“According to Chinese and ancient Ayurvedic medicine, at age 60, women end their householder life and begin to develop their souls. Our fertility stops being about having children and starts being about what we create for ourselves that benefits us and the people around us.”
Christine Northrup
We as women need to start looking at menopause differently; it is no longer something we must endure but simply a natural change.
We need to normalize menopause. After all, it is something that every woman will eventually go through. We must discuss menopause openly and celebrate these changes in our bodies and minds. We have the power to change the way we feel and to take control of our health.
Depending on how we view it, mid-life can be a challenging time in our life, grieving our youth and dreading getting older. We start to look at life differently and ask some critical questions.
- Am I fulfilled?
- How can I add value and inspiration to my life?
- How can I serve others and feel good about it?
We are constantly evolving and changing. Every minute, our hormones are ebbing and flowing, just as nature is in a constant state of harmony and flux.
Health is about living in balance in your environment and adapting to changes with your hormones. Living in harmony with your hormones and becoming aware of how you feel is very important to know what your body is asking—sitting still and asking ourselves, what do I need right now?
You may notice that nature affects your mood, but you must pay attention. Just before a storm comes in, the atmosphere can get heavy, and it can cause our bodies and energy to become lethargic. Or a sudden headache that comes on without notice because a warm, dry wind descends from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, causing a rapid temperature rise. Now you don’t have control over mother earth, but you do control how you respond to it.
It does not have to be a struggle going through menopause. In Chinese Medicine, balance is essential to health and well-being. When we age, we become yin deficient, and we become more stagnant. Yin is the ability for the body to cool itself, to moisten, and it has grounding earth energy. Many women in menopause become yin deficient. They overheat quickly and are dry. The rush of heat in the body causes anxiety and unsettlement. Does this sound familiar?
All three major hormones, progesterone, estrogen and testosterone, must be balanced for menopause to be healthy and to have a smooth transition. When our ovaries stop producing these hormones, the adrenal gland usually takes over, but if we are in a high state of anxiety or stress, the body’s response cannot function well, and we are knocked out of balance.
The body needs fewer calories as we age, but we need to eat the right foods to function efficiently. We need to eat foods that support our health. Aim to eat a high fiber diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. Leafy greens ex) kale, swiss chard, spinach and my personal favourite arugula.
Moving at a fast pace and always having our calendars full of things we need to do is not a badge of honour, and I don’t see anyone winning awards for having a packed schedule. In Chinese Medicine, living every day at a rapid pace consumes our Jing (life force), leaving us feeling depleted and affecting our qi (energy). Then your organs cannot receive the qi they need to function well. Hence, one of the main reasons our hormones become out of balance is stress and lack of rest.
As I always say to my patients, doing nothing is not actually doing nothing. When we are resting, our bodies can heal and recover. If we continue to rush around in a state of fight or flight, our bodies will respond with hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety and weight gain.
” Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished” Lao Tzu
You can not operate at the same level as you did before menopause. You must slow down, find ways to relax, and set more boundaries; if you don’t, your body will force you to. This is something that I know for sure.
If you like this post, check out this one as well, Tips To Get Rid Of Hot Flashes
This is a great book to help you on your menopause journey
