ONIKA HENRY

For those of you who read the first part of this article, you may recall that I stated that menopause is not the end of a woman's sexual life and that in fact many women enjoy sex more than ever after this developmental stage. I also shared the way I approach this developmental stage in a woman's life - five pillars of preparation:

• Diet

• Mind

• Exercise

• Hormonal treatments

• My secret ingredient (which isn't really a secret)

I will go into a bit more details about each of these 'pillars.'

Diet: eating right for menopause wellness

Just a few diet and lifestyle changes can have a dramatic effect on how you experience menopause, especially if you start making them at the "peri" stage.

In addition to the basics of a healthy diet, three can't-miss strategies to start eating well for menopause include:

1. Taking phytoestrogens or plant-oestrogen before menopause, which can moderate day-to-day oestrogen levels so that when menopause comes the drop won't be so dramatic. Phytoestrogens are found in liquorice and alfalfa.

2. Taking high quality, animal-based omega-3 fats (such as krill oil). Balance omega-3 and omega-6 by eating foods rich in these oils.

3. Taking polyphenols which are associated with a lowered risk of heart disease. Green tea like Royal Matcha has polyphenols that can be more effective than those in red wine.

Consult with a nutritionist or herbalist to find local foods that are rich in these nutrients. Be deliberate in adding to your diet foods that help with vaginal lubrication and hormonal balance. For vaginal lubrication try avocados, flaxseed, sunflower and sesame seeds, and hydrating fruits. For hormonal balance, moringa, sweet potatoes, maca, turmeric and dark chocolate are helpful. Of course, this is not the end of these lists, there are many more.

Mind: a healthy mindset for menopause wellness

Get educated and change your beliefs and attitudes about this life stage. Hormone driven changes at perimenopause affect the brain. This literal re-wiring of the brain means that a woman may begin to view life differently, and this may put long-established relationships in upheaval. This is a time to commit to setting healthier boundaries, to taking better care of yourself, to speaking the truth and being your authentic self. Menopause can be an exciting developmental stage, which when participated in consciously, can create great positive transformation and healing in many areas of life.

Know that menopause is not a disease or illness to be cured or fixed by doctors and drugs.

Popular images of perimenopausal women portray them as going through physical and mental de-generation and as unstable or irrational. Studies show that this emotional instability is not an unavoidable part this transition. The mood changes that some women experience, do not appear to be caused by the hormonal changes. The mood swings are far more likely to be caused by a life of stress, a history of depression and poor health status at the time of perimenopause.