The Invisible Side of the Menopause

Guest post from Sophie Shand

Sophie from Fuller Nutrition shares her views with us on the emotional effects of the menopause, giving an honest account of her own personal experiences and offering insights into the feelings that many of us deal with from time to time... but which can feel ten times worse when you are transitioning through the various stages of menopause.

Sophie recognises that, wherever we are on our hormonal journey, as women we are cyclical and we are not supposed to be powerhouses all month long! Retreat and rest is vital. As is the need to be seen, to be heard and to be supported.

Drawing on her knowledge as a nutritional therapist and life coach, Sophie offers holistic and nutritional advice that we can incorporate into our everyday self care regime. Over to you, Sophie....

 

 

"Sometimes you berate yourself for feeling like this because in your head there's no reason to. You have a loving partner, work is going well and your kids are happy. 'What on earth is wrong with me?' you say to yourself."

 

The Emotional Side of the Menopause

There is a side to menopause that even I have been blind-sided by personally in the past and that's the mental / emotional element. It's the one where you don't feel right inside but you can't put your finger on it. You feel emotional, perhaps anxious, tearful, overwhelmed and your confidence can reach an all-time low. 

Your mind is littered with negative thoughts. You think you're going mad and you don't know why. Some days you feel like 'burning the house down' there's such rage within you. Other days you feel so low and unmotivated, it’s difficult to put one foot in front of the other. 

You may have worries. Perhaps your parents are unwell, your teenagers are struggling, your boss doesn't understand you or you have financial worries. These experiences feel ten times worse when you're in the middle of your pre-menopause. 

 

 

It's Not You, It's the Menopause

Sometimes you berate yourself for feeling like this because in your head there's no reason to. You have a loving partner, work is going well and your kids are happy. "What on earth is wrong with me?” you say to yourself. 

Often women don’t even realise their anxiety, depression and feelings of overwhelm are part of their pre-menopausal symptoms. 

It’s no coincidence that female suicide is amongst the highest in women between the ages of 45 and 49, according the Office for National Statistics - this is the pre-menopausal phase for most women. Women of this age often carry enormous responsibilities from juggling careers, to raising their children and teenagers as well as ageing parents. 

 

Learning to Listen to Your Body

In traditional and tribal communities, a difficult pre-menopause is rare. This is likely due to their respected status as wise elders, the intrinsic support these communities offer their people and their natural diets and lifestyles. 

Menopause is a great teacher. It reveals to you how well you're doing at looking after yourself. It highlights everything that needs to change but one of the keys to navigating pre-menopause is to practice menstrual cycle awareness, noting the four phases of the month - incubate (pre-ovulation), create (ovulation), retreat (pre-menstrual) and rest (menstruation).

We're not supposed to be powerhouses all month long! Retreat and rest is vital. 

We are cyclical. Our work/life culture is based on a male hormone cycle which is 24 hours as opposed to the female hormone cycle which is on average 28-36 days. 

 

 

"I See You"

Penny Lancaster along with a number of high profile celebrities have recently highlighted the mental health aspects of menopause. Penny featured on Loose Women emphasising two important points. 

Firstly, the need to be seen and heard. Penny broke down on live TV as she recounted her Doctor’s words, “I see you.” Her relief was palpable. Finally, a moment of recognition, of what and how much she was carrying. And secondly, she highlighted how much she gives to her family and others and how much she needs validation, support, understanding and compassion through this process. The importance of a supportive, understanding partner. 

But things are slowly changing.  It has been great to watch Davina bring this to the forefront recently with her documentaries, and Channel 4 has adopted a super inclusive and very simple Menopause policy.

Even better, the menopause was debated in Parliament in January, where considerations were made to make it a protected characteristic alongside pregnancy and maternity leave (since it doesn’t fall into the disability and age, sex and equality Acts very easily) - this is not to increase claims, but simply to provide best practice guidelines ultimately.  

 

Holistic Health and the Menopause 

In holistic health our hormones are viewed as highlighters of a toxic imbalance at a deeper level. It’s why each woman’s experience of menopause is unique. 

Stress, family history, diet, lifestyle and environment all play their part. So whilst some protocols endeavour to replace missing hormones, holistic health addresses these factors by providing the foundation to produce balanced hormones. Factors such as healthy diet, adequate rest and emotional support. 

Menopause is a natural transition and whilst female hormones are lowering in the ovaries, they are still produced in other endocrine glands in the body but stress, poor diet and other factors interfere with their production. In particular, our adrenal glands produce DHEA (a hormone) which can be converted to any hormone required by the body. If stressed, our female hormone status will be compromised in favour of the production of stress hormones such as cortisol. 

 

 

Nutritional Support 

Since we are 70% water, adequate hydration is absolutely essential and the most important first step. Water is required for every single bodily function. It’s needed to remove toxins from the cell as much as it is needed to take nutrients inside the cell. 

Hydration through food is even more important particularly in gluten-free swollen grains such as short-grain brown rice and quinoa. All vegetables and fruit contain water and dishes such as soup, stews and curries can form a healthy part of the diet. 

Clean protein such as chicken, fish and eggs will also provide essential fatty acid requirements and in an easily digestible form. Often fats in the form of oils, nuts and seeds are recommended but they can be poorly tolerated. In naturopathic circles, too many fats can cause liver stress particularly if they’ve been heated. It is recommended to use coconut oil and animal fats only for heating and to limit their consumption. 

Supplements can be helpful as long as the body’s eliminatory system (bowel, skin, kidneys and lungs) is working well. 

Finally the value of rest and restorative practices such as mindfulness, meditation, women’s circles and yoga as well as life coaching will support the powerful transition from enchantress (our 3rd life phase also known as ‘wild woman’) to Queen (our 4th life phase) where we step into our qualities of leadership and selfless service grounded in impeccable rest and selfcare. 

 

Fuller Nutrition

Sophie Shand is a holistic Nutrition coach with 30 years experience in Nutrition, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Naturopathy and life coaching skills. She specialises in Menopause as well as weight balance, men's health and gut health, campaigning for greater awareness and support of menopause in the work-place.

"I’m delighted the subject of Menopause is being highlighted more and more, both in individual conversations where women feel able to talk about the wide and diverse range of symptoms that accompany this phase, and within the workplace." - Sophie