Is Menopause To Be Feared

Menopause in days gone by was much feared by many women. Women often dreaded this so-called “mid-life change or experience”.

The fact that women were not being to bear children or get pregnant anymore was seen by many as a loss of purpose and as a sign of growing old. Most women are afraid of menopause because of the confusing and complicating symptoms that are associated with it. Women were used to seeing menopause as a problem rather than a change.

Menopause is not the end of a woman’s life, it is the beginning of a new period in a woman’s life, where she longer has to go through a monthly menstrual cycle or worry about getting pregnant. Women need to understand that menopause is not a change to be afraid of. It needs to be embraced.

There is tremendous confusion about the information regarding menopause in the media. And this only serves to complicate this special time in a woman’s life.

Women need to get the message that all women go through menopause; they are not going through it alone. Much of the culture nowadays places emphasis on youth, making women afraid and angry that they have reached a stage in their lives where they are now considered old.

What women need to understand is that they are now wise and mature. They need to take control of their lives and their bodies. They need to understand that menopause is the beginning of many new opportunities for both the body and mind.

The most important things a woman can do during this period is to educate herself about menopause; what are the risks, what are the side effects and what will work for them. Women also need to accept this change that their body is going through. They need to be involved at every step in developing a health-care program for themselves, for now and over the long-term, to achieve and maintain good physical and mental health.

Women are also afraid of menopause because they feel their sexual relationships will change. This is not true. Most women described a new relationship after menopause as being "the most emotionally and sexually satisfying."

Here Are Some Do’s and Don’t's When Going Through Menopause;

Do's

• Do regard menopause as a normal and healthy stage of life.
• Do consider increasing outside interests.
• Do talk about your feelings with your partner, or with a relative or friend.
• Do report abnormal bleeding to your doctor.
• Do seek help for troublesome symptoms.
• Do ask your doctor if you are not sure when your menopause is complete.

Don'ts

• Don't let the change interfere with your life and sexual activities.
• Don't be afraid to ask your doctor about any worries you may have.
• Menopause is a wonderful time a woman’s life. Don’t be afraid of it!
• Menopause is feared by many women as the dreaded "Mid-life Change." The loss of fertility associated with menopause is seen by some as a loss of purpose in life and as a sign of aging. Other women have decided to welcome menopause as a liberating time of life-- when they finally don't have to worry about unexpected pregnancies. Some women even participate in "croning" ceremonies that celebrate a woman's arrival at that stage of life.

Menopause is defined as the time when a woman's ovaries stop producing estrogen and her menstrual periods stop. For most women, there is a transition period called perimenopause, during which the hormone levels fluctuate. During perimenopause, the woman may experience symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, irregular or no menstrual periods. Perimenopause may start as early as thirty-five or as late as fifty-nine.

The Average Age Of Menopause Is Fifty-One

Most women see menopause as a series of problematic symptoms that will occur, rather than as a time to account of what to do and where to go for the rest of their lives.

What Are Some Of Your Recommendations At Menopause?

Lifestyle changes are number one. Food and exercise are our principle healers. We need to reeducate people on how to eat healthy diets.

Because we presently live in a fat-phobic society, people have even stopped eating healthy fats like olive oil, seeds, nuts, and fish. All of these foods are important to good health. It is not a matter of a non-fat diet, it is a matter of a healthy fat diet.

One of our recommendations is to eat a healthy breakfast and lunch, and not to wait till dinner for a real meal. I teach women to realize food is fuel and use it that way. Bagels and coffee for breakfast, then a salad for lunch is not fuel!

Not having enough food-fuel during the day can trigger hot flashes and many other symptoms. Simply increasing fat and protein intake early in the day will often result in positive changes within two weeks.

Once people see they can make changes, they feel empowered. I like the analogy of a smoke alarm going off in the house--you don't just turn the alarm off--you look for the fire and put it out.