If you want to feel more rested and energized, think more clearly, and lose your menopause belly, this is probably one of the most important menopause hacks I have for you.
The body likes homeostasis.
Homeostasis is defined as:
The tendency of the body to seek and maintain a condition of balance or equilibrium within its internal environment, even when faced with external changes. A simple example of homeostasis is the body’s ability to maintain an internal temperature around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, whatever the temperature outside.
When we maintain a predictable environment, the body functions fairly predictably as well.
So, if we can sleep, eat and exercise at regular times, we can expect our body to function a certain way.
Here are the benefits of maintaining a regular schedule:
Sleep – Our biological clocks are in tune with nature such that even certain hormones are affected by light and body temperature. We will feel more energized when we maintain a regular sleep pattern. Your body will wake without an alarm and start to get sleepy like clockwork when you tune into it’s natural rhythm.
Sleep issues lessen when we protect the hours we need to sleep (even if we aren’t sleepy).
*Shift workers have an added challenge to maintain regular sleep. The best advice I can provide those who work shifts or have jet lag is to lower sleeping temperature, maintain complete darkness for sleep (black window coverings and a sleep mask) and either get out in the sun when awake or use a blue ‘happy’ light to help the body adjust to different hours.
Eating – You can prevent your metabolism from tanking and maintain steady energy levels when you eat at regular times. The body is a wonderful machine and will ‘get by’ on less calories or irregular eating patterns but there is a cost.
The cost is a slower metabolism.
This is because when the body doesn’t know when the next meal is coming, it will hold onto those calories and store them as fat for that ‘rainy day’ when calories are in short supply. The thing is, in today’s world, there rarely is a ‘rainy day’ or famine where we need to draw on the excess and weight loss becomes difficult.
In addition, our digestion benefits from regular sleep and eating patterns and we are more likely to have regular bowel movements – another topic that is non-sexy but essential for a healthy and flat tummy.
Exercise – The BEST time to exercise is when you feel most energized and when it fits your schedule. The benefit of regular exercise has more to do with habit than anything. Building in the regular habit of exercising at a certain time daily and weekly makes it more likely that you will do it.
It’s more likely that we can be our ‘best self’ and we will be better prepared to cope with life with clearer thinking and emotional stability when we are rested and energized.
Now of course life always throws curve balls at us to change schedules and we need to be able to adjust.
Life would be pretty boring if we never changed things up ever, but for the majority of the time, if we can abide by the non-sexy rules to keep some semblance of order to our sleep, eating and exercise patterns, we will feel sexier than ever and even lose the menopause belly.
Let me and a group of like-minded women help you dial in these lifestyle ‘hacks’ and more. I have a results-getting small group coaching program where I hold your hand, provide nutrition plans, recipes, workouts and tips like this to help you finally lose your menopause belly and feel like your old self again.