I try to be healthy, but reality is, I struggle at times. Having always had a sweet tooth (whatever that's about), I can easily fall back into old habits. What's interesting though, is that the older I get, the more sensitive I have become to certain foods. Is anyone nodding?
Sure, I love a good donut, and carrot cake is my all-time favourite but not a lot of it likes me anymore. I often wonder whether it's my bodies way of saying,
enough is enough after so many years of eating those foods.
It's definitely a post menopause thing for sure, but what's interesting is that along side that has been becoming super-sensitive to certain foods, medicines and preservatives. This is something I have read about in relation to this time in life, but the extent of it is what has surprised me.
For me it has manifested in so many ways over a number of years. One of the first things was reacting to the anaesthetic at the dentist. At first it was the regular adrenalin type that I reacted to with a racing heartbeat, then after my dentist changed to using the non-adrenalin type, I reacted to this one also, this time with the opposite effect of my heart rate slowing right down. While this was going on I was also having reactions to even natural menopausal supplements that were supposed to balance my hormones; I felt like I couldn't win.
That was a few years ago now, maybe about four or five. What happened next though was centred around food, and this surprised me even more. For a period of time I started to react to caffeine and every few months it would almost be like it had built up in my system and I just couldn't tolerate it any longer. It really was weird because I'd be fine for a couple of months, then boom, major anxiety, hot flashes and sweats with any caffeine, even tea. And damn it, I was the same with alcohol. I've never been a big drinker but sometimes I enjoy a glass of wine and I couldn't even have one. What a crazy time.
With these reactions coming and going over a period of about five or so years I guess, it was becoming more and more frustrating. But, I had to live with it. What could I do?
The most recent part of this journey has been around other foods. What I find now is that I'm super-sensitive to gluten and sugar, and my anxiety goes through the roof; my finger joints get quite sore and I generally get puffy. If I stay away from those things, life is completely different. I'm calm, centred and clear headed. Keeping away from these foods makes a massive difference.
Lately I have been experimenting with having a small amount of honey as a sweetener in some things, which seems to be fine, and paleo breads are great too. In terms of fruits, berries are good, but again if I have too much fruit, my anxiety comes back. Paying careful attention to how I feel after I've eaten different foods has been interesting and the more I do it, the more I learn. Yes, it takes time and effort, but anything worth having does.
Question: What have you noticed about food and mood? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear.
With love,
