How are you doing?
Would you say you were enjoying optimal health and vitality? Or are you just getting through these challenging times the best you can?
I’ve been working in women’s health for nearly 8 years and I’m blown away by how strong women are.
But I’ve also noticed a frustrating underlying acceptance that many women have. That just feeling “OK” is enough. That they shouldn’t complain, or want more for themselves. That we should just feel good enough to be able to hold everything and everyone together.
And this means that we often settle for just being ‘OK’. And that’s reinforced by the medical model too – that we paper the cracks, manage our symptoms with medication, and just get on with it!
What if we deserve more than that? (We do by the way).
What if we could shift our mindset from ‘surviving’ or feeling ‘OK’ to actually THRIVING and really enjoying optimal health – even in challenging times like these? So that we’re fit, well, healthy and strong not just in our 30’s, 40’s, 50’s but well into our old age?
What could that mean for women? What could it mean for everyone else?
And for that matter, what could it mean for the world?
The difference it makes when we decide to choose optimal health
I’ve seen enough transformation in my time helping women achieve better health to know what it can mean.
Optimal health can mean saved marriages, more fulfilling careers, better leaders, fully functioning relationships with loved ones and more joy and vitality all round.
And I haven’t even mentioned the avoidance of chronic disease and the grief that can cause.
Because let’s face it, we’re living longer than ever. And if we want our bodies to stay well and healthy into those years we’re going to have to do a bit more than just ‘manage our symptoms’.
We can’t rely on our stretched health systems to keep us healthy. While the medical model is brilliant at managing ‘acute’ medical issues like saving your life if you have an accident or giving you emergency surgery, many of our health services really struggle to provide enough support for more chronic long term conditions. That’s why it’s so important that we do as much as we can to stay healthy and out of the system for as long as possible.
The good news is that it’s never too late to sort out your health! Whether you want to improve your daily health (better energy, mood, sleep, focus, memory, digestion, weight, etc) or you want to work on preventative measures to reduce your risk of disease, there are many aspects to consider.
To start your journey towards optimal health, you need to look at your health in a truly holistic way, including your diet, stress levels, sleep, exercise, environment, mental wellbeing and supplements.
Menopause is often our wake-up call
For women it’s often the menopausal transition that provides the perfect opportunity (and trigger) to be more proactive.
100 years ago, the average age of menopause was 57, and life expectancy for women was 58. We didn’t have much time to explore this change before our lives were over!
Today the average age for menopause is 51. Life expectancy is now 81. That’s 30 years of life left in most of us!
We have a huge opportunity to make these years count. To reach our potential, to enjoy ourselves and to put our needs FIRST for once. But you can’t do any of that to the fullest if you’re not feeling fabulous.
In fact I’ve recently really dug deep into my personal mission and realised that it’s not just about helping women with their hormones, that’s great, but my real passion is to help women become the role models for a healthier future generation. Imagine what a difference to the world that would make!
An invitation to optimal health
I believe we all deserve better. We deserve to feel the best we can. Not just symptom free or OK, but thriving. How else are we going to be those role models for the next generation?
We have the right to optimal health, we deserve it – so we can be the best version of ourselves long into our old age.
Whether or not you’ve reached menopause, or experienced a health challenge that’s triggered a moment of reflection – here are a few questions to ask yourself. No one else needs to know your answers – you might want to spend some time journalling, or just reflecting quietly on your response.
When you become aware of your priorities, it’s far easier to move into action – but you have to be honest with yourself first.
- How are you doing right now when it comes to health? Think about your ease of movement, any aches and pains, sleep, energy levels, digestion, and susceptibility to colds and illnesses. Are you thriving, or just surviving?
- What feels like your biggest priority right now? Pick one thing. Who could help you make a change to that? Is it a health professional, your GP, a coach, a friend, or perhaps time to dig into some reading or research?
- What’s your motivation for getting yourself to a place where you’re thriving? Who are you going to be a role model for, or what impact do you want to make with your time on the planet? Think about what excites, inspires and motivates you to take fantastic care of yourself. And the do it!
Need a helping hand when it comes to hormones?
If you know it’s your time to thrive, get in touch and see how we can help. We offer state of the art hormone and health testing to identify imbalances that could be causing your symptoms and help you create a sustainable personalised programme to get you to optimal health and thriving.
Contact us here: www.happyhormonesforlife.com/contact
About Nicki Williams
The chocolate, coffee and wine loving nutritionist!
Nicki Williams is a qualified Nutritional Therapist, author, speaker and founder of Happy Hormones for Life, helping women to get back to their absolute best – slimmer, energized, more productive and in full control of their hormones!
After failing to find any medical help for her symptoms of exhaustion, weight gain and hormone issues herself in her early 40’s, she discovered that she could turn things around using diet, lifestyle and natural supplements.
She went on to qualify as a nutritional therapist and hormone expert, and now helps women all over the world with her online programmes, workshops and individual and group coaching.
- Guest post: Hormone testing; is it the missing link for you? - October 12, 2022
- Are you thriving or just surviving? Why we should be aiming for optimal health - March 31, 2022
- Guest blog: What does perimenopause feel like? - March 19, 2019
