You know how researching on the Internet can lead you down some weird and wonderful rabbit holes—somewhere you never expected yourself to be, and you have no idea how you ended up there?
My recent Google-athon led me to the discovery of my new favourite Goddess, Durga. Durga is a Hindu goddess of power, strength, and protection. The legend of Durga follows a pattern of good versus evil. She combats evil and demonic forces threatening peace, prosperity, and virtue. Her many limbs carry weapons to defeat her opponents. She rides on the back of a lion or a tiger and is one of the many symbols of the Mother Goddess.
The name Durga is derived from the roots dur (difficult) and gam (to pass through). Some consider the meaning of Durga to be “beyond defeat.”
You can imagine my glee when I started learning about Durga and where my mind went.
Durga, the Deity of Perimenopause
Perimenopause can get pretty overwhelming. Especially when you are navigating a seemingly endless collection of symptoms, and the media is bombarding you with more and more information on the negative sensations surrounding perimenopause, not to mention the push for MHT (HRT).
Researching perimenopause symptoms can have you feeling overwhelmed and anxious about the whole process. When you start googling, you’ll find lists with the 32 symptoms of menopause, maybe more. But perimenopause is different for every woman.
When working with women in my clinic, I understand there is no cookie-cutter approach to perimenopause. However, there are eight main areas of influence in the body that be affected as your body adjusts to the changes in hormones.
The Eight Limbs of Perimenopause
The changes that occur with hormone levels during perimenopause can influence so many aspects of our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Often, it creeps into areas where we least expect it. And frequently, it reveals those things that we’ve been so diligently avoiding.
But I like to categorise and simplify things. And, as I learned about the Hindu Goddess Durga, with her many limbs of influence, I now use her power to address these eight limbs of perimenopause.
The following eight limbs are the areas of concern for many women transitioning through menopause. For you, it might be one or two ‘limbs’ that cause you some concern, for others, it may be more. Knowing these eight limbs can help you to understand what areas you need to focus on with your self-care and allows me, as a practitioner, to offer the best possible support for your transition through menopause.
Cardiovascular system
Cardiovascular risk increases as our oestrogen levels decline. And those of us who never thought of ourselves at risk of cardiovascular events can be shocked to learn the real risk post-menopause.
Naturopathic management and future planning for cardiovascular health involve anti-inflammatory herbs and nutrients, antioxidants and remedies to support circulation. On top of this, lifestyle adjustments to improve cardiovascular health, including walking, swimming or dancing are essential to prepare your heart for the future.
While we’re on the subject of cardiovascular health and nutritional changes, even little ones can have a significant effect on cardiovascular risk, especially avoiding trans fats, margarine and processed foods.
Mental Health
One of the main focuses of the Natural Menopause Mastery Program is mental health.
Changes in mood, increased stress susceptibility, low libido and anxiety are just some of the symptoms that can creep in during perimenopause.
Management of these symptoms often involves the use of nervine and adaptogen herbs, nourishing nutritional supplements and flower essences. Lifestyle and mindset strategies form the key foundation for improving mental health and brain plasticity during perimenopause.
Sleep dysfunction
No one knows how important sleep is like a perimenopausal woman (or maybe a new mum). The endless cycle of sleepless nights and daytime fatigue can take its toll on energy and mental health.
A multi-layered approach to improving sleep is the most effective way to enhance sleep quality and maintenance. A perimenopause subject that is close to my heart, managing sleep dysfunction requires both careful attention to hormones and shifts in energy. I’ve found nutritional supplements to rebalance neurotransmitter imbalances in combination with some lesser-known sleep strategies can help to restore a regular restful slumber.
Muscular skeletal system
Oh, my aching joints! Oestrogen is an expert at keeping inflammation and pain at bay. But as our oestrogen levels decline, we can start to feel like Tin Man. Of course, when discussing the muscular-skeletal system, bone health and osteoporosis frequently come to the party.
As with most things, starting early and planning ahead can be the best strategies for supporting the muscular-skeletal system. Naturopathically, herbs to reduce inflammation, nutritional supplements, and foods to support bone mineral density form the foundation of care. But it doesn’t stop there. Physical activity, movement, and weight-bearing exercise form the basis for strong, healthy bones post-menopause.
Skin function
Perhaps one of the most emotionally challenging parts of perimenopause. It’s the visible stuff people see, our skin changes as our oestrogen levels decline. And healthy skin function, repair and hydration often start from the inside.
Beyond topical treatments, skin health repair and support require essential fatty acids, amino acids, and antioxidants. But let’s not overlook some other lifestyle-based therapies for skin health, including sweating (with exercise or in a sauna), dry skin brushing, and massage.
Neurological issues
One of the sneakiest ways that perimenopause can affect you is with your brain health. Poor memory and recall and other cognitive complaints can have a negative impact on quality of life.
While oestrogen influences brain plasticity, perimenopause is an opportunity to restructure the nervous system and promote greater brain health for the future.
Management of brain health is a key component in the Natural Menopause Mastery Program, which provides tools for improving your grey matter. Meanwhile, natural remedies to help adaption to changes in brain health during perimenopause include the use of nervine and anti-inflammatory herbs and nutrients, plus, my ever-favourite modality: flower essences.
Genitourinary system
It’s often not until we realise that we have to go to the bathroom twenty times a day to pee or that sex becomes a turn-off because of vaginal dryness that we ever take much notice of our genitourinary tract.
Beyond the scope of this short article, genitourinary health is of utmost importance during perimenopause. Our hormones influence not only how we feel about our sexual health but can negatively influence or libido and enjoyment of life.
Urinary support using kidney and bladder tonics, herbs and nutrients to support progesterone and oestrogen and introducing some topical therapies (check out our Herbal Foof Oil) can lay a foundation for improved genitourinary health.
Vasomotor symptoms
Last, but not least, vasomotor symptoms, the fancy name for hot flushes, night sweats and the like, is the hallmark of the perimenopausal woman. This recalibration of the inner thermostat and the consequential readjustment that our bodies undergo during this time can affect all of the other limbs of perimenopause – mental health, sleep, moods and emotions.
An all-encompassing approach to managing these symptoms includes supporting hormone metabolism and the nervous system and making sensible dietary changes to allow the body to tone down its reactivity to temperature control.
Durga and the Eight Limbs of Perimenopause
Just like the ancient Hindu Goddess Durga, riding on the back of a lion, wielding her weapons against evil threats to her inner peace, the perimenopausal woman can seek wisdom and power in the knowledge and understanding of these eight limbs of perimenopause.
This information is intended as a guide to help you understand the ‘threats’ of these eight limbs of health in your body. Use this information to finely tune your self-care during your menopausal transition and guide your practitioner to help with those areas where you are struggling the most.
This information is not a replacement for professional health advice; see your practitioner for individualised information specific to your health needs.
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