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Nancy Lonsdorf received her M.D. from Johns Hopkins. A psychiatry postgraduate from Stanford, Nancy combines the highest knowledge of modern medicine with the deepest understanding of alternative healing. Currently, Nancy Lonsdorf heads the Raj resort at Fairfield Iowa. I talked to her about the Ayurvedic perspective on that crucial phase in every woman’s life: Menopause.
Here in the West, menopause is treated as something of a medical crisis. Whereas in the non-Western world, it is quite a non-event. Why?
Did you know that in Japan, they don’t even have a word for “hot flashes”! China and India also don’t report major menopause problems. In these coutries, menopause is looked upon as a time of greater freedom—a liberation from the restrictions of youth.The essential difference appears to be in the way these cultures perceive menopause.
Here in the West, we tend to stress over menopause because of complex social and psychological factors. The thing to remember, regardless of culture, is that menopause is a unique experience for every woman. It is a pivotal event of your life, and it can be totally smooth if you step forward with grace and embrace it!
Of course it is a time of big change: your hormones are in upheaval and your whole system is volatile. You are moody and often depressed. But again, it helps to prepare for menopause as you did for your transition from school to college. In my experience, women who make an effort to regulate their lifestyle before they step into menopause have a much easier time of it.
My advice to every woman is: don’t burn yourself out. If you can start working towards a healthy routine five years before menopause, great. But if you start five months before, even that will help. So the bottomline is: start now.
How does Ayurveda look at menopause?
Ayurveda believes that throughout your life, one of your doshas (see box) dominates your physiology. In the first trimester, it is Pitta, in the second it is Vata and in the last trimester, Kapha takes over. Menopause is the period of transition from Pitta to Vata. That is why, the symptoms of menopause—dryness of skin and mucous membranes, some thinning of hair and bones, an increased tendency to worry—are the classic signs of increased Vata. Ayurveda does not say these conditions are inevitable. It believes they can be largely avoided if you take steps to keep your Vata calm and
abalanced.
What can a woman do to maintain this balance?
Ideally, about five years before menopause, a woman should review her diet and lifestyle, and make necessary changes. Menopause does not happen one fine day. It’s a very gradual process, as part of which the ovaries stop producting estrogen. It helps to realise that your estrogen and progesterone production starts decreasing as early as in your thirties. If you take a diet rich in natural estrogen, you will compensate for that loss. Diet, I would say, is a key factor.
What kind of diet is rich in natural estrogen?
Soya is an ace. Japanese women breeze through their menopause because they eat soya-rich foods. Soya is an established plant-based source of estrogen.
This is not to say that soya is the only solution. All foods rich in natural estrogen will ease you through your menopause years. For instance, vaidya Ramakant Mishra tells me that village women in India eat a lot of whole grains and lignin-rich foods like flaxseeds, amaranth, millets and barley. Their food is generously spiked with turmeric, fennel and licorice. For these women, menopause is not even an issue.
So basically, I would advise you to include more whole grains and legumes in your diet. Use beneficial spices like cumin and turmeric in your cooking. You get a double bonus: great taste and great health. Avoid hot and too-spicy foods, though. Ayurveda cautions you not to consume alcohol and sour foods like ketchup at this time. And of course, at all times in your life, stay away from milled, refined foods and heavy meat.
What other steps can you take to manage menopause?
Ayurveda insists on the value of good sleep for general health. Especially women at the threshold of menopause must be able to sleep well. Popping isoflavin pills is certainly not the answer. A good sleep-wake routine and a balanced diet are what you want to establish.
You will be surprised to know just how big a difference little lifestyle changes can make. Let me give you an example. I recently treated a 48-year old woman from Chicago. She was experiencing the typical symptoms of menopause: irregular periods, hot flashes, disturbed sleep, constipation, anxiety. All these are signs of an aggravated Vata.
She said she was quite health-conscious; eating mostly cold salads, not eating much during the day and sleeping at 11.30. I made some simple changes in her diet: asking her to eat lightly cooked vegetables and whole grains. I advised her to have a good lunch and a light dinner. I also found she was exercising way more than she should have been doing, so I reduced that. I asked her to start going to bed a little earlier than usual, so that her bedtime would be 10 p.m. This combination of better routine and improved diet obviously made a huge difference to her health. Her Vata was calmed within a month. Meanwhile, I also put her on Triphala and Midlife, both herbal formulations that help digestion and nourish the micro-channels.
BOX:
The Three Doshas
Ayurveda believes that all mental and physical functions of the body are governed by three humors or doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The doshas are biological applications of the five elements that constitute the universe:
Vata is derived from ether and air
Pitta comes from fire
Kapha is from earth and water.
Each dosha has the subtle qualities of the elemnt to which it relates. For instance, Vata is like ether and air—rough, dry, light, swift and cold. The fiery Pitta is responsible for digestion, vision, hunger and thirst, cheer and intellect. Kapha combines the properties of both earth and water—it is heavy, cold, soft, sweet and firm.
As long as these doshas are in harmony, you are in good health. That is why, when you go to a vaidya for diagnosis and treatment of a disease, he will try to establish which of your doshas is imbalanced and recommend a cure accordingly.
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