Cheers to perimenopause

Disclaimer – I am not a medical professional nor expert in any capacity. I have no medical training nor background, other than my own research and experiences. My writings on perimenopause are strictly my very own opinions and experiences. They are not suggestions, as each woman has a different journey with perimenopause for varying reasons.

I received an overwhelming response to my take on perimenopause a few months ago (Let’s talk about perimenopause)…much more than I had anticipated. It was like a door was opened and all of these women walked through it. I had friends start (and continue) to send me funny memes and reels about the symptoms we experience. I have had strangers comment on how they were relieved that they too were experiencing these weird things that were happening to them that they couldn’t explain.

It was all positive and from a place of acceptance and camaraderie.

While out to dinner a few months ago, one of my friends (Stacey) suggested I write a series of perimenopause stories. So I tossed around a few ideas in my head about how to approach this. I figured with the holidays coming up, there are dinners and company parties and family gatherings, so why not discuss the relationship between perimenopause and alcohol? 

As we all know, there is so little research on perimenopause as a whole. When I started doing some research into the subject of alcohol and perimenopause there was very little in-depth information. A lot of the articles were years old or barely a page long. Also, the information out there is generalized, in other words, not specific to perimenopause or menopause. But I know from my own experience that my body cannot process alcohol like it used to.

We know the list of overall conditions, afflictions, and symptoms related to “the changes” (shhh) are practically endless. We don’t have to revisit that list. We all have a different list. We also know that excessive alcohol consumption on its own isn’t healthy and can lead to a diatribe of health conditions. Common sense. 

So let’s add your whole body chemistry changing from perimenopause and shake it up into a shit storm of a cocktail (or mocktail).

Mental effect

The lower estrogen levels during perimenopause (which we know can last up to 10 years) can cause a number of changes that can make women more susceptible to developing depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue, insomnia, and even cognitive decline. I think about how many times I’ve walked down into the basement and don’t remember the “why” when I get down there. Here’s a common occurrence: Alan will tell me something and not an hour later I will have zero recollection of that conversation. ZERO. And that’s on a random day without alcohol. 

Many women use alcohol as a coping mechanism for the multitude of changes that comes with perimenopause and menopause. But it actually has the opposite effect. Alcohol can increase mood swings and increase the chances of becoming depressed which could trigger excessive alcohol consumption as a result. It’s a vicious cycle.

There’s even a study that indicates that perimenopausal women have an increased risk of suicidal ideation which decreases once they have reached menopause. And that women with support were less likely to have these thoughts. So keep in touch with your girlfriends and keep sending me those reels Heather, Jenna, Reyna, and Carrie.

Slower liver function 

The liver breaks down alcohol and produces and metabolizes a woman’s hormones. During perimenopause the liver’s efficiency may slow down along with your metabolism. If this occurs, the liver then takes longer to break down the alcohol. This could lead to a lower tolerance.

Poor sleep

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard enough time sleeping as it is these days. The tossing and turning. The waking up in the middle of the night and the hamster wheel starts turning in your head and you can’t shut it off. Alcohol is a depressant so although it may help you fall asleep at first, it has been shown to impact your ability to stay asleep. Improper sleep habits can lead to moving slower during the day, irritability, and more stress.

Inflammation

According to The Galveston Diet by Dr. Marie Claire Haver, more than five to seven drinks weekly “tends to disrupt the balance between the “good” and “bad” bacteria in your gut.” The inflammation is created by the imbalance in your gut and alcohol promotes more bad bacteria growth which can weaken the gut lining. If this happens the gut becomes porous and allows the harmful bacteria to leak into your bloodstream and can lead to organ damage. 

Harder to lose weight

As stated previously, your metabolism slows down when you get older and even more so for perimenopausal & menopausal women. Hence, the excess belly fat. By drinking too much alcohol not only are we introducing more calories, but all of the above contributes to it. Our body functions slower plus we’re not getting enough sleep, plus the food we used to eat now inflames our gut because we don’t process it like we used to due to the lack of estrogen and it all equals weight gain.

Hot flashes

It’s reported that 80% of perimenopausal and menopausal women have hot flashes. I’ve only had a handful of these, thankfully, so I can’t really share much here. But I do know that they come from nowhere and are extremely uncomfortable. According to some research, alcohol can trigger hot flashes due to the changes in your body’s thermoregulatory zone (the process of regulating its temperature) due to the change in hormones. 

Alternatives to alcohol

Here’s an idea. If we lessen our alcohol intake (or become sober completely) it could be one less thing to make us feel like shit both mentally and physically. 

I asked my friend Jenna, who is a curator of all things delicious and a chef at B.F. Mazzeos to share three mocktails or alternatives to alcoholic drinks. These are alcohol-free, therefore making them family-friendly as well. So feel free to make a punch bowl full.

Sans gria … get it? sans = without

Christmas Morning Coffee

1 cup of hot coffee – use your favorite unflavored

1 tablespoon of nutella hazelnut spread

Stir nutella in hot coffee until melted

Splash of Almond Milk to your liking

Dollop of whipped cream.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

Virgin Paloma

1/2 cup of Ruby Red Grapefruit juice

2 teaspoons agave syrup

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

12 oz Grapefruit Soda

Rim your glass with a wedge of lime and roll in coarse sugar. Set aside.

In a different glass or cocktail mixer, add the juice, agave and lime juice. 

Shake and pour into your sugared glass. Top with grapefruit soda.

Simple Syrup 

Adds a little sweetness that will dissolve into any hot or cold, boozy or non-boozy beverage.

It’s simple to make.

1 cup sugar 

1 cup water

**Flavoring agent if you want… a sprig of fresh mint leaves or a vanilla bean split and scraped or 2 cinnamon sticks or citrus zest and slices or even whole roasted coffee beans slightly crushed.

Anything you like the flavor of… just add to the sugar water when it’s ready for the stove. You can either strain the agents out before storing (see below) or keep in the container for a deeper flavor.

Stir together the sugar, water and flavoring agent if using, in a pot and bring to a boil.

Once at a boil, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Once cooled, pour into a sealable container and store in the fridge until you want to use it. 

Note: Fun way to keep your drinks cold without watering them down with ice cubes: freeze berries, fruit slices, citrus slices, even coffee poured into an ice cube tray and let freeze. 

Cheers! And Happy Holidays!