All across the globe, there are many women who are aging in silence. Meaning, we are dealing with the avalanche of changes to our bodies and emotions as our hormones ‘recalculate.’
As I aged to the point of perimenopause (the period in a woman’s life shortly before menopause occurs), I was ill-prepared for the flurry of symptoms. It’s not that I hadn’t done any homework around the stages of aging and its impact on hormonal balances. Instead, I naively chose to cling to a completely unsubstantiated belief: that because my mother had not experienced any symptoms of perimenopause or menopause, I would somehow escape them as well. Pretty silly, huh?
I not only experienced the joys of hot flashes, but I also wrestled with other symptoms such as bloating, mood swings and probably others which I’ve subconsciously barred from my memory. Each symptom seemed to come at the worst possible time. I remember one day sitting in a meeting with only a handful of people, and suddenly beginning to sweat uncontrollably. One saving grace was that it was summertime. The other was the fact that I had arrived minutes earlier. Both of these factors allowed me to blame my sweating on the weather and poor time management. No one was the wiser.
Aging women have a double-whammy to deal with: their own sense of beauty and what is often a preoccupation with the perceptions of others. Aging is, without a doubt, very difficult for us as women. However, aging coupled with hormonal changes—is a bodily invasion.
Once I finally made the decision to do a bit more research needed to understand my own body, I found some solace in being smarter about what was happening. During my research, I recently found Dr. Anna Cabeca, a triple board-certified OB/GYN, mother and health advocate, particularly for aging women. I can’t speak to all of the programs which she offers, but I was drawn to her wonderful spirit of compassion and compelling personal story.
Doing the research to identify unhealthy ingredients, diligently ridding yourself of bad eating habits, reclaiming sensible sleeping patterns and treating your body as the temple it was created to be—are all antidotes to the ugliest symptoms of getting older, including hormonal imbalances.
Women in the workplace are often battling ageism, in addition to myriad other challenges as I share in Chapter 8 of my new book, Tough As Nails: Finding Your Voice as a Woman in the Workplace. Therefore, it’s vital to be in the best ‘fighting shape’ possible. The last thing we need is to find ourselves going to war against our own bodies. We can change that by making adjustments to our diets and other lifestyle changes.
I’m sure you desire to be the very best mother, daughter, sister, friend and leader that you can be. That starts with being your best self, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Do yourself a favor and take control…starting today.