Prepare to Pause: A Wellness Guide For Women

By Lisette Meuse-Manuel

By the year 2025 there will be over 1 billion women going through Menopause and 75% of them will experience hot flashes, nights sweats, anxiety, weight gain, dry skin and more. Preparing yourself mentally and physically will help you weather the changes that are happening.This is an informative book written to empower women and to help them stay strong, healthy and confident in middle age. Here you will discover nutrition, lifestyle and beauty strategies to help you navigate some of the symptoms as you prepare to pause.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lisette Meuse-Manuel
• Release date: May 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9781738988105

Book preview

Table of Contents

Prepare to Pause

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Nutrition

Movement

Hydration

Sleep

Supplements

Brain Health

Sexual Health

Skin Care

Hair & Makeup

Preparing to Pause

Epilogue

About the Author

Prepare to Pause

LISETTE MEUSE-MANUEL

A book about health, beauty, and wellness for women in mid life.

Quote

Photo by Sylvie Mazerolle www.sylviemazerolle.com

When I am thrown against the shore and caught between the rocks and a hard place, I want to rest there until I can find the strength to do what is next. Not stuck—just waiting, pondering, feeling what it feels like to pause. And when I am ready, I will catch a wave and let it carry me along to the next place that I am supposed to be.

Bernadette Noll

Copyright 2023 Lisette Meuse-Manuel

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author. The author and publishers make no representations or warranties with respect to accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this material. The author and publishers shall in no event be held liable for any loss or other damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

This book is for information purposes and not medical advice.

Author Lisette Meuse-Manuel

ISBN: 978-1-7389881-0-5

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Me and my crazy ideas! I have to admit I’ve had imposter syndrome on and off while writing this book. But a quick chat with a few key people that know me well, and who I knew would give me honest feedback, pushed the tipping scale for me to publish this book.

First of all I am grateful for my ever-patient husband, who doesn’t even blink when I have crazy brainstorms and weird business plans. He has been a trooper, wearing extra layers indoors while my blood boils and I sweat buckets from menopause. A thank you to my son for giving me reality checks as to what was happening to my body in my late forties. He has been watching me age his whole life and after a particularly emotional outburst of menopause rage, he said to me one time Mom, I know what’s going on with you. You are approaching the F**k it 50s. Your brain is estrogen deprived, and that’s why your moods are up and down. He then suggested I read The Male Brain and The Female Brain, two books by pioneering neuropsychiatrist Louann Brizendine, M.D. When I read them, I had a few major aha moments.

I want to thank my father, who instilled a passion for healthy living, science, and books in me from a young age. And my mother and sister, who are always supportive of my endeavours and gladly tested out my recipes, various skin care samples and beauty treatments. They also gave great feedback and offered points of view from two different age groups as their menopause experience was quite different than mine.

I also had a few friends test-read early on to see what rang true to them. And finally to my peers and clients, who have allowed me to learn, practice and experiment over the years.

Much love to you all. XO

INTRODUCTION

HOW THIS BOOK CAME TO BE

This is an informative book written to educate and empower women on how to stay healthy, strong, and confident in middle age and beyond. The content is predominantly for women over 40 but can benefit women of any age group as they inevitably, and hopefully, will be there someday. This story unfolds with a bit of my own personal menopause experience written with a sprinkle of humour and scientific facts. It is a culmination of my many years of knowledge, experience, and training in these subject matters.

I have worked in the wellness and beauty industry for over thirty-five years. I am a licenced esthetician and a cosmetic tattoo artist, besides being a nutritionist and wellness coach specialised in the female metabolism. This is a thriving industry that exploded during the pandemic. Self-care is front and centre in these challenging times. Many have reassessed their health, beauty and nutrition habits and are now opting for a more balanced lifestyle approach.

We live in a time where ageism is real and the search for the eternal fountain of youth is alive and kicking. Women after a certain age often feel, and sometimes do, become invisible. This happens in the workplace and even on the big screen where famous actresses just suddenly disappear. A certain very competent woman news anchor comes to mind. Not long after letting her natural silver hair grow out, she was quickly replaced. Our society celebrates youth, which has become synonymous with competence and sexiness.

However, in many cultures around the world, matriarchs are celebrated and revered. They do not try to change their appearance and hide their age. They are looked up to by the younger women for their wisdom, knowledge, and life experience. They have rights of passage ceremonies and special herbs and remedies for various symptoms, information which is passed on through generations. Older women teach and guide younger women, so they know what to expect when changes start happening. Here in North America, we pretend this middle phase of life does not exist. It is like a big secret that no one feels comfortable talking about. Throughout my life, I have done a lot of reading and observing of older women for cues on what I should be experiencing and how to prepare my mind and body during this life stage. Our bodies go through an incredible change physically and mentally, and not many of us are prepared for it. We are taught about puberty in school and learn very basic skills to deal with that. But when menopause hits like a hot freight train, we are often left confused, sweaty, dizzy, and utterly exhausted.

The last couple of years have changed me profoundly, both emotionally and physically. You see, I entered the last stages of perimenopause when the pandemic hit. I own a skin care clinic so that meant I was out of work for many, many months. That stress and insecurity coupled with raging hormones, hot flashes, anxiety, and panic attacks was an experience that shook me to my core.

During those pandemic years, I also became a grandmother, and this shifted my perspective on my work and life balance.

I had a lot of time to reflect and analyse my business, my lifestyle and overall health. I was that girl that would go to the grocery store in heels and make-up, I exercised like a maniac, and I have always followed an extensive skin care program. I kept up with fashion and beauty trends and I was determined and convinced that I would not age. I would not become a dowdy, invisible, old woman. Then I entered my fifties, and everything changed including my mind, my body, my skin, and my energy. I could no longer workout hard like I had done all my life. My body just hurt from the decreasing and failing hormones. After a few appointments with my family doctor and even a gynaecologist, I realized how very little support and information there is for menopausal women. I thought I knew a lot about menopause and felt confident I would breeze through it. I was not prepared for this! It was a learn-as-you-go situation for me. Because of isolation and lockdowns during the pandemic, medical appointments were challenging. I wish I had had the information I am about to give you. With a strong background in biology and nutrition, I started my own research and experimentation. As I cannot take hormone therapy due to a pulmonary embolism in my forties, it has been a rough ride.

I work almost exclusively with women over the age of 35. I have heard a lot of stories. I have had lengthy chats with super confident executive clients as well as shy, low self-esteemed women and everyone in between. Concerns were expressed especially in relation to stress, menopausal changes to their appearances, as well as emotional changes. Many tears were shed as the women's tense, stressed bodies were finally able to relax and let go in my treatment chair. The pressure to be the perfect wife, mother, employee, or boss and to have flawless skin, perfect hair, impeccably shaped eyebrows, and the latest fashions is daunting and frankly quite exhausting for women.

When I was 21 years old and attended a menopause conference, everyone looked at me with a peculiar expression. One said to me, you're a child, what are you doing here? So I told her that most of my clients were her age, and that I wanted to know what to expect so I could better care for them. I was confused about why all my middle-aged ladies were growing beards and why the electrolysis treatments