Embrace the Change: Q and A session

We were overwhelmed by the support for our education webinar on perimenopause. This conversation is important to us, and from the responses we have received, we understand it is important to you to. We have worked with our good friends Kate Ivey and Niki Bezzant to bring you their (well educated) views on your questions and compiled them here.

If you missed the live webinar, sign up using the pop up form to get access to it. If you have other questions - reach out to us at hello@evereewomen.com or on our social channels.

The Everee Women team xx

Q: How does perimenopause affect my risk for conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease?

Kate says: “Yes - perimenopause can increase risk of osteoporosis as estrogen plays a crucial role in maintaining bone density - plyometric jump training and heavy lifting recommended.

Yes - to heart disease as again estrogen has an effect on cardiovascular system. Exercise, diet, good sleep and reducing stress will help reduce these risks. Kate x”

Q: I can't attend the whole session this morning and will watch the recording later. My question relates to early menopause. I was 42 on reaching menopause (and probably earlier but not picked up due to my age).  My symptoms were put down to issues after giving birth. I have had no hormone  therapy and minimal medical support and now needing zelandronic acid infusions due to osteopenia.  I'm looking forward to trying your product, but can you give me some other ideas to support my body.

Niki says: “People in early menopause should be on HRT to protect bones until the natural age of menopause - ie about early 50s. That is best practice advice, and I’m really sorry to hear it hasn’t been followed in this case. This has clearly had impacts for you! You don’t say how old you are now, but it could really be worth seeing an endocrinologist to get an opinion on whether HRT would be useful at this stage. Niki”

Everee Women team says: “Alongside your zelandronic influsions, discuss calcium supplements and a good source of vitamin D with your medical professional.

Also, refer back to the webinar for Niki Bezzant’s discussion on hormone replacement therapy and Kate’s discussion on exercise and how both positively impact bone density.”

Q: I am in my late 30's trying to conceive - Can you take evereewomen when trying to conceive? AND can you be peri-menopausal and still conceive?

Everee Women team says: “Yes and Yes to both of these questions. We recommend discussing with your doctor early in the stages of trying to conceive. (And don’t be panicked when they call it a geriatric pregnancy… it's a just a medical term for something that’s quite natural!).”

Q: Why is Everee #3 ideal for perimenopause? Does it help the rollercoaster?

Everee Women team says: “Everee #3 contains Ovitage® collagen, which has demonstrated promising benefits for gut health, serotonin production and mood stability. By strengthening the gut lining and reducing inflammation Ovitage® can help mitigate the symptoms of leaky gut—a condition that is closely linked to mood disorders and overall well-being.

Additionally, Ovitage®’s role in enhancing serotonin levels is crucial, as this neurotransmitter significantly influences mood and emotional stability. Ovitage® also plays a vital role in maintaining gut integrity and supporting neurotransmitter functions. By aiding in the repair of the gut lining and influencing key neurotransmitters, Ovitage® can contribute to improved emotional balance and mental clarity during menopause.”

Q: There is a lot of talk about hot flushes.... is the opposite possible i.e. cold hands, feet etc?

Niki says: “Yep - the temperature gauge in the brain (hypothalamus) is going haywire, so some women experience cold as well as hot. Important to also rule out other reasons for this, too. Niki”

Kate says: “Yes it can due to reduced circulation and temperature regulation. There are many symptoms, but don't always assume they are peri-menopause. Kate x”

Q: I was always very regular with a 28 day cycle, I have tried HRT but find that I carry too much water retention when taking progesteron. I am worried about premature aging. What do you suggest to combat this? Thank you so much.

Everee Women team says: “Everee #3 with Ovitage® is a good source of support for your body to produce collagen 4 and 7 supporting skin firmness, vitality and healthy hair follicles. This is part of what makes Ovitage® different to standard collagens that don’t include these collagen support mechanisms. Everee #3 has a unique amino acid composition with more cystine, tyrosine and glutamic acid than standard collagens.”

Niki says: “Do you mean how you look on the outside, or how you are on the inside? Whatever the case: pay lots of attention to all the lifestyle stuff - as discussed during our session: exercise (esp strength training), diet, sleep and stress reduction. Supplements and HRT are like a sprinkle on the sundae of these foundations - as I said, it’s a whole lot of things! I’d also suggest you investigate your own attitudes towards ageing and re-framing those a bit - we have a lot of internalised gendered ageism; I talk about this in The Everything Guide. Ageing is a valuable thing :) Niki”

Q: What is the difference between HIIT and SIT?

Kate says: “HIIT is working at 80% of your max for intervals like 45 secs work and 15 secs recovery. SIT is working at 100% so your absolute max for shorter periods and longer rest like 20-30 secs of rest followed by 1-3 mins of recovery. Kate x”

Q: How long will it take to see the benefits of everee women on symptoms? Do I need to mix it with a protein powder? And is it better to take it after exercise?

Everee Women team says: “You should start noticing a difference within the first 2-4 weeks of taking Everee Women. Ovitage® collagen makes up a significant part of Everee Women™ #3 making it a protein source - so you don’t need to mix it with another protein powder. It is better to take it within 45 minutes of exercise if you can - but taking it every day in your own way is ideal.

You can find a bunch of recipes on the Everee website (and the protein doesn’t denature with heat - so it’s great to add to cooking and every day meals).”

Q: How can one manage energy levels through exercise, in last couple months noticed quite a drop in my energy levels which has been disheartening. How can I manage energy levels.

Kate says: “Rest when you are tired, so you are doing quality sessions over quantity. Instead of doing moderate exercise, do intense exercise like SIT or HIIT (no longer than 20 mins) and heavy lifting. The intense sessions aren't as draining as you have more rest between sets and there are more benefits for this stage of life. Prioritise rest as just as important if not more important than your exercise, and include yoga, stretching, meditation and/or mindfulness. Also ensure you are fuelling for your exercise sessions. You could also look to do 2 weeks of your normal exercise regime followed by a week of more slow paced exercise as a recovery week. Kate x”

Q: What prep should you be doing in your 30's and 40's leading up to menopause?

Kate says: “In terms of exercise, creating exercise habits including your mobility so that you are able to keep exercising long term. Kate x”

Niki says: “Learning about what’s to come, and working on your relationship with food and your body. We’ve learned a lot of pretty shitty stuff from media and culture about how we 'should’ be by the time we’re in our 30s. Learning body acceptance and intuitive eating can be hugely beneficial when we hit menopause age. :) Niki”

Q: If I could choose one exercise to add to walking (to start with) - would heavy lifting be the best?

Kate says: “Yes! You don't have to start super heavy, you can start with lighter weights until you get your form and habits created and then build on the weights. Strength is the main thing that is lost in perimenopause and beyond, so yes to lifting heavy! Kate x”

Q: I'm 42 and have started taking metforman for pcos( recently diagnosed)... think im perimenopausal-i have lots of the symptoms.. affect of pcos/metforman on peri menopause.

Niki says: “PCOS and perimenopause share some symptoms… this is best discussed with your doctor or specialist. Niki”

Everee Women team says: “None of us on the webinar are qualified to answer your question specifically related to PCOS and metforman – sorry, because we know it is important to you. If you are not satisfied with the answers your health team are giving you we would recommend approaching health professionals who specialise in menopause. We are working on making a list of these professionals for our community.”

Q: A question for Kate. Would Spin class meet some of the HIT and SIT requirements. We do sprint sequences and heavy loading then rest?

Kate says: “How long are the spin classes? If they are longer than 20 mins which i expect they are its likely you are working at ‘moderate’. What you could do is go super hard for the first 20 mins so that you are working at 80% to 100% (depends on the rest time as to which it will be, if rest is long you'll be able to go 100% if not then you'll be at 80%) and then the remainder of the class you could do slower, ensuring in your first 20 you aren't saving yourself for the rest. You could let your instructor know so that they can support you on this. It's important to still do the classes that you love and have a connection to. Kate x”

Q: This is great information thanks.  I'm wondering how the Everee product fits into the puzzle, and how it compliments diet and exercise?

Everee Women team says: “You can read more about how Everee #3 and Ovitage® can support diet, exercise and wellbeing.

Q: There is lots of conflicting information out there....I have been following Dr Mindy Pelz and her "Fast Like A Girl" book and "Resetter Academy" which uses a fasting lifestyle to "balance" hormones and cycles by fasting and exercising at the right times of a cycle.  This is to time it right with hormones and which ones like which exercise and foods e.g., no fasting or hard core exercise in 2nd half.  You are saying not to diet...what are your views on fasting?

Niki says: “Mindy Pelz is - in my personal opinion - a grifter, and her information is not based in solid science. Anyone speaking of ‘balancing’ hormones does not understand how hormones work. And there’s little evidence for fasting as any better than any other diet, all of which encourage a disordered relationship with food. I would steer well clear. There’s a really good deep dive from a nutritionist Abby Langer (who is well worth a follow) here: https://abbylangernutrition.com/mindy-pelz-fast-like-a-girl-review/ Niki”

Kate says: “The hard thing about nutrition is the conflicting advice. I have done the Dr Stacy Simms course, she is a leading menopause expert. Her research has found that fasting in women has no effect on insulin sensitivity, it increases HDL, has minimal or no effect on autophagy (cells clean up and recycling process), it increases oxidative stress and causes disrupted sleep. Her evidence is that peri-post menopausal women need to fuel for the task at hand to enable them to get the most out of the exercise sessions and to do life processes, and to ensure a good level of energy availability. Like anything you need to do what is right for you though, and go with the sources of information that work for you. Kate x”

Q: Shift structure can be a big barrier for our women - night shift workers and balancing disrupted sleep cycles. Do you have any recommendations for healthy eating and exercise for night shift workers?

Kate says: “Yes that is hard. I would recommend taking a holistic approach and really trying to listen to your body. When you have the energy focus on really good quality exercise sessions, and when you don't focus on your rest and calming sessions. Try and be as prepared as you can, so you can fuel yourself well. Kate x”

Q: Can you please talk about Testosterone? I have been prescribed Estrogen and Progesterone but testosterone hasn't been mentioned 

Niki says: “Testosterone is approved only for use in HSDD (Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder) - ie loss of libido/desire that’s causing distress. It can be effective for this. There’s not enough current evidence to support its use for anything else in the official guidelines - regardless of what Instagram says. That might change though - it has historically been really under-studied, like lots of women’s health issues. But right now - you can get testosterone for women in NZ, but it’s likely you’ll need to go to a menopause specialist and they will be careful about prescribing, and monitor your levels (this is one area where testing is needed). It’s not currently funded, so quite expensive. Niki”

Q: I've heard previously that intense exercise raises cortisol, but I noticed Kate mentioned something actually reduced it (was it SIT) - any more info on this opposing info?

Kate says: “Prolonged intense exercise raises cortisol levels significantly, while short, intense sessions increase cortisol in a more manageable way, building resilience to stress. HIIT also promotes a greater growth hormone response, which helps counterbalance the effects of cortisol. Kate x”

Q: As a husband this session has been really helpful and has given me lots of insight. Are there any other tips you have specifically for husbands and partners so that we can be prepared and supportive?

Everee Women teams says: “Love this question how awesome! The fact you are asking it is fabulous and shows you are being super supportive. Also, what Niki says!”

Niki says: “The partners might like to read this - from my first book - a section especially for them that I have popped on the website: https://www.nikibezzant.com/men-and-menopause”

Q: Supplements? There is so much advice re supplements that it is overwhelming.  is there a standard supplement or supplements that are helpful for peri menopause?

Niki says: “No. The evidence right now is that no supplement has been shown in the evidence to be as effective as HRT for treating menopause symptoms. There are some supplements that might be useful for individual symptoms - but again there is a large placebo effect with menopause supps, so be wary of anything making definitive claims. Focus on getting great diet, exercise and sleep habits in place and then see what, if anything, else you might need - and whatever supplement you take, if you’re not feeling a difference after 3 months, move on. The only supplements I personally use are protein powder and creatine. Niki”

Everee Women team says: “We couldn’t agree more with Niki on HRT and its effectiveness for menopause symptoms – and creatine works. As Kate discussed in our webinar – diet, exercise and sleep are the best way to prepare for and keep on top of the changes experienced in this stage of life.

Everee Women™ #3 is a protein powder formulated with a prebiotic to help manage some of the symptoms in peri-menopause that you may still experience and to help your body prepare for the next stages in life. This is why #3 is only one of the five support systems we are developing for each stage of a women’s life, everyone is different and beware of anyone selling a “Swiss army knife” cure-all.

In particular #3 is focused on gut health, the gut-skin axis (healthy skin, healthy body) and topping up some amino acids that can assist with mood and stress. We’re in the business of science and biotech, the reason we’ve launched this product is because we know there is a lot of nonsense out there. We’ve put a lot of science R&D (and a patent) into our development of Everee Women™ #3. You’ll notice results in this order:

• Bowel habits
• Mood
• Nails
• Hair
• Skin”

Q: Is the product coeliac friendly?

Everee Women team says: “Yes”

Q: Kate - the number of workout sessions you suggested were more than 7 - what would you prioritise and could you outline an ideal week with the ideal exercise types.

Kate says: “You can make it work for you. So the guide is 2-3 heavy lifting, 1-2 SIT and 1-2 HIIT with plyometrics.

 I would prioritise heavy lifting and then balance the other styles as you can.

• It could be 2 lifting, 1 SIT and 1 HIIT
• or 3 lifting, 1 SIT and 2 HIIT
• or 2 lifting, 2 SIT, 1 HIIT

Any combination. Make it work for you. Kate x”

Q: Do you have any tips on how to turn the mind off to allow yourself to have that restful sleep?

Kate says: “Breathwork and mindset coaching, learning how to calm your CNS (central nervous system). Kate x”

Niki says: “For a deep dive on sleep, I have sleep chapters in both of my books. What Kate said, plus don’t ignore the sleep hygiene basics. It’s surprising how often we ignore these. Also: cut out the booze! :) Niki”