THE END
OR THE BEGINNING ?
Menopause has been going on a very long time and it’s only the past 30-40 years of open discussions that are provided with education, information and resources to help us through it.
Huffington Post, a cutting-edge publication posted an article in 2014 with some interesting data. It was written by Ellen Dolgen and titled “A Look at Menopause Through the Ages” with a subtitle of:
“Suffering from menopausal hot flashes? No problem! Just take some opium and call me in the morning. Or perhaps you'd prefer a little cannabis? Sounds crazy, huh? But back in the 1800s, that's what doctors prescribed for their menopausal patients.”
Menopause has been documented as far back as 1250 BC during the reign of Ramses II with Egyptians referencing it to sterility. Aristotle referred to the age of menopause being 40. A French physician coined the term “menopause” in 1841. You would not believe some of the treatments used on women. Medical interest in menopause increased considerably in the mid-1900 century. In the 1930’s people started describing it as a deficiency disease. In the 1970’s medical information revealed hormone replacement therapy was exhorted as the ultimate emancipation of middle-aged women. The 1970’s brought about organizations worldwide to document, study and treat menopause. Symptoms vary worldwide: India indicates a loss of vision; the western world refers to it as hot flashes; Japan reports shoulder problems.
As I crept up on 50 I would hear women complaining of soaking the bed at night from sweating. Then once I started fanning myself in meetings everyone looked at me with the knowing telltale signs of menopause.
While some women view menopause as the sad end of menstruation and the ability to bear children, others see the liberation of their menstruation cycle and a form of independence from the duties of child bearing.
Women please share this information with your husband or significant other. As a partner in your life they should understand what you are going through along with the risks you face.
Gentlemen you have your own aging concerns you will have to work with called ANDROPAUSE –hormonal decline in men, at the same age range as women and exactly the same symptoms EXCEPT you are still fertile and can impregnate women. While with women it is more obvious, for men it is a bit more gradual but the same risks of osteoporosis, loss of muscle, strength, hair, weight gain, irritability, and ability to focus.
As a fitness professional going through menopause my references were from other women. My mom had passed away and my sister had a hysterectomy before actual menopause. My gynecologist, at the time, was a man and he didn’t offer any support. It was what it was and there was little in the way of
My last year of my cycle was pretty tough, missing periods and cramps that would leave me on my knees in the bathroom throwing up.
My stress was high and cortisol was adding to a muffin top and love handles. Difficulty sleeping was another issue. So wine and some comfort foods were my go to treatments.
Working out helped a lot to keep the symptoms at bay and to ward off osteoporosis and osteopenia.
In the midst of my search my younger brother gave me a book titled AGELESS by Suzanne Somers after he watched an interview on CNN. Her opening acknowledgements in the book referred to her research as “empowering” and the information was “cutting edge” learning about her body, aging, and the process. I have to ask why is it we never knew about this? No one forewarned us of the process of menopause and how unsettling it could be? There was so much more talk about our first menstrual cycle – right? The embarking of menopause somehow represented the corner we turn that is the decline of life. Those of you who are parents please take a lesson from this and give your daughters a heads up.
I followed much of Ms. Somers advice – she did most of the legwork already and I located a local medical center that was reputable and offered bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) along with social support groups and education.
Warning: Don’t be fooled by marketing strategies. Make sure you work with reputable pharmacies and doctors, or you could end up with placebo products.
It was uplifting, comforting and empowering. I began “to know” exactly what was going on and was provided tools to balance out my life, help me to feel more in control and better understand menopause.
By the year 2025 there will be 1.1 billion post-menopausal women worldwide. About 25 million pass through menopause each year.
It is one of the hottest medical topics and the newest platform for treatments, retreats and medications. Some are helpful - many are marketing strategies aimed at our personal challenges.
As a wellness practitioner I often am asked questions like “what do I do about my hot flashes?” or “I can’t seem to get a good nights sleep?”. But the most common complaints are night sweats and I hear things like my husband has a heater on his side of the bed and I have the AC cranked to 65!
Now that I am on “the other side” and there is so much more information available I want to share a few very important educational tidbits.
MOST IMPORTANT SELF DEFENSE:
The MOST important item I am going to tell you is that weight training is critical! Not becoming a body builder but weight training. As we age our bone density declines and we become fragile and open to falls, breaks, and the facts are that more people die of hip fractures than any kind of cancer. As our estrogen declines, we lose muscle mass. Many experience arthralgia – joint, muscular skeletal and total body aching.
Start weight training 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes. Muscle burns fat. You will get stronger. You will become empowered. You will look and feel great!
SECOND MOST IMPORTANT SELF DEFENSE:
The second most important item I want to share is cut back on SUGAR. I know that is painful for many people – it was for me - but the alternative is WORSE. Alcohol is a form of sugar. So if you eat bread, pasta or rice, have a drink or two or three, plus dessert, you are way beyond overload!
I listen to Dr. Vonda Wright, an international speaker and orthopedic surgeon, who references menopause and aging, and, she is amazing. She doesn’t placate or dress it up. She is very clear and informative. She has done it herself, so she knows how difficult it is. She has a wealth of information about menopause and it’s worth your time to listen to her podcasts and interviews.
The average American eats about 100 pounds of sugar a year – that’s over 8 pounds a month! It is in fruit drinks, almost anything flavored, diet soda, juices, cereals, pre-packaged foods, breads and so much more! Food companies market and sell their product with no thought of the damage to the consumer. What do they use for flavor to keep you coming back? Sugar, Salt and Fat! So while you expose yourself to diabetes, arthritis, inflammation, cancer, and heart disease they get rich!
Do a sugar detox and get it over with in a week. What is a week when you may cut years off your life and those remaining years will be miserable with aching joints, being overweight and your body throbbing with pain? Do the sugar detox in a week or do it gradually in a month – your choice - but make that choice and you will reap the benefits of reduced inflammation, pain and suffering. It is so prevalent now it’s called “inflammaging” - age related inflammation and sugar multiplies it!
Here are more resources:
Dr. Vonda Wright-multi faceted orthopedic surgeon and international speaker on healthy aging, sports medicine and menopause. She has several books and many podcasts and is a frequent guest speaker on main stream radio and TV.
AGEIST – a great newsletter dedicated to people approaching, and, over 50. David Stewart, the founder, always includes information relative to aging and many reputable resources available to us.
Adita Lang-Nutritional Brilliance provides guidance on cooking, eating, food shopping and optimal health for yourself and your family.
Dr. Max MacCloud – Age Reversal Technology Center providing quality nutritional products and guidance for joint and tendon repair and common practicing to age better.
Cheryl Patella-strength and lifestyle coach to help to create a life conducive to optimal health.
CONCLUSION:
We live in the world of information at our finger tips. You search for products, clothes, real estate, movies….why not search for information to take better care of yourself. Let’s age better – together!
Watch for my new book on Aging being published in a couple of months and will have more information about menopause and other aging factors.
*Find more articles on aging and taking care of your health on my website: www.cherylapatella.com
*Go to my website for a free copy of Adita Lang’s book on Sugar Busters that will change your health!!!