Myths about menopause are abound today, even though there have been huge breakthroughs in many areas of women's health. Perhaps it's because there are 38 million women of the Boomer generation who are already menopausal or who are entering this exciting and challenging phase of their lives.
Although health information abounds, millions of women still believe they are condemned to live a second-class life healthwise once they go through menopause. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Some of the myths women believe about going through menopause are:
1. they will gain weight and be unable to lose it;
2. their energy will decrease and they'll feel sluggish;
3. their moods will be uncontrollable due to fluctuating hormones;
4. they will lose control of their appetites;
5. they will become "middle-aged" and unattractive to the opposite sex.
One Woman's Story and a Wake-Up Call
I'd always been healthy and active throughout my youth and into my mid-thirties. I never thought much about menopause except to imagine I'd breeze right through it since I was in such great shape.
In my late thirties I began having severe night sweats, which would awaken me in the middle of the night with soaking wet sheets and blankets. I thought it was due to moving from Seattle to Los Angeles and still sleeping under a down comforter, but changing to lighter bed clothes made no difference. I also noticed a decrease in my energy but assumed it was just taking time to adjust to the warmer climate.
This went on for a couple of years. My doctor didn't think there was anything to worry about. He assumed I was too young for menopause. He did finally determine I was pre-menopausal and wrote a prescription for premarin, which I refused to take. I'd done some research and decided it wasn't for me.
Determined to handle menopause naturally, I tried every vitamin/mineral and para-hormonal treatment I could find: from Vitamin C to black cohosh to wild yam and various combinations of estrogen and progesterone creams. Nothing helped at all and as my symptoms progressed from night sweats to almost continuous hot and cold flashes (how come nobody ever talks about the cold flashes?), my health deteriorated from lack of sleep and unrelenting stress.
My formerly high energy level dimished dramatically. I was tired and apathetic, except for bursts of barely controllable anger due to hormonal ups and downs. I had bouts of deep depression and despaired of ever feeling well again. My poor husband suffered with me until the day I declared I was feeling so bad I was thinking of killing myself. His reply: "If you don't find a way to deal with this, you won't have to kill yourself, because I'm going to kill you." That was the wake-up call I needed to pull myself together.
The Turning Point
I found a new doctor, a woman who was more in tune with my wishes. After exploring various options, we elected for a combination patch in the lowest dosage possible. I felt immediate relief: the hot/cold flashes stopped and my moods became more manageable.
My health had suffered a lot over the past few years though. I was carrying about 15 extra pounds, had lost some bone mass, and felt sluggish and flabby. I realized that the foundation I laid now would determine my health for decades to come. I decided to do research and prepare myself for a great journey through the forties, fifties, and beyond.
The Five Steps
Whether or not to take hormone replacement therapy ("HRT") is a personal choice between each woman and her doctor. I wouldn't have done it myself if there were any other way, but my case was stubborn.
Beyond that, there are simple things each woman can do to feel and look great before, during and after menopause. Here are some major steps you can take:
1. Nutrition: I studied many different diets. While I don't believe in a "one-size-fits-all" solution, there are tried-and-true principles that worked for me and will work for most women. These are very basic: get enough protein, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and keep sugar, starch, and fried foods to a minimum as occasional treats. Train yourself to eat when hungry and only until satisfied, not full.
2. Energy level: MOVE that body! I know women in their 40s and 50s are busy with family, career, and social activities, but it's important to make time each day to get some exercise. It doesn't take long if you do concentrated exercises that use your whole body, such as yoga or bodyweight exercises.
3. Mood swings: the physical exercise will help balance your moods and emotions. Another huge help is taking some quiet time each day to observe, meditate, or write in a journal. There are excellent mental exercises which not only soften the mood swings, but help you achieve other goals you want in life.
4. Appetite control: unfortunately womens' appetites don't slow down along with their energy levels as they go through menopause. I learned to use my imagination to create mental pictures that help me control my appetite. I adapted Dr. Maxwell Maltz' psychocybernetics program specifically to help women control overbearing urges to eat, especially when not really hungry.
5. Looking and feeling fabulous: the proper combination of a healthy diet, constructive use of the imagination and regular physical exercise, will work wonders if practiced daily. Small changes build up over time, creating a positive spiral of increasing energy, strength, and confidence. You lose inches and pounds. Your skin glows and you have a bounce in your step, as your clothes fit better and your balance and flexibility improve.
Taking these steps won't make you look like you're 25, but you'll be a glowing example of health and fitness that will draw approving looks from those you wish to attract. And you'll be in a position to be healthy and strong long into your later years.
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