Menopause: The Journey..The Symptoms, And Finding Relief

I’ve recently found out, that the topic of menopause, is something that many women refuse to discuss. I have approached this subject around friends, and family members, only to be met with radio silence most of the time. I’m talking about women who have been through it, and women who are about to go through it. Its been hella frustrating for me. Fourteen years ago, I lost my mother..an old fashion southern woman who didn’t talk about these types of things. When I got my menstruation, she just gave me sanitary napkins, and that was it. Everything I learned about what was happening to my body, I learned from books. I also lost my two older sisters just before menopause was a factor in their lives. So I really don’t have any solid real world advice to reference, and this has been extremely hard at times.

As I was trying to understand why so many women didn’t want to address the elephant in the room, the only words that kept coming to mind, were fear and shame. Here in America a woman’s worth is associated with her youth..I know, sad right? Menopause or the lack of ones menses screams “I am no longer young and valuable anymore”. What a crock of bulls**t! I know menopause and its baby sister peri menopause can be challenging, but it comes at a time in most women’s lives when we are, or could be at our best. If we embrace it, manage symptoms, and share solutions and practices with each other, the journey would be oh so much easier.

Now that I’ve begun my journey with menopause, there’s a few tried and true practices that I want to share. They can possibly help ease the common symptoms that come along with this sometimes difficult, but amazing time in our lives. Hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings can be managed, by incorporating a few simple changes into our daily routines. But first, I must say that everyones body is unique, and by no means should these recommendations take the place of your medical professional. If you or any woman you know are experiencing extreme discomfort, please consult your doctor.

Now lets get into a few of my favorite practices to combat those pesky menopausal symptoms.

1. Spicy Food

Avoid spicy foods..they can trigger hot flashes in peri menopausal and menopausal women. They have also been known to raise blood pressure, and body heat index in women and men alike. Hot flashes can, and will arise on their own, but spicy foods can sometimes trigger them. So lets not add fuel to the fire.

2. Caffeinated Beverages & Alcohol Consumption

Caffeinated beverages and Alcoholic drinks are another root case of hot flashes and night sweats. These two affect the body of a menopausal woman, almost in the exact same way spicy foods does. Alcohol also disrupts sleep. That coupled with night sweats can make for a very restless night. These beverages also usually contain tons of sugar, another culprit in the struggle to maintain hormonal balance.

3. Smoking

As we all know, smoking is a nasty, dangerous habit that affects so many areas of our health negatively, and menopause is definitely one of them. Smoking constricts blood vessels, therefore putting a strain on the heart and body as a whole. Any extra stresses on the body causes it to over heat, which helps to trigger hot flashes. Studies have shown that tobacco toxins can lower the age of natural menopause by reducing circulating estrogen in a woman’s body.

4. Exercise

Lowering our overall body weight, and exercising is imperative if we seek to balance our hormones and have a more comfortable experience during menopause. Exercising tricks the body into thinking its way younger than it is. Which translates into a win win situation for women, that are smack dab in the thick of menopause. Exercise also helps with menopausal induced insomnia, due to hormonal imbalances.

5. Meditate

Yoga, or any form of relaxation is a major way to help combat menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia. Staying calm helps to keep our body temperatures low, as well as helping us control our blood pressure. Practicing some form of meditation also helps with the mood swings we may sometimes experience during menopause.

**Bonus** If you’re interested in some excellent supplements, you might want to check out Au Natural products..they’re excellent. But, please don’t forget to consult your heath care provider before adding any supplement to your diet.

I hope you all enjoyed this post. Lets keep the conversation going, and support one another. If we share information, and strive to dymistify menopause, future generations of women won’t have to fear, or be ashamed of this natural passage of womanhood. Feel free to comment below, as questions, or shoot me an email at [email protected]

Photos: Rachel Mariesa Photography

Until our next stylish encounter, as always loves..stay inspired

xoxo