Welcome to Thrive Over 40

Are you feeling constantly stressed and strung out? Do you feel like you never get a good night’s sleep, no matter how early you go to bed? Are you sick of not knowing what your body wants – one minute boiling like a kettle, and the next chilled to the bone? Have you suddenly, out of nowhere, started putting on weight, and you don’t know what to do?

Don’t worry, I’ve been there. And I can help. 

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Hi there, I’m Youna Angevin-Castro and I am a certified integrative health and nutrition coach, specialising in women’s health. 

As a ‘forty-something’ year old woman, I know what it’s like to be stretched to your limits. Sandwiched between raising kids and caring for ageing parents, working full-time, and looking after the household. You’re running on empty, but you tell yourself – “I just need a holiday” – and keep pushing through.

Then suddenly, the body you’ve always relied upon to get you through the day – the same body that allowed you to bring your precious babies into this world – starts to turn on you.

Is this…menopause?

The day I realised that I was on the train to menopause was a slap in the face.

I’d been feeling off for a while – I was tired, run down, and to my husband’s dismay, I had zero interest in the bedroom. I was busy holding down a full-time job and running after the kids, and had recently lost my father to dementia. It wasn’t really surprising that I was exhausted.

But then I started gaining weight. Over the course of the next 18 months I steadily put on the kilos, and despite exercising more than I ever had, and eating more mindfully, the kilos kept piling on.

A visit to my GP didn’t offer much assistance. When I raised my concerns, and asked if I should get my hormones checked , she told me unless I was experiencing severe hot flushes or feeling especially moody or anxious, then there was no need to worry.

But I did worry. This didn’t feel right.

In the absence of useful information from my GP, I started to do some research of my own.

I learned about perimenopause (I’d seriously never heard of it before), and that I could be feeling ‘not quite right’ for another 10 years before the final menopausal transition.

I learned that there are ways to deal with symptoms through lifestyle changes, and that not all roads lead to hormone therapy.

I learned that hormone therapy is not evil, and that it can be a lifeline for women who are suffering.

I learned that I knew my body better than anyone else, so I started listening to my intuition.

I learned that while I can’t stop my body from going through the natural transition to menopause, I can make choices about how I approach this critical life stage.

I’m too young for this!

Maybe you are. Or maybe you aren’t.

Everyone’s journey through their 40’s and 50’s is completely different. Some women will breeze through with barely a chin hair, while others will battle for years with crippling hot flushes, raging moods, and adult acne.

What I do know, is that whatever your current situation, you can regain control from what seems like an uncontrollable roller coaster, and make choices that are right for you right now.

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Let me help you

As a specialist Women’s Health Coach, I’m dedicated to helping you navigate through the challenges of being a woman in the modern world.

My special coaching interests include helping women to:

• Manage stress and overwhelm, and regain balance in their lives;
• Solve their sleep problems and help them to get a decent night’s rest;
• Unravel the mysteries of perimenopause and menopause, and help them to find relief from symptoms such as hot flushes, anxiety and weight gain;
• Understand the importance of hormone health, and how it influences all aspects of their lives, including weight and libido; and
• Boost their mood by making good food and lifestyle choices every day.

Why I love being a health coach?

What I love about coaching is the emphasis on empowerment. Coaching is not prescriptive, which makes it different from traditional healthcare models. Health coaching is all about supporting the client to identify and pursue goals according to their own values and beliefs.

If you choose to work with me, we will work collaboratively to help you achieve your health goals. I will support you as you navigate your personal journey towards better health, and work with you create a robust network of support (both clinical and social) as you move towards meaningful and sustained transformation.