What the majority of us seem to agree on, is that menopause (in general) is NOT an enjoyable process. Granted, there are a small minority of women who breeze through menopause without barely noticing it’s happening. This, however, seems to be as lucky as winning the lottery! For most of us, menopause comes along with several dilapidating symptoms that can turn our lives upside down. But why?
Before we answer ‘why’, let’s look at ‘what’ it is that can often make menopause so uncomfortable.
Before you start wearing LadyCare, check that you are aware of these important elements. You must wear your LadyCare in-line with these guidelines if you want to see benefits from the device. 71% of women will benefit from a reduction in menopause symptoms when wearing the device.
One of the lesser spoken about symptoms of menopause is a loss of libido. Why isn’t it discussed as much? Many women are embarrassed to admit that their sex lives are suffering because of ‘the change’. This is particularly the case if friends of a similar age don’t appear to have any issues in the bedroom. The truth is… you can never really know what someone else’s sex life is like, and the likelihood is, many more women are suffering than you realise or believe.
If there’s one thing that we seem to universally complain about, it’s poor sleep. Is sleep this sacred thing that only a handful are blessed with? It certainly feels that way!
If you think about it… as teenagers, no amount of sleep seems to be enough. In our twenties and thirties, our wonderful children completely trample on any possibility of sleep. Financial stresses, family, health these all keep us up at night no matter what our age and then menopause comes along to add to it! It’s no wonder we’re a nation of poor sleepers. The question is, does sleep aggravate menopause symptoms further?
When we think of menopause, most of us think of hot flushes, mood swings and generally just getting older! But what’s actually happening to our bodies beyond just ageing and more importantly, why does it actually happen? You will be pleased to know it’s not just our bodies way of getting back at us, there really is a purpose behind it all. It’s not so much a ‘pause’ as an ending to one phase and the beginning of the next.
Are you finding it difficult to control your appetite? If you’re approaching or going through the menopause this could well be the reason.
Weight gain is really common during menopause and this happens for various reasons. One of those reasons has nothing to do with eating more. The crux of it is that our metabolic rate changes during perimenopause and continues throughout menopause itself. We need to teach our bodies how to burn fat through a healthier lifestyle because it now no longer burns as much fat through metabolism.
Panic attacks and anxiety are all controlled by our Autonomic nervous system. It’s our brain that sends signals to our ANS and so this is why cognitive behavioural therapy is often recommended for anxiety disorders. Menopause-related anxiety and panic attacks are different from anxiety disorders or panic disorders because they are caused by depleting hormones affecting the autonomic nervous system.
Despite the fact that all women will go through menopause in their lifetimes, it’s still not as openly discussed as we would like it to be! Menopause is a natural process and nothing to be ashamed of, sharing stories is one of the best ways to open up a discussion and get rid of some of the taboo that often surrounds the topic.
Are you stuck in the blues and looking for a way out? Low moods can strike at any time. You can wake up feeling low or you can wake up feeling great and by the end of the day, everything has changed. When you add perimenopause and menopause into the mix, the constant changing of hormones can have a real impact. Estrogen can increase serotonin and endorphins which boost your mood. So when estrogen is depleted it makes sense that you would start feeling lower.
Is it really possible to eat your way into a better menopause? Does the food we eat really have any meaningful connection to those horrendous symptoms? After all, they are so varied and can be very intense, could a change in diet make any real difference?