I was born in 1970, but on most days, I still feel 18. In fact, I feel better than I did in my 20’s when I suffered from arthritis, cold sores, shingles, and hypoglycemia. Read about my transformation to good health here.

I married my “organic” husband in 2005 — and we hoped to have children together. But God had other plans. Now that I am in my forties, I have given up on the possibility altogether.

But when I stopped menstruating recently, I was a little sad. I feel way too young to be starting menopause. And at first I denied that it was happening. But I have come to embrace it. Having had severe dysmenorrhea (painful periods) since I was very young, the lack of cramps has come as pleasant reward for years of pain. In fact, it was a long-lasting painful period that gave me the insight to embrace my early menopause.

Due to some stressful circumstances a while back, I had not had a cycle for about six months. Then under the increased stress of an unexpected move, I began bleeding profusely. The bleeding lasted for over two weeks. It was not a normal period.  I was weak, tired, and forced to pack my belongings anyway. I was miserable.

It took a few changes in my diet and supplementation to get my hormones in balance and stop the bleeding. I had been accustomed to break through bleeding in the past, and I figured this was a related problem.

I have usually been able to trace my breakthrough bleeding to the following issues:

• Stress (hormone disrupter)
• Poor diet (some missing nutrient)
• Too much caffeine (hormone disrupter)

And this situation was no different. Once I began applying the solutions that have helped in the past, the bleeding finally stopped, and it was life back to normal.

But I never want to go through that kind of breakthrough bleeding again. I’ll take the amenorrhoea (no bleeding) over the dysmenorrhea any day. But I must be vigilant to keep my stress in balance, keep my caffeine intake at a safe level, and make sure I am getting the nutrients I need.

And I needed to embrace the fact that I am going through early menopause.

So here are the practical ways I have been able to embrace early menopause. Please note that number 11 is probably the most important.

1. Accept the truth: Despite my healthy lifestyle now — years of abuse to my body, coupled with hereditary weakness, has contributed to my early menopause. There is no sense in pretending that it is not happening.
2. Be thankful: There is so much to be thankful for in this world. Even though I wanted children with my husband, I still have a beautiful daughter (and some step children, and grandchildren whom I love dearly).
3. Embrace the freedom: While I’d have loved to have more children, children take a lot of work. God knows what’s best. It would be very hard for me to devote time to Reformed Health; I am free to visit family and friends for weeks without difficulties; and as many times as we have moved since being married, it would have been very difficult with children it tow.
4. Don’t stress: I am learning to meditate on God’s word for stress relief. Stress wrecks havoc on the health and it places serious strain on the female hormones. It is also forbidden in Scripture: Be anxious for nothing!
5. Pursue godliness: Knowing that children are not in the future gives me the opportunity to focus upon God and pursue godliness as an empty-nester. There are opportunities to learn, grow, and serve everywhere.
6. Enjoy my husband: Just because I am no longer fertile or menstruating doesn’t mean that I can not enjoy my husband with all the benefits of marriage. I still feel young and attractive.
7. Take care of myself: Just because I have lost my ability to procreate does not mean that I should abandon my health and appearance. I need to be just as vigilant as ever, taking special care to eat healthy and in moderation.
8. Limit my caffeine: I usually have one strong cup of coffee a day. That is enough caffeine for me. Sometimes even that is too much. Caffeine can have negative affects on the hormones, causing moodiness and for me breakthrough bleeding.
9. Know my body: I carefully listen to everything my body tells me. It usually lets me know if something I am doing or eating is not agreeing with me. It also tells me which foods it needs. I used to ignore those food desires — but I think they are a gift from God, part of women’s intuition. But only give into those desires which are healthy. A little dark chocolate. Raw salads. Blueberries. Black beans. Yogurt. Fermented veggies. Spicy foods. These are some of the healthy foods that my body craves.
10. Eat avocados daily: Avocados are great for helping balance the female hormone system. And they are one of my absolute favorite foods. I didn’t mention them above because they are worthy of their own mention. I try to eat some every day.
11. Take my Female Hormone Blend: I have been taking an herb based product built around black cohosh. It also contains: dong quai, passion flower, red raspberry, fenugreek, licorice, cramp bark, chamomile, saw palmetto, wild yam, butternut, kelp, and some homeopathic nutrients. [Disclaimer: This product is not organic.] These ingredients do indeed help balance hormones. I notice the difference when I skip a day or two. I am no longer embarrassed to buy them.

By applying the above principles (especially number 11), I have no hot flashes, I am not grouchy or bloated, I have no breakthrough bleeding,  and I have no hormonal imbalances that I can perceive. The only symptom I am experiencing from “the change” is amenorrhea — and to tell you the truth — I am glad to be without it.

If you liked this, or think it might help other cope with early menopause — please share on Facebook or your favorite social media.

 

Disclaimer:

Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Copyright:

© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
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