Men-o-what?

Posted on 6 August, 2015

Shhhh! Menopause!

Don’t say it too loud and you can keep pretending ‘it’ hasn’t arrived yet! Well, you could keep pretending except you can’t seem to sleep properly, you keep getting all hot and sweaty and bothered…by everything.

You may be wondering how did this happen, how did I get to this stage of my life?

May I suggest you relax. Yes, maybe it feels unfair and like a cruel joke. You’ve been rolling your eyes at teen girls as they bumble their way through puberty and here you are now left to bumble your way through menopause – which is really puberty in reverse with your own your unique set of hormones thrown out of whack so that you don’t feel like you anymore.

Menopause (sorry but must keep saying it, can’t avoid it) is the actual cessation of menstruation (the time leading up to this event is often referred to as peri-menopause), and can be whispered to the closest of friends “sorry but I’m menopausal AND I’M NOT FUNCTIONING LIKE I SHOULD!”. Expect irregular cycles, heavy bleeding, light bleeding, no flow, leg cramps, night sweats, poor libido, mood swings….. the list goes on.

Relax. Keep reading. Take a breath.

Be positive

We will deal with the symptoms shortly, but first I want you to stay positive. Change and impermanence is one of the hardest concepts that us humans have trouble with accepting and is the cause of much suffering. A bit deep for contemplation right now maybe, but perhaps this concept is at the core of why we you may be feeling so out of control. It is important to dig deep into your soul and take a step back and be grateful for the wonderful person you are and all that you have achieved and all that you have given.

Acceptance and Acknowledgement

So what’s going on then, you ask? Well quite simply, your hormonal message system has decided that you no longer need to release any eggs from your ovaries and therefore you no longer have the oestrogen and progesterone swimming around to keep you on the even keel that you are used to. It’s a little more complex than that, but this is what is causing your symptoms and, just like a pubescent teenager, you are adjusting to these new levels.

Modern day living has interfered with this stage in a couple of ways. Our stress levels and the expectations that we place on ourselves to achieve all, ‘as every good modern day woman should’, are compromising our ability to glide through this stage. Our adrenal glands play a role in supplementing our oestrogen levels, but they are pretty exhausted with the demands we have made of them for the last 20 or so years and they are probably struggling to keep up with the new requirements to produce oestrogen.

There is also the fact that the majority of us are having our children a little later in life, it is even quite likely we have a pubescent teenager still in our house whilst we are navigating these changes ourselves. In the past we were starting our families at a younger age and the little darlings would have flown the coop by now, such that the main day to day giving and caring roles of motherhood were not quite so demanding and we could afford the time to focus inward.

So where does that leave us?

We can’t wind back the clock, but we can accept and acknowledge what is going on in our lives and stay positive. Very simple and important words.

• Reduce your stress levels, NOW. Do you really need to take on that extra job/role/project? Take the time now to assess your day and establish where it is possible to gain some YOU time.

• Exercise regularly doing what you enjoy (this is more of the YOU time). Enjoy walks, get outside and breathe some fresh air; this will help reduce the stress and improve the quality of sleep.

• Diet – steer clear of the sugar loaded processed foods and load your plate with oestrogen-rich foods such as alfalfa, green leafy vegetables, beetroot, and good oils such as flaxseeds and sunflower seeds.

There are plenty of wonderful therapeutic herbal medicines and nutrients that can support and ease the symptoms as you progress toward menopause.

Disclaimer: Ensure you allow yourself the time to see a qualified natural health practitioner to guide you through your own unique experience.