Find out how our program participants alleviate their complaints with the right adjustments and regain more energy, well-being and joie de vivre.
The menopause is a challenging time full of changes for many women, and the symptoms are as varied as the women themselves. Whether it's exhaustion, mood swings, weight gain or hot flushes - every woman experiences the perimenopause differently. Amidst all the therapies, dietary supplements and self-help tips on offer, it is often difficult to keep track and find out what really helps.
In this blog post, four women from the Hello Inside menopause program tell their honest and unvarnished stories about how they overcame their individual challenges. You will find out which symptoms were particularly troublesome for them and which lifestyle adjustments finally brought them relief. Their stories show that there is no one solution that fits all - but there are ways that can work for each of us.
Get a closer look at how the therapy works with natural lifestyle changes and find out how you too can take small but effective steps towards well-being with continuous feedback from your body. Let's start with Sabine, who we had the pleasure of interviewing after 12 weeks on the program.
"Oh, the menopause: at first I thought that my body must have decided that I now need a nap every day like a toddler."
Sabine suffered from fatigue and lack of energy - what coffee and late meals had to do with it
Tiredness is part of everyday life for many women during the perimenopause. Sabine is 47 and a mother of two teenagers. Her main problem was that she felt exhausted all the time. "It was as if my battery was draining faster and faster, no matter how much I slept." Despite getting enough sleep, Sabine felt tired and listless during the day, which made it difficult for her at work and at home. She took an iron supplement before the program, but unfortunately this didn't bring the desired change. So Sabine started the Hello Inside program to find out what was behind her tiredness.
"Of course, I didn't have much hope for improvement at the beginning, but to be honest, I had wanted to try a CGM for a long time. It was probably a combination of curiosity and desperation that brought me to the program. It's funny to realize that in hindsight!"
With the CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring), she was able to track live how certain foods and, in Sabine's case, especially irregular meal times and coffee after 10 hours affected her energy.
"I used to eat high-sugar snacks to get me through the day, but the CGM showed me that my blood sugar would go straight back down after a short spike. Now I eat high-fat, high-protein snacks (I've rediscovered nuts) that keep my blood sugar stable, and I really feel much better with them. Small cause, big effect for me."
What is the connection between hormone fluctuations and fatigue?
During perimenopause, your oestrogen levels drop and progesterone levels fluctuate greatly. These hormonal changes affect your body's ability to process blood sugar effectively. The result: blood sugar spikes and drops that make you tired.
Sabine sees these positive changes for herself: Sabine has learned to make specific adjustments to her diet and integrate regular exercise into her everyday life. "I now go for short walks after eating, and that gives me a real energy boost. I feel fit again and have the feeling that I have better control over my body."
"I often thought: If someone tells me again that mood swings are completely normal, I'm going to freak out!"
Anna suffered mainly from mood swings - stress eating and too little exercise were the straw that broke the camel's back
Anna, 51, had been feeling like she was on an emotional rollercoaster for some time.
"Sometimes I could cry at work without knowing why, and my schoolchildren show me more often that I'm irritable and impatient, which is otherwise not my personality. It scares me that I no longer have my emotions under control."
Mood swings are common during the perimenopause, often caused by the decline in oestrogen and the associated changes in the brain.
How do hormone fluctuations affect your mood and why is it important to keep an eye on your blood sugar levels?
Oestrogen influences serotonin production, an important neurotransmitter that stabilizes your mood. During the perimenopause, oestrogen levels drop and blood sugar fluctuations can exacerbate these mood swings, which can be the straw that breaks the camel's back several times a day. This is why our program participants describe good nutrition and exercise immediately after meals as a successful combination for mood swings during the menopause.
What positive changes has Anna noticed in herself?
Anna began monitoring her blood glucose levels with CGM. She realized that stress and poorly balanced sugary snacks were causing her blood sugar levels to spike, which soon had a negative impact on her mood.
"I learned that I often ate sweets too quickly after stressful situations where I was already feeling unwell. Through the recommendations of the program, I've started to focus on high-fiber fruit with nuts instead, which has really helped me stay calmer and more balanced and that the barrel hasn't overflowed for me for a few weeks now. I still feel the fluctuations, but it no longer ends in disaster like before, when I didn't want to go back to class at all after a few unpleasant situations."
"The second important takeaway is how important exercise is. I'm now doing yoga regularly again - it's also really good for me mentally. I feel much more in touch with myself and am more relaxed when dealing with my surroundings."
"My stomach used to be flat, but now it's a kind of 'menopause souvenir'. I've done a lot of sport, but the extra roll just wouldn't go away. And then the CGM tells me that it's not just because of the burgers, but also because of my oh-so-healthy muesli. Great! Thank you, menopause."
In Claudia's case, it was the weight that was bothering her and how exercise after lunch and no alcohol for dinner turned things around
Claudia, 49, a sporty personal coach, was increasingly bothered by the fact that her figure had changed.
"I always had curves, but I also had a great waist, which I tailored my wardrobe to. And yes, I always had to eat consciously and exercise to stay that way, but that was the case for a long time.... Until it wasn't like that anymore: my belly got fatter, even though I wasn't eating any differently than before. Exercise didn't help either, it really frustrated me and with the sweating attacks, I often just felt uncomfortable and no longer attractive."
Hormone fluctuations affect your weight, so it makes sense to monitor your blood sugar levels
Many women gain weight during the perimenopause, especially around the abdomen, a phenomenon often caused by hormonal changes and insulin resistance. Falling oestrogen levels and the associated insulin resistance make it harder for your body to use sugar effectively. This leads to more fat accumulation, especially in the abdominal area. With the CGM, Claudia was able to take countermeasures and find out which foods were causing her blood sugar to spike.
"I didn't realize that even my whole grain breakfast cereal made me tired and hungry quickly until I consciously focused on it again in the program. The CGM showed me that I then often ate too much throughout the day after the high blood sugar rises - classic cravings. Now I eat scrambled eggs and tomatoes and I'm really into it!"
Claudia has noticed these positive changes in herself: After just 2 months, she has almost managed to get rid of the early menopause pounds. In order to maintain her feel-good weight, she wants to keep an eye on her meal feedback with the CGM, as she eats out a lot and can't rely much on fixed, tried-and-tested meals at home. Since the last weight jump, she also feels comfortable in her own skin again.
"I've learned through Hello Inside that walking from lunch to the next meeting and skipping the heavy dinners with alcohol works wonders for me. I now feel much more active, fitter and finally in control of my weight again. I also sweat less, I think, but that could just be my imagination...anyway, I'll take it!" she ends the interview with a mischievous laugh.
"You're lying peacefully in bed, and suddenly it feels like someone is shining a huge hot hairdryer at you - out of nowhere."
Tina's heated nights of a different kind - giving up alcohol and a heavy dinner also helped to alleviate her symptoms
Tina, 52, was tormented by the nights: "I woke up several times sweating profusely and the next day I was exhausted." Hot flushes and night sweats are typical symptoms of the perimenopause, often caused by falling oestrogen levels that disrupt temperature regulation. Fluctuating blood sugar levels can further exacerbate hot flushes and night sweats. The resulting lack of sleep in turn leads to increased stress and irregular blood sugar, which is the beginning of a downward spiral...
Thanks to the program, Tina found out that her night-time complaints were often triggered by late eating and alcohol. "The feedback from the CGM helped me to eat more easily in the evening and avoid alcohol. I had a much more stable blood sugar at night and almost immediately had significantly fewer heat attacks. I immediately noticed how much calmer my nights became as a result and after two days in a row I almost didn't know how bad I had felt until I drank a lot of alcohol again at a neighbor's birthday party."
