Hey Stylistas!
As my year 5.4 nears its end, another thing that’s been in my life for over 40 years is coming to a halt — my period! Today I want to talk about the change and the crazy rollercoaster my hormones have had me on recently. For at least the past six months, my mood, thoughts, sleep, and raging hot flashes have been taking me on menopausal rollercoaster ride that I want to get off of……NOW.
During my lifetime, I’d heard of the changes a woman experiences during menopause. But me, in true Julie fashion, paid no real attention to it because it wasn’t my time yet. As a young woman, when I talked to my Mother about the change, she casually told me she really didn’t experience many symptoms. I vividly remember as a teenager when I couldn’t share her sanitary products anymore, because her monthly visitor had disappeared. Well, I just always thought “like mother, like daughter”, and I’d be blessed in this area like my mother. Well, boy was I wrong!
So, how do we as women deal with menopause and the hormonal issues that come along with this phenomenon, like weight gain, sexual changes, insomnia, mood swings, and hot flashes?
Here are some of the ways we can alleviate our symptoms:
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) HRT is used to help balance estrogen and progesterone in women around the time of menopause. Also known as hormone therapy (HT) or menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), HRT can help relieve sweating, hot flashes, and other symptoms. Women who have had breast cancer or who are at high risk are advised not to have HRT. And because of the prevalence of breast cancer in my family, I am not a candidate for this treatment and my amazing doctor, Dr. Latanya Hines, solidified this for me.
Alternatives to HRT Dr. Susan Love, a prominent advocate of preventive breast cancer research says that complementary care options like acupuncture, dietary changes, exercise and vitamin or herbal supplements can help with the symptoms of menopause. Also eating a serving of soy foods, ground flaxseeds daily, walking, swimming, dancing or bike riding every day for 30 minutes or more. Other options are eating vitamin E (800mg), or taking the herb black cohosh.
Exercise
Cardio. Aerobic exercise gets your heart rate up and your lungs working harder, according to the American Heart Association. Walking, bicycling, and dancing are all good examples of cardio exercise. Cardio exercises burn a good amount of calories, helping to prevent weight gain — which many women experience during menopause. It also helps ward off heart disease, a condition that’s more common among women of menopausal age.
Strength training. Muscle-building exercises are important for women going through menopause because they help slow the normal bone loss that can eventually lead to brittle bones (osteoporosis), according to the National Institutes of Health. Strength training can also help preserve lean muscle.
Yoga and other relaxation exercises. Dealing with menopause can be stressful, and activities like yoga and meditation can reduce the tension through deep-breathing practices. According to a study published in the Journal of Sexual Function, yoga can help improve sexual function in women.
Stretching and flexibility. Although it’s important to stretch your muscles before and after a workout session, it can also be done as part of your daily routine. Experts suggests simply taking a couple of minutes each morning and evening to gently elongate your muscles, taking care not to overextend them.
Stability and balance moves. Exercises that enhance your body’s ability to stay upright and steady are particularly important as you enter menopause.
Diet
Good nutrition can help prevent or ease certain conditions that may develop during and after menopause. During menopause, eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Since women’s diets are often low in iron and calcium, follow these guidelines: Get enough calcium. Eat and drink two to four servings of dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day. Calcium is found in dairy products, fish with bones (such as sardines and canned salmon), broccoli, and legumes. Aim to get 1,200 milligrams per day. Eat at least three servings of iron-rich foods a day. Iron is found in lean red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, leafy green vegetables, nuts, and enriched grain products. The recommended dietary allowance for iron in older women is 8 milligrams a day. Help yourself to foods high in fiber, such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Most adult women should get about 21 grams of fiber a day.
I really hope this post will help someone else who is dealing with these issues presently or will help someone that will experience this in the future.
But who knows, you might get lucky like my Mother and not have any symptoms at all!
And with that said, I’ll be working on finding out which alternative treatments get me back to my old self, y’all!
And, please comment below with any alternative treatments that have worked for you.
I love you guys, and until next time – – peace ✌🏾 and blessings!
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