Menopause Garden

What you eat and drink and the exercise you take can help you move easily through the change like the natural woman that you are. Women have allies in nature. By developing a close relationship with these friends a woman can feel strong and good through the natural transition of menopause. She can work with natural allies to

• ease hot flashes and night sweats
• strengthen and build sturdy bones
• soothe emotional symptoms
• sleep better
• have more energy
• look vibrant and healthy

What you eat

At midlife it is time to focus on caring for ourselves. If we want to be our healthiest and most attractive selves now and in the future we must invest time and awareness into our self-care. Food is a basic place to start. The quality and kind of foods a woman eats makes a big difference in her quality of life. Here are your steps to maximal health and beauty:

• Eat whole, unprocessed foods
• Emphasize whole plant foods , making sure to include a variety of beans, grains, nuts, and plenty of vegetables (dark leafy greens like kale and collards are very important!)
• De-emphasize most foods of animal origin, except for cold water fish high in omega-3 fatty acids like sardines, kippered or pickled herring, and sustainably harvested Alaskan salmon.
• Use 2-3 T. freshly ground organic flax seed daily on cereal , yogurt, in baked goods, or wherever else you find you enjoy or at least don’t mind it.
• For the oils and fat you add to food as dressings, or that you cook or bake with, use only butter, olive oil, and unrefined coconut oil (for cooking and baking use.) Canola oil can be used occasionally if needed in cooking, but it is less desirable.
• Minimize the use of white flour, other refined carbs, and sweets and of all kinds.
• A daily multivitamin and mineral supplement may be a valuable addition.

What you drink

There are allies whose benefits can be conferred through drink, as well as drinks you should avoid.

• Avoid soft drinks.
• Minimize the use of coffee and other caffeinated drinks (except for moderate use of green tea.)
• Minimize fruit juices but use vegetable juices freely.
• Certain herbal teas and infusions can add important plant estrogens, minerals, and vitamins to your diet. Especially important herbs for menopause issues are nettles and red clover.
• Make sure to drink water frequently. If your water source is chlorinated or contains other hazardous chemicals, filter it first with a quality water filter. (And lets all work and vote for a world where naturally clean water is a right and polluting it is not an option.)

What you do

Adequate exercise is essential at midlife and beyond in order to preserve and build strong bones, muscle tone, a healthy heart and circulatory system, a trim physique, energy, and that happy, life-is-good feeling. Find weight bearing activities which are fun for you and do them regularly.

• Aim for a minimum of three half hour periods of your chosen activity weekly.
• Add a minimum of two to three weight lifting and stretching (such as yoga) per week

Live an active lifestyle as much as possible. Incorporate fun activity into your social and family get-togethers. Don’t take the easy way. Use your body every chance you get. Beat your cake batter with a spoon instead of an electric mixer. Knead your bread with your hands and arms intead of using a bread machine. Walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Walk or bike to work, to the store, or to pick your child up at school. Be creative in building exercise into your everyday life. It may feel hard or tedious at first, but eventually you will prefer activity because it will come to feel good, and you will feel much better.

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