Hi mamas-

If you’re anything like me, you can’t walk into a room of women without the topic of perimenopause coming up. Honestly, I didn’t even know there was a term for it until recently.

All I know is that in my mid-30’s, I started to not feel like myself. Not at home. Not at work. (BTW, did you know perimenopause can begin in your mid-30’s? Wait, are you IN perimenopause? Keep reading…)

The good news is this: we’re talking about it a lot, now. There are so many companies and products devoted to helping us through this inevitable time in our lives.

We’re devoting this issue of The CARRY ALL to helping you feel better at home and at work, despite the chaos that might be going on in your body. 🤪

Got some extra time while you get your weighted-vest walk in? (IYKYK) Take the opportunity to listen to the four-part series I did on menopause from my podcast The Paula Faris Show.  

Finally, since it’s the first newsletter of the month, check out our Must Reads for April down below! One more note, there’s a good chance you won our giveaway of my book, You Don’t Have to Carry it All —read to the end to see if your name is on the list! 🎉

Enjoy!

-Paula (Founder, CARRY™ Media)

 This week in The CARRY™ ALL, we’re talking about:

• 👩 How to Know if You’re in Perimenopause

• ❤️ CARRY™ Staff Picks for Managing Perimenopause Symptoms 

• 💪 How to Prepare Yourself BEFORE You Hit Perimenopause 

THE BIG 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣

1️⃣  👩 How to Know if You’re in Perimenopause 

It seems like everywhere we go nowadays, perimenopause is a hot topic. (Pun intended for those of you battling hot flashes. 🔥) If you haven’t been inundated with details about this time in a woman’s life, here are some quick facts to help you determine if you’re in perimenopause:

• Perimenopause is the period leading up to menopause, and can begin as early as 35 years old, lasting up to 10 years. (Menopause itself is technically just one day – 12 months after a woman’s last period.) 

• During perimenopause, our estrogen fluctuates and begins to decline, resulting in muscle loss and a decrease in bone density. While irregular periods are one indication of perimenopause, here are some other common signs:

  • Insomnia

  • Weight gain

  • Mood shifts

  • Increased visceral / belly fat

  • Hot flashes

  • Memory loss / Brain fog

  • Vaginal and bladder problems

  • Night sweats

• Blood tests to check hormone levels are NOT good indicators of perimenopause. Since our hormone levels fluctuate during this time, it’s possible to have a blood test show “normal” levels, despite you feeling anything but normal. That’s why perimenopause is often diagnosed by symptoms alone.

2️⃣  ❤️ CARRY™ Staff Picks for Managing Perimenopause Symptoms

You guessed it: We at CARRY™ are navigating the world of perimenopause right alongside you. Here are some of our favorite ways to feel good during this tricky time in our lives:

• Wearing weighted vests while walking can stimulate bone and reduce the risk of fractures as a result of declining estrogen levels during perimenopause. Here’s one that we love.

• Fun fact: You don’t have to suffer through the multitude of symptoms of perimenopause. Check out Alloy to see if Hormone Replacement Therapy is right for you. They’ll connect you with a menopause trained OBGYN in your area and you’ll have a treatment plan within days! Use code PAULA42103 for a $15 credit towards any prescription.

• Hair loss is a very real side effect of perimenopause. Our founder, Paula Faris, swears by low-dose minoxidil for fuller hair. Get a $15 credit when you order from ALLOY using the code PAULA42103.

• Consuming creatine is a safe way to counter muscle loss and help you maintain strength and bone density. We love this one.

3️⃣ 💪 How to Prepare Yourself BEFORE You Hit Perimenopause 

If you’re not quite in the throes of perimenopause yet, it’s never too early to prepare. In short: think strong and not skinny! The pursuit of skinny is actually killing us. The earlier you begin building muscle mass and bone density, the healthier you’ll be (and the better you’ll feel) when estrogen and progesterone levels begin to dip. 

• Add strength training into your exercise routine to build muscle. Muscles will keep you out of the nursing home.

• Consume adequate protein every day. How much to consume? Dr Jen Ashton tells Paula to divide your total weight by 2.2 and then multiply that number by 1.5.

• Avoid extreme calorie restriction, which can lead to muscle loss.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT 🤎

for working moms with older children

• While we’re on the topic of choosing strong over skinny, it’s never too early to have similar conversations with our teens. Having body positivity is important — especially when so much of what teens see in social media promotes unhealthy bodily ideals. So how do you stress the importance of being healthy and strong, rather than skinny? We found this article to be a great jumping off point, with its focus on mental health, strength training, and other important topics.

GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

Last two week’s winners are…

➡️ Irene Ibarra

➡️ Gloria Marshall

➡️ Aimee Luongo

➡️ Cathy Martin

➡️ Jennifer Andrick

➡️ Larissa Thompson

➡️ Emily Sutton

➡️ Tami Stevenson

➡️ Lorene Bernie

You must reply to this email with your mailing address, so our team can mail these to you. 🎉 

Also, we never heard from two of our SIMPLIFIED cookbook winners below. So, whoever responds to this email first (with your mailing address LOL) wins the cookbook and goodies from the Simplified team 🙂 🎉