Things You Wish You Were Taught About the Menopause (and would have been if you went to Acupuncture School...)

How to prepare for menopause
Chinese medicine teaches us that it would be wise and beneficial to begin to prepare for the menopause as early as possible. 

Menopause is a natural decline of the Kidney Jing, or essence, according to Chinese Medicine. From what we know, the decline of the Kidney Jing begins in utero. So preparing as early as childhood would be optimal! But often overlooked.

So, how does one prepare? 

Simply put, we have to be more “Yin” in our approach to life. 

Life in the west by its very nature is predominantly Yang. Yang is active, doing, on the go go go - all the time. Yin is restful and nourishing. So slowing down, taking more time for rest and finding balance is an appropriate approach. 

As we grow up and get older, we tend to consume more “Yin Depleting” substances like caffeine, alcohol, sugar etc, and participate in “Yin Depleting” activities - like partying, too much sex, and too much and burning the candle at both ends! 

Let’s take a candle for instance, to illustrate a point. The body of the candle is the Jing aspect of our bodies, the flame represents Qi (energy), and the glow is Shen (mind) . You can think of Shen as your spirit, and your “day to day” motivation or energies as Qi. Every day, you can top off your “QI” with good sleep, diet and appropriate exercise. 

The jing, however, can not as easily be replaced.

If we burn the candle at both ends we can damage our Jing, paving the way for a more difficult time in menopause. It’s important to conserve and nurture Jing as much as possible. 

Fortunately Chinese Medicine, in all its forms - including meditative practices and tai chi, chi gong along with acupuncture and herbs, can go a long way to undoing some of the depletion that occurs as we simply live our lives. 

Also, if we were to work with you as you progres through menopause, the first thing we need to do is determine which “type” of menopause you are. Through appropriate Chinese Medical diagnosis, we will determine which one of the 6 clinical manifestations you present with. (see chart below)

As with most things, a long-term mindset, when applied to your new way of being, will yield best results.

With that in mind, we want to share some Superfoods to alleviate menopause symptoms.

If your menopause symptoms are predominantly caused by Kidney Yin deficiency, the Kidney Yin nourishing foods to eat are:

• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Asparagus
• Brussel sprouts
• Seaweed
• Black sesame seeds
• Oysters
• Duck, pork, kidney
• Eggs

If menopause symptoms are caused more by Liver Blood and Yin deficiency then the foods to eat are:

• Beetroot
• Button mushrooms
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Dark leafy greens
• Kelp
• Wheatgrass
• Barley
• Corn
• Oats
• Rice
• Apple
• Apricot
• Avocado
• Dates
• Figs
• Grapes
• Black soya beans, kidney beans
• Almonds
• Black sesame seeds
• Mussels
• Tuna
• All red meat
• Bone marrow
• Eggs
• Molasses

Here are a few kitchen remedies that you can use to support during menopause.

If you are already experiencing menopause, and wish you had begun to prepare earlier, take heart, there are some kitchen remedies which may just do the trick for you!

• Sage - tablets or tea for hot flushes
• Vitamin e - in foods and creams for skin issues such as itchy skin caused by excess heat
• Sea buckthorn - remedy for dryness, taken orally as an oil
• Coconut oil - another remedy for dryness - apply to skin, also can be ingested
• Ginkgo biloba - taken as a supplement can relieve psychological symptoms
• Soy - an oestrogenic plant! Consume as a food for help with hot flushes
• Black cohosh - another supplement which can help with hot flushes
• Agnus castus - as an oil can help with pms like symptoms and of course, hot flushes
• Red clover - ingested as an oil can help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications after menopause
• Evening primrose oil - a supplement which has stood the test of time to help with hot flushes
• St john's wort - herbal remedy for anxiety!

Give us a call and together let’s discover which “type” of menopause you may be experiencing. We’ve got healthful options to support you through your healing journey. We can do this! Give us a call today.

As you look at this chart, which “type” of menopause best fits what you are experiencing?

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