The mid-life changes of women are seen as synonymous with ageing. However, I like to view these transitional years as marking the beginning of the second half of a woman’s life, often a time of self-empowerment and certainly a natural process that can be a rewarding experience and a positive event in a woman’s life.

Hot flushes & sweating

These are due to the oestrogen decline, to Lutenizing hormone surges in response to the decline, and indirectly to exhausted adrenal glands that cannot adequately take over the role of hormone production from the ovaries.

Sage is a wonderful herb specifically for hot flushes. A popular home remedy is to chop 6 fresh sage leaves, soak them overnight in lemon juice, strain and drink the juice for 7 - 10 days. Two other beneficial herbs are Astragalus and Zizyphus which support the adrenal glands as well as vitamins C, B5 & B6 which nourish these glands.

Vaginal, skin and eye dryness

Black Cohosh is the herb that works best, and there have been a number of open and double-blind trials in Germany to verify its traditional use for alleviating these symptoms. Vitamin E is the most important vitamin for menopause and older women in general. Simply opening a vitamin E capsule and applying it locally to the vagina softens and lubricates the tissue.

Fluid retention

Both celery and parsley freshly squeezed in a daily vegetable juice work well. Or try dandelion leaf tea which is available at most health food stores. Although you are accumulating water, it is not getting into the cells so you need to drink more water to flush it through.

Depression & anxiety

St John’s wort (Hypericum) is widely used in Europe. It is prescribed by doctors in Germany and has been the subject of many scientific studies. It helps restore the integrity of the nervous system, calm anxiety, and is anti-depressant. However, it cannot be taken with heart medication, other anti-depressant drugs (SSRIs) or HIV medication.

Additionally, oats is specific for depression and anxiety as it nourishes the nervous system. Even having rolled oat porridge or muesli for breakfast will make a difference. Try a drop of lavender essential oil neat on your wrist for a calming and uplifting natural perfume.

Poor Memory/concentration

Gingko and rosemary both increase circulation to the brain and our extremities and are therefore great for memory as well as low libido. Pick a sprig of rosemary bush and place in hot water for an energising tea.

Lifestyle Recommendations

– Wear layers of light, loose-fitting clothing made from natural fibres that can be easily removed;
– Avoid overheating the body by extremely hot baths or saunas, hot chillis & spices, alcohol & coffee;
– Balance your weight so that you are neither underweight nor overweight;
– Try relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, massage, guided relaxation CD, aromatherapy;
– Moderate weight-bearing exercise maintains bone density (unfortunately this does not include swimming),  strengthens the heart and improves mood: aim for 1 hour 3 times a week, e.g. walking with hand weights, yoga, gym.

Vital questions to ask yourself during this perimenopausal time:

What is out of balance in my life to cause these symptoms?  How do I feel about going through menopause? Do I fear ageing or growing old? Do I feel I have no purpose or do I still have a career that I enjoy? Maybe my children have grown up and left. Or is it a time to revalue and reassess my life and see it as the beginning of a new stage filled with opportunities?

Certainly, it is a time that the body is producing new-found energy, perhaps only needing to be channelled into a new hobby or pursuit, rather than have it work against you. Often it is a time to put your needs and desires first. Maybe it is time to fulfil a dream or ambition that you haven’t previously had an opportunity to do, taking advantage of your years of life experiences and wisdom.

As the evening temperature drops, this delicious lamb recipe will make you look like a Master Chef, thanks to Pete Field who cooked this lovely meal for us last Sunday.

Ingredients:

• Rack of lamb 
• Whole cauliflower
• 1 tin of white beans
• 1 Lemon 
• Half bunch of Italian parsley 
• 1 sprig of rosemary bush
• 1 clove of garlic
• Coconut oil for cooking
• Salt and pepper

• Brown racks of lamb in frying pan for 30 seconds each side using coconut oil
• Score meat with a sharp knife and sprinkle with fresh rosemary
• Bake in oven for 30 minutes until tender at 180 degress celcius
• Cut lemon into quarters and add to the baking dish in the oven in the last 10 minutes
• Steam cauliflower for 10 minutes
• Blend steamed cauliflower, tin of white beans, a little of the water from the steamer, 1 clove of garlic and half a bunch of parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Remove lamb from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting into cutlets
• Place cutlets on top of the cauliflower puree and serve with baked lemon
• Best eaten with a squeeze of baked lemon and a fresh salad of diced cucumber, red and green capsicum and feta 

These Hot Cross Buns are a gluten free and nutritious alternative. Good for those on a Paleo diet too. Drizzle dark chocolate crosses on top if you like.

Ingredients:
2 organic eggs
3 cups almond meal
80g raisins/sultanas
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons raw honey
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder/essence
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Zest from 1 orange

Pinch of sea salt
Coconut oil (to grease baking tray)

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 C
Combine dry ingredients (almonds, baking soda, vanilla, cinnamon and salt) and mix well
Blend wet ingredients (oil, honey, orange, eggs) in food processor
Add wet ingredient to dry ingredients and mix well
Pat spoonfuls of mixture onto a greased baking tray
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden

Serve with organic butter & raw honey or homemade jam. Also delicious on their own!

A couple of weeks ago I had the exciting opportunity to shoot 10 segments for Fitness First TV based upon my article, 10 Foods For An Einstein Brain. My article also features in the March edition of the Fitness First magazine. If you're a member of the Fitness First gyms, keep an eye out throughout March and April for my TV segments which will be screened nationally. For a preview of my brainy tips, take a look at my Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/ClaudetteWadsworth Thanks to Active Media Group and all the crew.

Easter is about new beginnings and new life. Conceiving a child is a very special, though often unconscious, event. For others, it may be problematic. Fertility is a complex issue that involves both prospective parents. I have been consulting women and couples for the last 12 years which I am very passionate about because there is so much potential for improvement as well as opportunity for parents to educate themselves. Taking control of one’s own fertility, and having an active role in treatment, can be an important and empowering factor for many prospective parents.

Recently I attended a 3 day conference at The Hilton Hotel Sydney to update on the latest scientific research of natural methods, medical testing and assisted reproductive technology such as IVF. Whether you are trying to conceive naturally or using IVF, there are many changes that you can make to profoundly improve your chances of a healthy, successful conception, pregnancy, birth and baby. IVF doctors say increasing numbers of prospective parents unrealistically see IVF as the "silver bullet" after eating, drinking and smoking themselves into poor fertility health.

Poor nutrition, tobacco, drugs, alcohol, environmental pollution, lack of exercise, stress, oral contraceptives, genito-urinary infections, and other infections eg Candida, allergies, child bearing at an older age and stress are all important factors which deplete the quality of sperm, eggs, health of the male and female reproductive organs and in turn, impair fertility. A recent study in the UK showed IVF success rates more than doubled when preceded by a period of preconception health care. I consult many couples who are undergoing IVF treatment where nutritional support and stress management are vital. No supplement that has a hormonal effect is given to interfere with the drug regime.






Many couples say they already have a healthy diet but unfortunately nowadays this may be inadequate as the nutrient content of food is affected by farming methods, modern processing and refinement of foods, lifestyle issues, tobacco, alcohol, being on the oral contraceptive pill and other drugs that rob the body of vital nutrients. This was demonstrated by a CSIRO study that found 67% of Australian women received less than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of zinc in their diets. Stress increases the demand of a variety of nutrients. Older couples may require an increase in nutrients compared to a younger couple because their nutrient stores may be depleted as they have been exposed to lifestyle and environmental factors for a longer period of time. Nutritional needs are also increased by 15-20% in pregnancy. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in January 2007 found that eating trans fats, eg. margarine, deep fried oils, processed foods, increased the risk of fertility problems by 70% or more.

Getting healthy before trying to conceive is not a new idea. Many traditional societies practiced preconception health care, such as the Ancient Greeks and Romans whose conceiving couples abstained from alcohol prior to and during pregnancy due to its damaging effects on the foetus. Veterinarians, stock breeders and farmers all feed special diets to their animals prior to breeding as well.

This Easter begin a new chapter in your life, starting with your health.

• 4 vine-ripened tomatoes
• chopped avocado
• 8 pitted kalamata olives
• 1 handful of flat leaf parsley leaves chopped
• thinly sliced fennel
• 80ml extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4x180g Australian Barramundi or Blue Eye Cod fish fillets
• 2 Tbs olive oil, for cooking

The first two books in the Mrs Twinkle Series (for ages 3 to 7 year olds) have just been launched by my mother, Annabelle Wadsworth. “Mrs Twinkle” bridges the gap between picture books and young adult fiction. The imaginative stories follow a star and a boy as they travel throughout the world discovering animals, habitat, our heritage and relationships. Both author and illustrator, Annabelle has also subtly addressed possible solutions for low self esteem through positive reinforcement. Zoom through the air with Mrs Twinkle! www.mrstwinkle.com.au

Monday 25th February at 10.30am come join Annabelle for a reading at Woollahra Library

E-book available from:  
https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/mrs-twinkle-meets-simon-for/id585438988

Books available from:
www.littlesteps.com.au

Whether you are celebrating Valentine's Day this Thursday or trying to ignore it, it is really a reminder to celebrate the greatest love of all - loving yourself. When we give ourselves time each week to do something that we love or we're passionate about, it is a way of giving back to ourselves as well as letting go of the daily stressors and putting the zest and passion back into our lives. Even if it's only for an hour on a weekend, it allows you to let go of your tension and the mundane and gives us a sense of empowerment, bringing the joy and fun back in. Last week I started dancing classes again which I haven't done for 6 years. Of course I was rather clunky and uncoordinated at first but by the end of the class I had the biggest smile on my face and was dancing on air.

The one thing scientifically proven to make 2013 your best year yet? Boost your creativity. As quoted by Red Day Coaching www.reddaycoaching.com researchers sent 56 subjects out on a four day wilderness hiking trip without access to electronic devices or mobile phones. Upon their return, the hikers took tests to measure their creativity. The control group that hadn't been in the bush, scored 4.14 out of 10. The hiking group scored 6.08, a staggering 50% more creativity! The researchers said that this creativity boost was probably due to being in nature as well as taking a break from the stressors of work and technology. Next time you get stuck on a problem or can't concentrate, turn your mobile off and take a walk in nature or get lost in your own creative juices - leaving all technology behind!

Often in our busy, modern world it is easy to forget to incorporate the creative juice into our lives as we are tuned 24/7 into our emails and Facebook, crippling our free time which we need to explore our imagination and let our spirits fly. We've forgotten what it is to ponder and daydream, imagine and create new possibilities but we need to remember that without creativity, there is no life. Fertility is the ultimate act of creativity and whether we are using it for this or not, it is still vital that we express our creative energy in other ways. There are many ways to express creativity such as art, singing, dancing, cooking, writing, woodwork, gardening, photography, graphic art, poetry, sex and sensuality. The other benefit is that it allows you to let go of all your worries and be present with what you love. You can't think about the past or the future while you are in the midst of your creative act.

For women, our creative expression is reflected in our hormones as the function of our hormones is to create life. According to Christiane Northrup reknowned gynaecologist in USA who wrote the book, Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, hormonal imbalances are often reflected in whether a woman is honouring her own emotional needs and creative expression. So if your creative energy is stifled or you are having period problems, then there may be an area of your life which also feels blocked. Look at where you're not expressing and using your creative energy and power in your life.

Ask yourself the following questions:
- How am I expressing my creativity in my life? What does creativity mean to me?
- What brings me alive? What am I passionate about?
- As a child, what did I love doing that I may have now forgotten?
- What are my emotional needs and do I express these?
- Do I believe that I have the power to change the conditions of my life?
- What am I most grateful for in my life right now?

Creativity is about putting the fun and play back into life. It doesn't have to take loads of time or money to have fun. So let your creative fire ignite by celebrating what you love in your life.

Great for a quick breakfast when you're on the go or as a healthy snack at work. Make a batch of these on the weekend to stock you up for the week ahead. Try different varieties by adding your favourite herbs, pumpkin or sweet potato. Otherwise at least you know you have managed to squeeze a leafy green into your breakfast.

Makes 6 frittatas Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 brown onion, chopped
6 organic eggs
3 Tb milk (or almond/goat milk if allergy)
6 vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 large kale leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tb olive oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius. Fry onion lightly in olive oil. Blend eggs and milk in a blender until light and fluffy (or whisk by hand if you don't have a blender). Stir in other ingredients, season with salt and pepper and pour mixture into a six-cup muffin pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from muffin pan and cool