The menopause has been know to strike fear into the hearts of women but it needn’t be so scary with some clever dietary choices.
The ‘‘change of life’’ affects every woman – terrifies many – yet I never heard my mother mention it. Menopause simply means the end of monthly periods.
The ovaries stop releasing eggs and less of the significant female hormones, including oestrogen and progesterone, are produced. But a woman’s oestrogen supply doesn’t disappear.
Menopause is surrounded by myths and is often treated as a disease, when it is a natural process for women 45-55 years of age. The only thing common to all women is their periods stop.
It is not clear why hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, irritability, mood swings, anxiety, memory loss, fatigue, headache, joint pains and weight gain affect some and not others.
It’s also unclear why some see menopause as liberating, while others fear they’re becoming irrational, neurotic or unstable.
Call it bad timing, but when menopause appears, other things are usually happening, such as children leaving home or even a partner’s midlife crisis.
How a woman views this time of life and the ssupport she has makes quite an impact on how often and severe any symptoms are.
Stress reduction is important! And blaming everything on menopause can prevent women from getting out of it.
The not-so-good news:
- Cigarette smokers reach menopause two years earlier
- Women are at higher risk of heart attack post-menopause
- Any bleeding a year or more after menopause should be checked
- Hormone replacement is not necessarily a magic wand
- Some natural remedies and herbal supplements aren’t either.
The better news:
- Only three symptoms are directly related to menopause: hot flushes, loss of periods and vaginal dryness
- Most women do not have severe symptoms
- One in three women does not get hot flushes
- Two in three women do not have lower libido
- Three out of four do not get osteoporosis
- Menopause doesn’t last forever.
What to do?
- You can take responsibility for your health as a first step
- Eat a sensible diet with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, linseed oil, oily fish, lean meat and low-fat cheese, and at least a half pint of low-fat milk each day
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, and drink plenty of water
- Exercise can make big difference to mood and weight - regular, brisk, short walks will do
- Or to relax, try breathing or meditation classes
- And be sure to get clear answers from your doctor about any hormonal medication, which can be helpful in the short term.
(Published in the Sunday News, 21 June 2009)
Barbara Docherty is a registered nurse and clinical lecturer at the University of Auckland School of Nursing, and writer for the everybody.co.nz website. The opinions contained herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the publisher or sponsor. Copyright UBM Medica (NZ) Ltd.
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