Why caring for our gut is more than what we eat....

Over the last few weeks, I have been sharing The Path to Harmony workshop for supporting our gut microbiome which is so critical to our overall health, particularly because of the gut-brain connection and the role of the gut microbiome in hormonal balance.

The points beyond the obvious of eating more fibre and upping the variety of plant-based foods we eat really resonated with my workshop participants.

1. Self-Awareness and how building a deeper mind-body connection is critical to caring for ourselves. The more in tune, you are with your body the better you are able to be response-able to take steps when things start to feel off balance rather than waiting for the crisis to hit.
   There was a recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that mindfulness-based interventions may be as effective as taking anxiety medication. And from a gut microbiome perspective several bacteria enriched in the meditation group [have been] associated with the alleviation of mental illness, suggesting that meditation can influence certain gut bacteria that may have a role in mental health.

2. Sleep
   Maybe be no surprise here as we are forever learning about how vital sleep is to our health. From the TCM perspective sleep epitomises harmonious living with nature’s cycles. And having coached countless menopausal women to sleep soundly I know that the usual generic advice only goes so far. I am excited that diet can play a more central role in tailoring better sleep.

3. Synchronization and Conscious Living - from spending time outdoors which will actually improve the variety of gut bacteria, to ensuring we are linked to seasonal rhythms and also to the way we respect and trust our body’s wisdom and ability to heal.
   
   I will be running more workshops like these throughout the year and love to see you there. They are free of charge. Join me for the next one on February 15th 4 Steps to Healing Your Digestion
   

   The Path to Harmony allows us to act with integrity and to nurture ourselves mind body and soul, letting us recognize the role and importance of different healing modalities and systems of medicine so we can trust and reconnect with ourselves.

   
   

On a similar note, my guest this week on the Thriving Thru Menopause podcast was Dr Koz (Peter Kozlowski M-D) and we talk toxins, their impact on hormonal health and more. It really got me rooting through my cupboards to ditch the last of chemical containing cleaning and body products. Oh and yes checking for mould.

I often wonder if some of my menopause symptoms were related to the apartment in Bondi which was a mould fest. One time Tom’s bedroom ceiling turned black YUK! In the end I found the ‘Mould Doctor’ it worked and we were mould free for 12 months. Probably the best of the worst choices because boy were those chemicals strong.

Check the full conversation with me and Dr Koz here!

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The Good News

I'm THOROUGHLY celebrating every single win including being halfway through my Yang Sheng course with acupuncturist Alex Scott. So exciting to be delving deeply into this lesser-known part of TCM around how our connection to nature’s rhythms impacts our health and well-being from our gut microbiome to the quality of our sleep and managing our menopause ups and downs.

Yang Sheng translated means ‘nourishing life’ which seems very appropriate to me after the energies of last year. I promised myself I would take this year to nourish myself on a deeper level. What did you promise yourself in 2023?? How are you going in ensuring you stick to the self-nourishment programme??

Trampolining anyone?

Did you buy one of those trampolines during lockdown? And it is now languishing at the back of a cupboard well here is something to encourage it out of its hidey-hole. Some new research is showing that mini-trampoline jumping should be in your exercise routine to support bone and pelvic health. Just a thought

And finally this …. which I thought was a great list

Consider subscribing to Heart of Menopause for more in depth-integrated approaches to thriving through menopause.

Coming soon for subscribers early access to the podcast and a special set of summaries on the most popular topics of the podcast over the last 4 seasons.

Till next week

C x