The Wisdom of Menopause

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mackie37: How can teen daughters relate to their menopausal moms better? I know when I was a teen, my mom was menopausal, and with all of the hormones flying around, our house was a war zone!

chris_northrup_md: You must give each other lots of space because you're both individuating from the expectations of others. My next book will tackle this issue in depth because I have two teenage daughters. :-)

schubird123: Sexuality seems to change at menopause. Have you noticed that women want sex less, because it's uncomfortable, or more, because there's no need for birth control?

chris_northrup_md: Both things, depending on the woman. Some women want sex more than ever because of the increased energy flowing through them. But you can't make a blanket statement about sexuality at menopause.

I want to stress that no woman should suffer from painful intercourse, because there are so many safe and effective means to cure that problem.

mr_brown_the_dog: Are there particular foods I should be eating as I go through the change? I'm avoiding the hormone replacement therapy my doctor suggests, and I'd like to tackle this thing holistically. Any ideas about diet?

chris_northrup_md: The diet that will help the most is a diet that contains Omega 3 fats, like those found in salmon and flaxseed. Also, a diet of whole foods is vitally important. It is very important that the diet keep insulin levels low. To give you a rundown of the diets out there that do that: the popular book "Sugar Busters," "Protein Power," and "The Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Program." All contain valuable information.

It's essential that you get enough protein and enough healthy fat but cut way back on all refined carbohydrates, such as alcohol, sugary foods, and starchy foods like French bread.

chiwawa51: What about herbal therapies?

chris_northrup_md: Herbs have been used to help menopausal women for millennia! Though far more research has been done on hormones than on herbs in the United States, herbal remedies such as black cohosh are the most popular menopause treatments in Europe.

For those who would really like to delve into how to take herbs, I recommend Susan Weed's "Wise Woman's Way Through Menopause."

mr_brown_the_dog: Is short-term memory loss associated with menopause? I can't tell if it's my hormones, my age, or my imagination...

chris_northrup_md: There is this phenomenon called fuzzy thinking that is very common at menopause. It is not so much memory loss as it is a change in one's attention. Attention is turned inward, so you may be apt to put the cell phone in the refrigerator. This is not a sign of early Alzheimer's!

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