Episode 18: Perimenopausal Brain Fog (Causes and Solutions)

Memory loss and brain fog can feel like unwelcome companions, especially during perimenopause when words seem to perpetually hang on the tip of the tongue. Sharing personal tales of linguistic mishaps and the emotional toll these experiences take, this episode offers a heartfelt exploration of how aging, ADHD, and other factors can complicate communication. We delve into the world of hormones and their impact on brain health, sketching out the "perfect storm" of factors that contribute to memory challenges during this stage of life.

As we navigate these challenges, I share insights into how nutritional support and lifestyle changes can promote cognitive clarity. From the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins to the importance of mindfulness practices, we explore strategies to help clear the fog. Emphasizing the temporary nature of these memory lapses, there's hope in the form of improved mental sharpness through thoughtful changes. Join our community through our Facebook group to continue this conversation, and remember, be kind to yourself on this journey.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:57

Thank you she went to drop her off, didn't go outside or anything.

Speaker 2 1:02

You said she started to pretend. When you say I'm just going to drop you off, Didn't go outside or anything. And you said and it was the start of the 10 when you say I'm just going to drop you to this job and you go, can I come with you? And you're like, yes, why. You're like, just this one thing I need. I was like, which shop? And you went, do your makeup count? And I was like, oh, dear Lord.

Speaker 1 1:19

I had the best time. I bought makeup, I bought perfume. I had the best time.

Speaker 2 1:23

I mean what's not to love no regrets. So I know the makeup, the manager there, really really well. So I've known him for years and years and years, since he was the manager at Charlotte Tilbury and then you've known him since you were little now.

Speaker 1 1:37

Yeah, I think I was 16 when I met him.

Speaker 2 1:39

Yeah, no, even younger, maybe maybe 14, 15.

Speaker 1 1:42

Yeah.

Speaker 2 1:43

So I've known him a good decade.

Speaker 1 1:44

Yeah, and he recognised me straight away without even me saying anything. He didn't know I was coming into Charlotte Tilbury. He recognised me from my mum. He was like are you so-and-so's daughter? I'm like mm-hmm, mm-hmm, and you've grown up with him. So, yeah, he sees me.

Speaker 2 2:00

He sees taught me as a teenager and now a young woman yeah, and he treats you every single night, yeah, so shout out to Jake. Shout out to Jake. If you're listening, you might do now. You never know, because we were talking about the podcast today. That was a conversation, so yeah, so yeah.

Speaker 1 2:16

We had fun this morning but everyone needs a treat yourself day absolutely.

Speaker 2 2:23

And the thing is, if you're, I always love, so one of my top tips when, if you're ever buying makeup because I think this is the thing for women in paramount levels as well as your skin does change and, um, I loved I would say to people go and have, go and find somebody that you can get on with, because makeup counters can be really intimidating as well. Yeah, so go and find something you get on with and ask them for a makeup lesson, because most places, like dior or something, they'll say okay, if you spend a minimum of some x amount that you'll get back it redeemed against products. Um, we'll give you a makeup lesson and so they will teach you how to use the products on you.

Speaker 2 3:02

They'll color match you so you don't waste money that way yeah, yeah, and they're good yeah, and they'll teach you all the tips and the tricks, and then you get to that you know, then you obviously, when somebody like, do your as well, you get to be on their like loyalty program yeah, and you get little goodies, treats, and which one doesn't have a little treat I've got gravy today doesn't love a little present?

Speaker 2 3:26

everyone that's. You know what. This is the thing about the lifestyle brand as well. Sorry, a little plug for our lifestyle here, because people will say to me why do you love the lifestyle brand so much? And so my main job is is I'm a life coach. That's my passion in life, that's what I'm born to do. And from the lifestyle coach I talk about perimenopause a lot because it's so needed, like the world needs it everybody. We need to get the message out there. And then from the perimenopause stuff comes the lifestyle brand. Because there was a, there was a, just there. There wasn't a brand that was doing that and it I. I couldn't find it, I couldn't find the products I needed, I couldn't find everything I needed as a. But when I send the packages out from the lifestyle brand, everything goes out wrapped in beautiful layers of tissue paper and it's.

Speaker 1 4:17

My aim is that everything arrives to you like it's a gift yeah because I just love gifts and you put a lot of thought and care into the packaging. I don't package. That's not a thing, it's all. All her, all the time.

Speaker 2 4:28

Yes, because I just love it and it's what I do to relax, so I I tend to this is actually a true story by the way inside into behind the scenes.

Speaker 2 4:36

I package in my downtime so I put I usually do it when there's nobody else in the studio and I put on classical music or chill, easy listening music. I put fluffy slippers on and it's what I do to relax and downtime. So it comes out and it's like everything smells gorgeous and looks gorgeous. Um, everyone, there's lots of little motivational postcards that go out, stickers that go out, so shout out to the lifestyle brand, um, but that's what I want for everybody to experience. So even if you get a packet of collagen, you'll get it in a beautifully wrapped layers of tissue paper. Motivational post. Even if you get a packet of collagen, you'll get it in a beautifully wrapped layers of tissue paper. Postcards, lovely stickers for a packet of collagen, because I want you to experience something gorgeous arriving to your dog I like the.

Speaker 1 5:16

When someone buys the book, the perimenopause book, with the guide, yeah, that they get a bookmark. I think that's a nice little, do you know?

Speaker 2 5:22

I also sign every book. Yeah, that's cute. So every time somebody buys a book, I send them a little message. I sign the front of every book. That's nice. Every time that's perfect. Yeah, who doesn't want that? I know it's cute, right, but that's what I love about going to dior as well, because every time I go and see jay, he always says hi, darling, and he just, and he always knows what I bought last time. This is mine. Please don't ask what kind of it is, though, because I can't tell you, but he always knows what lip liner I've bought before, what lipstick I've bought before, and he makes me feel special and we love him for that. We do, yeah, and that's the point about being special. We've gone again completely off on a tangent. I don what the question is. We're doing well, we're vibing.

Speaker 1 6:03

We're vibing For a Sunday. Everyone excuse us.

Speaker 2 6:05

I know, so tell me what's the question, darling.

Speaker 1 6:08

So the question is from Stacey from our Facebook group. Okay, she submitted this. Stacey's also from British Columbia Right, canada, near Canada, yeah, near Canada, close, hi Stacey. So she's asked about memory loss. She says I've been losing words mid-conversation for years now. Yeah, yeah, and it's been terrifying. I only recently found out.

Speaker 2 6:31

Girl, I feel you.

Speaker 1 6:33

She's only recently found out as well that that could be a paramenopause symptom.

Speaker 2 6:36

Oh, no, oh gosh, that must be really horrible, yeah, yeah. So, okay, girl, I feel your pain Because this is something and I talk about this. I probably talk about this a lot. I don't know if I've talked about this on the podcast yet, but, people, I love you all, I love my family, as in us, yes, Okay, okay, I love them all, but what.

Speaker 2 7:00

But you finish my sentences and it pisses me off. Okay, yeah, all of them do it. So I, all of them do it, because they get bored of waiting for me. Yeah, don't tell me you don't. I know it's not true.

Speaker 1 7:13

And that's it. That's why we do it, not in a condescending way, it's just like come on. So I'm like the and then she'll think about something else, like something else will come about, it's like what do you expect?

Speaker 2 7:25

it's like no, no, just, but topic at hand right, but if you're, if you're in perimenopause, lady hd, man, it's hard work because I'm trying to remember what I was trying to think about and then lady hd comes on with a squirrel and a shiny nut and I'm trying to not think about something new and then the squirrel shows up and shows me something new and it's hard, it's hard work. So, yeah, brain fog, brain fog. So the memory thing and the losing the words is really really, really soul destroying, like massively, hugely. Girl, I feel your pain, I feel your soul on this one. It is so it's difficulty in recalling words or losing track. So it's not just, it's not just like you could be sitting there thinking, um, an example, I'm just sitting in the studio right now.

Speaker 2 8:22

So obviously we're in the studio where we do. This is where you and I work. So we've got all the lifestyle brand here we. This is where we report the podcast, this is where you and I worked in the day. So it's not where I have my, my water, it's not where I coach, it's not where I have my clients. So I'm looking around. So let's say, for example, um, you think, oh well, I know those books, what do we put a book on the book thingy, the book, you know the tall thing, the thing that, and you wouldn't remember the word bookshelf. So you'd go book, book, furniture, book, square, you know the long things, it's tall, and you wouldn't remember the word shelf, and you could sit there and you and you feel like like, um, you know the, it's right, so it's tall, it's a piece of furniture, yeah, and you put lots of books on it and you start. It's like a game of bloody clue, you know, like charades, right, charades. Yes, I'm not american, darling, charade, charade, don't you start with me, girl?

Perimenopausal Brain Fog Frustration

Speaker 2 9:30

that was amazing okay so it's, do you know, when you start having to describe it, it's like two words first word, you know, and it's really and it makes you feel that so small and so frustrating because it can be a letter of the alphabet. One of my best friends of the day, you know, she's such a fiercely intelligent, high-powered woman and she couldn't remember the letter after x and she was almost in tears, you know, because she's incredibly high-powered and bright and it was like the letter of the alphabet that you learn when you're three, four, Is it like the feeling of being a child and not remembering?

Speaker 2 10:13

No, no, no, Because you know that, you know it, and it's like the fear is that you have dementia. So the fear is that you've lost your mind. But you're fully compusvent, you're fully aware. So when you lose your mind, the thing is, if you had dementia, if you had early Alzheimer's or you had dementia or you had some kind of brain injury, you wouldn't be aware, that you're not aware. And that's a blessing. This is, you are fully aware. You're not childlike. So it's not that you don't have awareness and you haven't lost awareness. You're fully aware, yeah, that you cannot recall something so it's the worst of both sides.

Speaker 2 10:56

Yeah, so you're very bright and then when people who were maybe younger than you or less aware I'm just saying less educated, less aware of the topic that you're talking about, yeah start trying to guess what you're doing or fill in the words for you and you're like like don't yeah, just don't, don't do that.

Speaker 1 11:23

Why is that more frustrating when we try? And because we look at it as we're helping.

Speaker 2 11:27

You're not helping me because I'm not. You're my child.

Speaker 1 11:31

Yeah.

Speaker 2 11:31

I know you're trying to help me, but you're my child, for other people, not just us yeah, but it's like you don't know what I'm trying to say. Like I'll say I can't find my and scott will go bag, keys, phone, and I'll be like shoe, like I know where all those things are, I'm trying to find my shoe. Or I'll be like client, client folder. You know like you're, and you're distracting me because I'm trying to find the word and you're distracting me with all, because my brain's registering all these words that you're telling me and every time you distract me, my brain's now registering all those words that you're saying and stopping me from trying to recall, because my brain's literally. It's like I'm wading through treacle, inside a glass jar in a tunnel, looking at something in the distance, trying to find this thing Right, and I want to cry because I don't know what it is.

Speaker 1 12:31

Yeah, but you know what?

Speaker 2 12:33

it is, but I know, I know.

Speaker 1 12:34

Yeah.

Speaker 2 12:36

And the thing for me is I'm trilingual.

Speaker 1 12:38

Mm.

Speaker 2 12:40

ADHD, yeah, perimenopausal.

Speaker 1 12:43

Yeah.

Speaker 2 12:45

Right, I am in trouble here, hmm, because I speak Three languages. I already there's some days when I wake up and there's a word. So you know, I'm a Firewall constructor.

Speaker 1 12:55

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2 12:56

I was doing A site visit, yeah, the other day At Wentworth Woodhouse, we've got a shout-out. We've got an amazing Firewall happening at Wentworth Woodhouse. We've got a shout out. We've got an amazing firewalk happening on the 19th of October. If you want tickets, just send me a message or go to katebrimmaneventscom. Yeah, it'll be good, it'll be amazing. Like, come on as many people as possible.

Speaker 1 13:11

It'll be brilliant, amazing amazing, amazing event.

Speaker 2 13:12

It's all about overcoming fear. The firewalk itself is fantastic, but it's the point is. I'll get you to just power of the mind. It's amazing. But I was doing a site visit and he was saying to me what size is this plug? What size is the water hose?

Speaker 2 13:29

Who the guy that's running the fire. Walk for me. What size is the plug? Right? So remember when we were in Egypt and we built our own house? Yeah, right. What language did I build the house in? Arabic, right. So what language do I know? Plumbing in? That's so good. No, it's not.

Speaker 1 13:51

That's really funny.

Speaker 2 13:52

Okay, so I dealt with all the plumbers, electricians and carpenters and builders in Arabic, not in English, so I know all the plumbing terms in Arabic.

Speaker 1 14:03

I don't know that many plumbing terms either.

Speaker 2 14:05

Okay, so teleterba is the Arabic word for three quarters. Yeah, yeah, I didn't know what it was in English Because of brain fog. Because of brain fog, oh okay, no, you just didn't know. But I wouldn't. I mean, I've never learned it in English because I've never done any plumbing in England. No, here you, I've never learned it in English because I've never done any plumbing in England.

Speaker 1 14:24

So here, you hire a plumber, yeah.

Speaker 2 14:25

But I'd only ever discussed, I'd only ever had that conversation in Arabic, and I was trying to explain to him and I was like I couldn't bring the memory into my brain to be able to translate it, to be able to discuss with him, and the only word that was coming up was so what did you actually end up saying to him? I took a picture and sent it to him. I cleaned the plug with the bottom of something in my bag and and rubbed it all off and cleaned it and sent him a picture because I couldn't, I couldn't, I could not, um, couldn't, figure it out yeah, that's so I'm, but that's really good.

Speaker 1 15:05

I don't know why.

Speaker 2 15:06

No, but yeah, I mean there's a humorous side to it, but at the time I was like it's so frustrating, it just makes you want to cry.

Speaker 1 15:18

Yeah.

Speaker 2 15:20

And it's everyday words, everyday letters. Does it happen every day? Yes, every single day of my life at the moment.

Speaker 1 15:26

Okay.

Speaker 2 15:28

Without fail. I'm in a conversation and it's like I can't remember a vegetable.

Speaker 1 15:33

Do you think a lot of the perimenopausal women also feel?

Speaker 2 15:36

it every day, 85%, daily, daily, oh, to varying degrees.

Speaker 1 15:42

Yeah, yeah, oof, that's frustrating, yep. So actually, the people that speak more than one language. It must be really frustrating for them because it's like what is it in this language already? You already feel like that what is this word? And how do I say this If?

Speaker 2 15:56

you're bilingual, trilingual, multilingual, you're already. I mean, okay, yes and no, and I'm going to tell you why. If you are bilingual, you're making your brain work stronger. So it's all it is. In the long term, it's going to help you, yeah, and I'm going to talk about it. I'll tell you why in a bit, but it at the time that it's happening, it's more frustrating, but in the long term, the health of your brain is going to be better. Okay, um, but at the time, but the time that's happening, you just want to just cry and run away. So I mean, why does? Let me, okay? So, yes, it's frustrating, I feel your pain. Stacy, yes, stacy, darling, you're not on your own, it's I, I'm, I'm gonna say 85. Why I'm saying 85 is because 85 of women will suffer paramimenopause symptoms. I've never spoken to a woman with perimenopause that hasn't suffered anything to brain fog at all.

Speaker 1 16:51

So we just need a solution for brain fog? Well, don't we?

Speaker 2 16:58

Okay, she's being naughty. Watch this space. Dot dot dot. Okay, just leave it there. Grab real. I don't be naughty, there is, there is something in the works. Okay, just leave it there. I'm working on it. I'm working hard on it, as well as you know, because I'm not having it anymore. I'm spitting, I'm spitting my dummy out with that one, because it's something that's very, very close to my heart. I find it very, very frustrating. I have conversations with women every single day about Rennie Ball.

Speaker 2 17:32

I was waiting for someone to ask this question because it's a conversation I have with women every single day. It's terrifying. If you don't know it's perimenopause, it really hurts. It really hurts because it scares you. Every single woman that doesn't know it's perimenopause thinks it's dementia or Alzheimer's. Or Can you start at your age? You can start at any age. Really Well, okay, no, you can't. Really Well, okay, no, you're welcome. The brain can go wrong for so many reasons, so you can. I mean, yeah, I mean that's a huge conversation, but the brain there's so many things that can go wrong in the brain. There's so many things that can go wrong in the brain that, um, everything from a stroke to dementia, to alzheimer's, to aneurysms, to you know, there's a lot that we know that can go wrong. Um, so people think that it could be something.

Speaker 2 18:36

Yeah, really frightening and it could be for some women, though, that's yeah so I mean, obviously, if you have other symptoms as always, we always put this disclaimer out there if you have other symptoms and you're very worried, please go and consult a medical professional. Okay, we are not saying every single person out there who has things going wrong, um, and who thinks that they have severe symptoms should not seek medical help. Yeah, obviously, if you think you should, if you think there's something going on and you're worried, please go and see a medical professional this is not a substitute for medical.

Speaker 2 19:09

Yeah yeah, yeah, okay. So why brain fog? What's going on? Guess? Who's the guess? Who's the culprit, the main culprit out of all our hormones? Testosterone, no, okay, well, yes and no, so, no, it is actually. It is actually, but estrogen to start with. Okay, okay, so estrogen plays a big role in cold function, but testosterone as well. So let's start with estrogen.

Speaker 2 19:33

Estrogen, um affects neurotransmitters but, testosterone is very, really a big one, by the way, you're not, you're not wrong, but let's start with estrogen first. Yeah, so estrogen affects neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Okay, those two together are really, really vital for memory and focus. So, as estrogen levels fluctuate, yeah, okay, what it happens is the communications between brain cells become less efficient and that leads to memory lapses, word finding issues and just this fogginess in general. Okay, um, testosterone also is, is a big one, because testosterone is is a cognitive one, as we know.

Speaker 2 20:19

So testosterone and estrogen, those two in particular yeah so if you, if you are, let's say, for example, you're an hrt, as in, you're taking estrogen already and, yeah, progesterone and your brain fog is really bad, um, and your libido is bad and your energy is bad, at that point you would say, okay, let's have a look at testosterone.

Speaker 1 20:41

Okay, because there's and we've talked about how you get, and we've talked about testosterone in episode something or other.

Speaker 2 20:47

Go on Testosterone was episode.

Speaker 1 20:51

There's some in episode three.

Speaker 2 20:52

Mm-hmm. I don't know what the other one was.

Speaker 1 20:56

With the hair. Yes, the Episode eight oh episode eight, okay.

The Perfect Storm of Memory Loss

Speaker 2 21:08

So episode eight okay. So all right. So that's the first. One is basically estrogen and testosterone, both of those when they're in decline in the paramenopause. Those two ones, each one, because it affects serotonin and dopamine, and testosterone. When it leaves you, when you, when it leaves as it does, those two things dramatically affect your brain, okay. Another thing that really really affects you is stress and cortisol levels. Stress is often really really high in perimenopause and we know this because of life circumstances, yeah, plus physical symptoms, so elevated. You know, we're all stressed in perimenopause. We've got loads of physical symptoms going on. We've got also lots of things going on. We've got teenage children, we've got elderly parents, we're maybe having more stress at work yeah, or retiring, yeah, it's a very stressful age in general for elevated cortisol levels, which is us.

Speaker 2 22:02

If you don't know what cortisol is, it's our stress hormone. Um cortisol levels. If they're very, very high, they impair the hippocampus. Talked about hippocampus before it talked about the hippocampus before.

Speaker 2 22:11

It's the area of the brain responsible for memory, right? So if you impair the hippocampus, you make word recall even more difficult. Okay, wow, memory recall Okay, let's add on that to that. Sleep disruption Okay, you know, if you've not slept well, what happens to your brain? Memory fog, yeah, okay, let's add on that to that. Sleep disruption. Mm, okay, you know, if you've not slept well, what happens to your brain? It turns to mush. Just fluffy and mushy and just generally bleh.

Speaker 1 22:39

But then I turned to mush that day.

Speaker 2 22:41

Yes, so I mean last night I slept at 4.30.

Speaker 1 22:46

I didn't even know that 4.40. You didn't actually. You appeared a lot more.

Speaker 2 22:50

Yeah, yeah, because I'd had great sleep. Yeah, but do you know? But do you know? Oh, I can't really say this, but I'd had some lovely relaxing drinks for the last few nights, before, a little something chocolatey, oh, I thought you were trying to say alcohol, no. I don't drink.

Speaker 1 23:11

And if I thought you were trying to say alcohol, and if you did, that's okay. I don't drink for a few nights secret, secret, something.

Speaker 2 23:17

Well, you started it, you stopped it. So I'm stopping this one. But I didn't drink any of it last night and then I couldn't sleep. Well, I know, but I had some really bad insomnia last night and then I couldn't sleep. Well, I know, but I had some really bad insomnia last night and this morning my brain was a bit slow. So we know that if you've got sleep disruption which is caused by night sweats, hot flashes, anxiety, getting up because you need to pee, you're uncomfortable when you sleep. All of those kind of things leads to fatigue. Poor sleep impairs your memory, impairs your concentration and that's going to exacerbate word-finding problems. Just your general cognition, yeah.

Speaker 2 24:04

Okay, guess what else doesn't help. Diet Yep, bingo, blood sugar, yeah. Health diet yep, bingo, blood sugar, yeah. If you have fluctuations in your blood sugar, that also leads to energy dips, that also affects your brain, um, function. You could be a lot of women, without necessarily knowing it, are, um, they have insulin intolerance? Yeah, they have problems with their blood sugar and you're more susceptible to that in perimenopause, which again worsens cognitive issues like memory loss and blood finding issues. Um, so all of these things are going to add up and make all of this worse. So you've already got all this estrogens left your body. That's caused a problem. You've got less serotonin and also, if your gut's not healthy which again happens, yeah, in perimenopause okay, you, that's why you're not producing serotonin. Serotonin is you really need it? Yeah, to have a happy brain, have a happy hormones, all these neurotransmitters, it all of this just becomes a perfect storm for brain fog.

Speaker 2 25:09

Yeah, I mean, even if you weren't in perimenopause lack of looking after yourself in that sense, lack of sleep, lack of this it'll create some sort of brain fog, yeah, but then you take away all these hormones and all these neurotransmitters that you're not producing. Because, again, we have so few neurotransmitters? Because if we're not exercising, because we're tired, because we've got these energy crashes, we don't have endorphins, right? If we're not feeling like we're being intimate with our partners or we're not even wanting to cuddle, because the thing is as well is we're scared to even cuddle our partners. For a lot of us, physical touch physical touch as well helps to get into oxytocin Cuddle hormone. Yeah, we're scared to cuddle our partners because we feel like we're leading them on, because our libidos are too low. So we're frightened to cuddle our partners because we think that's leading them on and we don't want to lead anywhere. But you want to cuddle, but we want to cuddle some of us.

Speaker 1 26:06

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 26:09

I mean I'm out the other side. To be fair to a certain extent yeah but you know, when I was full smart in the middle, I didn't want to cuddle because I thought that's leading. You know, that's leading people I don't want to bring my own system like.

Speaker 1 26:23

I don't didn't want to lead anybody on yeah, I think other women will get that one.

Speaker 2 26:27

Yeah, yeah I don't want to lead him on because then I'm being a whatever insert, rudy insult here and then it's like so I've got no oxytocin, and then I've got no serotonin because my gut was out of balance. I've got no dopamine because I'm not producing any dopamine in my body. I don't feel successful. I've got no. I've got no, um, estrogen. I've got no testosterone because I'm on my knees and it's like so you've got no happy neurotransmitters at all. Your estrogen's fluctuating all over the place. You've not got any testosterone and all of these things.

Speaker 2 27:11

You're not sleeping and you're scared because you don't know what's going on, because you're going to the doctors and you're not getting all these answers. Don't you start on the doctor again, um, and you may not have started hrt, even if you could start hrt, because you're not being given access to hrt. So all of these things added together and you're like on your knees, tired, scared, stressed. It's. This is what I'm saying. It's a perfect storm for memory loss and feeling like I'm out of control. I don't, I don't want to do about this. So what can you do? Let's, let's talk about, let's give, let's give stacy.

Speaker 1 27:49

So I'm saying stacy yeah, yeah, she's from British Columbia, not Leeds I know, but I like Stacey.

Nutritional Support for Brain Health

Speaker 2 27:55

No, let's give Stacey some advice. Okay, serious time, serious talk, stacey, serious talk now. First of all, healthy fats for your brain. This is really, really important. Omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids okay, so these can be found in oily fish or vegan supplements. Okay, and we have both. We do have both, so we have we. Only, to be fair, we brought out the omega-3 fatty acids um omega-3 supplements first. Then we've got a vegan supplement as well, because it's very essential yeah and we? We didn't want to upset our vegan friends.

Speaker 1 28:31

No, we're all inclusive, we're all inclusive.

Speaker 2 28:33

So we brought out a vegan supplement as well, but you can also find them in oily fish. But you know it is important, even if you're vegan, to have omega-3. Not omega-6, please. So not Then again. Rainforest it's on. Okay, not omega-6, not omega-6.

Speaker 2 28:52

I can't figure out what it's called evening primrose oil. That's. That's a typical example of brain fog. I'm going what's it all called um evening primrose oil because it's very inflammatory in perimenopause. So you want to stick to omega-3 only, not 369.

Speaker 2 29:05

You want omega-3s? Okay, they're essential for cognitive function and memory. So I mean, really encourage you to, to, to add healthy fats into your diet. Anybody that tells you, in perimenopause, low fat diet, just please kick them to the curb. I say, nicely, you do that, get your stuff. And okay, you said nine thousand um. So that's really going to help your brain performance and it's going to ease some of your symptoms.

Speaker 2 29:35

That's number one, okay, omega-3s, magnesium, yeah, and b vitamins, especially b6 and b12. But I'd go for a b complex that you're just going to hit them. All these are really, really crucial for nerve function and brain health. So you've got magnesium and B vitamins, so go for magnesium. We do magnesium complex and we do B complex. This is why when people go oh, that's why you do it, this is why I go for these I handpick certain supplements. They're crucial for brain function, nerve function, so they help in the production of neurotransmitters. This is going to support your memory and it's going to help communication between brain cells, so that's why this is really really important. Okay, yeah, most women are not going to like the next one.

Speaker 1 30:25

No alcohol.

Speaker 2 30:27

Yeah, that's, standard Okay.

Speaker 1 30:29

No sugar.

Speaker 2 30:32

Again standard, because that's standard. Okay, no sugar again standard, uh, because that's gonna. Really. Well, I mean, there's certain, and again you know I'm bringing something out soon that's really gonna fill up the sweet treat, but it's not gonna strike your brush at that. I'm not allowed to tell you that I've just been given the. Don't tell me. Okay, I'm not gonna tell you about that. I'm gonna say exercise closer, closer to the time yeah, yeah, exercise.

Speaker 2 30:49

So physical activity. I'll tell you why and I'll tell you for why. Gavin and Stacey, I don't know that.

Speaker 1 30:56

I know Gavin. No, no, I know Gavin and Stacey, I just am not.

Speaker 2 30:59

I wasn't a religious.

Speaker 1 31:00

I know all the characters. I'm so excited for Christmas Day.

Speaker 2 31:11

Yeah, we need to find. He said yes. Well, he has said yes. He said yes, otherwise I should be writing a very rude note To James Corden himself. Absolutely, or Ruth.

Speaker 1 31:18

She wrote it. I don't know what her name was. Yeah, I was going to call her Vanessa, but that's the character's name. Anyway, I'll tell you for why.

Speaker 2 31:24

Oh, yeah, I can just cut it out, okay. Yeah, I'll tell you for why because it that was good. It promotes brain blood flow to the brain and that's what we need, because if you promote blood flow, the blood flow, the brain, it helps to maintain the cognitive function. So it's really really important. It's another reason why we need to still exercise when we go to the gym so regular. So it's really really important. It's another reason why we need to still exercise when we go for a run, so regular exercise and it can just be a thing. I mean when I say exercise, I don't mean you have to go for a swim class. Yeah, 30-minute walk. So if you went for a 30-minute walk several times a week, you're improving your memory, and this is what women don't do, and your mental health.

Speaker 2 32:16

I'm such a big advocate for mental health, mental clarity. Yeah, you're improving your memory. I'll have to. I'm gonna have to do one like yeah, it really, really is important. I agree other things you can do mindfulness and stress relief. So, be mindful, be demure, be cutesy, okay, what about gratitude as well? Yeah, all these kind of things, yeah, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, gratitude, all of these things because they reduce stress, they promote focus. So all of these things, what they do is they help to promote focus. They're reducing the stress levels.

Speaker 2 32:42

Again, don't forget, cortisol is really bad for you, just in general, in paramental wars. So, anything that helps you to promote focus and reduce stress. What does it do? It helps mental sharpness. Okay, anything that's reducing stress and being mindful. The side effect of those two is it's increasing mental sharpness. So this not only is going to help with word recall, but it's going to just, in general, increase mental clarity. That's for everybody on the planet, but it's really, really important in perimenopause. Yeah, okay, so it's so frustrating. It's so frustrating, um, just memory in general and word loss. But these memory lapses are generally I'm going to say generally, because I can't make any promises generally temporary.

Optimal Brain Health Strategies

Speaker 2 33:36

Okay, many women will find that once they've gone through completely the other side of paramenopause, as long as they're leading a healthy lifestyle, they're taking supplements that will help them, they're exercising and they've got the right nutritional support and I'm saying generally, I'm saying I'm choosing my words very, very carefully here generally, if they go through the other side of perimenopause and they've got the right nutritional support and stress management, yeah, okay, these are the right nutritional support and stress management. Yeah, okay, these are the two nutritional support and stress management. They see significantly reduced symptoms. That is good, all right. So, significantly reduced symptoms, which means you may not be 100%, but you know blokes aren't 100% into their 60s anyways. You know late 50s, early 60s, they're not 100% who they were either. Yeah, but you can see so much improvement and I'm working on something, but that's a different story. But nutritional support, stress management, yeah, those are the two key things. All right, I hope that helps. All right, I hope that helps. All right.

Speaker 2 34:51

My darling Stacey, thank you so much for your question. As always, if you would like us to answer any of your questions, please WhatsApp us or go to our Facebook group, which is wwwterrymanipositivecom. Ask us a question and we will be more than happy to help you Until next week. Take care of yourselves, be nice to yourself and we will speak to you then. Bye.