If you’re feeling bloated, inflamed, tired, or simply “off” after the holidays, you’re not alone — and you’re not imagining it. Many women find that recovering from the holiday season becomes harder with age, especially during perimenopause and menopause.
Hormonal changes make your body more sensitive to sugar, alcohol, disrupted routines, stress, and irregular sleep. These shifts affect:
- insulin sensitivity
- cravings
- inflammation
- metabolism
- digestion
- energy levels
- sleep quality
Your body doesn’t rebound the way it used to, and that is completely normal.
The good news? You do not need a diet, detox, cleanse, or extreme reset to feel better. Your body doesn’t need restriction — it needs support.
This gentle, realistic post-holiday reset is designed for women in perimenopause and menopause who want to reduce inflammation, support hormones, increase energy, and feel more balanced again — without dieting or detoxing.
1. Start Your Mornings Steady (Not Spiked)
Your first meal of the day sets the tone for blood sugar, cravings, energy, and cortisol response. For women in perimenopause and menopause, a protein-forward breakfast is one of the most effective tools for stabilizing hormones.
Aim for meals with:
- 25 to 35 grams of protein
- healthy fats
- greens and/or berries
Examples include eggs with avocado and greens, a high-protein smoothie, or Greek yogurt with chia and nuts.
If you need inspiration, I have a hormone-friendly smoothie recipe on my blog that is simple, balanced, and perfect for mornings.
High Fiber, High Protein, Blood Sugar Balancing Smoothie
2. Build Your Meals Around Blood Sugar Balance
Blood sugar balance is one of the most important components of any post-holiday reset for perimenopausal and menopausal women. As hormones shift, blood sugar swings become more pronounced and can drive cravings, weight gain, and inflammation.
Follow the Poised Plate approach:
- Half plate non-starchy vegetables
- One quarter plate protein (25–35 grams)
- One quarter plate fiber-rich vegetable or fruit
If you need help with easy, healthy recipes that follow this balanced method, my Poised Recipe Books include simple, delicious, hormone-friendly ideas for:
- healthy breakfasts
- lunches
- dinners
- snacks
- desserts
They’re designed for real-life busy women who want nourishing meals without overwhelm.
The Ultimate Guide to a High Fiber, High Protein Diet
If you want deeper coaching around balanced meals and long-term habits, everything is also inside my Healthy Living Ebook.
My Poised Health Ebook
3. Reduce Sugar, Alcohol, and Trigger Foods
For women in perimenopause and menopause, reducing sugar and alcohol is one of the most impactful long-term lifestyle changes you can make. You don’t need to eliminate them completely, but keeping them lower — consistently — can dramatically improve:
- bloating
- cravings
- sleep quality
- inflammation
- hot flashes
- mood regulation
- body composition
- energy
Hormonal shifts make the body more reactive to sugar and alcohol than it was in your twenties and thirties. What used to be “no big deal” can now disrupt sleep, spike cortisol, worsen insulin resistance, and increase inflammation.
By intentionally reducing these (not restricting, just lowering), your body has a better chance to stabilize.
If you enjoy a nightly drink but want a more hormone-friendly option, CBD can be a great alternative for supporting relaxation and better sleep without the next-day crash. I wrote a full blog post explaining how CBD works, why it’s helpful during perimenopause and menopause, and how to use it safely.
How to relax without alcohol & why CBD became my favorite alternative
4. Move in a Way That Supports Hormones
A successful reset after the holidays isn’t about burning off calories — it’s about choosing movement that supports your hormones and your nervous system.
The best forms of exercise for perimenopausal and menopausal women include:
- strength training – at least 2x per week
- Pilates/Yoga/mobility – at least 1x per week
- walking
These modalities support metabolism, build muscle, improve mobility, and help regulate cortisol.
If you want guided workouts that pair well with this reset, I created online functional strength programs designed specifically for women. These workouts focus on building muscle, improving metabolism, increasing mobility, and helping you feel strong without burning out. You can purchase the pre-designed programs here.
Functional Strength Workouts for Women
If you prefer a custom strength program built around your goals, schedule, and equipment, you can reach out to me personally at charity@apoisedperspective.com
and I’ll create a personalized plan for you.
5. Prioritize Recovery to Support Metabolism
Recovery is one of the most overlooked elements of feeling better after the holidays — especially for women navigating hormonal changes.
Prioritize:
- 7–8 hours of sleep
- hydration
- magnesium
- protein at every meal
- a calming evening routine
- breathing or mobility work
For supplement support, I use Fullscript, where you can access clean, third-party tested, practitioner-grade brands like Thorne, Pure Encapsulations, Metagenics, Designs for Health, Seed, and more — all at 15% off. These are the same brands I trust for myself, my family, and my clients. You can just create an account and shop online. If you need help choosing supplements that support hormone balance, sleep, inflammation, digestion, adrenal health, or overall wellness, you can email me at charity@apoisedperspective.com
and I’ll guide you toward what fits your goals.
What This Reset Is Not
This post-holiday reset is not:
- a cleanse
- a detox
- a strict diet
- a fast
- a calorie-restriction plan
It is a simple, supportive, hormone-friendly way to help your body feel clear, restored, and balanced after the holidays.
If Your Body Isn’t Responding the Way It Used To
There is nothing wrong with you. Your hormones are shifting, and your approach to nutrition, movement, and recovery must shift with them.
Most women don’t struggle because they lack information — they struggle because consistency is harder without structure, accountability, and a plan tailored to hormonal changes.
That’s exactly what my 1:1 Integrative Nutrition Coaching is designed for.
If you’re ready for:
- a personalized plan
- stable energy
- fewer cravings
- hormone-supportive strategies
- sustainable weight loss
- reduced inflammation
- real accountability
I would love to support you.
Leave a Reply