Latest / Empower Your Menopause / Episode 47: Water You Waiting For? The The Menopause Energy Fix No One’s Talking About

Transcript

Episode 47: Water You Waiting For? The The Menopause Energy Fix No One’s Talking About · Empower Your Menopause

• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome to another episode of Empower Your Menopause, the podcast that helps you take charge of your health, your hormones, and your happiness.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: It's coaches James and Julie here once again from Fabulous Beyond 40 Coaching.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: And today we're diving into a surprisingly powerful and transformative topic.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: Hydration.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: No, we're not just going to tell you to drink more water, but we're going to talk a little bit about how hydration can actually affect your menopause symptoms, how it can affect your mood, your metabolism, and your mental clarity.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: And we're going to give you some tips for a few small tweaks that could potentially lead to massive changes.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: Now we know this probably doesn't sound like the most thrilling topic, right?
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: People have been telling people to drink water for a long time.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: But stick with us because most of what you think you know about water might not quite be helping.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the fatigue, the brain fog, the afternoon headache, that might not just be hormones, and of course, if your idea of hydration is a nice chilled glass of wine or having your third coffee by around 11 o'clock in the morning, we probably need to talk to you a little bit anyway.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: So let's build some less, let's break down the science, give you some real life double strategies to feel more energized, feel more focused, and to feel far less like a cactus by the time 4 pm rolls around.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: So let's dive straight in, Julie.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: Why don't you take us through why hydration actually matters through menopause?
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_01: What's going on and why have we actually decided to talk about this?
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it's it's a really I think it's really interesting topic because you know about 60% of our body is made up of water.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: So even a small drop in our hydration levels can affect a lot of different things, as you said, everything from our energy to our memory to our moods, cravings.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: And because during the menopause transition, estrogen is dropping, it's really important for supporting our fluid balance.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: So once those levels start to drop, our body's ability to retain water and use it efficiently can decline.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: Now I know some women think, oh yay, no more bloating, but that isn't really what it's all about.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: Every cell in our body needs water to function.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: So dehydration does affect everything.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: It affects our digestion, it affects our temperature regulation.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: So hello hot flushes, this is something that's really important, especially in menopause.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Joint lubrication, if you're finding that you have achy joints, this could be something that is worth having a look at.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Because our skin changes in menopause, you know, the elasticity, staying properly hydrated can make a difference.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: And even things like vaginal dryness and some of those symptoms that women don't really want to talk about too openly.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, is an interesting study in a publication called Nutrients back from 2019 that showed even mild dehydration can impair your cognitive function.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: So brain fog is a big issue for a lot of women through this phase of life.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: Just a 1% drop in hydration can show measurable declines in memory and mood.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: So that's I think that's pretty significant.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: And a lot of us think, oh, you know, I'm just not thirsty very often.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: But a lot of times we confuse hunger with um and thirst because we're not really that tuned into our bodies.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: And in years past, our ancestors got a lot of their daily water supply from foods that contained a lot of water.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: We don't see paintings of cavemen on the walls carrying water bottles around with them, right?
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: So a lot of times they got their daily water needs from plants, and we're we're eating a lot more processed and packaged foods now, so we're not getting so many water-containing foods.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: And when our hormones are fluctuating, besides dehydration can show up as those cravings, those fatigue levels, headaches, fuzzy thinking, you know, changes in mood, irritability.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Is any of this sounding familiar?
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: Dry skin, constipation, those kinds of things.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: And we've seen this with our own clients.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, a lot of times brain fog, I won't say it just goes away, but it can certainly um ease up a bit when we're finding things that are as simple as water and can make a difference.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, a lot of time the solutions don't have to be complicated.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: Interestingly, when I do some of the personal training that I do with women who are local to me, um, they come to the gym that we've got here at home, and I have a body monitor scale that people stand on it.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: It does, you know, the typical stuff, gravity, what your weight is, it does um body composition, so it will tell you what your muscle mass is, it will tell you what your fat loss is, fat mass is, it will also tell you what your hydration status is.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: And now, you know, when I first started doing PT, I was doing both men and women.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: Most of my clients are now women, in fact, almost exclusively women.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: But one of the things that I've noted over the years is that I have never put a woman on those scales and she has come back and and been showing a good hydration status, it's always average and below.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: And I'd be looking at something like 50% of your body being being water there or thereabouts, you know.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_01: I'll see 46, 47, 45, 44.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: So that's not necessarily menopause related, and I've got no um no scientific evidence to back this up, but that anecdotal evidence shows to me that women tend to habitually be under hydrated in some way, shape, or form, whatever that may be.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: But I mean, it does happen that most of my clients in in the PT world are also women 40 plus as well.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, perhaps there is some kind of correlation there between a habitual lack of hydration when it comes to females.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, we we're always afraid of having to be without access to a toilet when we need it.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that may be it, yeah.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: There are other things that come into play, of course, like pelvic floors, particularly you've had children, all that kind of stuff.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: So that will play a role.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: Let's talk a little bit, I suppose, just about seasonal hydration and how things can change over the course of a year, maybe a little bit.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's pertinent because where we both are, you know, Europe, the UK, where most of our clients are, North America.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: We are in summer at the moment, and I don't know what's happened here in England, but the temperature has just suddenly dropped, uh increased by about 10 degrees over the course of a day.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: So it's pretty hot at the moment, and of course, when it's hot, we do lose more fluids through sweat and evaporation naturally anyway, on top of it if we're actually naturally underhydrated as a matter of course.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: You talked a little bit about hydrating foods there and how cave people um would introduce water into their diet by eating more fruits and vegetables and things like that.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: And there's no doubt that, particularly in summer, it's a really good way to increase your hydration levels, is to increase those kinds of foods, things that have got high water content in them: cucumbers, berries, watermelon, cogettes, your leafy greens.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: Interestingly, not only do they tend to lack from modern, at least westernized diets, but they're also very prevalent in the Mediterranean diet.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, south of France, Spain, Italy, Greece, all these places where they have super high temperatures during the summer, salads, fruits, vegetables are really, really big.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's just a reminder that your hydration strategy year-round should include water and food.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: Now, you know, not kidding, I know that we live in a culture now where the world has shrunk and you can get fruit and vegetables at all time uh times of year, but I think probably in winter people are less likely to be salad craving than what they might do now.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_01: So now's a really good time to be using those sort of like high uh hydrated foods to to add some uh some more water into into one's diet.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_01: I suppose conversely, the thing to think about is in winter, again, modern society, synthetic layers that make us sweat more, um, indoor heating, you know, the drier air pulls moisture from our skin and from our respiratory tracts, and so all those kinds of things can add into us being underhydrated again in winter, but then also because of that idea of colder temperatures, less likely to feel inverted, comma's thirsty, less likely to drink more, and so we can be underhydrated in winter as well.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_01: And the other thing, of course, is that cold weather actually physically blunts your thirst signals, it stops you from feeling as as thirsty.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I I know because living in a house that gets really cold in the wintertime, you know, I'm wearing tights and layers of fleece, and like I could go on some professional advert for outdoor gear, I think, sometimes.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and when you do that, your skin starts, your skin is already changing in texture because of the hormonal changes that we're undergoing.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: But I I that whole crepe paper skin feeling in the wintertime when you've got all those synthetic layers on is not nice.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, water is water is a biggie.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: And I suppose when it comes to some of the things that people ask us most about or come to us about in the first instance, when they come to work with us at Fabulous Beyond 40, is those common menopausal symptoms.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I've got low energy, my mood's really low, or I'm feeling anxious, um, I'm not feeling as sharp, that typical idea of some brain fog kicking in and not being able to concentrate on things, and you know, they're common complaints during menopause, and as you said earlier on, you know, quite often we're blaming hormones for those things, and hormones will undoubtedly play a role, there's no doubt about that.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_01: But then how hydrated we are will absolutely play a role.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: You know, your brain's something like three-quarters water, right?
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_01: So as soon as you're slightly dehydrated, blood flows reduced, and you get all kinds of challenges.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_01: You get you know you process things slower, your memory um gets gets worse, you get mood swings, your physical performance reduces.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: You only have to look at athletes who are exercising in extreme temperatures and not if they're not hydrating properly, what an effect it has on their performance, right?
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_01: So that is absolutely mirrored if you're under hydrated when it comes to your brain power in normal life as well.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: And then when you've got all these other things layering on top of it, once again, menopause, multi-layered symptoms, multi-layered factors, multi-layered conditions, all playing into this complex picture that goes on, then there's no doubt that some of the things, some of those challenges, low energy, low mood, low mental clarity, or poor mental clarity can all be affected as well as by hormones, but also by your hydration levels as well.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really, really important.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: You know, that executive function, even mild dehydration effects.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: That executive function is those kind of cognitive skills that allow you to make plans and adapt to new situations and manage tasks.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: Your attention span, your working memory, all those kinds of things are challenged by dehydration.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_01: That nutrient study that you mentioned mentioned earlier found that dehydrated results perform really, really badly on cognitive tasks and reported things feeling harder.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, when it comes to things like anxiety or irritability, you know, how often we use this term hangry.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'm hungry and it's making me angry, but I don't know what the water-related term could be for that.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: But certainly, because thirst and hunger can be confused, sometimes you can be thirsty, confuse that for hunger, and then that can translate into that concept of hangriness.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: So that anxiety, irritability, depressive symptoms, especially in perimenopause, moons mood swings and brainfrog are all over the place there.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: That can be a real challenge as well.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: And then I think finally, just to say, your exercise performance will only ever be as good as your hydration levels because they can play such a critical role in it, and that doesn't mean when I say exercise performance, that doesn't necessarily mean somebody who's going out and running a marathon who needs to stay hydrated.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, they do, but even if you just go into the gym one hour a day and doing a relatively heavy session or one hour every other day, you're going to be shedding some serious um water there via sweat, and therefore replacing it is always going to impact your actual levels in the gym, but also your recovery after an exercise session as well.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I and I guess just to take that down to another degree because not everybody listening is going to go to the gym, but even people who just do purposeful um non-gym or non-exercise session related movements.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_01: So whether you enjoy instead of doing all that kind of stuff, you rather enjoy going out into the garden and doing some gardening or going walking with your spouse or your dog or whatever it may be, all those kind of functions as well are going to have a dehydrating effect on you long term.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe not as much, of course, as if you're pounding a treadmill for an hour, but but it still has an effect, right?
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_01: So it's something to think about the idea of making sure you rehydrate it post-gym or post-movement or post-exercise session.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I think a lot of these a lot of these things can be very subtle.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: So we might not notice them, and then the more dehydrated we get, the they sort of compound, and we can't trace that back to a specific cause as easily because we're not thinking about something as simple as water.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh back in the day when I was doing my initial training, um, I remember one of my master PTs, I did my original PT training before I studied nutrition and coaching and menopause, etc., he told me a really simple hack to work out kind of how much you should be drinking a day.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: Because one of the classic pieces of advice is you need to drink eight glasses of water per day.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: Not to tell you how big that glass of water is.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_01: Is it a pint?
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: Is it a half?
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_01: Is it a thimbleful?
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: We don't know.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but he used to say take your body weight in kilograms um and multiply it by 0.03.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_01: So if you weigh kilograms, you're looking at 2.4 litres of water a day.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: Somebody cleverer than me will have to do the maths, but a kilogram is 2.2 pounds, and a litre is 32 ounces.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: 32 ounces.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: There you go, 32 ounces in a bit.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: So we're not actually talking then about having to get up to sort of like chugging away at three litres a day or obsessively tracking water.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: But why don't you take us through some real-life strategies that people can do to add more hydration?
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_01: Because let's call it hydration rather than just water because it does include stuff like the water from foods and things like that rather than trying.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: I I do often find it a strange concept that people fixate on what's in a glass rather than what else is going through their body throughout the day.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_01: So, what what strategies would you suggest?
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I I like the idea.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we've talked about this already, about eating your water because again, back in the day, a lot of that water intake came from food rather than just drinking water.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so eating those high water content foods like cucumbers, melons, leafy greens.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: In the wintertime, you could do that with soups and herbal teas, um, smoothies, citrus fruits, you know, anything that has a lot of juice and water in it.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I I think I know some people don't like to drink just plain water.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: So my favorite thing to do is throw a sprig of fresh mint into it or a wedge of lime or lemon.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: I know some people put berries, you can do other things with different herbs and fruits and and even some vegetables to just give it some flavor.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but you can when you're talking about getting water into your tissues, you can actually boost absorption by putting in a small pinch, just a small, very small pinch of unrefined sea salt or a squeeze of lemon or lime, because those things are going to be higher in electrolytes, which are you know minerals that keep our nerves functioning and firing.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: And so those are things that can help, especially after you've been sweating for quite a while.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that's an easy way to put that back into your system.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: And just to take that a bit further, you know, I know a lot of people who think, oh, I I went to the gym, I was on the treadmill for a half hour and I was sweating.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I better have some of this fluorescent colored sports beverage.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because in all of the advertisements, it shows me that that's how we refuel and rehydrate.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: Most women don't actually need to supplement with electrolytes unless you're doing more than an hour of solidly intensive activity or you're absolutely drenched in sweat.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um, if you do feel more fatigue than usual after you're done exercising, then that little pinch of salt or squeeze of lemon or some cucumber would be a great way to recharge any electrolytes that you might be down.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: But please, please skip the neon sports drinks.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: They have so many things in them that are not healthy for you.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know anything that isn't poisonous in nature that has a neon color to it.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: There may be some exceptions, but generally speaking, that's a warning to most uh there's not much actually in nature that is neon anyway, is there really?
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: Some some poisonous fish maybe in the bottom of the sea.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, most of those beverages are just really high-processed sugar and chemical concoctions with very big marketing budgets.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: They just want you to think it's cool because professional athletes advertise them.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, one of the things you can do if you're trying to get better hydration is to stack your hydration habits.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: So attach it to something that you're already doing.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: We talk about tiny habits sometimes.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but like have a glass of water in the morning when first thing when you wake up.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's a really great way to replenish.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, maybe if you are a coffee drinker, keep a glass of water by the coffee maker.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you have that glass of water before you drink your coffee.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, have a glass of water with your meal instead of some other flavored kind of beverage.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: Herbal tea in the evening, if you want something a little bit more soothing, there's so many different kinds of herbal teas that can do you quite uh a lot of good.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: And as you're getting started and building this habit, first of all, um if you're looking at adding water by drinking it, I would say add maybe one extra glass a day for a while and then build from there because it it will take you uh to the to the toilet for more trips a day as your body adjusts.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: But as your body adjusts, those trips will not be as frequent because your body will get used to having what it needs.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um but try tracking what you drink for a while.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: Don't obsess about it because you know this is this is not what we are all about.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: There's no perfect level of hydration except what's right for you.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: So that's why we say there's no particular amount of water you need to be drinking in a day.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: I know people say, no matter what, you have to drink three liters.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: Uh that that isn't necessarily true because there are a lot of factors involved.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: What is what is your diet like?
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: Are you getting those water-filled foods?
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: What's your body size?
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: How active are you?
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, all of these other factors, your hormonal status, the different things that you're doing.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then I know other people say, oh, your urine has to be clear because that shows that you're properly hydrated.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: Not necessarily.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: Many different medications you take, vitamins and minerals can affect the color of your urine as they're processed out through your body, the water soluble, but especially vitamin B vitamins, can make a lovely fluorescent yellow.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: But if you're if you're looking to judge by by urine color, kind of a straw color or pale yellow is is pretty good.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but again, it's going to be individual to you.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_00: So it I know sometimes clear urine can indicate that you're drinking a little bit too much water or that you're losing minerals rather than um waste.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_00: So um, but but generally speaking, overhydration isn't a common problem, shall we say?
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: Do you want to talk about that a bit?
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but just before we go on to that, I would just wanted to intervene and add something to what you said there.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_01: That this is the perfect example for me of taking things in your own time and starting.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Stacking tiny habits one on top of the other, as you mentioned before.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, anybody who goes away from this, please don't say, Oh, James said take my weight in kilograms and multiply it by 0.03.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_01: And therefore, you know, I weigh 60 kilograms.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_01: Now I've got to eat one drink 1.8 litres of water or 64 ounce or whatever that may be.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_01: Is that right?
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_01: 64 somewhere around there.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_01: Of water day.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_01: And that that's quite a lot to go, particularly if you're going from zero, right?
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's a little wonder if you're going from zero that that is going to be a challenge for you.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_01: And so something, as you suggested, then you know, just having adding a glass of water first thing in the morning could be all that you need to do for your first first week.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_01: Because if that glass of water is 500 milliliters, you know, and you've not been drinking any water at all, that is already a huge increase and a huge win.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: And then you can add something in at lunchtime and then something else at dinner time, and before you know it, you know, over the course of three, four weeks, you can build up rather than just going all out to go, right?
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_01: I've got to do two litres of water right now.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_01: So I think you're absolutely right.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_01: That concept of habit stacking, I think, is perfectly illustrated by with adding more water to you.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_01: But you asked me to talk a little bit about some of the fads and some of the things that people are talking about when it comes to water at the moment.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_01: I suppose lots of us are familiar with the idea of being dehydrated, and the concept of being overhydrated is becoming more and more a thing.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_01: And for those listening, I'm doing the air quartz thing with my fingers again.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, this is a a condition called hyponotramia.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's um it's when you have so much water that you dilute the salts in your body to almost dangerously low levels.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_01: Now, I many years ago I had a friend who was playing soccer on a Saturday afternoon, it was a hot day, he wasn't used to doing it, he went through something like three litres of water and ended up in hospital because he actually suffered from this.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: So, yes, it does exist, but it's really, really rare, and you usually only see it in my sport, in endurance sports, in sort of like long-distance running, triathlons, that kind of thing.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_01: Where I would say an uninformed or a poorly informed or a poorly strategized athlete might just be chugging plain water for lots for a long time without actually taking on kind of some kind of electrolyte supplementation as well.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_01: Because in those cases, that's where you do need to take on electrolytes.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_01: I know we mentioned before that most women don't don't need to, and so if you're just sipping water through the day, hyponitramia is not something you need to be concerned about, particularly if you've got a regular, sort of like fairly normal three meals a day eating habit as well, beginning some salt, sodium from your food, etc.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_01: And that sipping of water through the day is certainly not enough to flush the salts out of your body, so don't worry about that.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_01: We've seen a lot of these things like pH water, alkaline water.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure the science backs all the hype behind those.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you once you drink it, your stomach acid tends to neutralize anything that's in there, and so most of the benefits are the kind of things that are you know ex exacerbated, overblown, maybe by uh by marketeers, but not actually scientifically supported.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_01: Filtered water is probably worth it, particularly if you live in an area where you know the water supply is not great, you live in an old house where the pipes might be older pipes, if you live in an area where the water quality is not great, where there's lots of chlorine in the water, but you don't have to spend a lot of money on filtration, you know, just one of those jugs with a filter in that you fill up and keep in your refrigerator is absolutely plenty.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_01: Or if you've got one of those fridges that's got a water supply through it, you know, they come with filters on them these days.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you can buy tap attachments.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry, I'll nearly ate that word then.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um that just screw onto your tap or below the sink in the in the plumbing.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_01: There, you can find filters that will go in between the piping.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_01: So they're actually really really simple things that you can do to make sure that you've got some filtered water if that's the kind of thing that you feel that you need.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: Let's just talk a little bit before we talk about one of the biggies, which is spoiler alert, Julie's going to talk about weight loss and water in in a moment.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, let's talk about the signs of whether you're actually dehydrated or not.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_01: Some things to look out for.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, you feel thirsty, or or rather is the is the first one, or you've conversely you don't feel that thirsty, but you're quite tired, you've got brain fog, you're feeling irritable.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: That might be a sign of uh dehydration as well.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_01: Dry mouth, dry skin, lots of headaches, they can be too muscle cramps, are another big sign of hydration.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um regularity, both number ones and number twos can be affected by by dehydration and just getting irritable or foggy for no apparent reason.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_01: Now, some of those obviously mirror some of the hormone hormonal symptoms that we see in menopause.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_01: But before you rush off to do any fixes for that, you know, let's try hydration as the first part of call because it can be the first domino that helps everything else fall into place.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_01: Now, one of those things that people talk to us a lot about, of course, is menopausal weight gain and how they can lose weight more.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_01: And we've we have got uh a new program coming up that Julie will tell you about in a moment.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_01: But Julie, let's talk about weight loss and hydration and how does being properly hydrated help when it comes to weight management at this time of life?
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: It's it can really be one of your best um, I don't want to say diet aids, but dietary aids, I guess I'll say, because it's great for supporting your metabolism.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: We said before, every cell in your body needs water to function properly.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, your bloodstream, I can't remember the exact percentage of water that your bloodstream is, you know, to get to your muscles and tissues.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's all really important.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_00: And um, so we want that for just to continue feeding our metabolism.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, water can help us feel full.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_00: You know, if you're starting to get a few hunger pangs, one of the best ways I found with myself and our clients to really tune into true hunger signals is to drink water when you start to think you're feeling hungry.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_00: Have a glass of water because hunger tends to come in waves.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_00: If you're truly hungry, after you've had that glass of water, the hunger will come back fairly quickly.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_00: Whereas if you're not hungry, you may stave that feeling off for a while, and it could just be that you were thirsty instead of hungry.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it and again, like I said, it if you're especially when we're we're in weight loss mode and we're doing a little bit more with our workouts, a little bit more intense workouts, um, it's gonna fuel our cells, it's gonna fuel our muscles, it's gonna help with recovery so that we can continue to exercise rather than feeling so sore we don't want to exercise the next day.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_00: Ask me how I know this.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um so you know, a lot of a lot of women, especially this time of life, think they're resistant to weight loss.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_00: I've tried everything, but it could just be that you're not hydrated enough for this engine in your body to run efficiently.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_00: Now, it's like trying to drive a car with no oil in the engine, right?
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of our aches and pains can be related to dehydration.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_00: So it's a great, it's a it's a great first place to start because it's simple, it's cost effective, it's uncomplicated, and it's something we can gradually introduce.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: And even if you don't notice tremendous differences, it's still gonna be good for your body.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_00: So you're gonna get some kind of benefit no matter what.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, no matter what.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_00: So just to wrap up, if you're tired, moody, foggy, or you feel like your body isn't responding like it used to, before starting to overhaul your entire life, check with your hydration levels.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_00: But be honest about this because it's the kind of thing you need to do consistently.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_00: And say a hydrated woman is a powerful woman, right?
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to wait for permission to prioritize your own energy and your own well-being.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: So this is a really great place to start.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you want support in making changes that actually work, we are here to help.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we have a great program that's open for registration right now.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_00: Do you want to tell everybody about that?
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: So, kind of starting on Monday, June the 16th.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you could start after the 16th.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_01: You're you're welcome to join after that.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_01: But even better, if you join today or tomorrow, today being Thursday, or tomorrow being Friday the 13th, um, you get a little bit of pre-work to do as well, sort of like going to the supermarket and things like that.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_01: We've got a program called Feel Fabulous in Five.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_01: It coincides with the idea that five weeks from now is the beginning of the school vacation period where school's closed and most people go on holiday.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a perfect time to do a reset, particularly if you're looking for weight management.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_01: Feel Fabulous in Five is over the course of five weeks, what you're gonna get is access to our coaching app with daily lessons, little mini lessons that come in, just a minute or two to read, that will give you another tip about your health, your nutrition during the menopause transition.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_01: You're also gonna get a recipe book with loads of great healthy recipes in, a second recipe book which has got all our some of our super smoothies in it.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you get access to our community, so lots of community support there from other women just like you, and also once a week, Julie and I will be doing a live call with a live QA for members of the program so we can actually bespoke the program to work exactly for you.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_01: Even better, this is not gonna make a massive dent in your holiday stroke vacation budget because we've done something that we're trying it out, we may never try it again.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_01: We're actually offering this on a pay what you want basis.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_01: Pay what you want means pay what you can afford if you're challenged financially, or pay what you think the program is going to be worth you.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_01: It starts off there are incremental options from just five pounds or seven dollars up to£49, which I think is£63 once it's converted.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_01: And so you can just pay us whatever you think.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_01: We trust you to make a decision that feels right for you, uh, whether that be based on what you think it's worth, what your finances are like.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_01: So it's never been easier to say yes to some good health, it didn't better by myself and Juliet than it is now.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_01: The actual URL is fabin5.fabulousbeyond40.com.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_01: We'll stick that in the show notes as well.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_01: So make sure to get it there because there will be a live link there where you can go in and then just select the price band that you want to pay for it, and you can join us.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_01: As I said, we're starting over the course of this weekend.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_01: Official start is Monday the 16th.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the sun's out.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_01: Let's make sure you're shining too.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so that's it.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_01: I think we've hyped Fabin 5 enough for everybody.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_01: So we will see you next time.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_01: Until then, it's been James and Julie from Fabulous Beyond 40.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_01: Hoping you stay strong and stay fabulous, and we'll see you next time.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_01: Take care.