WHAT I LEARNED FROM COMPETING AGAINST WOMEN HALF MY AGE (AND WHY IT MATTERS FOR YOU)

Just last week, I was playing in an intense, full-contact national box lacrosse championship - competing against women in their teens, 20s, and early 30s. For those who don’t know, box lacrosse is nothing like the non-contact field version I’ve played for 36 years. It’s rough, it’s fast, and it demands a level of strength, endurance, and resilience that’s completely different from what most women (and their bodies) are used to. Each game you are wearing lots of padding, helmet, thick shirt, and at this tournament - playing in the sun on a court where it could be up to 36 degrees.

And yet, at 50, I played every game, the whole game, running my heart out. And - this is the part that still blows my mind - I outlasted many of the younger players.

The reason? How I fuel myself. What I eat, drink, and do (most) days.

Throughout the tournament, I watched other women struggle - not just physically, but mentally, because of how they took care of themselves:

➡ Some skipped meals or grabbed whatever was easiest.
➡ Others didn’t realise they needed protein to help their bodies recover.
➡ Some simply weren’t conditioned for endurance because their nutrition and lifestyle weren’t supporting them properly.

Meanwhile, I knew exactly what to eat, drink, and do (and not do) to keep my body performing at its best.

I don’t say this with judgment or criticism, but as an observation (and, honestly, validation that I need to keep talking about these things!).

You might be thinking, “That’s great, Sarah, but I’m not playing competitive sport - does this really apply to me?”

Yes. 100% yes.

Because what I learned from competing isn’t just about keeping up in a tournament - it’s about what works for women in perimenopause who want to feel strong, energised, and in control of their bodies again.

➡ It’s about having the energy to get through a busy workday without crashing at 3 p.m.
➡ It’s about recovering well so you’re not waking up exhausted every morning.
➡ It’s about keeping your metabolism, hormones, and brain function steady so you’re not riding the mood swing rollercoaster.
➡ It’s about feeling like yourself again—without guessing what’s going wrong in your body.

Whether you’re training for a sport, managing a hectic career, running after kids, or just trying to get through the day feeling good, fueling yourself properly changes everything.

So if I were in your shoes - struggling with weight gain, exhaustion, mood swings, or feeling stuck in my body - here’s exactly what I’d focus on.

WHAT PEOPLE THINK THEY NEED VS. WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS

When women come to me feeling out of sync with their bodies, they often believe they need:

❌ A new diet/detox/reset – “Maybe if I just start over completely…”
❌ A new supplement or fancy test – “I bet I have a deficiency I don’t know about.” (Maybe you do, but one deficiency is probably part of a bigger picture that needs addressing.)
❌ To train harder, cut more carbs, or eat less – “Maybe I’m just not doing enough.”

But in reality, what actually works is so much simpler and more sustainable:

✔ Fueling your body properly every single day - not just when you feel like it.
✔ Balancing your meals to support energy, metabolism, and hormones.
✔ Learning how to listen to your body so you better understand what it really needs.

And the best part? It doesn’t require an overhaul of your life. You don’t need to live on green smoothies, cut out carbs, or do high-intensity workouts six days a week.

You just need a game plan.

IF I WERE IN YOUR SHOES, HERE’S EXACTLY WHAT I’D DO

If I woke up tomorrow struggling with weight gain, exhaustion, or mood swings, these are the first things I’d focus on:

1. PRIORITISE PROTEIN & CARBS AT EVERY MEAL

Protein is non-negotiable for women in perimenopause, but it’s not enough on its own. You need carbs (and fat) too.

Why? Because carbs help:

✅ Fuel your workouts and recovery - muscles need glycogen to function
✅ Support your metabolism - severely cutting carbs can lead to sluggish thyroid function
✅ Keep your hormones balanced - your body sees chronic low-carb diets as a stressor

At the tournament, I saw women eating cereal, toast, or skipping breakfast altogether - and it showed in how they performed, they just didn’t have the energy reserves to last a full game.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

✔ Start your day with protein + carbs. Examples: Eggs + sourdough, Greek yogurt + oats, steak + roasted pumpkin. (Notice how coffee on an empty stomach doesn’t feature here?!)
✔ Don’t let lunch be an afterthought. A sandwich or salad with a sprinkle of protein isn’t enough. You need a real meal with protein, carbs, fat, and phytoestrogens.
✔ Make dinner count. Prioritise protein, fat, fibre, and slow-digesting carbs like starchy vegetables, quinoa, or legumes.

2. HYDRATE INTENTIONALLY (AND CUT WHAT’S DRAINING YOU)

Most women aren’t drinking enough water - but they are drinking plenty of things that work against them.

At the tournament, some women relied on sports drinks, energy drinks, energy gels, and coffee to push through. But caffeine and sugar dehydrate and only create bigger crashes later. Don’t even get me started on the energy gels and how they mess with your blood sugar levels, increase insulin resistance, and fat gain…

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

✔ Start your morning with water, not coffee. Coffee first thing spikes cortisol, which fuels stress and weight gain.
✔ Drink electrolytes strategically. I choose low-carb electrolyte powders with no artificial sweeteners. Use them during/after intense exercise, but if you’re just doing a gym class or a walk? Plain water + good quality salt flakes on your meals is enough.
✔ Cut back on alcohol. Sorry, but those glasses of wine? They mess with your sleep, hormones, hydration, and recovery.

3. PRIORITISE SLEEP (IT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR WORKOUT)

During the tournament, I got as much rest and sleep as possible. Why? Because recovery happens during sleep.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

✔ Aim for 7-9 hours per night. Anything less increases cortisol, disrupts hormones, and slows recovery.
✔ Eat carbs at dinner. This supports melatonin production, helping you fall asleep faster.
✔ Ditch screens before bed. Blue light suppresses melatonin, making sleep shallower.

4. STOP OVERTRAINING AND START TRAINING SMART

The younger women at the tournament had youth on their side - but many of them still struggled because as well as not fuelling or recovering properly, they’d overdone it in the lead up to the tournament and had injuries starting to niggle.

I blame this on the ideas:

• no gain without pain
• more is more

You do not need to accept pain as part of your training (or perimenopause, menopause, or aging experience!)

More is not always more.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:

✔ Strength training is a must. Aim for 2+ times per week to maintain muscle, metabolism, and bone density.
✔ More isn’t always better. Whether it’s the intensity, duration, or frequency of your workouts, if you’re exhausted or stressed, more is not always more. This is especially the case for long and/or intense cardio sessions that might be draining you further.
✔ Prioritise recovery. What you do after workouts (sleep, stretching, stress management) matters just as much as the workouts themselves.

THE BOTTOM LINE: SMALL CHANGES ADD UP

One of the biggest takeaways from the tournament?

What you eat, drink, and do 80% of the time matters more than what you do occasionally.

Did I eat perfectly? No. I had dark chocolate before and after my games because it’s a delicious way to get some carbs and fat. I even found myself craving chips by day four - which was a sign my body needed more carbs earlier in the week. So I satisfied it, and I certainly enjoyed a few gins at the end of the tournament.

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about making the choices 80-90% of the time that help your body thrive. And the rest of the time, it’s all about the small tweaks that let you enjoy the treats without it derailing your health or performance.

WANT US TO CREATE YOUR PERIMENOPAUSE GAME PLAN? LET’S DO IT.

If you’re reading this thinking, “I need a plan that actually works for my body” - that’s exactly what we do in a 1:1 session with The Perimenopause Naturopath.

✅ We pinpoint what’s actually driving your symptoms (instead of just throwing random solutions at the wall).
✅ We cut through the noise and build a plan that fits into your life.
✅ You walk away with clear, practical steps—not another list of things to Google.

No fluff. No fads. Just a strategic game plan to help you feel better, fast.

📅 Book your 1:1 session here.