Heading to menopause
I don’t remember all the signs I had leading up to my menopause, known as the perimenopause phase. But I remember how I felt. I felt like things were ending.
I didn’t have children. Though I didn’t particularly want to have children, I felt like the choice was being taken away from me. I felt like I was going to be officially ‘old’. No more new beginnings. Nothing to look forward to. Just aging…
But what I did have going for me was that I knew and understood the basic physiology of menopause. I had studied it more than once in college and graduate school. It wasn’t a mystery to me.
I also had older sisters (and my mother of course) who had already passed this milestone. I had seen them go through ‘the change’. The most vivid image I have is when one of my sisters was visiting me during the coldest winter I can remember, and she was heading out to dinner in her shirt sleeves without a second thought because she was always having hot flashes.
Of course, they had other experiences in addition to hot flashes: night sweats, sleep disruption, anxiety, dry skin…everywhere… to name a few. Nevertheless, they also seemed to embrace this transition.
It wasn’t the end of the world for them.
So, I dusted off my scientist hat and began to dig into how to stay healthy as we age, including through menopause. As a result, I shifted my diet, became more diligent about my exercise and overall movement throughout the day, and developed mindfulness practices.
Reaching Menopause
When menopause actually happened – when my period had stopped for one year – I no longer felt like this was the end. It felt liberating. It felt like a whole new beginning. In fact, I even quit my corporate job and started my own health and wellness business.
Because of my focus on lifestyle and habits, what I experienced was quite mild for the most part – nothing that did not feel manageable. I chose not to do hormone replacement therapy or even herbal treatments, beyond herbs I use in cooking. Everyone is different. This is what worked for me.
Four pillars of health
Nonetheless, based on the research I did, I am certain that all women can benefit from paying closer attention to what I call the four pillars of health: diet (including what you drink), exercise and natural movement through the day, working on good sleep habits, and managing stress. This may or may not be in addition to hormone replacement therapy or other pharmaceutical or herbal options. It’s a woman’s right to choose after all.
These four pillars can be used to address health for all people of all ages. To this end, it is never too early or too late for anyone to make changes that can be beneficial.
Let’s talk
The reason I am addressing menopause in particular is that it is still viewed negatively and often in hushed tones. It’s not a sexy subject. And much to my surprise I continue to encounter women who don’t have even the basic and correct information about menopause.
Further, recently I learned that 37% of women aged 40-60 take absences from work due to menopause. That’s a big deal!
Menopause is not a diagnosis. It is a normal phase of life for all women. If we can’t talk about menopause openly (and perhaps with a sense of humor!), then how can we get the right information and the right support to make this change something to embrace rather than to hide from.
Stay tuned for my series of articles where I will cover what to expect with menopause, the four pillars of health and how they can be applied to menopause, and finishing off menopause as a uniquely transformative time in a woman’s life.
Next up – What to expect with menopause.
