Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
The Pause
MenoPAUSE
Traverse Perimenopause Menopause and Postmenopause with peace...love...joy and a lot of patience!
Soak
If you are going through memopause, peri or post,
please take time to soak in a hot bath or a cold plunge.
We are made mostly of water, return to it, rebirth in it.
This is a time to be gentle with your spirit.
A bath is restorative for your body and you mind.
Restore
Give yourself permission to rest and reset, daily. Some days you may even need an hourly reset and that is fine too.
Remember, menopause is not an illness or disease, though sometimes it may feel like it. It is a very natural part of life. There are many natural ways to cope with the changes.
There aren’t nearly enough conversations on the topic…
Here is a some of my story, you are not alone…
In August of 2016, I fell of a cliff. Well not a literal cliff, though some days its felt like it. I am referring to the Perimenopause Cliff. I had previously heard rumors about this phenomenon. I always thought it would be this gradual thing that I could gently embrace with my usual barefoot peace love joy attitude. Simply a wonderful change of life. I figured there would be hot flashes and a little weight gain, and probably just mostly in my mid section, fluctuations in my cycle until it ended, and then just peace on earth. NO ONE told me it could start with falling of a cliff, ambushed with anxiety and panic attacks while on vacation!! I didn't even know anxiety and panic attacks could be part of the picture. It came out of nowhere and for no apparent reason, I was on vacation for goodness sake!! It doesn't get more peaceful than that, how did it find me there??!!
When I returned home I made a prompt trip to my doctor. Based on how I was feeling, there had to be something terribly wrong with me. Headaches, panic attacks, and fatigue, just to name a few. My doctor couldn't find anything. I asked her if it could be menopause related but since my cycle hadn't had much fluctuation, she said I was probably too young to be perimenopausal (I am 49 by the way) and that it was probably just stress related. In fact two different doctors gave me that same "pat on the head" report. I thought I was going crazy OR that I had to be dying from some rare disease that no one had heard of which was why they couldn't find anything wrong with me!! In my despair, I started researching perimenopause on my own and learned that there are actually 66 physical symptoms associated with perimenopause and 25 psychological and emotional symptoms AND that the standard test for evaluating your hormones at the time SUCKED! After going to a third doctor, I finally Ifound someone who listened, understood and explained. You have to pay attention to the symptoms, not the test results, because the test only measure one point in time and hormones can fluctuate many times in a day. This is a phase of life that is not based on your age, and can begin in your 30s and definitely by 49!! Well, in paying attention to the symptoms, I had experienced MANY of the symptoms and let me tell ya, it was NOT HAPPINESS. Ok, I had to figure out what was next. At the time, many of the choices of dealing with these fluctuating hormones involve using drugs with side effects I preferred not to entertain. Premarin, which is made from pregnant horse urine, was one of the most popular prescribed . That was not an option for me. Even ‘natural’ hormone replacement therapy required me to have an annual breast exam to check for breast cancer as a result. That didn’t feel very natural to me, so I decided to pass. I went down a rabbit hole of essential oils that could possibly help with the many symptoms and I came up with a few carrots! I had to keep in mind that this was not a disease, so I didn’t want to treat it like one. It was a natural process my body was going though to unwind all of the miraculousness it took to prepare. my body for creation, and that’s a big fucking deal! It is a time to be honored and it should be treated with grace and “pause” ~it’s in the name, after all [smile]. I will share with your things that I did, and still do as a woman in postmenopause.
We all have to chose the path that feels right to use, enjoy the journey and know you are not alone.
How I embrace the pause…
I eat real foods
I have experienced perimenopause, menopause, and now I am in the postmenopause phase of my journey. One thing that has been consistent to on this path is the need for REAL FOOD. I am not a vegan nor am I a vegetarian, but I find that some days of the week without meat or dairy adds a nice balance to my life and my digestion likes the break from meat protein. When I do eat meat, I make sure it is locally sourced, mostly from the Vista Farmers Market. I enjoy grass fed grass finished beef, chicken, and salmon. Salmon has been REALLY WONDERFUL for my overall well being. I feel better in my body after a nice salmon dinner. I find great value in sweet potatoes, my favorite is purple and red fleshed potatoes. I eat them everyday, not varying amounts. I have found that they help me with hot flashes, which I still have occasionally, and it is wonderful for my digestion, which I find challenging to balance without them. I also eat a lot of papaya and even some of the seeds too! The seeds are bitter, but the health benefits of them make it well worth it. I also eat lots of leafy greens, avocados, and blueberries too. I drink tea and tisanes [herbal blends] everyday and a glass of red wine three or four days a week. I have never been much of a bread eater, but I make it a point to have a piece of sourdough bread a few times a week. I consume dairy, but not much. Butter, 24 hour yogurt and the occasional piece of cheese, [hard or goat], makes it to my plate. My relationship with food has really changed through these “pauses”. I am interesting in feeling good, so I am ALWAYS researching the benefits of food before I buy and consume them. It’s a good idea to keep a food diary, making note of what you eat and how if makes you feel after or the next day.
Food is medicine, be discerning and eat real food.
I exercise
I have always been big on exercise, all of life. When I was younger I exercised so I could stay shapely and sexy. I wanted to make sure I could fit in my sexy little black dress. Once I started going through the “pauses” my reason for exercising changed. I exercise now so I feel better. I have noticed that a regular exercise regime keeps my joints from hurting. I have noticed that if I take too many days off, my JOINTS BECOME STIFF . So I don’t take more than a day or two off a week. The body loves movement. I walk every morning at least 20 minutes, sometimes 30. If you do nothing else, if you are able WALK. I also recommend HIIT workouts. High intensity interval training. I sometimes do it while walking , cycling on my Peleton bike or water rowing. Yoga has become my best friend. It is great for my body and my mental state of being. During perimenopause, it helped with anxiety and mood swings. Today I also enjoy Pilates , though I don’t do it as often as I would like to. A good core workout is a good idea, not my favorite, but I feel it is necessary as I age. A strong core is invaluable. It will help you age with grace, and BALANCE!!
Weight training is also excellent to add in for physical and mental health. I am amazed at the difference it makes in my head space. I exercise for my heart health, my mental health, and for gut health. Keeping my body moving regularly helps to keep everything moving.
One more thing, I sauna, probably five or six days a week sometimes seven! Research the benefits of getting in a sauna on a regular basis. If you sauna, I recommend it.
I used therapeutic Grade Essentials
Essential oil use has been also been my saving grace on this journey. When I decided NOT to do any medications to traverse this rocky terrain, I begin to research and depend on the use of essential oils. They have helped me physically, mentally and spiritually . I have spent allot of time researching oils that help with different things to champion the day. I love helichrysum for my nervous system, lavender to relax, and rose and geranium to help balance my hormone swings. I have decided to decide a section on the shopping site of this website to products that I used and continue to use to cope with and thrive through this journey. If you are experiencing these phases or know someone who is, check out the “Pause” essential line. I hope you find as much comfort in the products as I have. I will also blog on the topic in the SoapBox Blog, so check it out from time to time.