Nutrition expert Sandra Miskimmin has revealed women should be treating their hormones as a superpower rather than as a taboo subject.
For many discussions about hormones become hushed conversations with lots of embarrassing whispers and confusion.
But Sandra, owner of SMASH Worldwide, a health and nutrition company which supports women through hormonal changes, believes by opening up the conversation about all hormones, it can open up a new way of life for women of any age.
Sandra is one of the speakers lined up to appear at the Mums At Work Elevate Your Business conference on Monday March 25.
Her talk, titled ‘Hormone Harmony to Maximise your Personal and Professional Goals’ will empower women to embrace their hormones rather than fear them.
She explained: “It will help women to understand how each of the hormones respond in their body and more importantly, how to use their hormones to their advantage.
“When women work with their hormones, rather than against them, it opens up a whole new world of opportunity. When this happens, women will become more successful in their personal, physical, and professional life.”
Speaking up and speaking out about hormone health is something Sandra is very passionate about.
“Women go through three major “Ps” when it comes to hormones. Puberty, pregnancy and perimenopause” said Sandra, adding: “Quite often we go through each phase confused and afraid to ask questions.
“Teenagers, and even women, don’t seem to be able to talk about something that is so natural in our lives. We talk about the curse of having a monthly cycle and just get on with life as though it is something that we have to endure.
“Many women suffer through each of these phases and accept it as normal, but if you are experiencing uncomfortable symptoms in your body, it is a sign that you are not working in conjunction with your hormones, and your body is trying to signal this to you.
“We should be able to breeze through each day, week, month and year, but nowadays, that tends not to happen.”
Sandra believes that by encouraging women to change their view as a society about their monthly cycles and the other hormones in their bodies they can start to live a lifestyle that supports their hormones and help them put the pieces of their health jigsaw together.
She said: “Not only will you feel amazing, but you will also become more productive, suffer less, know what foods to eat at what time of the month, know what kind of exercise to do each week and work towards your strengths.”
If you’re suffering from hormone imbalances here are Sandra’s top tips for helping to bring them back into balance:
1. Food
“One of the most important pieces of your health jigsaw is the food that you eat,” said Sandra.
“Aim to eat a minimally processed diet, full of lots of variety. Focus on healthy sources of protein – either animal or plant based, healthy fats and nature’s carbs.
“The closer you can get to the creation of your meals the better. By cooking for yourself you will be aware of the quality of the ingredients that you are eating and be able to control them better.
“This will ensure that your leptin (feel full) hormone and ghrelin (hunger hormone) are kept under control.”
2. Sugar
Sandra said it’s important to keep your blood sugars as balanced as possible. No one wants to be on a blood sugar rollercoaster.
She added: “When on the blood sugar rollercoaster, not only can it lead to weight gain but it can also lead to inflammation in the body, cravings and energy fluctuations.
“By keeping your blood sugars balanced, you will be keeping your insulin levels under control.”
3. Stress
“As busy women in today’s society, it can be hard to control stress levels” explained Sandra, adding: “However, by taking 10 minutes to yourself each day you can have a major positive impact on your cortisol levels.
“When cortisol is raised in the body, sleep is disrupted, belly fat is stored and we are continually in fight or flight mode.
“10 minutes of self care each day will help to lower your cortisol levels and bring your body back to calm again.”
4. Sleep
According to Sandra, having a good sleep hygiene routine is key to keeping your hormones balanced.
She said: “By switching off from screens at least one hour before bed, not eating three hours before bed and sleeping in a cool room, you will have a much better night’s sleep.
“This will enable your body to get into the rest and repair phase as you sleep and this will help to keep your ghrelin hormone under control.
“If you’re not sleeping properly you are more likely to eat an extra 300 calories of food the day after – these foods tend to be high carb foods, which then can trigger more cravings.”
5. Gut Health
“By eating a wide variety of plant based foods each week – aim for 30 – you will be providing the perfect microbiome for great gut health” said Sandra.
“90-95% of your serotonin (feel good hormone) is made in the gut. If the gut is not healthy, this can then have an impact on your mental health.”
6. Hydration
Keep it simple says Sandra: “Drink more water to help with your hormones and brain health. A two per cent reduction in hydration has been shown to have an impact on cognitive function.”
7. Toxins
“Reduce your toxin exposure to help balance your hormones. Become aware of the potential endocrine disruptors that are in products that you are using” said Sandra.
“Change from using plastic water bottles and containers to using metal or glass containers. Use the Think Dirty App to check the toxicity of the beauty products that you are using and then swap for cleaner versions.”
8. Exercise
Sandra says it’s time to tune in to where you are in your monthly cycle so ensure that you are working out in conjunction with your cycle rather than against it.
She explained: “There are times of the month that you can ramp up your training and go for personal bests and there are times of the month when you need to take things easier.
“By over exercising and not working with your cycle you risk increasing your cortisol levels and injury.”
Sandra will be revealing more tips for hormone help during her talk at the Mums At Work Elevate Your Business conference on Monday March 25.
For more information, to book a ticket or a stand go to >> bit.ly/MAWelevatePress or search for the event on Eventbrite.
Find out more about SMASH Worldwide at smashworldwide.com
