Perimenopause is more than a mere transition - it's another monumental change as big as puberty, pregnancy and childbirth. As with other times of great change, it comes with its own unique set of physical and emotional shifts. Understanding why there is a varied perimenopause age range, recognizing what the typically defined symptoms are, and figuring out how to manage it all can make this phase feel a lot less overwhelming. This blog post is here to give you the lowdown on what some women experience and offers some useful tips for understanding why this is happening.
What is Perimenopause?
Perimenopause is more like a flakey understudy, or a warm-up act before the big menopause show, when your ovaries decide to chill out on estrogen production. This phase can be said to stick around for a few months or tag along for over ten years, usually kicking off in your 40s, but some ladies might get a head start and dive into it in their 30s.
During perimenopause, hormone changes can cause all sorts of symptoms that affect how you feel physically and emotionally. Being aware of these changes can help you feel more in control of your health and well-being.
Recognizing the Symptoms of Perimenopause
When it's time for the perimenopause party, buckle up because each guest brings their own unique set of symptoms! From hot flashes to mood swings, it's like a rollercoaster ride you never signed up for. So, grab your popcorn and get ready for the show because things might get a little wild! It's a time when anything goes including:
Irregular periods: Your menstrual cycle might start acting a little out there, with periods that are lighter, heavier, or just all over the place.
Hot flashes: around 75% of women deal with these sudden waves of warmth that can not only mess with your day, but your sleep as well.
Night sweats: Sweating up a storm while you're trying to catch some Z's, making for some pretty rough nights and can leave you feeling tired all the time.
Mood swings: Thanks to the changing hormone levels, you might find yourself getting super irritable, anxious, or just feeling down. Over 50% of women go through this rollercoaster of emotions during perimenopause.
Sleep disturbances: Getting some shut-eye can become a real challenge, with about 40% of women dealing with insomnia during this transition.
With all this and more going on, it's no wonder one symptom can also create the next, like a domino effect. Professionals will tell us that these symptoms are just a part of perimenopause, that it's all part of our body's design, but this doesn't explain why so many women experience completely different issues, symptoms and outcomes. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that those we turn to for help for healing often don't have the full picture themselves. When those treating are unaware or ignorant of the effects of poisons, hormone-disrupting chemicals and heavy toxic metals in our air, soil, home environment, greater environment and especially water, it's easy to understand why so many are still suffering in this outdated system.
Age and Its Impact on Perimenopause
The never-ending notion of our biological clock is apparently counting down again, and now perimenopause or menopause is on the horizon. For me the symptoms came completely out of the blue. I thought I was finally finding my groove around studying for a new career and learning to homeschool my children, when insomnia, crime scene periods, fatigue and then some hit the scene.
Next came the bad news that I was already all too familiar with, "your genes", "lifestyle choices" and "enjoying those extra slices of pizza" are creating your potentially more intense symptoms. Cue the shame, add it to the mounting list.
It was the blame your body game again that I heard all my life "immune sytem attacking your body", "mystery inflammation" and "were not quite sure why, science hasn't figured it out yet". Although certainly the standard acceptable answer, they were certainly far from words of comfort. Feeling like I was on a wild ride with no seatbelt, wasn't a lot of fun, with new symptoms arriving by the day, I wasn't sure how I was going to survive the warm up let alone the finale! I started first with the basics before expanding my search.
Managing Symptoms During Perimenopause
The 3 basics that we can all agree on that are helpful regardless of your stage of life, I prioritize:
1. Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Eating Fruit and Veggies and Staying Hydrated!
Forget the ice cream, bring on the bananas and broccoli! Studies show that loading up on plant-based foods can be your secret weapon against perimenopause symptoms. Fruit phobia begone, fruit and veggie carbs are not your enemy, trendy traps are! Fruit, vegetables and water are your new BFF's - like a superhero cape against a body of sluggish fluids! For step-by-step guidance to cleansing, combos and recipe inspo, try Liver Rescue and Thyroid Healing here.
2. Regular Exercise: But not necessarily sweating it out, Sister!
Time to bust a move and get your groove on with some fun exercises like swimming, dancing or yoga. Research says that movement can help you sleep like a baby, my go-to is walking for the bonus Vitamin D, fresh air, soothing sounds of nature and time to think my thoughts, or wait for creative inspiration to hit!
3. Stress Management Techniques: Zen Mode Activated!
Dive into mindfulness, deep breathing, or even some good old fashioned R&R rest and relaxation. My favourite is spending time reading, whether I'm soaking up some sun or relaxing in a cozy corner, reading for healing is a woman's best friend. Who else can we rely on for healing other than our own knowledge gained, implemented and experienced. Find my favourite reads here.
Emotional Well-being During Perimenopause
Hormones going wild can turn you into a mood swing maestro, with anxiety and depression crashing the party uninvited. The key to navigating these challenges is arming yourself with knowledge and tried and tested support that has assisted millions to health and healing.
A prescription from a system that has purposefully ill-educated its advisors for profits instead of healing, can only provide temporary relief for something that your body is equipped to handle, if it is given the correct conditions. If I was starting from scratch again tomorrow, I would pick up Thyroid Healing and Liver Rescue and read from cover to cover, providing all I needed to know to tame those symptoms and relieve many a chronic illness I have given up believing were possible to heal.
Preparing for Menopause
When you're lost in the deep dark woods it can be impossible to see the forest for the trees. If you're struggling to get out of bed and suffering perhaps for even longer than the new symptoms you are experiencing, it can feel almost impossible to heal. If you're like me, it's been a lifelong pursuit for long-term solutions to healing. Spending hours in a fruitless search in doctor's offices and natural therapy clinics, was not only monetarily but physically draining, as each either prescribed, gave up or was baffled.
I now see perimenopause and menopause as my greatest gift, the extreme discomfort that forced me to keep searching for solutions, knowledge and true wisdom. To spring out of bed after a full night's sleep of pain-free relaxation, ready to face the day, is a luxury at one point I didn't think I would ever be afforded. Which is why I won't shut up about it, for as long as the tech censorship gods will let me!
Embracing the Transition
Knowing the signs and tackling the changes head-on will make you the boss of this wild stage of life. So, gear up not just to face the hot flashes and mood swings, but to transform your entire body one tea, one juice, one smoothie, and one colourful meal at a time. Finally treating yourself as you would the love of your life, gifting yourself the best fuel to bring optimal health to the most beautifully complex operating system for your soul, for it has so much more to give to this new world being birthed right now 💖
Find everything you'll need on your healing journey to health here.
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