Women and Health:
How to prepare for perimenopause, menopause, and
post menopause
Brainstorming between
Maria Teresa De Donato, Naturopath, and Elisa Rubini
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Just as an athlete trains before an important
race, why is it essential for a woman to prepare for perimenopause instead of
waiting for it to arrive suddenly?
Athletes are very disciplined people. They know exactly what to do, what not to
do, and when, including what to eat, how much, and how to eat; how many hours
to sleep each night; and when to allow time for leisure or make an exception.
This happens because they are trained and educated from the beginning to do it
and to maintain the good habits they learn.
For women, in the case of menopause, and therefore both the period preceding it
(perimenopause) and the one following it (post menopause), this rarely happens,
because it is often ignored that perimenopause (or even menopause itself) can
start from the age of 30 onwards. Furthermore, no one can predict exactly when
it will appear.
Understanding these aspects can help women ‘train’ by adopting healthy eating
and lifestyle habits (sleep, regular exercise, etc.) as soon as possible, so
they are not caught unprepared when this moment arrives. Developing this
knowledge and awareness as soon as possible helps you be ready to embrace the new
situation with serenity and maintain your psychophysical and mental health.
In your book, you talk about nutrition and lifestyle: what are the “basic workouts” that a woman should include in her routine to better deal with this phase?
“Basic workouts” include
• A healthy and balanced diet, without excesses or deficiencies. Our
bodies need all the nutrients; therefore, unless we have intolerance issues or,
even worse, allergies, we should eat a bit of everything in rotation.
• Drink at least 1 and a half – 2 liters of water a day. By “daily water
requirement,” we mean only water, excluding other drinks such as tea, herbal
tea, and coffee, which must be considered separately (the discussion would be
much more complex, but let’s leave this to another place).
• Sleep at least 8 hours a night;
• Do healthy physical exercise regularly. This doesn’t necessarily mean
going to the gym to sweat hard 3 times a week, which, while appreciable, is not
suitable or recommended for everyone. Regularly walking an average of at least
2-3 kilometers a day, cycling, swimming, or using other movement techniques is
extremely healthy.
Athletes work on body and mind together. How can
a woman train her emotional side and avoid feeling “overwhelmed” by changes?
Being aware of certain realities and preparing not only physically, but above
all psychologically, for certain events, helps the woman not to feel
overwhelmed, but to serenely and naturally embrace this extraordinary period of
her life, which, if lived correctly, putting into practice the advice also
given in this interview, can represent a moment of total rebirth and
metamorphosis.
If there are ‘adjustments’ to be made, we will make them by accepting them for
what they are: a transitional period in which we will have to learn a lot about
ourselves, our strengths, our flaws, and, above all, our ability to adapt to a
new situation. Change, in fact, is the only constant in our lives, for one
reason or another.
In sports, you learn to recognize body signals. What are the ones a woman needs to learn to read to understand that she is entering perimenopause?
Every change is preceded by signals that the body sends us, that is, by
symptoms that appear suddenly and are unfamiliar.
Among these we have:
• Change in sleep rhythm (difficulty falling asleep or sleeping through
the night as you may have been used to);
• Change in menstrual flow, which may become irregular, sporadic, and
less intense than it was in the past;
• Abundant sweating, especially at night;
• Sudden hot flashes;
• Mood swings
Note, however, that many of these symptoms can
also result from high stress. To verify the real cause – whether stress or
perimenopause – it is always a good idea to contact your doctor and have the
necessary checks and tests done to get a diagnosis. Then we will decide what to
do and, possibly, which path to take, whether holistic or allopathic or both.
Competitions are not entered into without a plan. What is the “minimum program” that every woman should have to avoid experiencing menopause as a loss of control?
The “minimum program” includes both the points mentioned above as “basic training” and psychological and mental aspects, starting with taking care of ourselves not only from a physical point of view, but also taking time regularly to dedicate ourselves to what we like, what gives us serenity and makes us happy, whatever it is: from finding 30 minutes a day to go for a walk, call a friend, do some gardening (even if we only have a balcony with pots of flowers) or dedicate at least one or two times a week to a creative/artistic activity (writing – even simply writing your personal diary – painting, sculpture, embroidery, crochet, etc.).
Feeling good about yourself from a mind-body-spirit perspective is fundamental;
it’s a winning card for navigating not only menopause but also our entire lives
in a balanced, serene way. If we don’t feel good about ourselves, we can’t feel
good about others, whoever they are (children, husband/partner, colleagues,
neighbors, etc.).
When an athlete does not listen to his body, performance worsens. What mistakes do you see in women who ignore or underestimate symptoms?
I see a lack of awareness, knowledge, responsibility, and self-care. The first
thing to understand in life is that every action (or lack of thereof) we take
will have consequences. It is, therefore, always preferable to “prevent rather
than cure”.
If we have neglected ourselves, life will present us with the bill at some
point, taking us by surprise and leaving us completely unprepared. We can do a
lot to prevent all this from happening or, at least, reduce the risks.
Getting ready doesn’t mean fearing. How can a
woman transform this phase into a period of strength and not of fragility?
By adopting the right view of the matter and putting into practice the advice
we are giving, women can also await menopause with serenity and relative
optimism, looking at this period as a great opportunity, a moment of rebirth,
of total renewal, as native cultures do, rather than as the beginning of
decadence, aging and anything else negative our modern Western society wants to
push upon us.
The athletes work with specialists. How important
is it for a woman not to remain alone but to seek information and correct
support?
Being informed and having the right support are very useful, as is gaining
awareness of the emerging new reality.
This new reality should not be rejected or even fought. On the contrary, it
must be accepted, embraced, but not passively, as if we were simple observers,
but rather actively becoming protagonists in action and participating in a
constructive and positive way in the entire process.
In every race, there are difficult moments. What practical tools help manage mood swings, energy drops, and sleep difficulties?
The tools to use are many and can include
• Herbs and essential oils
• Homeopathic remedies
• Food supplements
• Breathing techniques
• Meditation and visualizations
• Yoga, Tai Qi, Qi Gong, Shibashi
• Massages
• Foot reflexology
• Hypnosis
These tools, depending on the case, can be used
as holistic therapies in their own right or, when allopathic medical treatments
are needed, as integrative/complementary rather than alternative.
If you were to leave a direct message to women,
what is the greatest “victory” that preparation allows you to achieve in this
phase of life?
The greatest “victory” is always against ourselves, against a wrong way of
perceiving an aspect such as menopause and, consequently, of relating to it.
Perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause do not represent an end (with the
exception of reproductive activity), but rather the beginning of a new life
that should be lived in a more conscious, serene, and wise way.
There is no limit to the things we can do. Let’s adapt ourselves accordingly
and, if there are adjustments to be made – whether physical, psychological or
mental – let’s make them, always remembering that even if it seems like we have
an insurmountable mountain in front of us, the only thing that is required
of us is to take one step at a time towards the summit, that is, the
objective that we have set ourselves to achieve from time to time.
Important!!
The information contained in this article is for informational purposes and in no way replaces medical advice. In case of doubts, disorders, or pathologies, it is always advisable to consult your doctor.