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Overheard on AthletaWell

Consider this your personal group chat to get unfiltered answers to any and all questions.

Can we talk about Pre Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)?

If you've never heard of PMDD it is a condition similar to PMS that also happens in the week or two before your period starts as hormone levels begin to fall after ovulation. PMDD causes more severe symptoms than PMS, including severe depression, irritability, and tension. A few years ago after I turned 40 and retired birth control I personally began to notice a pattern of falling into overwhelming, productivity halting, depression typically 7- 10 days prior to my menstrual cycle. This often looked like low motivation, extreme fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep, high irritability and anxiety. As a busy high achieving mompreneur despite wanting to, I was struggling to show up to my life. Fortunately, when I realized what was happening. I gave myself permission to be a human being. I explored my treatment options and decided on a course of action that was right for me. The treatment of PMDD can include antidepressants and birth control. However, I selected to go the self-care route. I made a commitment to myself to intentionally manage my schedule accordingly. This doesn't mean that I get to crawl into a cave 7 - 10 days out of every month! It simply means that I am more mindful of what I am committing myself to during that period of time. For me this can look like:Meeting with less clientsSetting aside a budget for takeoutTaking time off from creating social contentBeing strategic in how I schedule meetings (i.e meeting earlier in the day when I have more energy)Going for walks instead of runsOver the year I've noticed that proactively planning has also reduced the performance guilt that would often come up when I didn't feel like I was operating optimally. I'm not sure if anyone can relate; but if you can I'd love to hear some of the things that you are doing to help you manage.

The cottage cheese craze

Ok all....I have made things from pasta sauce to ice cream with cottage cheese. Have you jumped on the trend?! What is your favorite things? I am a health coach and always looking for ways to sneak protein in and one thing I am good at is coming up with meals in the kitchen to make things easier for my clients. I find a lot of inspiration from others!My latest high protein cottage cheese recipe was egg salad! In a nonstick, prepared loaf pan, add 400g liquid egg whites and 2 whole eggs (keep them whole and on opposite ends of the pan from each other)Place loaf pan in a 9x13 pan that has water in it (about 1")Bake eggs at 375 for 20-25 minutesMeanwhile, make the other goods:Chop veggies of choice (I like celery, onion and pickle)Divide into 2 containersAdd in parsley, salt and pepper to taste, dash of a lite balsamic vinegar, mustard, sweetener of choice (I use swerve). Puree up 2 servings of cottoage cheese until smooth and add in some powdered ranch seasoning.Divide everything equally into the 2 containers.Allow eggs to cool.I cut them down the middle and place that in one dish then chop the remainder for the other dish. So each dish will have about 200g whites and 1 whole egg. This recipe makes 2 servings (large servings) and each serving is 276 cals with 40g protein! Top with green onion! You can follow me on TikTok (@tonnajacobson) or IG @coach_tonna_jacobson to see a video demo and several other recipes!

Tennis Stretch Regimen?

Hi all, I've been changing up my gym/yoga routine with time outside on the courts. Love the fresh air, vitamin d, camaraderie and 'playing' through a workout. However, the start and stop on the courts is really tightening up my feet and hammies. Yoga generally takes care of the ham strings, but my feet and toes are still uber tight. Anyone have any similar issues or fixes for this?

What are your favorite things about your current age?

Let’s celebrate the beautiful things that come with aging! Share a thing or two that you love about where you are now. Ok, ok, I’ll go first… Two of my favorite things are not having a period every month and embracing my natural hair color. What are yours?

Getting started again…

I used to do obstacle races as my end goal to get me moving. The pandemic and working in healthcare made me lose my energy. Intellectually know working out is good for me , but having a hard time motivating myself.

Burnout Anyone?

I'm feeling completely burnt out with all of my responsibilities and I'm struggling to find the energy to do what I love! I MISS reading, going for walks, and grabbing dinner with friends, plus I also want to pick up new hobbies (has anyone tried pottery?!). I never feel like I have enough time and, more importantly, enough energy. What're your hacks for more energy when you are doing it all?!

HRT - yes or no?

I am considering going on hormones. I would love to hear opinions (pro and con). I have talked to my doctor and I just want to hear other perspectives so I can make the right decision, for me. Thanks, in advance ☺️

Favorite Walking Shoe

Would love some walking shoe recommendations! I currently have the Adidas Questar Flow NXT Shoes but I think they're intended for running.

Nutrition seems key

I feel like I recently made some progress in beating some menopause symptoms by focusing on good nutrition. Mary Claire Haver, MD has some great videos and tips. I have not read her new book yet, the Galveston Diet. #https://www.youtube.com/@maryclairehavermd8473 Anybody else finds her helpful and has some best practices? What I started so far: - no added sugar- more fiber, for example wheat noodles- more protein and probiotics through yogurt, skyr- adding more nutritious ingredients, for example spinach- avoiding simple carbs, example white bread, white rice- adding more avocados, nuts and chia seeds I feel less hungry and started to enjoy nutritious food much more.