Never one to accept defeat, Pari Andrade was determined to thrive through perimenopause.
Pari Andrade is a 41-year old woman in her prime. A self-confessed workout warrior she eats well, stays eternally hydrated and exercises an impressive five times a week. Then one day, she simply couldn’t move.
Following a series of blood tests, doctors told Pari that her body was in perimenopause and their medical advice was to just ride it out but Pari was determined to find a better way.
I was clean and lean
"I’m a Joe Wicks disciple and I follow everything he does; I avoid sugar, I don’t eat gluten and I drink at least three litres of water every single day. Until recently, I worked out five times a week doing HIIT training, weights, yoga and Pilates, so my body was in top physical condition."
Menopause wasn’t even on my radar
Only in her early forties, when she started to suffer from low mood and joint pain, it didn't even cross Pari's mind that she might be in the first stage of perimenopause. "Last year I went through a devastating loss but when I couldn’t seem to shake the sadness months later and started experiencing physical fatigue too, I wondered if there was more to it. When I told my doctor I was struggling to breathe, she was concerned it might be Covid but then I tested negative and blood results showed all my organs were healthy. It was a total mystery.
Perimenopause hit me like a freight truck
Then three months ago, seemingly out of nowhere, Pari was in a such a state that she couldn't move. "I had to force myself to get out of bed just to brush my teeth and eat. I resorted to sleeping downstairs and if I ventured upstairs, I became immediately short of breath. Every muscle ached, nights were sleepless and then came the onset of hot flushes and freezing chills. When I was diagnosed with perimenopause, it came as such a shock because I thought I had more time."
I was popping 28 pills a day
"It was my daughter who first realised I was taking 28 different pills every day. I was taking Omega-3, 6 and 9, Vitamin C, D and B12, various supplements, as well as three different multivitamins. She said I was like a cancer patient popping all these pills and she was right!"
"I’ve been taking vitamins all my life. I’m half-Russian and it’s so cold over there that our mothers make sure we all grow up on them! But when you’ve taken something every day for your whole life, it’s easy to just presume it’s working and you never truly know."
It was time for a leap of faith
With no medical plan on offer to her, Pair bought multiple books on perimenopause and spent endless days researching online. "When I discovered that perimenopause could affect me for the next decade or more, I decided to invest into my health. I started Googling like mad for the best menopause supplements and that’s when I came across LYMA. I read every review saying it had worked wonders for other people so I dug deeper and examined each of the ingredients individually. I was impressed at how much testing LYMA had been through and that it was scientifically proven and patented. The thought of spending £150 a month on a supplement was daunting but I calculated that I was already spending £280 per month on my elaborate cocktail of menopause supplements and vitamins so really, I had nothing to lose."
Blimey, this is working
Within the first week of taking LYMA Supplements, her sleep improved and she went from waking every half hour in the night to just every few hours. "What’s more, the quality of deep sleep I was getting made it feel like I was sleeping far longer."
With week two, came the mood-lifting benefits, "I started loving my husband and my child again. I could feel LYMA working and it was the only thing I’d changed in my life. The difference was massive."
I’ve finally found perspective
"Things that seemed such a big deal before are far more manageable now. I work in the financial sector so my job is stressful and requires me to make decisions all the time but I feel calm and rational. Challenges arise and I manage what I can, let go of what I can’t and move on."
"Before taking LYMA for perimenopause, I would blow up at the smallest trouble and my family suffered for it but recently, my husband told me something that our daughter did wrong and he was waiting for me to explode but I didn’t. I just said “Okay, we’ll deal with that.” He was in complete shock and instead we ended up laughing together."
My perimenopause symptoms have gone from manic to mild
It's not a case of being oblivious to the fact that her body is going through a considerable transition, but Pari is certainly back in the driving seat. "I don’t suffer from muscle aches, breathless moments, bloating or the dreaded cramping anymore. I do have mild bouts of hot and cold each day but they’re easily solved by adding or removing scarves and jumpers which I leave around the house."
"Now I’m sleeping better and feeling stronger, I’m exercising regularly again. In my pre-menopausal glory days I was lifting 12kgs and I’m already back up to 10kgs, so I know it won’t be long."
I’ll be taking LYMA into my old age!
It's all too common for women to feel resigned to suffering through their perimenopause symptoms, weathering the storm and running the risk of losing themselves in the process.
"I only wish I’d done this earlier. I noticed my body starting to change years back but because it happened so early and gradually, I didn’t take action. There must be a lot of women out there thinking that there's nothing to be done, but there totally is and it’s LYMA. LYMA gave me my life back. I found LYMA when I’d hit rock bottom and I'm not going give up on it, ever."
Always consult your medical professional if you have a medical condition, or existing health protocol, before beginning any new supplementation regime.