Manage Menopause Naturally

As the summer equinox comes to a close and the summer nights become shorter, we must be aware that our physical and emotional needs will change. Summer represents the Earth movement, which is comprised of the Stomach (Yang) and Spleen (Yin) and is the centre of our digestive system. The Earth movement is also responsible for transforming and transporting body fluids, which can lead to an accumulation of excess moisture within the body.

The emotional energy connected with Earth is sympathy, pensiveness, thoughtfulness and reflection.

I have mentioned before that the strength of your Earth movement is what can make or break your experiences as you go through perimenopause and menopause. As your digestive system begins to work less efficiently, excess damp can invade the other elements and their meridians and slow down the movement of energy, creating imbalances that will affect your health. Excess damp can slow down blood flow, creating clots, or even drying up the blood, leading to early menopause or other menstrual / perimenopausal symptoms and disorders. For the Earth element type of person, it is very important to nourish the mind and body, starting with daily meditations, having a good supportive social network in the form of friends and to limit the amount of dampening foods, including sugar. Dampness can lead to water retention, feeling of heaviness, swelling in the breasts, arms and legs, distended abdomen, phlegm discharge, nodular masses, loose bowels and sluggish energy with weight gain. Women suffering from excess damp also complain of joint ache or pain, dizziness, and heavy sensation in the head and body. Worry and mental overwork only makes it worse.

Summer is a time for stocking up on those sugary fruits and vegetables so that when the harvest is finished and the fasting starts, we have plenty of reserves to live off in the form of fat. But this doesn’t really happen anymore in our world.  In the modern world food is readily available and there is no need to stock up as our ancestors did.

Damp will affect the lungs (phlegm), depress the immune system and give way to those autumnal sniffles. Saying goodbye to summer and hello to autumn is a good time to start reining in those foods that you have been enjoying, and saying goodbye to the summer fruits, summer beers and just as we say, “back to school”, we should start thinking about getting “back on track”.

When one overeats, it causes food stagnation, and affects the digestive system negatively. Too much cold or raw foods, ie summer salads and fruits, affect the Spleen yang creating more damp with cold leading to diarrhoea and abdominal pain, whereas spicy foods and too much alcohol (for you) lead to damp with heat, leading to stagnation of qi and blood.

Foods to avoid this month include: milk products (except live yoghurt), sugar, sweets, white flour, refined starch, excess raw fruit, excess mushrooms and fungi, peppers, cold drinks (including ice), an excess of fermented foods and excessive amounts of vinegar, alcohol, fried and greasy food.

Foods to include in your diet this month are: onion, cinnamon, ginger, scallion, basil, rosemary, dill, oregano, sage, parsley, cardamom, nutmeg, fennel, anise, clove coriander, leek, chives, adzuki beans, rye, celery, green lettuce, alfalfa, turnips, honey and corn.

If this makes sense to you, maybe you would benefit from a helping hand in a natural way. I can offer an individual program, tailored to your needs, your life, your lifestyle.

If you no longer want to suffer menopause by yourself and would like me to help you on your journey to wellness, click here to book a FREE appointment online.

Thank you for reading my thoughts and please share with your friends. You never know how far-reaching your thoughts, words and shares can affect the lives of others.  Have a great rest of your day.