February Feels - Self Love & Optimism
Hello Everyone,
Happy February! Wow January seemed particularly long this year, but thankfully those dark days are finally lifting as we enter the last month of the winter season. I always think that January is the month of discipline and February is the month of optimism. The buds are on the trees, there’s more daylight hours and there’s a sense of hope in the air as we move towards the Spring. I was particularly disciplined in January even partaking in dry January which was a first for me. I don’t drink lots anyway but just felt that after the indulgence of Christmas (it was a pretty manic one for us this year) I wanted to really reset and so I thought let’s just see how it goes. I have to say I have absolutely loved it! It’s been a real learning curve and whilst I will continue to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine here and there, I now totally appreciate the benefits of limiting alcoholic drinks to the odd social occasion. I feel refreshed, energised and clear headed AND I also feel like I have more time as I’m not suffering with the jaded lethargy that can accompany a night of drinks. I’ve really learnt a lot and have enjoyed the benefits so much that it’s definitely reframed how I see myself socialising in the future, I genuinely don’t need to have drinks to have fun, I will moreso keep my glasses of wine for nice dinners and a holiday tipple. If you’re at all interested in going sober for a period of time or just wanting to cut back I can highly recommend the Try Dry app. It’s really helpful in letting you see your progress and keeps you feeling motivated as you tick the days off. Alongside my dry January I have upped my exercise in recent weeks (probably helped by the increased energy from not drinking!) I wanted to try something out and am pleased to see it’s worked! I first heard about the term exercise snacking during the pandemic when personal trainer Lavina Mehta talked about it on her Instagram and no it doesn’t mean eating whilst working out although that would be nice, it refers to the idea that the way we work out doesn’t have to encompass long sessions in the gym or lengthy runs in order to see results, it can be broken down into smaller more manageable sessions that can be performed at different points in the day. This concept prevents fatigue and actually enables us to get more exercise done.
Throughout January I did something similar. I set myself a number of exercise tasks that needed to be completed am, lunchtime and pm. Each set took around 10-15 mins max to perform and so by the end of the day I’d actually done between 30-45 mins of exercise without feeling completely fatigued. Most of my exercises relied on using my body weight for example, press ups, planks, squats etc and so whereas I’d normally be exhausted trying to do 30 press ups in one go, by breaking it down to just 10 in each session I was able to complete 30 a day! I also found that in working in snack sessions I was able to up my reps each week, which has meant that I’ve felt so much stronger moving into this new month. I wanted to share this with you as sometimes the idea of trying to fit in workouts around jobs, children, animals etc can feel really overwhelming especially as we get into our muddly perimenopause years, however this way of incorporating workouts allows you to do it in the little bits of time that you have throughout the day. I promise if you set yourself small achievable targets you’ll start to see a huge difference in only a few weeks. In the coming months I’m hoping to share more health and fitness ideas with you that might help you to feel stronger and more energised as we move towards the summer.
Finally before I say goodbye for this month, I just wanted to let you know about our brilliant online event which is taking place on Sun 25th Feb. Following the huge success of our Peri Meno in person meet up last year, we are hosting several women’s health events online this year alongside an in person meet up later in the year. Our first meet up will be an in depth discussion with 3 of the UK’s best perimenopause and menopause experts. Menopause Specialist, Dr Lindsey Thomas, Women’s Health & Fitness coach Kate Rowe-Ham & Specialist Nutritionist Karen Newby. In this 2 hour exclusive discussion we will be covering all aspects of perimenopause and the transition into menopause including symptoms, treatments, HRT, diet, fitness and holistic practices followed by the opportunity for our audience to put their questions to our panel. It promises to be an informative evening that can help you feel empowered and in control of your hormonal health and wellbeing. Early bird tickets are on sale now and places are limited so please do book if you’d like to join us.
Anyway I’ll leave you now until next month but don’t forget if you haven’t tuned into our new podcast series yet you can catch up here. It’s been such a great series so far and it’s been wonderful to receive so many messages about our guests. We have some brilliant ones coming up between now and the end of the series too including Tanya Bardsley, Dr Louise Newson, Dr Shahzadi Harper & our event special guest Kate Rowe-Ham so make sure you’ve subscribed to be among the first to hear them.
I hope you all have a wonderful February and remember as it’s the month of love, show yourself a little and put your own health and wellbeing at the top of your priority list. Romance yourself!
Much Love,
Natalie Xx
MY February Top 5
As we step into February here are my Top 5 things that are filling my cup this month. (From left to right).
What I’m watching: Griselda, Netflix. Sofia Vegara takes on the role of Colombian business woman Griselda Blanco as the series charts her journey to becoming The Godmother of Miami’s drug empire. Sofia Vegara is incredible and the costumes fitting for 2024’s mob wives aesthetic!!
What I’m Using: No 7 Beautifully Matte foundation. I was a huge fan of Clinique’s Superbalanced for years and often used to wear it on set for different roles, however in recent years it wasnt sitting on my skin in the same way. Thankfully I recently discovered No.7’s Beautifully Matte foundation which pretty much does the same job of giving me just the right amount of coverage when i’m on set without feeling too heavy on my skin. I love it!
What I’m Eating: As we move towards the Spring i’m craving healthy, light and nutritious dishes and so a good Salmon Traybake is at the top of my list. It’s easy to make (just throw everything in one tray), still a warm dish whilst it’s cold outside and packed with flavour and nutrition.
What I’m reading: I’m revisiting The Perimenopause Solution by Dr Shahzadi Harper ( A future podcast guest, so stay tuned!) and previous guest Emma Bardwell. It’s super informative and acts as a brilliant guide for transitioning into the later stages of our reproductive years.
What I’m listening to: Brit Nominee Raye’s brilliant album My 21st Century Blues which features the epic single Escapsism. After exctricating herself from a 4 album deal at Polydor Raye released this eclectic album last year to huge critical acclaim, earning her a Mercury music prize nomination and another for best album at this years Brit awards. Go Raye!
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