Anyone in their 40s/50s plus had a health wake up call?

Yes! I’m 46 and from about 43, it felt like my health took a nose dive very suddenly, Perimenopause hit me hard. My BP also shot up around 40, having always been on the low side.

I quit booze completely 3 years ago.

I take exercise more seriously. 30 mins yoga every day, as much walking as possible daily and just starting a weights programme.

I eat much more healthily.

I take vitamins - never bothered before! Vitamins B, C & D, iron, magnesium and zinc.

I’m on HRT.

I take care of myself much more to manage stress - meditation, prioritise rest, get out in nature as much as possible.

I’m 10kg lighter than I was in my early 40s.

My BP has come down and am seeing a gradual improvement in other symptoms since starting HRT.

I was always a wine & fags, eat what I want and stay slim, work hard play hard type. That’s all gone out the window now!

I've found cinnamon adds sweetness and it's an antioxidant. Do you put the berries in before or after cooking? I've never experimented with frozen.

I tip frozen berries/cherries into the pan when I make my porridge so they defrost and heat up whilst the oats cook. Makes it much nicer, cherries are my favourite topping along with a spoonful of fat free natural yoghurt.

yep I had to wear the blood pressure cuff for a day to monitor blood pressure and it was right on the cups of needing medication so another wake up call
Also started to take the 50 plus vitamins to hopefully cut down on aches and pains feel myself reaching for the ibuprofene more than I would like
I had forgotten about frozen berries will get some
my favourite meals which isnt too calorific is jacket potato with prawns and a tiny bit of low fat mayo

Thanks for this post OP. I turned 50 few weeks ago. During my mid 40s after years of health and fitness I was diagnosed with 2 chronic health conditions and then a fall from my horse has given me chronic back pain. I was determined to get back to health by 50! I have lost some weight but my pain and fatigue make day to day living so hard. I try to walk my dog 2-3 miles a day but a virus put me out of action for a few weeks and I'm surprised how my gained fitness dropped! Anyway also surprised that my regular blood tests showed up just above the range for cholesterol. This has worried me so I'm trying to eat healthy. I don't drink or smoke. My heart rate also gets high. I have had an unbelievable amount of stress the last 8 years due to major family events that affected so much of my life and now I'm back and forth with my dad to the hospital after a recent illness and feel like I'm holding on by my fingertips to mental health and physical health. I don't feel now I can rely on my age to bounce back from these things. My brother was murdered in my 30s 7 weeks after my c section with my 3rd dd and I feel more stressed out now than I did then!

Oh just a quick thing before I walk the dog. I have porridge everyday for breakfast with blueberries and mixed seeds. I have started eating nuts and try and look after my gut after reading up about the gut being the powerhouse of our body. Still feel rubbish at times but if I overindulge on crap I feel worse Xx

Thanks OP. Yes been on meds for 15 years for my anxiety since dh died and also something at night to help sleep x

Db not dh x

I do try and have time out as I crochet and do a lot of art. Also gardening season upon us soon and I have a small veg patch. My youngest dd is going through CAMHs at mo and my middle dd has a 7yr old ds and ive spent the last 7 years helping them through some really hard times. Like most families the mum usually gets the load! I just can't afford to drop dead anytime soon it's bad enough when my other conditions floor me Xx

Just adding I normally have my porridge with a banana cooked in it and cinnamon 😋
@
Hope you are okay @CandyLeBonBon
I've not eaten cheese or white bread for 2 days and I feel brighter today and cleaner if that isn't a weird thing to say. I stayed out with the dogs a little longer today and changed my route to incorporate a hill, I was blowing out my arse! This thread is keeping me going 💜

It's clear that stress is so much a factor here for so many women trying to hold it all together. for you all.

I also took the dog out today over lunch - I would usually wait for my DH to come home as I think I can’t spare 30mins away from
my pc
who am I kidding - my company would carry on fine without me and I need to prioritise my health-felt so good to be outside!

I think the trouble is when you are in your late 40s early 40s you can have elderly parents to care for plus adult children and their families you can often worry about. You think when they get older the worrying stops but it doesnt it just changes. As a mum you take the load and often dont know who or what to worry about first.
That's on top of your own aches pains and health concerns!!

*early 50s

@Tutulechapeau How did you eventually get diagnosed? what scan did you need? I've just this minute had my results and they're all clear (CT scan / echocardiogram) - and whilst this is good news, I can't help but think there's more to it (ie microvascular angina or something like that). I don't know whether I need to push for further testing...

This.

I am that women who 10 days ago had heart attack that I didn't know I was having!

I just suddenly felt faint, then started vomiting profusely. Chest pain was mild, and not something I was particularly worried about as I am already undergoing asthma diagnosis and have acid reflux. Symptoms such as breathlessness, burning, tiredness, palpitations, high blood pressure, high heart rate etc had all been linked to other conditions due to my age...

...I must confess though I'm an imposter on this thread as I'm only 35! I am overweight, but am relatively active despite other chronic health conditions.

Angiogram revealed a severe 90% blockage, despite a normal cholesterol score of 4. But now I have to be on a low cholesterol diet regardless to protect the stent fitted, and take medications to lower cholesterol, heart rate, blood pressure and thin my blood. Definitely a wake up call!

I want to share ‘cos I’m so proud! My cardiologist said that to ensure prevention of any future heart attacks, I had to get my LDL (bad) cholesterol to 1.4 from 3.2 - which wasn’t particularly bad in the first place - and in under 3 months it has dropped to 1.3 so I don’t need to take any extra drugs and can consider reducing the statins. My GP said it was the best proportional drop she’s ever seen which motivates me to keep going! And all my clothes fit a bit better which also helps 😄

💪 that's brilliant thanks for sharing xx

Today I bought vit d , vit c and vit b complex .. it’s a start
I’m on 3rd tablet to control my bp and readings today have dropped massively since Jan .

My high cholesterol was discovered recently through blood tests for other conditions. The GP phoned me and said I had 'stonkingly high' cholesterol at 7.8 which really put the frighteners on me - I had no idea! I am overweight but all my other bloods were within range. I'm waiting for an appointment with the Lipid Clinic. I was referred last December and have been told it's around a year's wait!
In the meantime my cardiologist has started me on statins and said that its most likely a hereditary / genetic issue because my 'good cholesterol' is in the normal range and my bad cholesterol is sky high. I am making changes because of this and other health issues but the cardiologist has told me that no amount of diet and exercise will be enough to bring it down without medication.
We were also discussing foods high in cholesterol - eggs is the obvious one (unfortunately as I was using them as a snack to stop me reaching for something less healthy) but I never knew prawns were high in cholesterol and I considered myself reasonably clued up on what I should be eating!

@TubbsTattysyrup that’s great, how did you get it down so low with the cholesterol? I tried a lot but only got it down overall to around 6.

@Pebble21uk I think cholesterol is not really about too many eggs, it’s about not enough fibre, legumes and ‘good’ foods - and reducing weight overall? Heart foundation has some good information.