A woman plays various roles in her lifetime. Her journey from a loving daughter to a kind grandmother, they do all effortlessly. But when we talk about biological life stages ie. puberty, reproductive age, and menopause etc, extra care is always helpful for them.
Out of these stages, initial stages are relatively easy to manage for most women. However last stage, menopause is usually the most challenging, troublesome, and demands extra care for sure. This stage is difficult as well as confusing for most women. Let’ discuss what to expect and what can be done to ease this stage a bit.
Fertility begins to decline between the age of 40 and 50. This phase is called perimenopause in which women start to notice changes in their body and menstrual cycle.
The changes in the body are mainly due to hormonal imbalance. It includes decreased quality of skin & hair, irregular menstrual cycle, lack of energy, rapid weight gain, joint pain, feeling low/depressed, sleep deprivation, vaginal dryness, increased risk of UTI etc. Few women also experience hot flashes and night sweats in which they feel excessively hot and sweat a lot especially on face, neck, and chest area. Symptoms may vary from woman to woman to a greater or a lesser extent.
Menstruation stops gradually. Menopause is a stage where menstruation period has not come for 12 consecutive months, and at one point, it stops completely. Such period can last upto 7 to 14 years.
Changes in diet and lifestyle will help for sure in this stage of life.
1) Nutrition helps to a great extent. One need to put restrictions and follow diet with discipline for few years. It will give you good results especially in enhancing mood, improving hair & skin quality and managing weight.
- Avoid fried, spicy, sweet, junk & processed food.
- Stop smoking.
- Alcohol should be consumed in moderation.
- Tea, coffee should be consumed in moderation.
- Fresh fruits help especially banana, pomegranate, plum, grapes, cherries, orange, lemon, avocado
- Consume green vegetables in abundance especially spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes
- Whole grains ie. quinoa, chickpeas, sprouts, all kinds of lentils & legumes,
- Soy based food such as tofu, tempeh, miso, edamame
- Dry fruits- almond, figs
- Seeds especially flaxseeds & chia seeds
- Dairy products- milk, yogurt, cheese
- Eggs
- Dark chocolate
2) For dry skin: Walnut, seeds ( pumpkin, sesame, sunflower), fish (mackerel, tuna, salmon) can be consumed for a healthy skin. Do not miss applying sunscreen lotion in the daytime. Apply coconut oil or a good moisturizer after bath. Drink plenty of water.
3) Hot flashes and night sweats: Consume flaxseed, maca & pomegranate. Removing gluten from diet for a short time might help. Slow and deep breathing will help cooling down temperature of the body. Wear loose and comfortable cloths. In case of severe hot flashes, remove spicy food from diet, reduce consumption of caffeine and consult a professional.
4) Supplements: Fish oil, omega 3, collagen supplements, vitamin D and calcium can be taken as per doctor’s advice.
5) Regular exercise and meditation also help in managing this stage.
Lastly, remember it’s a natural process and not a disease. This stage requires some effort, but if you make the changes in your lifestyle as mentioned above, you will get through it easily.