone and androstenol. When consumed, these chemicals travel through our sweat glands and work to attract the opposite sex. It also has arginine, which helps expand blood vessels in the same way Viagra does.

If you would like to learn more about our Time To Nourish packages for the perimenopause and menopause email trish@trishtuckermay.com

Love Trish

Top Tips To help you with emotional eating.

Do you suddenly feel hungry, stressed and overwhelmed?

Do you crave specifically unhealthy foods? Do you feel guilty or ashamed after eating?
Do you feel as though you have to eat immediately? Is your hunger satisfied when you’re full?

Physical hunger won’t make you feel shame about eating food, whereas emotional hunger is often linked with unpleasant emotions.

How to stop eating emotionally?

It can be difficult to stop emotional eating, especially when it’s become a habit over a long period of time. But don’t worry—it’s absolutely possible to address emotional eating and pay attention to your true hunger cues, allowing you to work through your emotions separately.

This will improve your physical and your mental wellbeing, and will be an important step to healing your gut and balancing your hormones.

If you feel hungry, drink water first.

Sometimes you can be dehydrated and confused about hunger sensations.

Wait five minutes before eating when you feel hungry.


Try to identify your emotions before eating. How are you feeling? How do you want to feel?  If you are feeling tired, bored, lonely, angry, sad it can be helpful to find another way to sooth other than food.


Have a list of your tools in your toolkit and post it on the fridge. This could be a short walk, legs up the wall, lying down, calling a friend, or listening to your favourite music.


Keep track of your eating habits to identify your triggers.


My clients find it useful to track daily food in the client app – this helps with accountability.


Keep healthy snacks on hand for when you are physically hungry

Things like carrot sticks and hummus or a handful of nuts will help to satisfy true hunger – and if you don’t want to eat them, it’s a sign that you may not be physically hungry,

Incorporate healthy habits into your daily life

Go for walks – anything to get OUT OF THE KITCHEN!

Eat regular well-balanced meals – DON’T SKIP MEALS. This adds to stress.

Get enough sleep and

Connect with friends and family

All these will help to boost your mental health and help you to address your emotional eating.
Triggers such as boredom, sadness and stress can result in overeating—even positive emotions such as excitement and happiness can be a trigger, as well as using food as a reward.

By working to understand why you’re eating emotionally, you’ll be better able to recognise your trigger emotions and be able to actually work through them instead of reaching for food.

If you are struggling with bloating and emotional eating please download the free eBook.

To get started download the free eBook to beat the belly bloat and balance hormones. https://passion4juice.groovepages.com/

Tips to Help You Lose Weight over 40

I get asked about diets and weight loss all the time. 

My best advice is to eat real food, not too much and balance your hormones by eating plenty of fat and protein at every meal. This helps with appetite control and blood sugar balance. 

I often get asked whether a Keto Diet is best for perimenopause and weight loss.

The ketogenic diet involves a combination of food that allows the body to produce ketones in the liver to be used as energy.

It is also referred to as a low carb diet.

Let’s learn about the Keto diet and see how it can be your answer to weight loss.

How exactly does the Keto Diet work?

Since the glucose in your body is being used as a primary energy, your fats are not needed and are therefore stored. Typically, on a normal, higher carbohydrate diet, the body will use glucose as the main form of energy. By lowering the intake of carbs, the body is induced into a state known as ketosis.

Ketosis is a natural process the body initiates to help us survive when food intake is low. During this state, we produce ketones, which are produced from the breakdown of fats in the liver.

The end goal of a properly maintained keto diet is to force your body into this metabolic state. We don’t do this through starvation of calories but starvation of carbohydrates.

Our bodies are incredibly adaptive to what you put into it – when you overload it with fats and take away carbohydrates, it will begin to burn ketones as the primary energy source. Optimal ketone levels offer many health, weight loss, physical and mental performance benefits.

 

Weight Loss on a Keto Diet?

Before you can use a ketogenic diet for weight loss, it’s a good idea to have an understanding of how it works. Here are some important points about the ketogenic diet:

A ketogenic diet is centered around bringing the body into a state of ketosis.

Ketosis is metabolic process in which the body burns fat for energy instead of its primary fuel, carbohydrates.

When you drastically cut down on the amount of carbohydrates or calories you’re eating, and there aren’t enough carbohydrates from food to burn for energy, the body switches to the state of ketosis.

Once in ketosis, the liver uses the body’s fatty acids to make molecules known as ketones to burn for fuel. Those on a ketogenic diet eat a low amount of carbs to do just this.

Benefits of a Keto Diet for Weight Loss

Increased Fat Burn: When you eat low-carb and your body starts burning fat as its primary source of fuel, you’re essentially in a fasting state where your body is using your fat stores directly for energy. Those experiencing stalls in their weight loss or having trouble getting rid of unwanted fat can benefit from a ketogenic diet for this reason.

Hormone Regulation: Ketosis can help sustain weight loss by regulating hormones that affect weight. After you eat, the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is released by your intestines. CCK is responsible for stimulating fat and protein digestion and inhibits the emptying of the stomach, which reduces appetite. This makes CCK a great regulator of food intake.

Eating a ketogenic diet can also help you avoid cravings for food after losing weight, reducing the chance of gaining the weight back.

Appetite Suppression: Yep, ketogenic low-carb diets may be helpful in reducing appetite by altering the concentrations of hormones and nutrients that affect hunger. It’s no wonder ketosis is used as a strategy for weight loss; it removes the need to eat more or respond to cravings for unhealthy foods. This means you can better listen to your body’s true hunger signals without worrying about counting calories or going hungry.

Blood Sugar Regulation: When you’re eating a ketogenic diet full of healthy fats and proteins plus an abundance of vegetables, you experience more stabilized blood sugar. This is much better than traditional diet foods that are usually high in refined sugars and other carbohydrates, leading to a spike in blood sugar that leaves you feeling hungry again soon after.

Finally, your answer to weight loss without starvation, but still being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Increase the chance of maintaining weight loss, reducing cravings, and eliminating the need to stress and obsess over every calorie or food portions.

If you are over 40 and struggling with your weight book a free call here https://p.bttr.to/2MZVUKN

Do you wonder if you have hormone imbalances?

Do you wonder if you have hormone imbalances? As we reach perimenopause and menopause, the fluctuations in hormones can cause bloating, insomnia, fatigue, skin conditions, anxiety and irritability.

It is helpful to get to the root cause of the imbalances with the use of the Dutch hormone test. As a nutritionist supporting women with digestive issues, I rely on the Dutch test for my female clients with adrenal and sex hormone imbalances.

The results give me very specific information about how to handle problems such as bloating, sleep issues, weight gain, painful periods and chronic tiredness.

The Dutch test measures your hormone metabolites from dried urine samples. The hormones include:

  • Cortisol
  • Cortisone
  • Estradiol
  • Estrone
  • Estriol
  • Progesterone
  • Testosterone
  • DHEA and DHEA-S
  • Melatonin

This test also measures your cortisol and cortisone rhythms and levels, and your estrogen metabolism pathways. The test is also beneficial for women struggling with fibroids, PMS, irregular periods, painful periods, anxiety and moodiness, and endometriosis. This test also works well for monitoring hormone replacement therapy effectiveness. This test also shows how you metabolize estrogen through your liver. If you don’t metabolize estrogen well, your risks of estrogen-related cancers such as breast, cervical and uterine cancer can increase.

Doing the test is really easy and can be done in the comfort of your own home. The instruction instructions are clear  for both the collection of saliva and little strips that are dipped into your pee. You take four urine samples at four different times of the day, and they don’t have to be on the same day. You also take 5 saliva tests during the day. Then you simply fold up the dry test strips and mail them in the enclosed envelope.

If you want to shed light on your cortisol rhythms, metabolism, adrenal, cortisol, and sleep problems this test is THE most cutting edge, comprehensive, functional medicine hormone test.

Each test result is unique. Each treatment or solution is also unique. Wonder what your hormone picture is?

Your results will end the guesswork about whether or not the root cause of  your symptoms is due to hormones and adrenal fatigue.

If you are struggling with stress, trouble sleeping, waking up tired, energy slumps throughout the day or difficulty recovering from exercise.

If you need caffeine in the morning to wake up, or throughout the day to function, if you are bloated and have unexplained weight gain.

Even if you have injuries that are slow to heal, frequent colds or difficulty regulating blood sugar, Get in touch.

Here is a link to a video where you can see my breaking down my own DUTCH test results.

My Natural Menopause Journey

The menopause is a profound transition for women on all levels & heralds a shift into what is the most meaningful & empowered phase of your life. It can be the beginning of a deeper psycho-spiritual process at work.

Whether you are preparing for the menopause, are in the midst of it or you are post-menopausal, this information is relevant for you & will be insightful & nourishing. Aimed to restore trust in your own inner knowing & inspire you onwards to live your most fulfilled life.

Understand your symptoms and learn techniques to reduce and manage your symptoms naturally. As women reach the menopause phase of life there can be many unwanted symptoms. Are feeling sluggish, tired, frazzled, accidentally overweight and bloated?

Join me on You Tube to learn practical steps to reduce your symptoms. Get that good gut feeling back by working with a nutritionist in Gloucester. The aim is to help you feel better about yourself, feel more connected, energised, grounded and calm.

Learn about the foods and natural techniques that will reduce your physical symptoms.

Feel supported and connected to your body wisdom and the deep process of purification. Peel back the layers on physical and emotional healing and learn to create an environment for transformation and healing. Learn to eat for happy hormones and happy digestive health.

Learn about natural alternatives to HRT and other hormone balancing medications. Learn to connect to and support your symptoms naturally.

How would you like to wake up and approach your day with energy and maintain it throughout the day? Tackling brain fog, hot flushes and anxiety during menopause. Are you ready to transform your health and vitality during menopause so you can do the things you love and enjoy?

The goal of the menopause series is simple: To learn how to listen to your body and reclaim your sense of self during peri menopause, menopause and post.

This will help you with weight loss, energy and healthy living.

What you will learn in the Thriving gut health Facebook Group, and You tube Channel

• How to maintain a natural menopause and beyond.

• What is Peri menopause and coping strategies using diet and exercise.

• How your food and lifestyle choices affect your energy levels and your gut health.

• How to address gut imbalances to support your natural menopause and hormones.

• How you can choose and prepare the right foods, so you have all the energy and vitality to enjoy life and do the things you want to do.

• Discover the power of healing juices that you will absolutely love and transform your life.

• How to identify the good and bad when it comes to food and how to consistently make good choices that will support your gut and hormone balance.

• The key ingredients of healing foods and how to effortlessly incorporate them into your diet.

• Practical self-care rituals that you can incorporate into your life immediately.

• Learn how to replace your medicine cabinet with natural alternatives.

•Learn how the power of 100% therapeutic grade essential oils can support you and your family.

I am nutritionist and gut specialist based in Gloucester, Stroud and the Cotswolds. 

Watch more here

Join the free Facebook group here

How to Make Healthy Snacks to support your gut and balance your blood sugar and hormones.

Healthy Snacks

How to Make Healthy Snacks to support your gut and balance your blood sugar and hormones.

Our eating habits are greatly influenced our kitchen supplies and vice versa. By simply transforming our food choices, we can move in the right direction toward healthy eating. For example, removing junk food is a great first step; if you don’t store any junk food in your pantry, you will better be able to avoid the temptation to eat it. It is also imperative to make healthy choices while shopping at the grocery store or making your grocery list. Try shopping at whole or natural food markets to help make healthier choices easier.

It is important to make a conscious effort toward developing healthy eating habits to maintain your weight and for your overall well-being. Here are a few healthy vegan snacks and their ingredients to help you stock up your pantry and develop a healthier lifestyle for a happy life.

Here are snack ideas to support your gut, minimise bloating and to balance your blood sugars.

The idea is not to be snacking all day long but you really want three to five hour window between your main meals.

But if you feel frazzled and tired in the afternoon, the key would be to have fat and protein at every meal. Avoid biscuits cakes crisps chips and processed sugars.

The menopause cake: I recommend for ladies over the age of 40 to have a slice of this cake.

Having a smoothie in the morning containing fats and protein, and also half a teaspoon of cinnamon can really help with cravings and blood sugar.

Seeds:  sesame, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin seeds and I lightly roast these I drizzle them with cinnamon and a little bit of tamari. Good for when kids come home from school.

Walnuts and Brazil nuts very good for balancing blood sugars again good source of fat and protein. Very good for your hormones, and cognitive health. If you’re struggling with brain fog, memory loss then how small handful of walnuts or Brazil can be very beneficial.

Bitter leafy greens; pea shoots, bitter herbs like watercress, broccoli sprouts, baby kale and rocket for breakfast and lunch very good for balancing the blood sugar.

Oat cakes with nut butter is a good snack to help you balance blood sugars.

Frozen Grapes are an easy, refreshing summer snack.

Kale Chips. If you are craving something salty, try some kale chips.

Homemade granola naturally sweetened with the Medjool dates. Add some almond milk to a ½ cup of the cereal and you have a heavenly breakfast loaded with essential nutrients.

Smoothies are healthy, nourishing, filling snack packed with nutrients. You can make a green smoothie by adding green ingredients you love along with some nutritional superfoods and drink up for a great day ahead.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Craving fries? Baked sweet potato fries are oil-free fries that won’t harm your gut and are a delicious anytime snack.

Mixed Berries with Cinnamon. Mash up some of your favorite berries to your desired consistency and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. This bowl of goodness is loaded with antioxidants and easily satisfies your sweet tooth without sabotaging your gut health.

My favourite essential oil for managing cravings is called smart and sassy it is a combination of peppermint and grapefruit you can add 5 drops to an empty veggie cap and take daily which is an excellent way to manage blood sugar and reduce cravings. that essential oil is available on my website

Stock your pantry with the right items to ensure you are prepared when those snack cravings strike!

If you would like to learn more about 8-week gut healing program click here

Yours in health and wellness,

What is the best diet to support healthy hormones and weight loss?

Are you thinking about starting a diet but don’t know where to start?

Maybe you have heard all about the keto diet and want to know more.

This blog will help give you a rundown of the basics of a ketogenic diet so you can decide if this is your next step toward overall health.

A ketogenic diet is essentially a low-carb, high-fat diet which has myriad health benefits, from weight loss and appetite control to better maintenance of blood sugar levels. It may reverse the development of type 2 diabetes and helps control the onset of epileptic seizures.

Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet, commonly known as “the keto,” is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves a drastic reduction of carbohydrates, replacing them with high-fat foods.

This reduction in carbs makes the body to go into the metabolic state known as ketosis, hence the name. In ketosis, our body becomes more efficient at burning fat to release energy by turning fat cells into ketones in the liver, which are helpful for supplying energy to the brain. Ketogenic diets have numerous health benefits; here are just a few:

Benefits of Ketogenic Diet

Weight loss

The ketogenic diet promotes weight loss by turning your body into a fat-burning machine. An increased speed of fat burning and a drop in insulin levels creates the ideal circumstance for weight loss without excessive hunger.

Balancing hormones

A Keto diet can help with hormone imbalances by improving insulin performance. Insulin resistance is extremely common, but most people are unaware of the problem until they develop serious chronic health issues. The Keto diet affects cortisol.

Cortisol is a hormone released by your adrenal glands. The adrenal glands sit above your kidneys and release hormones into your bloodstream and respond to feedback from other hormones and chemicals in your body.

You can cause adrenal exhaustion from putting stress on your adrenals from a glucose response when we eat carbohydrates.  Keto can help women with PCOS and other hormone imbalances including PMS, Endometriosis, and menopause.

Boosted energy levels and mental performance

A ketogenic diet stimulates the flow of ketones to the brain, which enhances brain focus and performance. It also boosts energy levels as the heavy fat cells that cause lethargy are burned.

Appetite control

A ketogenic diet supports better appetite control. As the body burns fat throughout the day, you have constant access to energy, which results in reduced feelings of hunger. This makes it possible for you to eat less and lose excess weight more easily while balancing your blood sugar levels.

Blood Sugar Control

The ketogenic diet controls blood sugar levels and may help reverse the development of type 2 diabetes. This happens as ketosis lowers blood sugar levels while reducing the negative effects of higher insulin levels. It may also be helpful in preventing the onset of pre-diabetes.

Epilepsy

The ketogenic diet has been shown as an effective therapy for epilepsy because it may reduce seizures while helping to reduce the side effects of some anti-epilepsy drugs.

Enhanced physical endurance

A ketogenic diet can improve physical endurance by providing constant access to energy by continuously burning fat.

Foods to eat

A ketogenic diet includes increasing the amount of the following foods in your diet plan.

  • Fatty fish: Salmon, trout, tuna, etc.
  • Meat: Red meat, steak, chicken, turkey, etc.
  • Eggs
  • Butter and cream
  • Unprocessed cheese
  • Nuts and seeds, including almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
  • Healthy oils: virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil
  • Avocados
  • Low-carb veggies
  • Seasonings, including salts, spices, and herbs.

Foods to avoid

Foods high in carbohydrates should be avoided or limited. The following foods should be reduced or completely avoided while on a ketogenic diet.

  • Sugary and processed foods
  • Grains or starches
  • Fruit, with the exception of berries
  • Low-fat or diet products
  • Beans or legumes
  • Root vegetables
  • Condiments that contain sugar
  • Unhealthy fats
  • Alcohol
  • Sugar-free diet foods

How to tell if you are in ketosis?

When a person is in nutritional ketosis, they will have blood ketone levels of 0.5–3 millimoles per liter. Alternatively, people can use a breath analyzer to test for ketones in their breath, or they may use indicator strips to check their urinary levels. Ketone testing kits are available to purchase online.

The ketogenic diet offers plenty of benefits, but, as with many eating plans, requires a change in mindset. Consider giving it a test run for a few weeks to see if it is for you and reap the rewards!

What I recommend for healthy hormones and a happy gut.

Eat unprocessed food, avoid sugar, alcohol and too much caffeine. Make sure you are adequately hydrated and get plenty of omega 3 in your diet.

If you want to know more about eating to manage your hormones, lets talk.

Book a free half hour consultation with me if you are struggling and confused about what to eat. Find a time to suit here https://trishtuckermaycalendar.as.me/

 

Yours in health and wellness,

 

Trish Tucker May

PS If you would like to learn more about my gut and hormone balancing 8 week program just click here https://trishtuckermay.com/8-week-feeling-fabulous-gut-healing-program/

It may be the support you are looking for right now.

Go into 2021 feeling energized, brighter and lighter. 

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