Okay. I admit it. I’ve had a couple of weeks away from the office and have probably enjoyed a few more coffees than I would fit into an ordinary working day. You’d think that was a simple, innocent enough indulgence given there are so many alternative vices around to choose from. Well, wrong. Why did nobody warn me that too much coffee in these fabulous perimenopause years can contribute to horribly painful, throbbing breasts? I might have been spared days of misery and think of the fun I could have had trying out alternative beverages. I might work my way through an A-Z of potential substitutes (Absinthe, Baileys, Cointreau, Drambuie, Eggnog, Fizz, Gin, Heineken …) were it not for the fact that these are all alcohol products and bring with them perimenopause challenges of their own, no doubt. So what, I ask, is a girl to do without coffee? Answers on a postcard please – or by way of a comment. All suggestions welcome (but please don’t try to sell me HRT-related products or menopause cream. I’ve already had those emails!)
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It seems to be a fact of life that leg problems start to kick in (pardon the pun) around 50. Perhaps it is the onset of menopause but for a few weeks now I have been having more problems than usual with swelling in my legs – particularly the right leg -and probably partly because I cross my legs even though I try to remember not to. The fact that my job involves sitting for long periods is not helpful. I have had an ongoing issue with an itchy patch on the back of one of my legs that corresponds with the exact point it presses against my office chair. Worse still, I even damaged a vein at that point in my leg a few weeks ago. It’s not a lot of fun – particularly as I am going to have to carry on sitting on the same chair for quite some time to come unless my numbers come up in the lottery – so I was a sitting target (no pun intended) for a spa treatement, ‘Vital Legs’ that promises to reduce swelling and improve circulation. The product range used was Comfort Zone. At e85 it was not to be undertaken lightly but on the last day of my recent road trip, I considered it was worth the investment. The treatement consisted of a chemical exfoliation, followed by a very cooling mask during which my legs were encased in clingfilm and then wrapped up tightly in blankets. While the mask worked its magic I received an Indian head massage, so restful that it almost sent me to sleep. The mask was then followed up with an ‘active gel’ – also cool and pleasant on the legs, and the treatement concluded with a moisturising lotion. All in all, very pleasant, and my legs tingled and felt cool for about two hours afterwards – which is pretty good. On the advice of the therapist, I followed up with a session in a hyrdrotherapy room the following morning. This was one of those large hydrotherapy pools that has different jets in different locations so you could have back massage, leg massage, foot massage, etc. It also had a feature that generates a current, and since I had the place to myself, I ran with the current for a couple of laps which was really enjoyable. If you get the chance to try that, I strongly recommend it. To be honest, I think the pool reduced the swelling in my legs more than the treatment. But the treatment felt wonderful and funds permitting, I will certainly be trying it again.  © Ivankmit | Dreamstime.com If you have ever had problems with blood pressure, and the older we are the more likely we are to come across them, then no doubt the doctor has warned you off salt. But don’t go far as to banish this element from your kitchen cupboard because as long as you are not eating it, there are plenty of other thing you can do with it. In fact, the more you think about, the less you would want to live without it. Salt is cheap and few products are as versatile. Here are five of my favourite uses: Manicures and Pedicures Sinus problems Wounds Frost Coffee Pots I’ve restricted myself to just five for this list, but I know there are lots more. What are your favourites? |
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