Menopause! What is this Menopause?

MENOPAUSE is defined as the point in a woman’s life when the menstrual period gradually decreases and eventually ceases. Well, that just explains it all. Or, wait, does it?

First, let’s acknowledge that, both because of unwelcome symptoms and emotional changes, menopause is not something a woman looks forward to. I really thought that when I entered Menopause some great door was going to open and wham! Hello, here I am! I heard all these stories from friends and family about stripping clothing off; being on fire, pools of sweat pouring off of the body and more quite unpleasant symptoms. I was terrified of this great moment, sort of like when I anticipated my first period. Don’t hate me for this, but, none of this happened to me. While I dreadfully awaited the moment of sweat and nakedness, it never came, that giant door never opened for me. One day I had a period, the next day it was gone. And almost two years later, I have never experienced those symptoms I had often heard so much about.

Commonly known symptoms of perimenopause and menopause include hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, night sweats, and difficulty sleeping. Such things can be very disruptive. Symptoms can vary greatly from one woman to another: some women may experience a wide variety of menopausal symptoms; others, like me, experience nothing at all.

Fortunately, there is hope and there are steps you can take to help. I am often asked what to do about the symptoms and while I personally never experienced any, here is my advice. I started taking Evening Primrose Oil about a year before the time where I thought I would start down this road to menopause. Consuming estrogenic foods to help balance estrogen deficiency during this time can be helpful. These foods include: small amounts of organic animal protein and wild fish, apples, pears, plums, cherries, coconut, carrots, nightshades (potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant), olives, peanuts, yams, green beans, red beans, brown rice, and whole wheat. Foods to avoid include excessive animal protein and dairy because of their high fat, acidic pH, and protein content, and caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods and sugar, which produces hot flashes and mood swings. Refined carbohydrates, hard fats, nutritionally void foods -- and too much of it -- all serve to raise your estrogen to abnormal levels, as much as twice the normal. This is a major contributing cause of menopausal symptoms in the first place.

Synthetic bedding and clothing can contribute to overheating the body, especially while sleeping. Unlike natural cottons and linens, synthetic fibers cause us to perspire more often at night, a time when women most-often experience overheating. Also, if you wear tight-fitting clothing, made from synthetic fibers, this can also aggravate hot flashes.

A regular program of physical activity can help manage many of the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause as well as the related health concerns, such as heart disease and osteoporosis.

Essential Oils are also a fabulous and offer natural therapeutic support that can relieve many of the symptoms occurring during menopause.

HOT FLASHES

Are probably the most well-known symptom of menopause and affect around 80% of women. Generally described as a sudden sensation of heat that can spread throughout the body but is particularly felt in the upper body and face, hot flashes can be accompanied by profuse sweating, reddening of the skin, and, sometimes, nausea, or just an experience of feeling unwell.

Here are a several of essential oils that many help with hot flashes.

• Clary Sage

• Peppermint

• Spearmint

• Eucalyptus

• Geranium

Clary Sage: Rubbing one to two drops of diluted clary sage oil on the back of the neck or on the feet has been shown to help with hot flashes. It can also be quite useful when used aromatically.

Peppermint is a very effective Essential Oil to use when hot flashes occur. Not only can it have a cooling effect on the body, it can also help to alleviate occasional stomach upset and promotes healthy respiratory function when taken internally. Peppermint used topically on the back of the neck and chest is an effective way to help during hot flashes.

Geranium helps calm nerves and lessen feelings of stress.

Here is an Essential Oil Blend for Hot Flashes. In a 10 ml rollerball blend of 8 drops clary sage oil, 5 drops peppermint oil, and 5 drops geranium oil and liquid coconut oil. Mix well. Apply to back of neck and feet. For even quicker relief, consider adding a few drops to a tissue or napkin and inhaling and exhaling softly. This allows the oil to enter your body through your nose. This can help to reduce the intensity of hot flashes.

While there is no one quick fix for menopause and hot flashes, trying the above suggestions may offer some relief.