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We’re back for another weekly roundup! It’s been a busy week and with the holidays rapidly approaching it’s not gonna slow down. I mean, there are only 59 days left until Christmas.

But I digress, Halloween still needs its turn, and I have some fun recipes coming up next week specifically for entertaining ghosts and goblins of all ages.

But first, this is what we covered this week at BLF:

• 10/22: The Role of Restorative Sleep in Lifestyle Medicine
• 10/24: The Case for Whole Foods Protein

This week at the Fork That Kitchen Club I’ve been working on the program and have started working on filming. I’m so excited for y’all to see this! For our Recipe of the Day newsletter, we kept things cozy with Maple Cashew Chocolate Fudge, Butternut Squash Grilled Cheese, and a One Pan Sausage Ragu Gnocchi that has quickly become a favorite of mine.

Holiday Self-Care Tips Part II

I won’t mention how close Christmas is again, but we all know the holidays can add a significant amount of stress to an already full plate, especially when hot flashes have us adding and peeling off layers while fiddling with the heat every fifteen minutes. The holidays means it’s extra important to take some time for self-care.

If you missed last weeks tips, you can check them out HERE, or if you want all of them right now, you can read the original blog post HERE.

Tip #4: Schedule Regular Connection Time

This probably won’t be hard to do with family with the holidays coming up but when our lives become barely contained chaos in the midst of all the festivities, the first thing that goes out the door is our normal routine.

That once-a-month coffee meet up with your BFF is put on hold until after the New Year. Ditto your book club and walking club. Even your favorite hobbies are packed up to keep them safe and out of the way of guests and holiday decorations.

Now more than ever is NOT the time to brush these things aside. Even if you can’t meet your BFF in person, schedule a 15-minute phone call or schedule a Zoom meeting with your book club friends to just check in and talk about the books you’d like to tackle in the new year.

Bottom line: it doesn’t take much to refill your cup when you aren’t to the point of it being empty.

Tip #5: Prioritize Restorative Sleep

I wrote a whole blog post about the importance of restorative sleep last week for my ongoing Lifestyle Medicine series for Menopause Awareness Month. It’s worth the read, even if I do say so myself.

My biggest recommendation here is to put down your phone. We never know how much time we have with loved ones and the holidays are sometimes the only time during the year you can connect. We all know the screen mess with our sleep but with the holidays coming, maybe make  a renewed effort to get out from behind the screen.

Bottom line: do not let your sleep go by the wayside. Keep your wind down routine in place. Go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time. Yes, even on Christmas Day.

Tip #6: Create a Stress Busting Toolkit

This is my favorite tip. Every day, find your joy. I don’t care if your morning cup of coffee, a craft project, or just sitting quietly with a new book, guard that time fiercely.

Anxiety without a base cause is common during the menopause transition because progesterone is sharply declining. Add the stress of the holidays on top of that and you have a recipe for disaster.

Bottom line: find your joy, find your calm, and protect them.

Ok folks, that’s it for this week. Next week I am talking about the burgeoning menopause industry and menodivorce. I’ve briefly covered these in other roundups but the more I read about the topics, the more annoyed I got so now I’m writing full posts on them. I’m also closing out my Lifestyle Medicine series with the last two pillars of Connectedness and Substance Avoidance. 

Until next time, honor your body, trust your voice, and keep your light shining bright.

Coming Up This Week:

• 10/27: The Fleecing of Menopausal Women
• 10/29: The Role of Connectedness & Substance Avoidance in Lifestyle Medicine
• 10/31: Menodivorce is Not a Thing

The Fork That Kitchen Club has you covered this week with Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Gnocchi, Frankenstein's Monster Guacamole, Monster Veggie Dip Tray, and other Halloween and fall favorites. Sign up for the Fork That Kitchen Club newsletter to get these and more recipes delivered right to your inbox daily. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to grab your free Fall Favorites recipe collection while it’s still available!