Menopause Hangover
Jersey City
August 9th, 2024
Hi there!
My friend and colleague Tina Tang is an amazing fitness instructor. She helps women 50+ build strength. Check out her Instagram @ironstrong.
On a recent post she shared that she quit drinking all alcohol in her 40’s because of how much it affected her sleep.
When I was in my 40’s and going through menopause I couldn’t drink. No matter how small a glass or how low the alcohol content, I felt crappy. I distinctly remember having a can of Bud Light and feeling hung over. I realized that I just couldn’t drink anymore. I didn’t understand what was happening and I didn’t link it to menopause, but that’s exactly what it was. Another symptom of menopause.
No matter where you are along the menopause journey, menopause and alcohol do not mix well.
You may think that a glass of wine in the evening is a nice way to wind down and help you get to sleep, but the opposite is true. Alcohol disrupts sleep. If you’re having trouble sleeping, skip the wine and have a cup of chamomile tea or a glass of tart cherry juice instead.
And if you’re concerned about weight gain, remember that wine and cocktails both have lots of sugar and sugar causes weight gain.
If you don’t want to cut out alcohol, then think about cutting back. Don’t have more than 1 drink per day. One drink = 5 ounces. Some wine glasses hold a lot more than 5 ounces, so be careful.
The alcohol / water connection. Alcohol is stored in the bloodstream and in the spaces between our cells. It is also stored in the liver, which happens to be the only organ that stores alcohol. Our bodies lose water as we again which makes it more difficult to dilute the alcohol. So, if you could hold your liquor when you were younger but that’s no longer the case, blame it on the water. If you happen to drink lots of water and stay very hydrated, alcohol may affect you less.
Here are some nonalcoholic options – Cheers!
· Tonic (or seltzer) with bitters and lime
· Seedlip
· Ghia
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And more...
Since it’s been too hot to be outside, I’ve been staying in and working on some projects that are overdue.
· We added a newsletter archive to the website. Now if you missed a copy, no worries, just go to the newsletter page and click on the archives and you’ll find all the past Menopause Musings. It may take a few weeks to upload them all but soon you’ll be able to find them.
· I plan on offering a free webinar next month on Reading Nutritional Food Labels. It will be in the evening.
· Have you wondered about taking herbs but didn’t know how to start? Bonnie Rose Weaver is a clinical herbalist (and a friend). I highly recommend her. She’s offering a monthly series called, “Think Like an Herbalist”. It’s free or $20 sliding scale. Each session is one hour. You can sign up for them individually. She is in California so be aware of the time change.