This Girl Is On Fire (Part II) The Extinguisher
Well, here we are, one month later and I have left you hanging in a hot sweat wondering why you are having that hot flash! Sorry about that, my marketing team tells me that I can’t ramble on too much in one month. They say that blogs are meant to be 700-1000 words. I bet they have never experienced a hot flash and needed relief! They are right though, I could really go on and on about this topic. That is why I have broken it up into a two part series to keep you engaged and me coachable to the process of blogging!
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s dive in, shall we?!
What is triggering that nasty “burning you up from the inside out” hot flashes?
To be honest, there are quite a few things that can trigger them unfortunately and women respond differently to certain triggers. There are some though that are common for us all. The most irritating thing, in my opinion, is that at one time your body was totally fine and welcoming to all these things. In fact, some may have been your favorite thing ever!
Here is a Top 10 list I have gathered in no particular order:
- Heat – Hot weather, saunas, warm rooms, or even too many blankets can bring on a flash faster than you can say “menopause.”
- Spicy foods – Delicious, yes. But your body might treat that jalapeño like a flamethrower. I am a HUGE FAN of spicy food which makes this so disappointing and sometimes I just fight my way through the hot flash and tell myself I am enjoying it!
- Caffeine – Your beloved coffee or energy drink can make your internal thermostat glitch. This one I switched to mushroom coffee to deal with and as gross as that might sound, it tastes EXACTLY like coffee! I will share more about this another day!
- Alcohol – Especially red wine. What is crazy about this is your Doctor will tell you that if you have any alcohol your best option is red wine for health reasons and yet it can make you feel like you stepped on hot coals on first sip!
- Stress or anxiety – Emotional surges often lead to physical ones. Fun, right?
- Tight clothing – Restrictive clothes can trap heat and make your body rebel. This year I have taken on being in my flowy dress phase of life to combat this.
- Smoking – Not only unhealthy overall but also a notorious hot flash enhancer.
- Sugar or high-carb meals – Can spike insulin and mess with thermoregulation. Great! Not even a chocolate bar can help you out of this hot mess!
- Exercise (right before bed) – Yes, it’s good for you, but close to bedtime it may rev up your engine too much. Besides, who wants to work out right before bed? Not this girl!
- Hot drinks – Even tea or soup can be a sneaky trigger, especially in a warm environment. This one I find though could go either way!
There you have it! If you avoid all of these things you may be able to reduce or eliminate your hot flashes. You may also lead the most boring life! Unless you are someone who knows you can embrace giving up all of this and find new happiness living in the Arctic, eating bland food, while sipping on water, meditating in a baggy dress (and cotton underwear) while reading a book before bed.
Okay, all joking aside, you do not have to give all of this up. You just need to figure out what it is for you that sets off your hot flash. It is a lot of trial and error to get to the point of knowing what your triggers are but if you keep at it, you will find relief. I promise you!
Lastly, I hear people say that aging sucks but I like to think that the alternative to aging is worse. Being six feet under! We have to find ways to embrace these new stages in life and remind ourselves that not all get to age, so even this is a privilege. It is a hot and sweaty burning you up privilege but a privilege all the same! The more we talk about these topics the more we can see we are not alone and we have community to reach out to.
Let me ask you, what would you like me to blog about next?
Send me an email and let me know!
Until then, stay COOL my friends!
Much love,
Tammy
