Fooling Mother Nature is Dangerous

Stop the Flow—Period. The voice-over commands.  “We did and we are thrilled,” a group of young looking talking heads intone.  The voice-over continues to extol the virtues of not ever having a ‘period’ again.  You may recognize this as the latest commercial for a medical miracle—stopping your menstrual cycle forever.  The medical procedure to create this miracle is touted to be a walk in the park, a piece of cake, an opportunity too good to pass up.  What the commercial doesn’t tell you is the inherent negative aftereffects of stopping your menstrual cycle.

The inherent negative aftereffects of stopping your menstrual cycle are immediate and 100% induced menopause with all the inherent metabolically associated changes, which are triggered immediately versus gradually—thus throwing the body into a whirlwind in its attempt to maintain balance.  A minor annoyance you might insist compared to having to endure the rigors of the monthly cycle.  Guess again.  The body is designed to go through its natural cycles naturally—not artificially.

The peri-menopause phase leading up to menopause allows the body to adjust metabolically as needed.  The peri-menopause phase includes: an irregular menstrual cycle, skipping a month or more; light flow or spotting one month with heavy flow the next.  This is all very common and normal in a woman’s cycle.  As the metabolical system reaches balance the body moves into complete menopause as a natural metabolical balance.

When the body is slammed into the sudden loss of the inherent metabolical chemicals all other systems attempt to make up for the loss to no avail.  With the metabolic system out of balance the aftereffects are severe and then medication is prescribed to correct the chemical imbalance.

So, you can see this medical miracle isn’t total gain—you are simply changing one set of symptoms for another.  The only one who gains is the physician who performs the medical procedure and also prescribes the medication in a futile effort to rectify the loss of metabolical chemicals the body needs.  You have become a life-time patient for this enterprising doctor.

It is a known fact that Japanese women tend to suffer with menstrual symptoms or hot flashes only about 1/3 as often as American women. Women on vegetarian diets also complain of hot flashes far less than women who eat meat. Of course, you don’t have to give up those steaks just yet–but doctors and nutritional professionals suspect that the difference is largely due to the use of soy products in the diets of these women, and many women have realized that by incorporating some soy in their diets, their menstrual symptoms and menopausal symptoms have abated considerably.

Altering your diet in small ways can have the greatest positive effect on your body. For instance, by staying away from hot drinks, you’re not giving your body reason to “heat up” and produce a hot flash. At the same time, reducing your caffeine intake (which often comes in the form of hot drinks, including coffee and tea) will naturally help you sleep better at night, which will keep your mood and mental state healthy.

Lastly, replacing these drinks with water and juice will keep your bones and muscles well-lubricated, prevent osteoporosis from settling in, and temper your general aches and pains. We know it’s no easy task to give up coffee, but think of the endless benefits of this one relatively minor change to your diet.

One of the most commonly complained about symptoms of menopause is the weight gain that seems to come along with it. Put simply, your body isn’t burning calories in the same way it once was, so if you don’t change your diet–even if it’s already a healthy one – you’re bound to gain a few pounds around the waist.

Changing your diet now, simply by avoiding a few foods that are bound to make other symptoms worse, while increasing the foods high in certain vitamins while remaining low in calories, will help you to maintain your figure while giving your body the nutrients it needs to fight off the worst symptoms of menstruation or menopause.

For instance, foods high in potassium, including most fruits, will help you keep your mind sharp while promoting healthy water flushing throughout your body (which will reduce cramps and bloating), while keeping your muscles and bones lubricated and strong – including your needy joints and your thinning vaginal walls. In short, this is the time in your life when “an apple a day” couldn’t ring more true!

Also, oily fish, including salmon and tuna, and vegetable oils, are often recommended by nutritionists for anyone wanting to keep their minds sharp. But these oils are also useful in helping keep your muscles from drying, while helping your digestive system.

Everything from Vitamins C and E to herbal remedies such as Dong Quai and Wild Yam Root are superior to abating the menstrual and menopausal symptoms than any pharmaceutical.  You can explore the countless ways in which these small changes or additions to your diet will not only combat the unique symptoms you’re going through, but the ways in which you can identify these symptoms quickly to lead a healthy life during your menstrual years and long after menopause.

Let’s talk about soy—it’s been in the news, and for good reason, but where do you start? Many of us would buy a chunk of tofu, which, let’s face it, can be tasteless, but it doesn’t end there, you don’t need to move to Japan to figure out how to add it to your diet. You don’t need to give up eating cheeseburgers to enjoy the occasional veggie burger, but adding some soy to your diet has abated the negative symptoms of menstruation and menopause for millions of women. If you’ve not eaten many soy products, don’t hold your nose yet–in addition to abating your negative symptoms, you may find that you actually like it!  Not to mention soy is a lot less expensive to prescriptions, surgery and negative aftereffects.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach has 25 years experience in Personal and Professional issues. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Psychology, a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work and a Doctorate in Philosophy. She has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, professionals and entrepreneurs. http://www.drdorothy.net.