It is March, almost spring. With spring comes the feeling of new beginnings and spurs our need to spring clean our nests. You may feel the need to shed the heaviness of winter, including comfort foods, less activity, and the inwardness it brings. This fresh attitude towards the new season is what we do as humans; our ancestors long in tune with the spring equinox. According to Reader's Digest, human reactions to spring include: thyroid function kickstarts, energy levels increase, boosted metabolism, and increased sexual desires. Here are a few spring tips to support women's wellness.
Change up your daily routine
The newness in spring and the warmer weather invites a renewed interest in your health and increases our activity. Does that brisk morning walk in the morning or during the lunch hour? Sounds delightful. A salad or smoothie also seems more appealing than those long winter months when we crave carbohydrates and sugar. Suddenly that happy hour invitation seems much more attractive. Even the time spent indoors feels lighter and more promising.
This is a great time to switch up your daily routine to include some new habits to support overall wellness.
Don't go too fast
This may seem like a time to get up and Go! Go! Go!... but cleaning out every closet in your house in one day, take a 5-mile hike when you haven't walked more than a quarter of a mile in months, or trying to make every single meal you eat healthier…is going to burn you out.
It would help if you relaxed; your body needs rest and recovery all the time. Consistently making time to unwind and reflect can significantly affect stress levels and improve productivity. A few ways to slow down include:
- Taking mini-breaks throughout the day – Studies show that short breaks over a day "can reduce or prevent stress, help maintain performance, and reduce the need for a long recovery at the end of the day."
- Meditation and mindfulness – Women's stress levels are frequently higher than men's + as mothers, and they often have a heavier mental load. According to Glen Komatsu, M.D., chief medical officer, TrinityCare Hospice and Providence Southern California Regional Palliative Care, "Mindfulness meditation changes the brain's anatomy and structure positively, thickening areas of the brain that govern compassion and happiness while downregulating areas that govern the fight-or-flight response."
Declutter
Helps improve your focus - Cleaning is synonymous with spring. The air is fresher, and cleaning seems in order after a long winter. Clutter can be distracting and cause your brain to process information less effectively. Doing a quick daily clean-up of your desk, organizing digital files, and or doing a quick check on your office supplies can be helpful. Do you really need a jar full of 34 pencils? Other ways decluttering can be healthier: reduces decision fatigue for adults and children alike, helps reduce lack of sleep or insomnia, and reduces stress.
Heart health
"Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America," so heart health is essential for women's health. The symptoms of a heart condition can also present differently in women and the general symptoms of heart disease – women can also experience nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. However, it can be challenging to focus on your heart health when you are so busy navigating everything and pushing it to the side. Here are a few quick ways to boost your heart health in ways that are simple to add to your daily routine:
- Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids – omega-3 reduces triglycerides, reduces the risk of arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), slows plaque build-up, and may lower blood pressure slightly.
- Eat less saturated fats – eating too much of this fat can raise your LDL cholesterol levels and increase your heart disease and stroke risk. Saturated fats are found in animal-based products such as beef, pork, dairy products, eggs, and coconut and palm oils.
- Take a brisk walk for 30 minutes at least five days per week – Walking is the simplest way to increase your physical activity, strengthen your heart, improve blood circulation, increase heart rate, and lower blood pressure. A great way to start is to use a pedometer or phone app to track your daily steps aiming for at least 2,000 per day.
Lower your stress and boost your mood
Mushrooms for mood
New research was found in a study by Pennsylvania State University, conducted between 2005 and 2016, with more than 24,000 adults on their diet and mental health. They found that people who eat mushrooms had a lower chance of depression. According to the lead researcher, Djibril Ba, Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of the amino acid ergothioneine — and anti-inflammatory, which humans cannot synthesize. Having high levels of this may lower the risk of oxidative stress, which could also reduce the symptoms of depression."
Release from trauma
The past two years have been a global trauma; the pandemic has turned our world upside-down in many ways. Trauma isn't just about your mental health; it affects your physical health as well. Recently, there has been talk about body first therapies such as yoga, exercise, and just being aware of the body during trauma treatments. Studies have found this can significantly affect those who suffer prolonged trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is a different approach from talk therapy and other therapeutic techniques that concentrate solely on the mental aspect of the trauma. Try incorporating yoga into your daily practices; this can be done at an in-person or virtual yoga class, watching a YouTube video, or reading about yoga on a website.
Positive thinking
Positive thinking can be powerful, and all you have to do is stop your negative thoughts. Sounds easier than it is to do it, but it is worth it. Positive thinking can strengthen immune function, protect against inflammatory damage caused by stress, build resiliency, and reduce heart rate and blood pressure simply by smiling. Researchers at the University of Kansas found that even fake smiling brought the same results!
Support reproductive health no matter what "season" you are in
As women, our lives stretch over "seasons" both in our everyday living, and our reproductive systems and functions change over time.
Fertility and menstruation
Ovulation occurs more often in the evenings during spring, unlike in the mornings during winter. A few ways you can regulate menstruation and support fertility include:
- Acupuncture – This can help balance the flow of our essential energy or "Qi."
- In traditional Chinese medicine, TCM herbal formulas address the root causes of menstrual and fertility issues, including blood stasis, blood circulation, blood flow, and blood stagnation. In addition, these herbs would be used in different ways during the four menstrual phases: menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase.
Pregnancy and postpartum
Much attention is spent on pregnancy in our society and not as much during the postpartum period or "fourth trimester," other than admiring a cute newborn. The mother often falls to the background and has various issues they may have to deal with, including breast engorgement, sore nipples, constipation, hormonal sweating, vaginal discharge, and uterine pain. Taking the time to make sure you have an excellent quality post-natal vitamin, eat nutrient-dense food (more if you are breastfeeding), rest your body, and drink lots of fluids can go a long way in helping you keep well.
Perimenopause and menopause
This season of a women's life brings a new challenge and coming of age (again). Your life is changing in mental, emotional, and physical ways. Your body is winding down its fertile season and transforming into a different you. Every woman's experience during this time is different, symptoms can range from mild to severe, and the duration also varies greatly. The menopause cycle can last four to eight years, a substantial chunk of life. During this time, it is a good idea to take it in stride and not feel like it is the end of anything, but rather the beginning of a new chapter – much like the spring months bring. A few ways to help make the transition easier is:
- Meditation – even ten minutes a day can make a difference
- Exercise – this keeps stress down and your body limber
- Setting life goals – like taking a vacation you always wanted to or starting a new hobby
- Reach out – to friends, family, a social group, or a therapist
- Hydrate – you will find that you may need more water due to hot flashes, aging skin, and a slower metabolism.
Balance female gut health
There is a part of the gut microbiome that only women have called the estrobolome and have identified as an endocrine organ. The estrobolome is responsible for metabolizing estrogen and regulating it. Some of the ways to help balance the female gut microbiome include:
- Find out if you have any food sensitivities to gluten, dairy, or sugar
- Don't overuse antibiotics
- Add probiotics to your diet by eating probiotic-rich foods or taking a probiotic supplement
- Avoid eating inflammatory foods such as refined sugars, processed foods, seed oils, caffeine, and alcohol
- Take a digestive enzyme supplement; this will help break down fats, proteases that break down proteins, and carbohydrates which break down carbohydrates.
