Some of my clients comment to me that their menopause symptoms are so much better when they are on holiday. They want to understand how to keep the good effects when they get home.
I have just got back from a very late summer holiday in Morocco and these are some of the differences I noticed.
Nutrition
What you eat can have a significant effect on menopause symptoms. When I am on holiday I eat different types of food. In Morocco I was eating much less red meat, more fish and much more fresh fruit and vegetables. Because there are not many supermarkets in the country, the fruit and vegetables are amazingly fresh, you can taste the difference. Moroccan women only buy oranges with the leaves still attached so that they can judge when they were picked! The fresher the produce, the more vitamins and nutrients they contain.
I didn’t eat any chocolate and I drank more water, less tea and no coffee. There is very little alcohol available in Morocco but I did indulge in glasses of sweet mint tea. We all need some vices!
Exercise
I did a lot more walking while I was on holiday. Without access to a car, my husband I walked to and from the medinas, museums and tourist sites. This gave us the opportunity to see so much more of the places we were staying in. I also had the opportunity to enjoy some swimming at one of the riads.
I pride myself on exercising most days at home but I realised that I don’t normally walk enough.
Relaxing and Relationships
Some women find that stress increases their experience of menopause symptoms. One stressor can be the constant demands we receive via mobile phones. I must confess that I did take my smartphone and iPad on holiday with me but I made the conscious decision only to access them 3 times a day. This was made easier for me by restricted access to wifi in the places we were staying!
There was plenty of time during the day to sit in pavement cafes and watch the world go by. Without the constant access to TV and radio, my husband and I took longer over our meals, really enjoying the food and chatting about our experiences during the day. After dinner we spent time chatting, reading or playing cards.
The result of all this was:
- I enjoyed my food and lost weight
- My hot flushes decreased despite the higher ambient temperature
- I slept well and longer
- I felt totally relaxed by the end of the holiday and problems were more in perspective
- My husband and I really enjoyed each other’s company
So, if you want to retain the benefits from your holiday, notice what you were doing differently. How could you introduce some of those differences into your everyday life?