Brain fog, mood swings, forgetfulness, losing names, loss of concentration, sleep issues – if you’re getting closer to menopause then you could be looking at menopause’s mean little sister. Meet Perimenopause. She’s here to lead you into menopause and sometimes, she’s no walk in the park either.

So many women feel like there is something wrong with them before they hit menopause. We can attribute this to hormonal imbalance but that’s not all it is. These hormonal changes trigger the perimenopausal state – where your body starts to change and wind down many functions around fertility and introduces you to the physical changes like hot flushes and night sweats.

Perimenopause can often be overlooked because, more often than not, the changes are mental or in the mind so we can’t pinpoint any one physical attribute, so we overlook it and just think “Maybe I’m going crazy” and then when menopause comes along, we have a lightbulb moment and think “Oh that’s what that was.” But that’s not always the case.

That “Am I going crazy?” feeling is Perimenopause making herself known. Neuroscientist Dr Lisa Mosconi mentions in her book, The XX Brain that roughly 20% of women will not experience the mental changes but up to 80%, EIGHTY PERCENT of women will notice these mental changes and consider themselves crazy but Dr Mosconi herself says “you’re not crazy, there’s something going on in your brain.”

This is also a time to be gentle on yourself as women are twice as like as men to suffer from mental health concerns, like depression in the lifetimes. Unfortunately, with the arrival of perimenopause, the risk increases, even for those who have never experienced mental health concerns. Mood disorders can be more common and affect more women in the 45 – 50 age bracket.

You may be wondering what you can do help ease perimenopause.

Here’s a few tips to try to help with the transition.

Look at your diet:

Trying to incorporate plant-based foods – look at cruciferous vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. Try to eat more fish as the omega 3’s can help with the brain. Ease up on the red meat and use fish as an alternative.

Fibre is important too as it can help to keep you regular and keep your hormones flowing.

Exercise:

We keep bringing up exercise, but it really is important. Even just a small walk can help. Keeping active can keep your brain moving and firing which can contribute to pushing out the brain fog that’s been plaguing you.

De-stressing:

De-stressing may be the hardest one to do but it’s incredibly important. Stress is a brain disruptor and can have very negative effects on your hormone health and other bodily functions which can actually add to the brain fog.

One last thing is taking NuWoman – whether it’s NuWoman 30 PLUS for hormonal imbalance or NuWoman Menopause + Bone to ease the menopausal transition, NuWoman is here to assist and support you during this time.