We are currently on Day 9 of our 21 Day Menopause Program and the lovely Geraldine Brooks is on it, in it and has been navigating her way through the first week. Here are her observations. Sharing candidly her ups, downs and roundabouts as she’s navigated her first 7 days!
Here’s how she got on …
A few years ago I decided to go all out on a 28 day cleanse. It was pretty harsh, no dairy, no sugar, no gluten, no grains, no cakes, no Maltesers and no wine nor G&T.
I remember sitting in a pub with a group of friends sipping fizzy water with a lime wedge. It was my first outing in about 2 weeks and I was feeling pretty smug. I certainly felt good. Less bloated, less tired less irritable and I had a bit of a flatter stomach. I was also told I looked good, brighter, lighter and sort of ‘glowy’. I was chuffed.
I had learnt how to make my own hummus, knock up a cheeky chickpea curry, make almond milk from scratch and where to source the best kombucha! Sadly, I never made it to 28 days.
On day 19, I went along to an incredible birthday party, with good intentions to sip water and eat ‘clean’, but I caved. As the champagne flowed, I was 10 canapes in, savouring every single mouthful. Who knew something so tiny could taste so good. The 4 courses and wine that followed were just as delicious. The next day, I thought I had been knocked down by a bus and didn’t get out of bed until 5pm.
Fast forward to present day … At this stage of my life, having suffered with menopausal symptoms for a few years, I wanted to see if Menopause Collective’s 21 Day Program would get me back to feeling ‘me’ again.
I was a typical menopausal suffering woman, bloated, angry, irritable, suffering from headaches most days and being woken up most nights by hot flushes.
So, I signed up and here’s how it’s going……
The trailblazer behind the 21 Day Program is Ailsa Petchey. Ailsa certainly practices all she preaches. At 51, she has a body that’s toned and tanned. She laughs as she talks about squatting as the kettle boils and goes out walking every morning before sunrise to get those steps in.
Her aim is to change your lifestyle for the better, balance those hormones and banish irritating menopausal symptoms so you can get on with your life. Everything is easy to follow. The initial sign up process, which I kept putting off as I thought it would take forever, was all done on my phone in minutes. I then had access to the 21 Day app and a video of the smiley, inspirational Ailsa welcoming me and telling me what to expect.
There’s a comprehensive guide full to the brim;, daily meal plans, a fitness test that you do on Day 1 to find out where you are ( I admit, it’s one of the toughest 8 minutes I’ve spent and I’m clearly less fit than I thought) . There’s a morning routine of ‘priming’ – try it and see, information on your hormone type, workouts, daily journaling, daily inspirational talks, tips and tricks and plenty of hand holding all the way. There’s even a friendly WhatsApp group to connect with others on the program..
Day 1: It was my eldest daughter’s birthday. Not a good day to start as I knew it would all go downhill. After a 25 minute jog around the park, I recommended Barley Cup to the group as a decaf coffee alternative. Out for lunch, I sipped water as I scoured the menu for a 21 Day dish. I was in luck with a tuna poke bowl. I returned home to cake and fizz and then called it a night, determined to start properly tomorrow.
Day 2: Run done (more plodding than running), I enjoyed almond blueberry pancakes for breakfast, but with no almond flour, I used oats. They were delicious. I confessed to the group I had messed up on day one. No one was mean, just encouraging me to keep going. Lunch was soup and chicken stir fry for dinner. I don’t like stir fry. Afterwards I made pancakes with oats topped with blueberries and a little coconut yoghurt whilst the others enjoyed ‘proper’ ones topped with Nutella. My mood was low but I just kept telling myself it was because of yesterday’s sugar haul. I drank more water than ever and retired to bed when the husband started drinking red wine and eating minstrels on the sofa.
Day 3: I woke up before the alarm, but I didn’t feel great. A fitness video and a walk did the trick. As no caffeine allowed, I enjoyed a decaf coffee with oat milk. I confessed to the group that the Barley Cup tasted dreadful. It could be my taste buds after Covid or it could be that it is dreadful. I missed lunch which, on this plan, is not recommended. It resulted in me being starving at 5pm and wolfing down a banana and peanut butter. Dinner was scrambled eggs with greens and peppers and water, more water.
Day 4: Didn’t sleep at all well last night. Lots of trips to the loo but only one hot flush…..hmmmmm! Needed to get out there and get the body moving. Spent 20 minutes looking for my left trainer. Found it so no excuses. Had a good run and despite lack of sleep, felt much better. Had a green smoothie breakfast and a tuna salad lunch. Worked from home and at the end of the day, the husband wanted to go ‘out out’. I wasn’t happy with this for I’m a great believer in ‘if I’m suffering, you’re joining me’. We walked to the pub as I messaged Ailsa to see if I could have a non-alcoholic beer – not something advised on my first week! so sat with water and a lime wedge, something told me I had been here before……..
Day 5: Something has shifted. I slept well. No hot flushes at all. Trainers on (after watching Ailsa’s little morning video to get everyone going), I ran at a faster pace than normal. Enjoyed egg and salad for breakfast, soup for lunch and fruit teas throughout the afternoon. Ailsa posted a video of exercising whilst the kettle boils. Something made me do it, and I got up and managed 56 squats checking my form in the oven door.. I need to go and buy a quick boil kettle. Then……..that Friday feeling. Normally I’d enjoy salt & vinegar crisps with my G&T as I wait for Deliveroo but I cracked open the hummus and munched on carrots. We did order a takeaway and I ate a chicken skewer, salad (no dressing except lemon juice) and a pitta. Fell asleep on the sofa and woke up at 2.30am
Day 6: Felt a bit tired but not too bad and after a walk enjoyed an egg on toast, tomatoes and spinach. Spent the morning clearing out cupboards and cleaning. Where is all this energy coming from?! Had an appointment to get the roots done and sipped water rather than the usual tea or coffee. Went for a walk and then out for an early dinner of winter veg salad with squid and once again, my cocktail of choice, fizzy water and lime. To be in a pub and doing this is HUGE for me. Stopped at Sainsburys on the way home and stocked up on more from the 21 Day shopping list. Slept like a baby.
Day 7: Feeling good today and no foggy head at all. Feel like I could run a marathon (but I can’t and I don’t even try). The tummy is definitely less bloated and the hot flushes are certainly less frequent. Despite all the sadness and worry in the world, I also feel less anxious, which is a really nice feeling. I enjoyed egg on a slice of oat toast with a salad on the side. It’s so good to eat bread on a plan, I dream of bread often.
First Week done!
So far so good. The main thing I’ve noticed on this plan is that if you stick to it, you will not be hungry at all. The days I plan, prepare and eat properly are the best and I feel the benefits the following day. I sleep better too. Also if you open up and share, you will get back, you’re not left to over think or self sabotage. I’m still waiting for a great recommendation for a decaf coffee alternative!
As for journaling, I’m going to switch to writing things down instead of using my phone. The program suggests you write things down to clear the foggy head at the end of each day. I’m actually looking forward to this next week and sharing my next week with you …
Geraldine Brooks
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