Ayurveda Article - How To Beat The Menopause Blues

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THE AYURVEDIC VIEW ON MENOPAUSE:

 

Beat the Menopause Blues:

 

an interview with Dr. Nancy Londsdorf

 

Q: Why is menopause such a difficult passage?

A: I would say that even though menopause is often a difficult

passage in America today, there are many other cultures in which

menopause isn't such a problem. In Japan, for instance, there's not

even a term for "hot flash." This absence of hot flashes is commonly

attributed to the fact that the diet of most Japanese women consists

of foods which contain natural phytoestrogens (plant-based

estrogens). Ayurvedic experts who have come to America have expressed

amazement that there are so many more American women with menopausal,

menstrual, and reproductive problems than in India.

 

Q: Is there a reason for this discrepancy?

A: Of course, the diet is probably an important factor. Also,

possibly part of it is genetic. However, if a woman's lifestyle,

diet, and sleep habits are out of balance, it creates imbalances in

the doshas -- which in turn creates problems with menopause. For

example, any change tends to aggravate Vata. So if a woman is already

experiencing a Vata imbalance, the major hormonal and internal

changes of menopause can take Vata further out of balance. And Vata

can lead Pitta out of balance -- and that can cause hot flashes,

emotional ups and downs and other problems.

 

Q: So how can American women avoid those kinds of imbalances?

A: The main thing is to really slow down. Go to bed before 10:00

because after ten, Pitta dosha increases, and that creates more heat

in the body. If you begin your night's sleep in the cooler, Kapha

time, then the body will be more settled. If hot flashes at night are

a problem, it's better not to eat a lot of heavy or spicy food at

night. Before bed, you could drink warm cow's milk or warm soy milk.

Maharishi Ayurveda recommends boiling both types of milk first to

make it more digestible. You can add a little rose water or Rose

Petal Preserve for a cooling, Pitta-pacifying snack. It's also

important not to to work on the computer or watch violent,

frightening, or emotionally intense movies before bed, as these

charge up Vata and Pitta dosha.

 

Q: And for the daytime?

A: Get some exercise. Also, practicing the Transcendental Meditation

technique twice a day helps release stress and balance the mind, body

and emotions. Eat meals on time. Favor zucchini, squashes and watery

vegetables, as they have a natural cooling effect. You can start the

day with stewed apple to balance all three doshas [see recipe]. You

might eat more phytoestrogens, such as tofu. Sauté the tofu with

spices -- such as turmeric, cumin, and coriander -- to make it more

digestible. You can also drink Golden Transition Tea, which provides

nutritional support, balances and supports hormonal flow, and boosts

resistance to stress -- both before and after menopause. Midlife for

Women I helps women who are still menstruating to purify toxins,

which are a complicating factor in menopause. Midlife for Women II is

recommended when menstruation becomes irregular and especially in the

case of hot flashes, because it's more cooling.

 

Q: Is there anything women can do instead of taking HRT (hormone

replacement therapy) with all its risks, if these natural self-

treatments aren't enough?

A: Fortunately there is. A minority of women have very resistant hot

flashes or other menopausal symptoms that don't respond to the

recommended diet, herbal and lifestyle changes. Usually this is due

to "ama," or wastes and impurities blocking the tiny circulatory

channels in their bodies, making it especially difficult to balance

their doshas. These women often find Maharishi Rejuvenation Therapy

(MRT), or "panchakarma," to be very effective in reducing their

symptoms. Just today, a 60-year-old lawyer, back for her second MRT

treatment, raved to me about how symptoms she had suffered from since

menopause 6 years before disappeared within 2 weeks of the treatment

and never returned. She was very grateful.

 

 

 

Note : This ayurvedic information is educational and is not intended

to replace standard medical care or advice.

Copyright MAPI, 2002.

 

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