The last few years irritability has been my constant companion, and not such a pleasant one. Being post-menopausal I'd put it down to that, hoping that one day it will disappear. But recently I've discovered it's something else altogether.
For a couple of months now my mood and energy levels have been low, but that's nothing new. To be honest, this has been my normal since going through menopause five years ago; I have struggled with inconsistent energy levels and my moods have followed suit. Recently however I've gotten very tired of it and decided to have some blood tests. With my results back, and all in the normal range (according to the medical fraternity), I decided to trot off to a Health Coach. What I discovered totally threw me. Although my results are normal, they are certainly not optimal, in fact some are nowhere near. A number of symptoms I've been experiencing for between 2-5 years that I thought were either menopause or stress related, are due to a number of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. As I read through the charts of symptoms and ticked them off one after the other in my head, I was astounded. I'd experienced numbness in my feet, I'd become very sensitive to the cold weather over the last 3-4 years, my hands and feet get very cold and I'd often joked that they don't warm up at all between April and November. The irritability I talked about earlier was becoming more and more of an issue, I've had tinnitus for the lsat two years, fatigue off and on for several years, psoriasis on my elbows, I bruise very easily, have had palpitations for a few years now, muscle weakness, mental fog, memory issues, depression and major anxiety. It's quite a list. What I learned is that my Vitamin B12, D3, Iron and Folate, Selenium and Zinc are well below the optimum levels. As I said earlier, they are normal, but far from ideal as I now know. Since my consultation with Justine Laidlaw - The Natural Bird here in Tauranga, I have felt a huge sense of relief. I'm relieved there is a reason I have been experiencing these symptoms because I really thought I was starting to lose the plot. In the last week I have felt more positive than I have in a good while, knowing that there is a path to feeling better. This week I have spent quite some time researching the supplements I'm now taking (Vitamin B12, D3, Iodine, Selenium and Zinc), and foods I can include in my diet. So, I'm looking forward to more balanced energy and mood levels. It will take 6-12 weeks to notice improvements, but psychologically, just knowing what is really been going on, is a huge relief. For this reason, the last week I have felt more positive than I have in a good few months. I'll keep you posted on my progress and I hope this is helpful to know. Take care,
