Perimenopause Aging Gracefully

Perimenopause is a natural part of aging. For a woman like me, it's an inescapable stage that has a lot of meaning. It signifies the beginning of the end of my reproductive period. When perimenopause ends, I can no longer bear children. No matter how much I wish to hear the pitter-patter of little feet again, it’s not going to happen. My husband and I love kids and would like another child someday. (Although he always grumpily complains that we already have two more than we can handle, my husband probably loves our two kids more than I do).

Even if aging does take away my ability to have more kids, that’s not my greatest fear. I have always been deathly afraid of losing my memories. I can’t imagine waking up to find a stranger in my bed, a stranger that I once knew, who gave me two beautiful kids and whose love cherished me for so long. I don’t want to lose my most precious memories.

You can imagine my fear when, recently, I began to lose my train of thought in mid-sentence. Sometimes, I found myself asking, “What was I talking about?” At other times, I forgot my own phone number. It was really scary and stressful. One day, I finally shared my fears with my husband. Did I have Alzheimer’s? Was my worst fear coming true?

“No, you’re just getting old,” said my husband bluntly, “Like me”. Then he let me read an ebook he downloaded, Perimenopause: Have It, Live It, Love it.

I knew about menopause. I’m in my late thirties and when my period started becoming irregular, I supposed that was menopause starting for me. I’ve heard of hot flashes, but I didn’t know that there were other symptoms linked to it. Reading the book was an eye-opener. It also helped me recognize other symptoms of perimenopause I felt, like my depression. It explained the causes of perimenopause in an easy manner and I felt that I became an expert on the subject.

Learning that I was probably not suffering from Alzheimer’s disease was a big relief for me. Memory lapses are a natural part of aging, especially during perimenopause. It was an even bigger relief to find that there are ways to improve memory and combat memory lapses! Treatments for memory lapses during perimenopause are many and varied

Diet is one way and it’s relatively easy. I cooked more vegetables and served more fruits. I kept away from serving meat and potatoes until my husbands grumbling for a “real man’s food” grew too loud. I always tried to explain that fatty and carb-rich foods are bad for the memory and for the health. “Just let me die happy,” he always responds with a casual shrug. Foods rich with vitamins B, C, D and E are also features of the new diet. They have antioxidant powers which make sure that the brain functions properly. Omega-3 fatty acids that are usually found in fish is also good for the memory.

Memory games also help. Practicing the memory keeps it sharp. Games like Sudoku and Boggle are good choices for practicing the brain against memory lapses.

There are also some medicines that can improve memory. But a person should consult with a doctor before using any medicines.

At this point, I decided to do what the book advised to really test whether I had perimenopause or worse.

“Your husband’s right,” said our doctor “And the book gave sound advice”.

That ended most of my worries, even if perimenopause is still a hard time to be a woman. My worst fears are definitely not coming true.

It was after my worries ended that I realized that, after I shared my fears with my husband, he was incredibly prepared to soothe all my fears. He had already picked up on my worries! He researched everything beforehand and, when the time came, the man, who vowed to cherish me until death do us part, let me read the best book he could find, Perimenopause: Have it, Live It Love It.

“Well, you promised to cherish me, too,” smiled my loving husband, “And as I recall, we vowed that it would last forever. Dying won’t end it.”

Yes, we did vow to cherish each other forever. I better do as the doctor and the book advised, or else my memory lapses might get worse.

Ginseng is very popular in East Asia. The root is the favored part of ginseng, unlike other herbs which mostly use the leaves. However, ginseng leaves can also be used and is less expensive. Traditionally, ginseng has been used as an adaptogen (a medicine that can help the body fight any disease), an aphrodisiac and a stimulant. But this herb has also been known to increase brain activity. When memory lapses occur during perimenopause (which happened to me), it can help a lot. It's especially beneficial for women, like me, who become distracted, lack concentration and suffer from short term memory loss frequently.

It's quite simple to make ginseng tea. All you you have to do is: steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of the ground root or crushed leaves in a cup of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes. Voila! Your ginseng tea is ready