DailyOM: Why do women going through menopause often end up with a belly and/or cellulite that didn't exist before, and why does it come on so suddenly?
Jacqui: Out of all the menopausal symptoms, this is the one that seems to bother us women most. It's like you went to bed in your own body and woke up in a different one! This may seem to happen overnight, but it is actually the result of hormonal fluctuations that have been occurring over time, a combination of bloat and deep visceral belly fat. In perimenopause (the period of time before menopause), declining estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels and elevating insulin, cortisol, and leptin levels redirect fat from our hips, legs, and butts to our bellies.
In addition, if our diets are full of inflammatory and hormonally unfriendly foods (refined and processed foods), this makes matters worse by adding bloat to the equation. Fluctuating estrogen is the main hormonal culprit in the development of cellulite. It triggers fluid buildup in fatty tissue and puts a strain on collagen fibers beneath the skin's surface, creating the lovely orange peel texture and appearance we know as cellulite. The other factors that contribute to cellulite production include being overweight, dehydrated, and inactive as well as having poor muscle tone, which are all addressed in this course.
DailyOM: Can we really make a difference in just 10 days?
Jacqui: Absolutely! I have used this protocol for more than seven years and have seen amazing results. In the first few days, most women report feeling less bloated, having improved digestion, better sleep, clearer thinking, increased energy, and improved mood — and it only gets better from there.
DailyOM: This course is packed full of recipes. Tell us about the food and recipes in this course. Are we relegated to eating lettuce?
Jacqui: Absolutely not! That would actually result in unbalancing our hormones even further! The recipes in this course are not only delicious; many of them are therapeutic as well. The recipes reflect the fact that, as our hormones fluctuate, we naturally become more carbohydrate sensitive, which is a factor not only in weight gain but specifically in weight gain around the middle. All of my recipes are low carb due to this fact but still extremely satisfying and filling. You will not be hungry because you will be eating for your hormonal response to food.
Each belly-shedding step has specific recipes to help you accomplish specific goals. For instance, my bloat-busting recipes are designed to help eliminate excess stored fluid from our bellies. My fat-burning detox recipes are designed to naturally cleanse the liver and start burning deep visceral belly fat, and my hormone-balancing recipes are designed to nourish our adrenal glands so that we can achieve a natural hormonal balance. All three steps work together to ultimately shed our menopausal middles. The daily recipes are easy, flavorful, and delicious, and you will not feel deprived in any way.
DailyOM: Every woman's journey through menopause is different. How will this course work for every menopausal woman?
Jacqui: We are all different. We all have our own unique biochemistry, metabolism, nutritional deficiencies/excesses, genetic makeups, and lifestyle issues. That said, hormones are hormones. They are the most powerful messengers in our body. If they are out of balance, they cause similar symptoms in every woman, though the amount and severity of symptoms may differ for each woman based on the above factors.
For the most part, women experience stubborn hormonal weight gain. They are frustrated about the lack of information and guidance they receive from their doctors, and they are tired of being told to "eat less and exercise more." They want real answers, and they want real results. These are vital women in the prime of their lives, and they are not about to sit back and accept that this is the way it's going to be for the rest of their lives. They just want to feel and look like they used to before hormonal havoc took over.
For each and every woman, eating a hormonal-friendly diet and living a hormonal-friendly lifestyle are key to getting back to themselves and enjoying their lives. This course provides women with the jump start they need to make real progress, as well as the necessary tools to continue their hormone-balancing journey and maintain their results.
DailyOM: You don't mention counting calories. Aren't they important and isn't this something we should be concerned with?
Jacqui: I know a lot of women must be wondering the same thing. There is a lot of misinformation out there about calories. All calories are not equal. The calories from protein, fat, and carbohydrates are not metabolized the same way by our bodies. For example, you can gain weight by eating a 100-calorie snack bag of cookies and lose weight from eating 200 calories of grilled chicken.
Why? Because our bodies go into fat-storage mode in response to eating refined carbohydrates (cookies and bread), but they go into fat-burning mode in response to eating high-quality protein and healthy fats. Don't misunderstand; I am not saying that calories are not important. They certainly are, but it is more important what those calories are made up of rather than the actual number of calories a food contains.
DailyOM: Women in menopause can sometimes suffer from low libido. How is this addressed in the course?
Jacqui: I thought this was such a huge issue that I made a point to address this throughout the years. Well, wasn't I surprised to find out that most women didn't even care — their libidos seemed to be the least of their problems. My toolbox of information and recommendations to help them get back to their former sexy selves were met with blank stares. It was then that I realized that stress had depleted all of their sex hormones. In other words, their libidos had fallen and that way of living had become their new normal.
Addressing stress by nourishing our adrenals is important for not only shedding belly fat but also for resurrecting a nonexistent libido. Poor adrenal health, usually caused by stress of any kind (emotional, physical, mental, poor diet, poor lifestyle), will result in depleted sex hormones, which results in low libido. Basically, you cannot make sex hormones if your adrenals are in a state of stress or exhaustion. This is why I dedicate a lot of time to talking about adrenal health and how to nourish your adrenal glands back to life.
DailyOM: Thank you, Jacqui. This course will help many women look and feel like themselves again. There is no need for suffering, and once we are loaded up with tools and information, we can begin to heal our bodies. Until next time, be well.
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