Are you tasting the sweetness of life?

Welcoming the Late Summer Season and Balancing the Earth Element

It's hard to believe that August is coming to an end, and according to Chinese Medicine, marks the start of Autumn. This means we are now in the Earth season, which symbolizes support, nourishment, abundance, and nurturing energy. It's a time to savour the sweetness of life during this transitional period.

In the perimenopause years, it's crucial to balance the earth element for sustainable nourishment of others and ourselves.

The Earth element plays a significant role in causing several common symptoms of perimenopause. Let me provide a brief explanation without getting too technical about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). When there is an excess of Earth element, it can manifest as excessive worry, obsessiveness, and rumination. We can become inflexible and overbearing. If there is a deficiency, we may develop a strong craving for sweets and may also experience blood sugar imbalances. However, by activating and tonifying the Qi, these excesses and deficiencies can be reversed and we can find greater balance.

Here are 5 simple techniques to support and strengthen your Earth energy:

1. Grounding
The Earth element symbolizes the human need to be grounded. Regular contact with the Earth nurtures our physical well-being, just as skin-to-skin contact with a newborn baby fosters bonding. You can connect with the Earth daily by walking barefoot on the ground or using stones and minerals. Tourmaline and rose quartz are popular choices. You can create your own roll-on perfumes using crystal chips and oils to rebalance your energy. Here is a quick recipe that you can try:

- 10 amethyst chips

- 6 drops of lavender essential oil

- 4 drops of bergamot essential oil

- 4 drops of frankincense essential oil

- 3 drops of marjoram essential oil

- 2 drops of lemon essential oil

- 2 drops of orange essential oil

- Fractionated coconut oil

Put the chips and oils into your roller bottle, fill with coconut oil, and gently shake. Carry it with you and apply it to your wrists, temples, collarbone, and pressure points when needed.

2. Nourish the Stomach and Spleen
The Stomach and Spleen are the organs associated with the Earth element. You can nourish these by incorporating foods like apples, nuts, lentils, carrots, and squashes. A good place to start is by eating more warming soups and stews made with nourishing root vegetables. The stomach benefits from warm foods, especially during this time when cooling salads of summer heat can weaken its energy.

3. Spend Time in Nature
Before we head to winter, I encourage you to make time to be in nature. Yes, I hug trees, touch their bark, and spend as much time around trees as possible. Walking or sitting in this environment energetically supports the Spleen and Stomach energy and calms the Shen (our spirit).

Forest bathing is the ultimate manifestation of being in nature. If you find a guide, like my dear friend Mayu-san in Sydney, then this a way to truly nurture yourself. Here is a link to an interview she did the SMH

4. Calm the Mind
The Earth element is associated with the emotions of worry and overthinking, which so many of us struggle with. This is the perfect time of year to balance these emotions and prevent excessive feelings. Find a way to participate in activities to help calm your mind daily. Qigong, meditation, connecting through the energy plants to the earth. My YouTube channel is getting ready to fire up with more of these practices - hubby is my cameraman and wants everything just right before we press go 🌞

5. Nourishing Others
When the Earth element is in balance, we are all naturally more nurturing and giving. The art of nourishing life lies in developing robustness and resilience that will enable you to give back to the world and nourish others. The highest skill in nourishing life is to develop the capacity to nourish others as an effortless expression of your inner nature. I recommend taking time in the coming weeks to lend a helping hand to a friend in need, call a relative or even cook a delicious meal for your family. 

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This Week’s Reflection

Clearblue At-Home has recently launched a menopause test. This market is lucrative, with many players offering these tests; however, what sets Clearblue apart is its additional advice on lifestyle measures that can support women during this transition.

It can be difficult to determine the accuracy of this test from a scientific perspective. It is crucial to understand that symptoms that appear to be related to menopause could be attributed to other causes. If you choose to take a self-administered test, it should only be considered as a starting point for seeking professional healthcare advice.

I believe that relying solely on a test could potentially cause us, as women, to lose trust in our intuitive abilities to listen to our bodies. We must keep in mind that patriarchy demands a strict and inflexible attitude towards the body and the world. If we allow rational thinking to dominate, we may overlook important clues from our bodies, intuition, and our connection with the feminine, inner child, and nurturing aspects of life.

Use the test if it works for you, but remember to listen to the quiet messages (and sometimes not so quiet) your body is sending you.

If you have tried this test, I would invite you to share your experiences.

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Weekly News RoundUp

UPF’s in the News

It is becoming increasingly clear that consuming ultra-processed foods can result in a significant amount of harm. Studies indicate that these products can lead to inflammation in the gut, disruption of appetite regulation, alteration of hormone levels, and an increased risk of cardiovascular and other diseases, similar to the effects of smoking.

Recent evidence presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference revealed that women tend to consume more ultra-processed foods than men, which is alarming. This is particularly concerning because women in menopause are already at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and this disease is the leading cause of death among women over 50 globally.

It is important to note that while some food products may be categorized as 'junk food', there are also ultra-processed foods that are marketed as healthy, nutritious, environmentally friendly, or useful for weight loss. Some of these processed foods may be organic, free-range, or 'ethical'. Further research is needed to determine whether the marketing of ultra-processed diets and low-fat foods specifically targeting women contributes to this higher consumption of UPFs.

My advice is to read labels carefully, I know it takes time, but it is important. Cut back on ‘junk’ and move towards establishing a broad and balanced base consisting of mainly grains and vegetables, plenty of beans and nuts.

Remember, I have loads of great information on the podcast from well-established nutritionists that you can tune into and connect with here.

New on the Thriving Thru Menopause Podcast

I interviewed Dr Michael Biamonte of the podcast get it here or wherever you listen.

Michael Biamonte is the founder of the Biamonte Center for Clinical Nutrition. As a practitioner for over 30 years, he is dedicated to improving the lives of his patients and helping them get back to living. He holds a Doctorate of Nutripathy and is a New York State certified Clinical Nutritionist. He is a professional member of the International and American Association of Clinical Nutritionists, The American College of Nutrition and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Clinical Nutrition Certification Board. He is listed in “The Directory of Distinguished Americans'' for his research in Nutrition and Physiology.

FREE Online Summit this September

I am looking forward to spending the day with MenoClarity, a team of women who have come together to effect change and bring more balance to the menopause conversation.

Join us for this FREE event.

Spots are limited, so be sure to register here

Topics will include: ⁠
nutritional therapy⁠
the healing power of menopause⁠
progesterone therapy⁠
the possible role of histamine⁠
learning from other cultures like China⁠
options for when you can't take hormone therapy⁠
healing symptoms naturally⁠
menopause in the workplace⁠
busting meno myths⁠
⁠
I would love to see you there.⁠

Welcome to all the new subscribers. It's lovely to have you as part of this growing community. And as always to those of you who have been here a while, thank you ❤️🙏🙏

Happy Earth Season!

Clarissa x

Ps. the image at the top is one I took from my place last night