My Brain is full of Clouds

I was thinking about out the reasons that we give for not being creative. One of mine especially during the menopause was that I just could not think straight and I was struggling with the day to day requirements of doing my job, I did not understand that creativity would help my perceptions, I also needed to consider what might be out of balance, there were some symptoms that made me so frustrated that I could not believe that women were not talking about it. The symptoms that flourish through menopausal years are like a technicolour scarf weaving about us constantly, vibrant and ever moving, creating havoc with our lives. I decided to take control of how I felt and sought help from a medical herbalist. A note to self here not everyone is able to access a medical herbalist, but there are community projects that support people looking for complimentary therapies. https://seedsistas.co.uk/2020/05/24/community-herbalism/

I attended a workshop yesterday which explored the menopause and what we could do to improve things. https://edwinahodkinsonherbalist.co.uk/ As a medical herbalist Edwina was able to take time to explore alternatives with us, something that our GP is often ill equipped to do. Edwina's website 'Earth Medicine' is informative and provides a list of workshops that you can attend to develop your knowledge and help you take control of your health.

Our ears hear the same words but we often take home different messages, I made notes and decided to follow up on the following points of interest from the workshop.

My Personal Take Homes to Look Up.....

The Killer Whale Menopause - Only female humans, pilot whales, and killer whales are known to go through menopause: At a certain age, they stop reproducing, but continue to lead long, productive lives. Like humans, female killer whales stop giving birth by about 40, but can live into their 90s. Transferable skills to becoming a leader using the change of menopause to accept your personal power https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/01/why-do-killer-whales-go-through-menopause/512783/

Five Points - to consider when balancing health - consider the nervous system, liver, adrenal glands (what is your stress level), getting phytoestrogens, Diet - yes there are things that you can eat to make yourself feel better such as dark chocolate and foods with Tryptophan's in. These are points with arrows attached suggesting that you can read further about these factors. I have picked out a paper related to phytoestrogens - I take regular omega 3 linseed or flaxseed oil capsules. One of the four phenolic compounds discussed in the paper below are lignans - The main sources of lignans are flaxseed.

What are Phytoestrogens?

Phytoestrogens are oestrogen-like compounds derived from plants.

To understand what phytoestrogens are follow the link to this study about their health benefits. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6390141/

Do you know enough about your menopause?

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• Yes
• No

Contact us if you are interested in creating a resource point for women living with the menopause. www.thedandelionmoon.co.uk