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Menopause is a unique experience for every woman. Quite simply, menopause is the ending of a woman's monthly ovulation and menstruation. It also signals other changes to the female body and mind, brought on in part because the body begins producing lesser amounts of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, among others.
Menopause isn't a disease, but a natural process in every woman's life. How a woman views this part of her life often has a lot to do with how frequent and severe her menopausal symptoms are.
If menopause is considered to be the end of her youth, it will be much more difficult than if it is viewed as the next, natural phase of her life - a time of greater freedom and liberation from the restrictions of youth.
Although menopause is one of the important physical milestones in a woman's life, many women lack accurate and complete information about what is taking place in their bodies and what the options are.
With a proper diet, nutritional supplements, exercise, and simple lifestyle changes, most of the unpleasant side effects of menopause can greatly minimized. With this knowledge and preparation, you can step forward with grace and embrace menopause!
Ayurveda links menopause with aging, which is a ‘Vata’ predominant stage of life. Thus, the symptoms of menopause as experienced by many women are similar to the symptoms experienced when the Vata dosha rises and upsets the normal balance of the female body.
Vata-type menopausal symptoms often include anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Menopause also sometimes manifests itself as a rise in the other two humors also. Quite often, women with Pitta-type symptoms are angry and suffer hot flashes. Kapha type symptoms include weight gain, listlessness, and feelings of mental and physical heaviness.
The most effective type of treatment depends upon the dosha in which the woman's menopausal symptoms are manifesting themselves.
It's important to note that health problems during menopause represent imbalances in the body that were already growing in the body but are revealed by the stress of shifting hormones.
Menopause symptoms are nature's alert that you need to start paying more attention to your health. Taking proper steps in the direction of balancing the imbalance doshas, paying attention to your diet, and making lifestyle changes now is critical to ensuring that you age gracefully without the burden of chronic health problems.
Vata-type menopause
Symptoms – Nervousness, panic, anxiety, mood swings, vaginal dryness, loss of skin tone, feeling cold, irregular periods, insomnia, constipation, mild or variable hot flashes, palpitations, bloating and joints aches and pains.
Treatment:
Diet - Increased consumption of warm food and drinks, regular meals, and spices such as cumin and fennel. Decrease your intake of caffeine and other stimulants, refined sugar, cold drinks, and salads
Lifestyle - Early bedtime, meditation, oil massage using almond and olive oil, yoga, and regular exercise such as walking
Anti-Vata herbs include astragalus, ashwagandha, arjuna, cardamom, hawthorn berries, comfrey root, garlic, ginseng, guggul, licorice, myrrh, rehmannia, sandalwood and zizphus
Dealing with Menopause - Part 2 >>
About the author:
Dr. Mrs. Sushama Patwardhan is a graduate in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery, and an 'associate editor' for AyurvedaForYou.com.
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