Category: menopause

Posted on in activity, Fitness, Food, menopause, personal growth, weight-loss

A Belly Full of Visceral Fat

25 years ago when I first discovered Insulin Resistance (IR), it was NOT something doctors talked about.

Matter of fact, the few doctors that did were ousted as crazy (my words).  THANKFULLY for one doctor that shared what it was and how it contributes to so many other “syndromes”, I was able to reverse mine before it was deemed I’d need meds.

Back then…they didn’t pressure you to be on meds until it was pretty bad.  Today…they pressure you to be on meds before even mentioning how to fix it naturally.

I don’t know where my desire for natural healing came from but for as long as I can remember I knew there were ways to heal ourselves.

I think it came from my memories growing up…

Dad ate Little Debbie Snack cakes and hot chocolate pudding over white bread and other sweets and junk like Frosted Flakes with extra sugar poured on top.

I can still feel myself grab that light blue sugar bowl with one end opening for a spoon and the other end opening for a pour.   I can (at this moment right now) feel myself open the pouring end and pour all over those already sweetened flakes until the top was covered!

And while I’m at it..why not a second bowl?  That’s about five (5) servings right there with probably ¼ to ½ cup white sugar on top.

No child needed that. BUT look at all the fortified vitamins and minerals it had.  We were feeding the children better, right?

I remember my mom liking mustard, horseradish, peppers, sauerkraut, and things of that nature.  

I also remember thinking “maybe when I’m older I’ll like mustard”.  I had no clue why it mattered but I thought my mom was cool so I hoped one day I would like mustard too.

I believe 100% I gained my coping skills regarding food from my dad.  

Just a couple weeks ago, my brother called me and while chatting he asked “hey do you remember driving us to school and doing that donut down on Tasker?  I remember, EVERY morning you eating LIttle Debbie Snack cakes on the way”.

Yep, that was my breakfast.  For over 16 years I ate like that.  That was the beginning of today’s heavily laden coping skills with cereals that we now call highly processed junk food.

But I learned that I have control over turning my genes on and off.  It’s called epigenetics.

My situation was not genetic.  It was HABITS handed down in my home.  

If you know my family, you’ll know that these were coping habits.  

I remember a train car had an accident and we were given a ton of boxes of Kellogg’s cereal and that was what we had many days for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I know I’m not the only one who grew up like that.  Some are growing up like that and worse today.

25 years ago when I was about to have my third daughter, the doctor told me then I was ONE point away from being diabetic.  

Can you believe they didn’t offer me meds then nor after the pregnancy?

I can tell you I got on top of that right away and began researching for myself.  

With an abdominal measurement at 38″ NOT pregnant I needed to make a change!

It was a lot of really hard work emotionally and mentally but I did it.

In today’s world they push meds on you with the tiniest raise in your A1c.

You CAN change your health by LIFESTYLE changes.

You can decide which genes are on and which genes are off.  You get to decide if you’re overweight or normal weight.  You get to decide how strong you want to be and how mentally alert you want to be.

You are in charge of you!

Set the example for the children in your life!

They need you.

Posted on in Fitness, menopause

Is it MENOPAUSE or bad habits?

Women in their 40s often feel like they can keep doing whatever they’ve always done, eating casually, skipping workouts, pushing through life without paying much attention to how their bodies are changing. 

But the truth is, by this stage, the body is quietly shifting.

By the time 50 rolls around, those changes show up as what many call “menopause symptoms.” 

Then, once they cross fully into menopause, many women feel completely lost, frustrated, and even miserable.

But here’s the question no one is really asking: 

Are all these symptoms truly menopause?  Or are they the accumulated effects of years of under-fueling, inactivity and overeating of junk foods in a bag and a box?

I believe a large percentage of what women label as “menopause struggles” are not solely hormonal. 

Instead, they are amplified by decades of not giving the body the right tools: enough protein, balanced carbs, strength training, and consistent movement.

Think about it:

  • A 20-year-old (male or female) can skip meals, live on coffee, and still build some muscle without much thought to nutrition.
  • But once we hit our 30s, the rules begin to change. For both men and women, muscle preservation and metabolism require more intentional fuel.
  • Estrogen does act as a protective buffer for women, especially against inflammation, but when the body has been deprived of the right nutrients for decades, the transition through menopause feels harsher than it needs to.

So, the real question is this: Should we blame menopause—or should we look at our habits leading up to it?

What if many of the symptoms women struggle with weren’t inevitable but instead preventable?

Or at least greatly reduced, with consistent nourishment and strength training before and during menopause?

I’ve had countless women come to me blaming menopause, only to discover their real breakthrough came when they fueled properly and gained more lean muscle mass.

Menopause doesn’t have to feel like the end of control. 

With the right fuel and movement, it can be a season of strength.

Menopause doesn’t get the final say in your health. Your habits, your choices, and your fuel do.

Even one small shift like prioritizing protein at your next meal, can begin changing the way your body responds. The power is still in your hands.

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