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For many younger working women, the concept of menopause is something that is furthest from their minds. These women are often so consumed with their jobs, children, and responsibilities to their communities; menopause, in their minds, is something for older women to think about. However, because of the amount of stress women are under these days, younger working women in their 30s should think about menopause, and it should happen sooner. Menopause is a normal part of aging, and it's best to think about it sooner. Understanding and managing menopause is crucial for maintaining professional performance and well-being. The three stages of menopause are perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. The change is marked by decreased estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone hormones. Every woman experiences her own unique set of menopausal symptoms, which can include hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, heart palpitations, vaginal and urinary changes, and decreased memory and concentration. Most experts agree these symptoms are caused by low or fluctuating estrogen levels, which throw everything off-kilter. But that doesn't mean a difficult menopause is unavoidable. The below stages explain the different stages and provide techniques to smooth the transition through this phase of womanhood. PERIMENOPAUSE If you think about the average career woman, she's working hard at her career. Still, it becomes more complex if she decides to get married, have children, lead large projects, command, work nightshifts, return to school, etc. Women fly along in their careers, working long hours in some cases and putting their own health last. The first symptoms are typically mood swings and irregular periods, and they are due to fluctuating hormones. Perimenopause is a natural transition, but the symptoms can mimic thyroid disease. A woman must communicate with her doctor about her symptoms and rule out the possibility of thyroid disease so she can focus on staying healthy through her transition. This includes being mindful of what happens during each menstrual cycle phase. For some perimenopausal women, the last time they concentrated on their menstrual cycle was while trying to conceive. However, period tracking is essential because there are opportunities to maximize health during each cycle phase (follicular, ovulatory, luteal, period). Perimenopause begins in a woman's late 30s to mid-40s. Once she has not had a menstrual cycle for a year, she enters menopause. MENOPAUSE Technically, a woman enters menopause one year after her last cycle. Although this is the formal definition, the truth is that because of the decline in estrogen and progesterone, she may experience one of the 20 major symptoms of menopause during the months and years before the transition. Depending on lifestyle, she may have one or all menopausal symptoms. The big three: brain fog, hot flashes, and sleep problems are of the highest concern to professional women because they come suddenly, without warning, and depending on their stress, can be absolutely debilitating. Menopause is very disruptive for the professional woman. Menopausal brain fog, fatigue, and anxiety are symptoms that affect cognitive performance and how she views herself. Because there is no one-size-fits-all approach to menopause comfort, some women contemplate complete career change to manage symptoms and help them ease into post-menopause. POST-MENOPAUSE After riding through the storm of menopause, it's still gray skies. Still, a woman is in more control because she's worked through the transition from perimenopause to post-menopause over about a decade. During post-menopause, estrogen and progesterone are low and stable. A woman may not even have symptoms. However, she is not without concern as post-menopausal women still contend with a higher risk of disease and joint problems due to declining hormones. At this point, women consider retirement or a second career. However, this demographic is of equal concern because they are almost invisible. So, what should women do in each of these stages? Consider the three strategies for brain health: diet, exercise, and stress management. Strategy 1: Brain health Consider the stress response as it relates to brain health. Cortisol, the fight-or-flight hormone, is incredibly high in women, especially as they wake up. Many thrive after a cup of coffee and skimp on sleep, burning candles at both ends. It's at this time that she should keep two simple things in mind: take time off and practice self-care. Self-care starts with sleep, being mindful of stress levels throughout the day, and creating psychological shortcuts where needed, like reading a book, taking a quick nap during lunch break, and getting lots of sunshine. Take care of your brain! Strategy 2: Diet Eat for hormone and brain health. Women must learn at this stage to transform their thinking. Eating to nourish the body, not just giving it fuel, can be a radical way of considering what to eat. Foods that are higher in good fats are essential; avoiding junk food and high sodium are good choices. Strategy 3: Exercise Believe it or not, walking is the best exercise for peri-, menopausal, and post-menopausal women. Walking outside for 20 minutes without sunglasses and showing as much skin as possible is ideal for hormonal health. Those who maintain high levels of fitness due to jobs must prepare for fitness tests differently, stretch, and focus on joints when exercising. Old-school compound movements are better than some of the newer exercise modalities. Natural supplements for natural aging Menopause can go one of two ways. It can be a miserable experience marked by aggravating menopause symptoms, or it can be a pain-free transition that’s barely noticeable. In fact, choosing the right menopause supplement can make all the difference. Between 75% and 85% of American women going through “the change” report experiencing menopausal hot flashes, yet only about 10% of Japanese women do. Why the discrepancy? It's all in the diet. Japanese women eat several servings of soy daily, naturally containing anti-hot-flash substances called isoflavones. American women don't. Consider a few supplements to make the transition more tolerable. Isoflavones help control hot flashes and provide relief for a whole range of symptoms. These phytonutrients can remarkably imitate the biological activities of female hormones. That means that even if your own natural levels of estrogen are plummeting, isoflavones can trick your body into thinking it has enough. Soy is well-known for its natural content of isoflavones. Still, most research on isoflavones for menopause relief has been performed on red clover. Look for formulations that contain red clover, folic acid, and resveratrol, which support bone integrity due to the synergistic activity of isoflavones and vitamin D, which provides protection to hormone-sensitive tissues. Scientists have conducted numerous studies demonstrating the efficacy of black cohosh for relieving the discomforts of menopause, with minimal or no side effects. In fact, one double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found the herb was 47% more effective than conjugated estrogen at beating menopause hot flashes! Cohosh has also been shown to help alleviate headaches, heart palpitations, nervousness, and irritability associated with menopause. The evidence is so strong that the German Commission E (like our FDA) has approved black cohosh as a menopausal treatment. Studies show older women are more likely to be deficient in critical vitamins like B1, B2, B5, folic acid, and D than younger women. That's why multivitamins are so essential. An iron-free multivitamin delivers all the necessary vitamins and minerals to create a healthy foundation. Make sure to inspect the label closely, as too much iron can be harmful to menopausal women. There you have it: the stages of perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, strategies, and supplements to help you through your transition. Again, it is important to seek the input of a medical doctor to ensure there are no thyroid issues and no underlying conditions that can impede good health. Armed with this information, you will fly through this transition and arrive on the other side healthy and strong. References: https://www.nickaish.com/post/natural-supplements-for-women-s-health-menopause https://hasenchat.club/supplements-for-womens-health/