About Me

I'm 53. I'm a wife, a mom, and a teacher. I work full-time and then some.

I've always considered myself to be fit and healthy. I worked my way through college as an aerobics instructor and personal trainer. I've stayed active and continued to work out daily, eat my veggies, and take my supplements. I avoid sugar and fast food. I rarely drink alcohol. For most of my life, I was the picture of health, and, more importantly, I felt GREAT. I had tons of energy to enjoy my kids, go camping with my husband, and have success in my career. 

But then, menopause hit. Almost overnight, my clothes didn't fit. My feet and hands were swollen to the point that I did not recognize my own body. I began to suffer constant hot flashes, fatigue, and mood swings. My skin felt dry and flaky, while appearing oily at the same time, with red blotches, breakouts, and an overall dull appearance. Getting ready for work in the morning felt impossible. My professional attire didn't fit, and the few things that I could squeeze into were incredibly uncomfortable. Plus, I had to think about wearing layers at all times, in case a sudden hot flash came on. And don't get me started on trying to fix my hair and makeup. Nothing was working anymore. I felt like a lost cause-- miserable at work-- just trying to survive until the end of the day until I could come home and crash on the couch.

My joints hurt. I began losing mobility in my shoulders, knees, feet, and hands. One day, at the YMCA fitness class I regularly attended, I was unable to flex my wrists and fingers to do a pushup. I was embarrassed and frustrated. Why wouldn't my body behave like before? I used to be fit! What happened?

But the absolute worst part was the SLEEPLESSNESS. For more than a year, I struggled to get to sleep, tossing and turning nightly. On the rare occasion that I did get a few hours of sleep, I would wake to find my pajamas and sheets soaked with sweat. I tried every remedy I could think of: chamomile, lavender oil, melatonin, GABA, etc. In my younger days, these worked. All of the sudden, I had no answers. Nothing helped.

When I'd finally had enough, I talked to my doctor. She suggested I take what most menopausal women are prescribed. This was not a surprise. However, I was not interested in taking hormone replacement therapy or sleeping pills for the rest of my life. Taking a medication for the rest of my life is NOT solving the problem; it's simply masking the symptoms. She mentioned a low dose of melatonin for sleep. When I asked about the weight gain, she replied, "Older people don't need as much food, because they don't move as much. So, eat less, move more." But I was eating as healthy as I knew how while going to the gym TWICE A DAY. She asked me few to no questions about my lifestyle, diet, and activity levels. She didn't bother to find about my profession, stress levels, or habits. I left her office feeling more dejected than ever. There had to be some way out of this...

I started researching. I was desperate. But I KNEW there must be a better way to health than the typical advice out there (you know... HRT, pharmaceuticals, etc.). I began with "Weight loss for menopausal women" and found studies on intermittent fasting. I found studies on root causes. I found studies on combatting INFLAMMATION. I was floored! No one had suggested this to me, yet here it was in black and white. I figured I had nothing to lose by trying IF (intermittent fasting) for the recommended 20 hours each day. It was a big change, but I committed to one week...

Within a few DAYS, my hot flashes were gone. I started sleeping again. Within a few weeks my weight began to drop, my puffiness subsided, and my joint pain decreased dramatically. I had energy. I felt GOOD! I felt like I GOT MY LIFE BACK! 

That was over two years ago, and I'm feeling better than ever! While I don't intermittent fast everyday (I usually fast on days I go to work- I conveniently "forget my lunch"- and eat when I want on the weekends), I use it as a tool to serve me when needed. I continue to explore the ways to look and feel my best. I refuse to accept that aging must be painful, and you don't have to accept that suffering is just a part of aging or being in menopause. I'm excited to share my journey to health and healing with you. You can have it too! IF is low cost and takes NO TIME to implement. You just keep living life. In fact, you have MORE TIME to life life and enjoy your favorite foods in moderation. You have nothing to lose-- except the pain and suffering. Won't you join me?

Wishing you WELLNESS,

Jennifer Kaye