|
A New Look at Menopause
Since the 1960's, pharmaceutical
companies have been selling women the idea that menopause is a disease- an
"estrogen-deficiency" disease- and should be treated by
"Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
They have invested tremendous resources in their marketing efforts
and they have succeeded.
Today we know, without a doubt, that
HRT is dangerous, and yet they are still trying to convince us that the new
HRT is a safe and effective treatment for menopause.
Even though HRT
has harmed the health of countless women over the years, the greatest
damage has been done to the way we view menopause. We've begun to believe that menopause is
a disease, and this has caused us to fear menopause and aging in
general. Many women believe that at
menopause their health, quality of life and even their value as human
beings will begin to disintegrate in a downward spiral towards death.
But there are two irrefutable truths
that they fail to take into consideration:
1. Mother Nature is balanced,
wise and perfect.
2. The human body has a
tremendous ability to adapt.
Doctors once believed that at menopause
the woman's ovaries dry up and shrivel and have no further function once
she could no longer reproduce. But
we now know that
the ovaries do much more than just produce mature eggs. In fact, our ovarian hormones have over
300 other functions in the body and are still produced long after
menopause, although in lower levels.
To say that the sole function of the ovaries is to produce
fertile eggs is like saying that the sole function of women is to give birth !
High hormone levels are needed only
during a woman's fertile years- approximately ages 14-45, and yet men
remain fertile well beyond-to age 70 or more. We may ask why that is, but if you think
about it, it is so very logical and connected to our evolutionary survivial ability.
Becoming
pregnant is one thing but the woman must also carry the pregnancy and
afterwards raise and care for the child-a role not quite fitting to a 50+
year old woman.
So we must realize the wisdom of
Mother Nature here in that she has provided us with a natural means of
birth control in our later years- menopause. Mother Nature has blessed us and has set
us free at this stage in our lives:
- free
from the inherent dangers of high estrogen levels ( a necessary evil of
fertility),
-free from our monthly hormonal
rollercoaster,
- free from the
fear of an unwanted pregnancy and the job of child-rearing.
At this stage in a woman's' life she
is finally free from her obligations to others and can begin to turn
inwards-to return to herself-to all
the dreams she once had and had to put aside during the years of
child-rearing or career building.
Menopause is actually the beginning of the second half of a woman's'
life. That's right- today women live
about the same amount of years after menopause as they did prior to
menopause. Researchers believe that
by the year 2050 there will be over 1 million people over the age of 100, in
The United States alone. Statistically,
a women who reaches age 65 without succumbing to cancer or heart disease
can expect to reach her 92nd birthday !
As a woman approaches menopause she
must concentrate on how she can build and support the healthiest body
possible to last her as many years as possible. This is a good time to focus on
prevention of health problems, both physical and emotional, that have the
potential of reducing the quality of her life as she ages.
To stay strong, women must learn how
to listen to their bodies and their hearts, to understand their own unique
needs-nutritional, mental, emotional and spiritual. At Mercaz
"Maavarim"
we have developed a seminar for women 40 + to do just that
and to help women navigate the sometimes difficult years before menopause
and after.
Positive changes in lifestyle go a
long way in helping us to enjoy good health after menopause. But even more important, we must change
the way we view ourselves at menopause.
If we expect that our energy, health and quality of life will
disintegrate as we age, then that is exactly what will happen
!
At menopause we can raise our hands
to aging and to a society that cherishes youth, or we can take all of our energy,
wisdom and experience and take on the greatest of challenges. The choice is ours.
Mercaz "Maavarim" is a naturopathic health center for
women in Hod HaSharon, Israel,
working actively to educate women on health issues. We provide a series of lectures and
seminars on various subjects:
SEMINARS
The
Wisdom of Menopause- ( 10 meetings) next seminar starts
on October 30-day and evening classes available.
Brain
Health- Early detection and prevention of Alzheimer's Disease- (5 meetings)
The Naturopathic Weight loss Seminar (10 meetings)
Healthy Cooking- ( 4 meetings )
Healthy
Nutrition for Children and Teens Without Going to War-( 2 meetings)
Stress Management for Long-Term Health( 2 meetings)
LECTURES
Andropause: A Neglected Issue in Men's
Health
Why Diets Don't Work
What is Healthy Nutrition Anyway ?
Aging and Cognitive Function
Visit us at our website:
www.maavarim.net
Mercaz
"Maavarim" 4 Afek , Hod HaSharon
072-2127409
Managed By:
Dr. Linda Krief, B.A., N.D.
Dr. Varda Biran,
B.A., N.D.
|
