Carolyn Weatherson 3/21/26 Carolyn Weatherson 3/21/26

My 4-Point Spring Reset Plan (Because Menopause Is Kicking My Butt 😅)

Let’s just be honest.

My body has recently entered a new chapter… and she did not send a calendar invite.

Suddenly I have zits again.
My metabolism has slowed down like it’s on vacation.
My sleep is unpredictable.
And apparently my clothes have shrunk.

But here’s the important part:

This is not a panic moment.
This is a care moment.

My body has taken me through more than 50 years of adventures — yoga, travel, challenges, growth, joy.

So this spring I’m doing something intentional.

Not a cleanse.
Not a punishment.
Not a “fix my body” project.

A Spring Reset.

Here are the four pillars I’m focusing on — and you are warmly invited to join me.
(I have also made an appointment to speak to my doctor about HRT)

🌱 1. No Alcohol (Yes… I know)

Alcohol is one of those sneaky things that feels relaxing in the moment but can quietly derail our health goals.

For me, I’ve noticed:

• It disrupts deep sleep
• It’s full of empty calories
• One drink often leads to late-night snacking by the fistful

When sleep is already fragile during menopause, alcohol can make it worse. Poor sleep then increases cravings, lowers energy, and affects mood.

So for the next three months — I’m pressing pause.

Not forever.
Just long enough to see what happens.

This is about curiosity and self-respect… not deprivation.

😴 2. Eight Hours of Sleep (Non-Negotiable)

Sleep is becoming one of the most important health practices in midlife.

During menopause we are more prone to:

• night waking
• hot flashes
• anxiety spikes
• lighter sleep cycles

So instead of hoping sleep will magically improve, I’m treating it like a daily ritual.

My sleep hygiene reset includes:

✨ consistent bedtime and wake time
✨ dim lights and reduced screen use in the evening
✨ gentle stretching or restorative yoga before bed
✨ magnesium supplement 1 hour befor bed calms the nervous system, activates the neurotransmitter GABA, and relaxing muscles, to help fall asleep faster and deeper
✨ listening to my Maha Mrityunjaya mantra recording to quiet mind chatter and bring you into a slower brain wave easing you into sleep.

Deep rest helps regulate hormones, improves metabolism, supports mood, reduces cortisol levels (cortisol makes you hang on to belly fat) and makes everything else easier.

Sleep is not lazy.
Sleep is power.

🍳 3. More Protein (So I Don’t Eat the Entire Pantry at 9pm)

Protein is incredibly important in midlife — especially for women.

It:

• keeps you fuller longer
• provides slow, steady energy
• reduces sugar cravings
• supports muscle repair and growth

If I don’t eat enough protein, my body goes looking for quick fuel… which usually looks like cookies, crackers, or whatever is closest.

Now I’m focusing on building meals around protein first.

This isn’t about dieting.
It’s about stabilizing energy and supporting strength.

TRY A RECIPE

💪 4. Build Muscle (The Real Metabolism Booster)

This is the one I’m most excited about.

Instead of obsessing about losing fat, I’m focusing on building muscle.

Why?

Because muscle is metabolically active tissue.

When we train strength — especially fast-twitch muscle fibres — we increase our metabolic rate. These fibres are responsible for power, balance reactions, and functional strength.

They naturally decline with age unless we train them.

Strength training helps:

• boost metabolism
• improve balance and prevent falls
• increase bone density
• support joint health
• enhance confidence and independence
• make everyday life easier

This is not about becoming bulky. It’s about becoming strong.

Join Me in Strength Training Yoga

To support this focus, I teach Strength Training Yoga / Hybrid Classes that blend:

• hand weights
• body-weight resistance
• functional movement patterns
• balance training
• yoga mobility and recovery

Mondays & Wednesdays at 9:30am - on now
NEW Friday class at 9:30am starting April 24

These classes are welcoming, intelligent, and designed especially for midlife bodies, but all are welcome and will benefit

You don’t need to be strong to start.
You start… and you become strong.

Let’s Do This Spring Reset Together 🌸

If your body is changing…
If menopause is challenging you…
If you want more energy, strength, and confidence…

You are not alone.

You can join me by:

✅ coming to a strength training class
✅ committing to better sleep
✅ increasing protein
✅ reducing alcohol
✅ inviting a friend to start with you

This is not about perfection.

It’s about showing up with kindness and curiosity.

Let’s get strong and energized! We are not done having adventures yet!

Carolyn Weatherson 10/1/24 Carolyn Weatherson 10/1/24

Tips to Naturally Boost Feel-Good Hormones

Carolyn Weatherson 4/3/23 Carolyn Weatherson 4/3/23

One Week (or longer) Spring Reset

WHY?

You’ll feel better. Spring is a great time for a healthy reset. It is the season of new beginnings and the time to awaken out of the sluggishness of winter. It’s the time to clean house and revitalize.

We are in need of a reset now more than any other time in human history. Our stressful lives are building up harmful stress-related hormones in our bodies. Some of these stress hormones even cause us to retain belly fat. (Yoga and meditation can help - check out my free videos and we’ll get moving together) We often comfort ourselves with processed foods filled with refined sugars, saturated fats, additives, artificial colours, preservatives, and other unhealthy garbage that has negative consequences. We are constantly exposed to a plethora of environmental toxins. Even our household cleaners and personal grooming products have us breathing in an unhealthy chemical soup all day long.

Some of our habits have left us feeling fatigued, irritable and out of sorts with digestive problems, compromised immune systems, belly fat, skin problems, difficulty sleeping, and an assortment of aches and pains.

The goal is to:

1. Reset your palate

2. Drive out toxins from the body

3. Refuel the body with healthy nutrients

4. Leave you feeling full of vitality, energy and well-being.

HOW? I am going to outline two simple and safe choices. Even so, if you have any concerns, talk to your doctor first.

Option 1: Basic Reset

Start every morning with a drink of lemon juice (¼ of a lemon) and 300ml water (warm)

Sip on water all day long

Enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks following the guidelines below.

Make your evening meal the last food consumed for the day (no food 2/3 hours before bed)

No Red Meat: We want to give your digestive organs a break. Red meat is hard to digest, has been linked to breast cancer & colorectal cancer among other things, and has lots of saturated fats.

No Pork, Ham or Bacon: The meat and fat of a pig absorbs toxins like a sponge. Pigs can have up to 30 times the toxins in their bodies than other animals (partly because pigs can’t sweat). The meat is full of toxins, piles of saturated fat, and may be injected with growth hormones and other chemicals.

No Refined Sugar: Avoiding refined sugar is essential in resetting. While researching, I found no less than 124 scientifically proven reasons to avoid eating refined sugar!!!! There are 25 tricky names for sugar, so be aware (corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose etc. etc.) It is an absolute energy killer.

No Alcohol: It disrupts your sleep and causes you to hang on to belly fat. I’m going to miss my red wine!

No Processed Foods: This may be the hardest one because it means a bit more work on our part. Processed foods are an unhealthy cocktail of additives, preservatives, “bad fats” and hidden sugars. Almost all the nutrients have been leeched out in the “process”.

30- minutes of yoga every day.

Enjoy a plant-rich breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and remember not to snack 2-3 hours before bed.

HEALTHY DAYTIME SNACK IDEAS

Low sodium nuts: Pistachios, almonds, walnuts, cashews etc…

Sunflower seeds, dried or fresh fruit, apple sauce, celery filled with almond butter

Veggies & dip (try Greek yogurt with parsley, garlic powder salt and pepper)

Apples and cheese (green apples and old cheddar is nice)

Edamame

Protein Balls (there are so many wonderful recipes)

Option 2: Deeper Detox/Reset

Start every morning with lemon juice and warm water

Sip on warm water all day long

Replace any coffee with tea

30-minutes of yoga

Enjoy breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner following guidelines below

No food 2/3 hours before bed

No Red Meat

No Pork, Ham, Bacon

No Refined Sugar

No Alcohol

No Processed Foods

No Wheat (we eat far too much wheat!!! Try wheat and gluten free pastas and breads)

No Dairy (try soymilk, oat milk, rice milk or almond milk as an alternative)

Use natural cleaning products in your home

Choose a reset program that doesn’t overwhelm you. Plan and shop ahead for your reset week and allow yourself more prep time for cooking.
You will love the way you feel!!!

Health Tip: A plant-rich diet and Yoga can help you feel great all year long.

Try This Recipe:

Mango Avocado Salsa

1 large mango peeled and diced

3 tbsp diced jalepeno peppers

3 tbsp minced red onion 3 tbsp diced red pepper (optional)

½ large avocado diced salt & pepper or herbamare to taste

1 ½ tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Mix together adding avocado last.
Colourful, flavourful, healthy and delicious!

Carolyn Weatherson 4/19/21 Carolyn Weatherson 4/19/21

Lockdown Tips to Boost Feel-Good Hormones

Lockdowns over the past year have been difficult on many of us for a wide variety of reasons. Here are some tips to help you cope. If you are in distress please see a list of helplines below.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest hospital.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call the Canada Suicide Prevention Service at 1-833-456-4566 (24/7) or text 45645 (4 pm to 12 am ET).
Kids Help Phone is available 24 hours a day to Canadians aged 5 to 29 who want confidential and anonymous care from professional counsellors. Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868.
Hope for Wellness Help Line is available to all Indigenous peoples across Canada who need immediate crisis intervention. Experienced and culturally sensitive help line counsellors can help if you want to talk or are distressed. Telephone and online counselling are available in English and French. On request, telephone counselling is also available in Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut. Call 1-855-242-3310 (toll-free)

Carolyn Weatherson 3/12/21 Carolyn Weatherson 3/12/21

One Week (or Longer) Spring Reset

WHY?

You’ll feel better. The pandemic has interrupted our routines. Many of us have developed some unhealthy habits. It’s time for a healthy reset. Spring is the season of new beginnings and the time to awaken out of the sluggishness of winter. It’s the time to clean house and revitalize.

We are in need of a reset now more than any other time in human history. Our stressful lives are building up harmful stress-related hormones in our bodies. Some of these hormones even cause us to retain belly fat. (I’ve gained 12 pounds - check out my free videos and we’ll get moving together) We’ve been comforting ourselves with processed foods filled with refined sugars, saturated fats, additives, artificial colours, preservatives, bleached flour and other unhealthy garbage that have come with negative consequences. We are exposed to a plethora of environmental toxins. Even our household cleaners and personal grooming products have us breathing in an unhealthy chemical soup all day long.

Some of our eating habits have left us feeling fatigued, irritable and out of sorts with digestive problems, compromised immune systems, belly fat, skin problems and an assortment of aches and pains.

The goal is to:

1. Reset your palate

2. Drive out toxins from the body

3. Refuel the body with healthy nutrients

4. Leave you feeling full of vitality, energy and well-being.

HOW?

There are lots of choices. I am going to outline two simple and safe versions. Even so, if you have any concerns, talk to your doctor first. This reset isn’t really about getting thinner (although that will likely accidentally happen) it’s about feeling your best.

Option 1: Basic Reset

Start every morning with a drink of lemon juice (¼ of a lemon) and 300ml water (warm)

Sip on warm water all day long - bring a thermos of boiled water to work

Enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks following the guidelines below

Make your evening meal the last food consumed for the day (no food 2/3 hours before bed)

No Red Meat: We want to give your digestive organs a break. Red meat is hard to digest, has been linked to breast cancer & colorectal cancer among other things, and has lots of saturated fats.

No Alcohol: Kind of obvious. I’m going to miss my red wine!

BREAKFAST IDEAS

1 or 2 boiled eggs, fresh fruit and wholegrain toast

1 or 2 slices of wholegrain toast with almond butter and fresh fruit on the side

Plain natural yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh fruit and walnut or almond pieces

Smoothies made with plain natural yogurt, your favourite fruit or leafy greens, juice or almond/soy/oat milk, and plant protein powder
Hearty Homemade Oatmeal (try swirling in some almond butter, honey, hemp seeds or chia seeds, and banana slices)

HEALTHY SNACKS

Low sodium nuts: Pistachios, almonds, walnuts, cashews etc…

Sunflower seeds, dried or fresh fruit, apple sauce, celery filled with almond butter

Veggies & dip (try Greek yogurt with parsley, garlic powder salt and pepper)

Apples and cheese (green apples and old cheddar is nice)

Edamame

Protein Balls (there are so many wonderful recipes!)

LUNCH IDEAS

Vegetarian Chili

Grilled chicken breast on a bed of leafy greens with homemade vinaigrette

Grilled fish (Arctic Char and Tilapia have low mercury) and brown rice with veggies

Veggie wraps

Almond butter and organic honey sandwich with side salad

Hearty Soup and Salad

DINNER IDEAS

Veggie Lasagna (layer favourite grilled veggies - I like thinly sliced sweet potatoes, zucchini, roasted red peppers & portabella mushrooms with homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella )

Grilled or Baked Chicken or Fish (use favourite homemade marinade-lemon, rosemary and olive oil is nice and simple) over brown rice and veggies

Go online and check out some vegetarian recipes – experiment!