Menopause is a natural transition all women experience, as natural as adolescence. For your grandmother and great-grandmother, life expectancy was shorter. Reaching menopause often meant that their life was nearing an end. But this is no longer true. Today women are living longer—on average, until age 78. How you experience menopause is determined by many factors: attitude, diet, overall health, genetics, and your cultural group. Medical science views menopause as the state of your body after you had completed one full year without having a period. It is most definitely not a disease! By making wise decisions about your menopause and healthy lifestyle, you can make the most of the 20, 30, or more years afterwards!
Attitude
Many women report that they are glad to no longer have their monthly periods and all of the hormonal or just physical issues that accompanied their periods. They feel a freedom from having to be concerned about pregnancy and birth control. There is a sense of more energy, and a sense of freedom that comes without the biological drive to be mother, helper, and nurturer. Many women turn their attention to those things in life they have put aside. Some start new careers or businesses. Others take up creative pursuits like photography or painting, while others travel to places they have wanted to see. These women have a positive attitude.
Those women who dread menopause, see it as unnatural, or a sign of old age and we all get old don’t we!, have more problems enjoying the transition during perimenopause. They report more symptom issues. Negative attitudes result in negative experiences.
Wake-up Call
Everything is magnified, starting in your perimenopause, then continuing on as you make the transition into menopause. Issues you have not reconciled as a woman will surface for you to deal with. Perhaps long overdue lifestyle changes need to be made. Your body is very smart and it will start to purge any “stuffed” emotions. This means the body does not want to carry these negative thought patterns or habits inside anymore. If you have experienced trauma or hurtful experiences—the ones unresolved--they will come up. You will remember incidents you ignored or just could not deal with at the time. Maybe you did not have a safe space to work on them. This is the opportunity to let them go. If you understand this purge and welcome it, you will experience an easier transition.
Health issues that have been neglected will also wake-up. Be sure you get thorough check-ups and tests during this time, including dental, vision, heart health, as well as hormones. Health issues are serious to me. I have walked the path of being unhealthy and the path of health. I very definitely choose being healthy. We can implement preventative health. Diet, exercise, clean water, stress management, healthy environment, and no synthetic drugs go a long way in creating and keeping a healthy body.
Spiritual Awakening
You may find that the changes you are making lead you to an awakening spiritually. This happens to many women who welcome this growth. Seek out your local church, take classes in meditation, discover new spiritual thought, or a renewed connection with God. You are a spirit with a body. Approaching your spiritual wellness includes making choices that take care of yourself physically and emotionally.
Proactive Steps
Although menopause is one of the important physical milestones in a womans life, many women lack concrete information about what is taking place, and what are the options. It is your right to know your body and be informed. With a proper attitude, diet, nutritional supplements, exercise, and simple lifestyle changes, most of the unpleasant side effects of menopause can be minimized to a great extent. With this knowledge and preparation you can step forward with grace and embrace it!
To make menopause fun and pleasant:
If you haven’t gone through menopause yet, you’ll want to have an easy adjustment to your body’s changes. Begin to educate yourself about the symptoms and their causes before, or during, perimenopause--the time when you begin to experience symptoms. Be sure to check out all the articles at our Menopause-PMS-Progesterone Resource Center: www.menopause-pms-progesterone.org and www.oasisserene.com.
by Dr. Loretta Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP
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Attitude
Many women report that they are glad to no longer have their monthly periods and all of the hormonal or just physical issues that accompanied their periods. They feel a freedom from having to be concerned about pregnancy and birth control. There is a sense of more energy, and a sense of freedom that comes without the biological drive to be mother, helper, and nurturer. Many women turn their attention to those things in life they have put aside. Some start new careers or businesses. Others take up creative pursuits like photography or painting, while others travel to places they have wanted to see. These women have a positive attitude.
Those women who dread menopause, see it as unnatural, or a sign of old age and we all get old don’t we!, have more problems enjoying the transition during perimenopause. They report more symptom issues. Negative attitudes result in negative experiences.
Wake-up Call
Everything is magnified, starting in your perimenopause, then continuing on as you make the transition into menopause. Issues you have not reconciled as a woman will surface for you to deal with. Perhaps long overdue lifestyle changes need to be made. Your body is very smart and it will start to purge any “stuffed” emotions. This means the body does not want to carry these negative thought patterns or habits inside anymore. If you have experienced trauma or hurtful experiences—the ones unresolved--they will come up. You will remember incidents you ignored or just could not deal with at the time. Maybe you did not have a safe space to work on them. This is the opportunity to let them go. If you understand this purge and welcome it, you will experience an easier transition.
Health issues that have been neglected will also wake-up. Be sure you get thorough check-ups and tests during this time, including dental, vision, heart health, as well as hormones. Health issues are serious to me. I have walked the path of being unhealthy and the path of health. I very definitely choose being healthy. We can implement preventative health. Diet, exercise, clean water, stress management, healthy environment, and no synthetic drugs go a long way in creating and keeping a healthy body.
Spiritual Awakening
You may find that the changes you are making lead you to an awakening spiritually. This happens to many women who welcome this growth. Seek out your local church, take classes in meditation, discover new spiritual thought, or a renewed connection with God. You are a spirit with a body. Approaching your spiritual wellness includes making choices that take care of yourself physically and emotionally.
Proactive Steps
Although menopause is one of the important physical milestones in a womans life, many women lack concrete information about what is taking place, and what are the options. It is your right to know your body and be informed. With a proper attitude, diet, nutritional supplements, exercise, and simple lifestyle changes, most of the unpleasant side effects of menopause can be minimized to a great extent. With this knowledge and preparation you can step forward with grace and embrace it!
To make menopause fun and pleasant:
- Make choices to eliminate/reduce stress.
- Create a sanctuary space for yourself where you can meditate, write, draw, or anything that expresses your thoughts and emotions.
- Find an exercise you like and stick with it.
- Evaluate diet and reduce weight, if you have gained pounds over the years.
- Become selfish with your time for yourself. Do more things for you and evaluate care-giving roles.
- Get enough rest and sleep.
- Develop an outside interest or hobby.
- Have joy and fun in your life. If this means making new friends, go do it.
If you haven’t gone through menopause yet, you’ll want to have an easy adjustment to your body’s changes. Begin to educate yourself about the symptoms and their causes before, or during, perimenopause--the time when you begin to experience symptoms. Be sure to check out all the articles at our Menopause-PMS-Progesterone Resource Center: www.menopause-pms-progesterone.org and www.oasisserene.com.
by Dr. Loretta Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP
Related articles:
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