When a woman enters the time of life when her cycle ceases (menopause), it is supposed to be a time unlike that of any other in her life. It is much different than what we typically experience. It is akin to a rite of passage. It is a time when in earlier history, she is considered the “wise woman”. Her accumulated knowledge and experience is treasured and respected. It is a time of settling into contentedness, enjoying family, and reaping the rewards of years of hard work.
Today, it is more like a dreaded time. Because of the common symptoms of menopause – hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, memory and concentration challenges (referred to as “Mind-Misconnect”) – most women don’t look forward to this time. They do everything they can to pretend they’re not maturing. Aesthetically, that’s okay. It’s wonderful that we have such an array of anti-aging cosmetics, hair dyes, make up and cosmetic procedures that enable us to hold on to our youthful look much longer than we could in the past. But the symptoms? We just can’t do anything about them! They’re inevitable. Or are they?
The answer is, “No. They are not inevitable.” They have become so common, that we think it’s normal, but in fact it is a symptom of an out of balance system. Those who don’t experience the common symptoms, simply don’t talk about it. They’re not going to boast that they missed their cycle and they’re not having hot flashes! It just tapers off (with a little chaotic cycling first), and it’s done. Nothing to remark about, unless someone happens to ask.
That’s the good news! If you are peri-menopausal (going through the process), there is much you can do to reduce your symptoms. If you haven’t started yet, you are even luckier, because by getting your hormones straightened out while you’re still cycling, you have a much greater chance of never having menopausal symptoms to start with (not to mention the pleasure of having symptom-free menstrual cycles every month!).
Acupuncture, good, solid hormone-supportive nutrition, herbs and other modalities are used together to help balance your hormones. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is, in my opinion, not the best option. The better option is to support the entire endocrine system – the thyroid, adrenals, pituitary, hypothalamus, liver, ovaries, etc. that are all part of the feedback loop that determines the health of the sex hormones. Many people erroneously believe that once the ovaries retire (whether surgically or naturally), that that is it. No more estrogen. However, estrogen is still produced, but other tissues take over, if they’re healthy. That’s the key. If they are healthy. The problem is, most women have a lifestyle that promotes unhealthy tissues, not healthy ones. They partake of convenience over healthier options. Many just don’t know the difference. That’s the power of knowledge. With an understanding of what you can do to support a healthy menopause, you can look forward to a wonderful time of your life.
©2012 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
