Perimenopause…. Huh?

In choosing a topic to blog about in the coming months I pretty quickly decided to write about something that I feel is unrepresented in the Life Cycle: Perimenopause.  Although at one point Oprah attempted to create awareness about this transition in women’s hormonal life, it didn’t really stick. 

I am seeing my own friends in their late 30s and early 40s struggle with symptoms that are associated with perimenopause and not necessarily creating the link.  This can be very frustrating for anyone: to just not feel “right” and not know why.  Like many other adjustments our bodies experience I believe that we can make nutritional choices that will lessen or eliminate some of these symptoms

What is perimenopause anyway?  Webster defines it as the period around the onset of menopause that is often marked by various physical signs (as hot flashes and menstrual irregularity).  AKA: pre-menopause.  Interesting is that the first use of this term is listed as 1962, which may explain why the Word document where I am typing this post in is littered with red underlines.  OK Microsoft: get with the program.  While these pre-menopausal physical signs typically begin around age 45 they can also effect those as young as 25 years of age.  Premenopausal women are still fertile but they are experiencing the onset of some of the symptoms of menopause.  There are many young women that would not even consider perimenopause to explain physical changes that they are experiencing (sadly, their doctors might not either).

When I begin searching for information about perimenopause I am often directed to sites that are actually addressing menopause, which is a bit frustrating.  Are women in their 30s and 40s being overlooked by the medical community?

So, in the coming weeks I am going to start digging in the research, looking at the symptoms of perimenopause and see if we can find some ways to feel better by making different nutritional choices and improving our lifestyles.  We should also be using these signs as a reminder to take better care of ourselves as women to promote healthy aging.

The Monday Diet

I was wondering: where did we get the idea of starting a diet on Monday?  Is it because it is the beginning of the traditional workweek?  We want to have one last hoorah of an eating binge over the weekend (like most other addicts we need to have one more last…….)  How were we socialized into believing this is the best day to start eating right?  If we can start on this day, AND we can make it through the week, what happens on Friday night?  Do we reward ourselves for good behavior by binging again over the weekend?  Which essentially only negates any calorie deficit that we may have accumulated.  Worse yet, many people who begin the week with all good intentions only make it until Tuesday Evening, with a voice in the back of their heads “I can start NEXT Monday”: now we have allowed ourselves a 6-day-binge.  I search for “starting a diet on a Monday” I quickly find Good Housekeeping’s helpful article “The Monday Diet”…. now that’s a big help!  In my imagination this habit started in the 50’s,  I can clearly invision a Campbell’s advertisement telling us that we can start eating their healthy soup on Monday night – and our lives will be filled with JOY and we will live FOREVER.... wonderful things will happen!  I guess the bottom line here is that we need to decide that we are going to be healthy . That means we should eat whole foods and add activity into our routines – this can be done any day of the week!  If it happens to be Monday then go for it, but Tuesday or Thursdays are just as good.

disclaimer: "whole foods" does not translate to a whole pint of ice cream, or a whole bag of potato chips.

Busy days....

.... Getting ready for a new Farmers Market season - very excited about our new board of directors, starting new classes, and embarking on this new blog adventure.

So, I am also head first in the Spring 2012 semester.   I am taking HN 510 Life Span Nutrition, along with 3 other classes.  I will be blogging for this class 1x per week through February and March (and maybe a little more) for a portion of my grade.


As of now my specific blog topic will be Premenopause Nutrition, unless I get any specific requests. Let me know if you have any other ideas!

Last night we had a chat for Life Span Nutrition, I have to admit I am a little intimidated by the charting process.  I have to go and find someone to help me with this....