How to handle the "transition"? Read practical tips
In Menopause with Ease, authors Alice Anna Szabó and Petra Kubalová provide a comprehensive look at a topic that is still taboo, yet crucial to every woman's life. In their guide, they offer practical advice on how to handle the physical and psychological changes associated with menopause with ease. At Hemnia, the topic of menopause or transition is close to our hearts, so we decided to interview both Alice and Petra to see if they had any tips for women going through or yet to go through menopause.
What motivated you to write the book Menopause with Ease? What were the main reasons for creating this book?
Alica: The call came directly from the publisher Albatros media in response to the high market demand for popular health titles. The selection of the authors corresponded with years of experience in the field of holistic medicine with a focus on phytotherapy of hormonal disorders, which was represented by me, Alica Anna Szabó, and experience in the psychosocial field, which was covered by Petra Kubalová with her experience in psychology, life coaching and journalistic experience.
Petra: In the writing process, we were very motivated by the fact that we could open up the topic of menopause, which is so little talked about and so important. A lot has already been written about childbirth and child rearing, now it's the next stage of a woman's life that needs to be covered from all sides. We have created a holistic view of the menopause in this book and every woman can find an area of concern. But also understand how everything is connected.
For whom is the book primarily intended and what specific challenges or problems should it help to solve?
Alica: The main target group is women 40+ and their partners. The book addresses pre-menopause and menopause comprehensively, i.e. it covers all aspects of life in which changes occur during this period, both on the level of the physical body, psyche, sociome, career, sports, wardrobe, grooming, etc.
Peter: It should help to understand what is happening in us during or before menopause and be able to deal with any difficulties, for example, what herbs to choose, what material to wear, how to take care of your body and what areas to have checked by a doctor, how to cope with the children leaving home and how to learn to be yourself, how to communicate with your partner and resolve intimacy and sex problems, how to make your diet, and what exercises to choose, as well as how to work with your psyche.
How does the book support premenopausal and menopausal women? What are the main themes and topics that emerge in the book?
Petra: A holistic view of menopause is important. The titles of the chapters correspond to the areas in which change often takes place, problems arise, and women most often solve them. It is important to know your body, how it functions normally and especially in the pre- and menopause period. So, in addition to understanding how hormones affect me as a woman, we focus on appropriate diet, herbs, appropriate vitamin supplements, the importance of the microbiome, areas related to the thyroid, osteoporosis, not forgetting male menopause and not avoiding the topic of incontinence.
Other important areas include women's psyche, influencing moods, how to work with sadness and positive attitudes, relationships with teenage children and husbands, and a big topic is also appearance and body - how to change, how to choose clothes, how to deal with sweating, how to perceive wrinkles and your hair, which is related to the topic of metabolic anti-aging or how to slow down aging. And last but not least, how to move, what sport to choose, but also why to learn to meditate. There's a lot in there.
Hemnia Tip:
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What do you think is the key for women to experience menopause with ease?
Alice: Accepting her existence as a natural part of the life cycle. This applies to both the individual approach and the societal approach.
Petra: Change the way you look at menopause. Not to see it primarily as the end, but as the beginning of a new and very beautiful stage. And also that as a woman, if I adjust the little things in my life, I can experience menopause with ease. Change my diet, start moving differently, sort out what has been bothering me for so long, or finally put myself first.
What practical guidelines and advice would you highlight as key for women going through menopause?
Petra: If your figure has changed, you've probably gotten fatter and you don't feel good in any clothes, take the advice of a stylist and work with her to find clothes that fit you and make you feel good. She can also help with materials. Before you reach for chemical preparations, be interested in herbs and natural substances that can ease the discomfort.
Really take a look at your diet and adjust it, for example, replace red meat with white meat, include intermittent fasting and liver detoxification, if you don't feel mentally fit, feel free to have a few sessions with a coach or psychotherapist, discuss everything, find the problem and work on yourself. Keep moving, you don't have to run marathons, in menopause it's good to include pelvic floor exercises, body weight exercises, yoga, pilates, but also vigorous walking. Go through your cosmetic shelf and tailor your skin care to your mature skin, yes even pigment spots can be addressed - see book. There is lots and lots of advice and guidance in the book on what to do in what area.
In what ways did you want to contribute to a better understanding of women partners during this period? How can men be supportive to their female partners during menopause?
Petra: In the book, we devote an extensive chapter to this topic, Me, My Husband and Our Menopause... we purposely write OURS because it affects both of us and we both need to understand it. Just as we tackle the important topics of raising children together, finances, where to vacation, the area of health and the transformation of the two of us should also be part of the discussion. Your partner is the closest person, even in the area of intimacy, he or she should know you the most. He was with you when your body was changing in pregnancy, he is with you every month when you menstruate, when you are sick and will be with you even in menopause.
The man does not start talking about menopause first, the woman has to, because the symptoms of menopause have a direct impact on a harmonious relationship. If the husband knows what is going on in you, he will understand... for example, he will understand that the fact that you do not want to make love so often is not a loss of your love for him, but it is related to hormones, vaginal dryness, body changes and you can find a solution together... that a woman does not make things up when she has a headache, where the sweating came from, why she is so moody... The biggest wish of a menopausal woman is understanding from her partner.
So the man won't be surprised that she takes twice as many clothes on vacation so she can change, that she really needs a room with air conditioning and a shower, that she doesn't drive the 80 km a day... and that it's important to tell her that he loves her, that he still wants her...
In the book, we also have a nice way for a man to tell what's going on in a woman... in the form of a letter where he expresses himself. There's an example of how to write one in the book. :-)
What are your personal tips for women who are just about to go through menopause?
Alice: Talking about it, communicating your feelings and conditions, starting to deal with the very first symptoms is the best way to go through the change with ease.
Petra: To be interested in her. To find out what is happening and will happen in this period and to prepare for it. For me personally, for example, being interested in my hormonal profile, how I eat, what vitamins I'm missing, how my gut is doing. In relationships, to notice if I'm carrying a burden from the past, if I'm suppressing something in myself... the psyche is very important. When a woman enters menopause mentally well, she can handle it better. But more often than not, during this period, various skeletons appear, fears intensify, self-esteem is suddenly out of whack, things come to the surface in the partnership, what hasn't been talked about for a long time doesn't work anymore... So in summary, before the onset of menopause, sort out your health and psyche.
Author: Hemnia
Photo: Tereza Maršálková
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