Finding Peace during Menopause
Lifestyle Changes for Peace during Menopause
We all want to experience peace during menopause. Yet sometimes it seems so elusive. It Lifestyle changes are so important during our transition to menopause – this can be the difference of transitioning well or really not coping with menopausal symptoms. Not only can lifestyle changes help with reducing symptoms of the change you are experiencing, they can also improve your quality of life and sense of well being.
Stress increases menopausal symptoms.
I would like you to imagine a deep reservoir of water. When it is full of water, it nourishes the earth around it. When it dries, the flora around it also withers. This is like our life’s reservoir, it declines as we age. Yet, through lifestyle choices we can maintain our reservoir levels so we do not deplete them quickly. This is anti-ageing. Anti-ageing is preserving our essence, our reservoir. We are all born with a certain amount of essence, the quicker we use it up, the quicker we age.
This essence is precious and ideally, we are want to preserve and store it to help us age gracefully. However, stress has a negative impact on our essence. If our adrenals are depleted by too much work or sex, poor food, or lack of sleep, then we will lose essence.
This is why as we go through menopause, we need to find time for renewal, restoration and reflection. We need to balance work with play. Yet many of us just keep soldiering on and wondering why we struggle with menopausal symptoms. We do need to slow down, we do need time out.
Not only do we need to slow down, but also we need good quality and quantity of sleep. Yet this is one of the most common complaints I hear – the inability to sleep. WOmen often say – if I could just get good sleep, I would be able to manage.
Our food intake is also essential to our menopausal years. We need a nutritious diet, this also includes avoiding yo-yo dieting, fasting.
Finding Balance is the key to peace
The key is balance. If balance exists, then illness has more of a chance to disappear. Although menopause and the decline of our reservoir is a natural process, many menopausal symptoms are caused by imbalance in the body.
- Try meditation and breathing exercises
These can restore our Essence and are wonderful for menopause. Exercises such as Qi Gong or Restorative Yoga are fantastic. They are rejuvenating, and can strengthen the body. They nourish the qi through breathing exercises, and they strengthen the body through the movement of energy. These are exercises that stimulate the endocrine system and lungs. Yoga and qi gong improve longevity while increasing the sense of harmony within one’s self in relation to the world. - Take a retreat for one or two hours each week . This can help with stress relief, general enjoyment and quality of life.
- Tolerance and forgiveness towards yourself and others restores the peace and wellbeing.
- As you keep practicing you will develop a sensation of wellbeing and peace of mind.
Nourish your body
Eat plenty of:
- vegetables, especially leafy greens, prepared according to season
- whole grains including rice, spelt, oats
- include seaweed in the diet
- Choose foods that are high in vitamin and mineral content.
Eat in moderation
- fruit and fruit juices
- Eat organic meat and fish
- Dairy products
Try to avoid
- caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes.
- Most animal foods are full of hormones, find an organic source of meats and dairy products.
- processed foods, additives, sugar, bread or flour.
Food for thought
- Prepare food according to season: raw in the summer and cooked during the cooler months.
- Eat locally grown fruits and vegetables that are in season. This is eating in harmony with nature
- Be mindful that the amount of protein we need varies. Someone who is very active — for example, a gardener who is moving plants and rocks all day — will need more protein than an office worker.
