Moving Through Menopause

I’d like to candidly talk about menopause. I’m 50 and people keep asking me what my thoughts are. First, I do notice my body changing. I feel like food stays in my stomach longer, and I’m not quite the “furnace” I once was. Second, I notice I have to work a bit harder at maintaining muscle tone.  Third, my cycle is still regular, but much lighter and shorter, which is fine by me. But, overall I’m feeling good, and as someone who is always freezing cold…I’m still waiting for a hot flash! 

Sleep. Hydration. Exercise. Those are three things I get an A+ on. I turn in early, I drink green juices, smoothies, herbal teas and water mostly, and I move every day somehow, some way. These three “habits” have been with me a while but in the last five years, they’ve gotten more ingrained.  Sleep/hydration/exercise isn’t just good for moving through menopause – it’s universal for whatever you’re dealing with…acne, anxiety, chronic fatigue…you name it – sleep/hydration/exercise to the rescue.

Anthony William, Medical Medium, says menopause should not be torture and he says most menopause symptoms are actually sluggish liver symptoms. Judging from my own experience, I think he’s right. He recommends daily lemon water and celery juice, as well as eating a low-fat diet. You can learn more about his protocol at medicalmedium.com. (I’m not paid to mention him here – I just sincerely think he’s the real deal and his info might be helpful to you.)

While writing my book the 28Days Lighter Diet, I came across some heavy hitters in the herbal word – Susun Weed, Rosemary Gladstar,Brigette Mars to name a few – and they have all gotten better with age (!). Herbal medicine is a gift from God. Use it before turning to pharmaceuticals.(Of course, this is merely what I’d do – you have to make your own medical decisions!)

The last thing I want to mention regarding menopause is a sweet book called Second Spring. This book looks at menopause from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) point of view and I love the TCM point of view so much because it looks at the whole person. Emotions, lifestyle practices and spirituality are all contributing factors to health and wellness in the TCM model. They really are! The body, mind and spirit are one and everything matters. (Did you know, If I wasn’t a fit pro, I’d be an acupuncturist? True!) 

If you are going through a rough patch when it comes to menopause, don’t get discouraged. Start with “sleep, hydration, exercise” and then look into some of the aforementioned resources. A simple habit (or a book or an herb!) can put you on the right path, and bring you into balance.