I changed my morning routine over 50. Maybe it was the over abundance of stress. Covid, our daughter being in another country and unable to return home, my husbands recent heart attack, all of the financial pressure brought on by the lockdown. Or maybe it was just my age. Or maybe it was all of the above. Whatever it was I had begun to feel some very real and very worrying symptoms of perimenopause. Night sweats, heart palpitations, brain fog, weight gain, anxiety and fatigue had all become my constant companions. I am a generally proactive person and even though I didn’t FEEL much like figuring this all out, I knew that I didn’t want to live like this, so I needed to try SOMETHING different to help alleviate these symptoms.

I sat down and carefully considered my entire day. I decided not to tackle the whole day, but just the morning first and then go from there. Bite sized chunks I could handle. I tried so many things to help these symptoms! I want to share with you what has been working for me in my new morning routine over 50 and coupled with some other daily changes it’s given me new life, vitality and energy again. I am feeling like myself again!

1. Nailing my morning routine starts the night before.

I lay out my workout clothes, shoes, socks, etc and be sure I have a huge glass of water by my bed before I go to sleep. I set my alarm for 6:30 am. I’ll discuss my night time routine and how I’m getting better sleep in another post, but doing these few things can really help me in the AM to get going!

2. I drink water as soon as I rise.

I sit on my bed and drink a 1/2 tumbler of water. To be honest, I rarely get thirsty, so I have to force myself to drink enough water each day, and while there is no magical effect, drinking it first thing in the morning helps you to rehydrate after sleeping all night. This is just a personal habit that helps me to get in enough water throughout the day. Having a nice tumbler that I can keep by my desk also helps me to get in the amount of water I need to drink daily.

3. A Sip of Detox

After getting dressed I used to head straight for the coffee. I still drink a cup of coffee but now I drink a simple detox mixture in the morning first and it has helped me tremendously! Drinking this warm detox drink has eliminated bloating, it wakes me up and leaves me feeling energized and just……good. I make it in a tea cup.

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (improves your metabolism and digestive function, while working to cleanse your liver and lymphatic system.)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice (has an alkaline effect on your body and helps to regulate your pH levels and boosts your Vit C intake for the day.)

1 tsp local honey (loaded with antioxidants)

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cinnamon

dash of cayenne pepper (all of these spices reduce inflammation, aid digestion and boost your metabolism)

Add warm water, stir and sip away.

4. Eat an anti-inflammatory breakfast

I am now extremely intentional in what I eat for breakfast. I load on the vegetables, add a serving of fresh fruit and always have one half of an avocado. One of my favorite breakfasts is to sauté garlic, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach in olive oil and put that on top of one scrambled egg. I slice up half an avocado and put it on the plate. I add salt, pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Then I’ll add a serving of fresh fruit to the plate (usually blueberries). Avocados and blueberries are both considered “superfoods” and have a myriad of health benefits so placing them firmly into your daily routine is a great idea! (If you follow me on Instagram I have lots of meal ideas in my Highlights.)

5. Vitamins and Supplements

I am specifically taking vitamins and supplements that will help me in the stage of life that I am in. My focus is on fighting inflammation and balancing hormonal changes. I take these vitamins that are specific to fighting inflammation and helping your skin to look great. I also take milk thistle which has been shown to help liver function, helps prevent gall stones, may help lower cholesterol and has anti- aging benefits thanks to its major anti-oxidant content.

I take the adaptogen ashwaghanda for it’s ability to help the symptoms associated with perimenopause. It helps with anxiety, thyroid function, adrenal fatigue, lowers cholesterol, increase stamina and much more. This is an imprtant herb in Ayurvedic medicine because it serves many purposes and benefits many body systems. This one has helped me a lot! I get all of my vitamins and supplements with a few swigs of Kefir for added probiotics.

I also use natural progesterone cream according to the directions. If you try a natural progesterone cream be sure it says “USP” on the label. The “wild yam” products being sold are useless as the body cannot convert these on it’s own, it has to be done in a lab for the body to be able to absorb.

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6. Exercise

I head straight out now, without hesitation and get in a 2-3 mile hike almost daily. This is an incredible time for me mentally as well because being outdoors really helps to clear your mind. I am able to mentally organize my day while I’m hiking. I choose to hike trails with varied terrain that are less traveled. The difference in terrain not only energizes my mind because I have to be alert, but it’s also more challenging physically because I use all of my body to step, climb, bound uphill and downhill. I feel great afterward and I’m ready to get home shower, get ready and dive into my day! My next step is adding consistent weight training back into the day. My Garmin keeps track of everything effortlessly so I’m able to see my improvements every week!

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This is my new morning routine and it has been serving me really well. Since nailing the morning routine, I’ve continued to carve out my day and determine what is important and what is a distraction or a hindrance to my mental and physical health. I’ll be covering those changes in another post.

If you’re struggling with symptoms of hormonal imbalance, I hope that this post will bring you some encouragement. Don’t give up and don’t let these symptoms be your new normal. We’re all different and these things are helping me to feel like myself again. Keep trying until you find what works for you!

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