I know it can be frustrating figuring out what to eat as our body starts shifting hormonally. Although what works for each person varies, there are some basic guidelines that can be a helpful place to start!
The basics:
Focus on nutrient-dense REAL foods! Lots of non-starchy vegetables (think eating a RAINBOW!), some whole grains or beans/legumes or fruits, the right amount of lean proteins, and healthy fats.
Protein Power
Prioritize lean protein sources at every meal/snack like poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, and tofu.
Protein supports muscle maintenance and helps manage appetite, crucial for weight loss.
Fiber for Satiety, Digestive Health and Hormonal Balance
Increase fiber intake through vegetables, seeds, legumes, whole grains, and fruits.
Fiber promotes satiety, aiding in appetite control and digestive health.
Mindful Eating
Eat slowly, savor each bite, and pay attention to hunger and fullness cues.
Create a beautiful, inviting space when you eat.
Sounds silly but put your fork down in between bites and really chew your food (I’m still working on this one!)
Healthy Fats for Hormonal Health
Incorporate sources of healthy fats, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
These fats are essential for hormone production and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
Include sources of omega-3 fatty acids like fatty fish (wild-caught salmon, mackerel), flaxseeds, and walnuts.
Limit Sugar and Processed Foods
Minimize added sugars and processed foods, which can disrupt blood sugar levels and contribute to weight gain.
Regulating your blood sugar is probably one of THE MOST IMPORTANT things you can do to support healthy weight in perimenopause and menopause
Meal Planning and Portions
Plan balanced meals so that it is EASY and enjoyable to eat well
Aim for about half or more of your plate as vegetables, palm-size of protein, small amount of starches and 1-2 T. of healthy fats per meal
Individualized Approach
As always, each body is different so it’s important to listen to what YOUR body is telling you!
Because, as you know, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
And we do better together.
What if you could remove BURNOUT, OVERWHELM, and FATIGUE from your day?
What if you could change the world AND take good care of your health and well-being?
Introducing
WHOLE LIFE NOURISHMENT!
Connect with me today to be added to the waitlist!
Want to know more?
Watch this Welcome video to learn all about Whole Life Nourishment!
Note: dates are different, but the information is otherwise the same!
This four-month online coaching program is specifically designed for changemakers to support you in optimizing your health and well-being—mind, body and spirit!
Imagine this . . .
Moving through your day with CLARITY and CONFIDENCE of your food plan because you are all prepped and ready to go with nutritious, delicious food that works for you and your body.
Waking up with plenty of ENERGY and MOTIVATION to not only get your work done with ease and focus, but you also have enough left in your tank at the end of the day to do the other things that bring you JOY.
Connecting with an AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY that not only SUPPORTS your health challenges and goals, but also INSPIRES you!
I know these are EXTREMELY challenging times and I know you are all feeling overwhelmed most days with burnout looming . . .
AND here’s the deal . . . . even in the midst of such uncertainty, you can take small steps on a daily basis
to better support your health and well-being so that you can show up with energy, focus and vitality for your
mission, yourself, your team, your relationships, and our planet!
Join me! Let’s do this together!
The WHOLE LIFE NOURISHMENT program has eight key pillars:
* Establish more clarity and confidence around your FOOD/NUTRITION choices and routines so that you can feel more energized, balanced, and nourished all day long and continue to support your immune system.
* Practice effective strategies to support better quality SLEEP/REST because sleep is essential to having vital health, more energy, less cravings, and more resilience in handling the big changes you are facing.
* Prioritize more daily MOVEMENT into your routine so that you can be more present in your body, relieve stress, support immune health, and feel stronger.
* Create the healthy SCHEDULE/HABITS/ROUTINES that allow you to move through your day with greater ease, energy, and focus. These times have highlighted the importance of routines more than ever!
* Cultivate ways to have moments of meaningful CONNECTION TO SELF in the form of self-care practices, self-love mindset, expressions of creativity, and opportunities for pleasure and joy, even in the midst of the unknown.
* Focus on your MINDSET and create more mindfulness practices and cultivate rest. This is key to being present each day, even when there is a lack of clarity in the larger world. This time in our history is asking us to slow down while also continuing to be focused and effective in our work, our relationships, and our communities.
* Continue to build meaningful CONNECTION TO OTHERS (your community, family, personal and professional relationships, social justice movements, our planet) from a place of authenticity, giving from the overflow, and healthy boundaries. This group is also an opportunity to make meaningful connections with people who get what you’re going through.
* Continue to develop and nurture your sense of PURPOSE/MISSION because I know you came into this world at this time to make the largest positive impact! If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that we need to be healthy and strong to really show up for ourselves, our students, and our community. Let’s do this together!
What you receive when you join Whole Life Nourishment:
Small-group coaching callstwice a month (TBD): total of NINE 90-minute calls plus a BONUS call via Zoom to build community, support, accountability, and clear guidance to meet your health and wellness goals. We do better when we’re connected together and can support each other! Groups will be limited to 8-12 people so we can create meaningful connections and community.
Specific coaching and support on my signature WHOLE LIFE NOURISHMENT program where we’ll focus on all areas of your life–nutrition, sleep, movement, connection, etc.–to holistically support your wellness. Let’s do this in manageable, achievable, small steps!
Private group “classroom” (not on Facebook) to easily stay in contact with each other in between calls to ask questions, receive ongoing support, share wins, and stay connected.
Accountability partners to help you stay on track with peers who can celebrate your wins and understand your challenges.
Theconvenience of anonline group so that you can be in the safety of your home but we can be connected from anywhere in the country!
YOUR INVESTMENT:
For FOUR months of Whole Life Nourishment support, your investment is $1199.
Payment plans available upon request. Venmo, PayPal, or a personalized invoice are also options–just contact me! Note: consider using your HSA to enroll. I am committed to making this group program affordable and accessible, so if you are in financial need, I offer sliding scale options. Please reach out.
If you want to learn how to optimize your health and well-being so that you can continue to be an energized, healthy changemaker even in the midst of so much change, aggravation and uncertainty then . . .
Here are some of the benefits of joining today . . .
* More energy, better quality sleep, and practical ways to nourish yourself with food (even in the midst of such challenging times)!
*Greater ease in creating healthy habits that support your well-being on a daily basis. Small steps lead to great shifts!
*Practical tips and suggestions that you can apply immediately. Let’s stop waiting for “when” or “if” and take action today!
*Personalized guidance in how to make small changes that yield big results. Every body is different and I’m here to support you through a model that works for your unique body, lifestyle, and situation.
*Opportunities to set practical goals/action steps that you can actually achieve to keep you on track with your health and well-being (so you can keep being an amazing changemaker!).
*Ongoing accountability, encouragement, and connection so that you can really show up as your best. This is key! We can’t do it alone! We need connection and community more now than ever!
*The support and wisdom of your fellow group members who know exactly what you’re going through!
For those of you new to me, my name is Michelle Dwyer and I am a Holistic Health Coach and Certified Nutrition Consultant. I have a Master of Science degree in Health and Nutrition Education and I’m Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition.
I am also committed to various social justice issues and see myself as an agent of positive change. I am excited to serve my fellow changemakers in your health and well-being so that YOU can show up in all the ways our world needs you . . . whether that’s at a grassroots level or more global. For more information about my larger vision and the causes I support, please go to my blog post here.
Looking forward to connecting with you soon!
In health,
Michelle Dwyer, Transformation Coach, Holistic Health Coach and Certified Nutrition Consultant, MS in Health and Nutrition Education, Former Educator, Agent of Positive Change
Unexplainable weight gain, especially in the belly?
Fatigue and brain fog?
Poor sleep?
Mood swings?
Hot flashes?
And did you know you can still be getting a period AND be in perimenopause?
And what exactly is perimenopause anyway?
Join me, Michelle Dwyer, Holistic Health Coach and Certified Nutrition Consultant for this recorded, proactive workshop where we will focus on doable steps to better support your body through perimenopause.
We’ll focus on food, strategic supplementation, and lifestyle choices that best address your body to help bring more energy, balance and clarity back into your life.
I am trained as a Hormone Cure Coach with Dr. Sara Gottfried and I’ll bring my ten years of experience working with clients to guide you to best support your health and well-being.
And at the age of 48, I get it because I’m riding this wave with you!
I hear it all the time, the frustration that people feel when they know they are going through some hormonal changes but they are not getting any helpful answers. I’m also done with us feeling alone in these changes. Let’s come together, open the conversation, and begin to take doable steps today to support you feeling better! It’s time for a perio-party!
What you’ll receive:
Hormone Questionnaire to help you prioritize where to start to best support your body.
Actionable, doable steps that you can implement right away.
Better understanding of your own body since we all experience perimenopause differently.
This webinar is a self-paced two-hour webinar that you can watch again and again!
And because I’m committed to spreading the word about a better, more empowered way to RIDE THE PERIMENOPAUSAL WAVE, I’ve made this program only $30!
I first floated in February 2012 when my friend and colleague John Balquist first opened Oakland Floats. I loved it right from the start. I walked out of the session in the magnesium salt-filled tank feeling lighter, clearer and more energized. That night I had a deep, relaxing, healing sleep that I completely aatributed to the float. Even two days later I was still feeling the positive effects: I got things done so easily and effortlessly, like I had eight arms and each was carrying out the task with ease and joy. Floating restored me to my center, allowing me to move and act from a place of balance and clarity.
If you have never floated before, at Oakland Floats you step into a tank or small room filled about 10 inches with warm water saturated with Epsom salts. According to the website, “Floatation tanks are lightless, almost soundproof tanks of warm saltwater. They remove external physical stimuli, creating a state of ‘sensory’ relaxation. Under these conditions your body has a chance to restore its natural powers of self regulation, while you simply lie back and relax. The temperature inside the tank is kept at 93.5 degrees, the same temperature as your skin. As a result, the nerve endings which cover the surface of the skin no longer perceive any sense of separation between the skin and the silky mineral solution which surrounds it. Free from all external stimulation, your body can achieve a state of relaxation which is deeper, purer and more beneficial than sleep. With no body to look after, your mind can attend to other business.”
The first few times I floated, my mind took a little while to settle down and ease into the darkness. However, I would eventually relax and once I started to get used to being in the tank, it was really amazing to feel where I carried tension. I was floating there totally relaxed except I was clenching my jaw. I thought, “Why am I clenching my jaw?” and then released it. Floating, because it removes other sensory input like sight and sound, helped me really tune into my body and fully realize where I carried tension so that I could fully let it go.
I continued to float every few months or so and loved the peace and clarity it brought to me each time. However, just like any wellness practice, regular visits are an important part of maintaining balance, and so I decided to float three times in three weeks to see how that might effect my health and well-being.
Consecutive floats really amplified the positive effects for me. I found I was able to relax into the water more quickly each time, and I noticed right away my body would just let go. My mind was another story, of course. Boy, was there a lot of chatter in there. With nothing else to stimulate it, my mind would go into overdrive at first but then eventually it just sort of ran out of things to say. Then would come a quiet so deep, a silence so delicious.
It is so wonderful to set aside time to be in a space with no light and no sound. We are constantly bombarded, whether we conscious of it or not, with so much artificial light and sound—from our computers, TV, phone, radio, etc. It is so refreshing and relaxing to really get away from all that stimulation for a little while. Floating also has allowed me to see where I might be holding on to something that is no longer serving me and not even realize it. With all other stimuli gone, the body has time to really check-in on itself and return itself to a state of balance.
So who might want to consider floating as part of their wellness plan? Anyone who is having difficulty sleeping, feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, challenged with food/sugar addictions, suffering with joint pain, pregnant, or just needs a little time to reset and restore. I think that covers just about all of us!
