Amandaparkerwoods

Join Meno101 now! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1207295773513969 and stop struggling on your own through the Perimenopause & Menopause

What is the difference between Perimenopause & Menopause?

Menopause is the end of our menstrual cycle. The point of transition from a woman’s ‘reproductive’ to ‘non-reproductive’ life stage. Many of us go through this change in our 40s or earlier, while others experience it later.

Perimenopause is the period of time leading up to menopause when a woman's body begins to transition into menopause. It typically starts in a woman's 40s and can last anywhere from several months to several years. During perimenopause, the ovaries begin to produce less estrogen, the hormone that regulates the menstrual cycle. As a result, women may experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms such as: -

Brain fog and memory loss
Loss of libido
Weight gain
Hair loss
Irregular or heavy periods
Anxiety & depression
Hot flushes/flashes
Insomnia & night sweats
Severe mood swings
Vaginal dryness and painful s*x
Bladder problems
Increased Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
Feeling isolated
Dry eyes
Itching skin
Joint and muscle pain…and sadly, many more!

The prospect of reaching this stage in life can seem very gloomy and depressing, however, there is GOOD NEWS!.....WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU experience the Happiest & Healthiest menopause possible, by sharing all the latest treatments and life skills you’ll need to manage your Menopause!
The most important reason to join Meno101, is that you will be amongst other women who are experiencing the same issues and guided by an incredible team of experts from both the Medical and Alternative fields in health and wellness. We need each other and we need support during this time.
So don’t put it off! Click and join us now at Meno101 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1207295773513969 and start getting back to YOU again!

Women of Colour and the menopause

No two experiences are the same. This goes pretty much for everything, including menopause. Although all women go through this phase of life, It’s still a personal journey.
It affects every woman differently – women from all walks of life, all around the world. We won’t leave anyone out of this conversation though too much focus has been on white women of late in our opinion. We are all in this together.
Did you know?
- In general, black women’s menstrual cycles become erratic 1.2 years earlier than white women’s.
- Latina and Asian women also get into menopause at 1.7 years and 1.2 years in advance, respectively.
- Symptoms can be more intense and more prolonged in duration.
- For white women, night sweats and hot flashes only last for 6.5 years. Meanwhile, it’s 8.9 years for Latina women and 10.1 years for black women.
We need to do more to shine a light on the menopausal experiences of women of colour. Learn more about the differences and challenges here https://meno101.com/f/symptoms-women-of-colour

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How are you feeling today ladies? 😊
This time of year it is easy to start feeling overwhelmed, or even to be hit with a low mood.
Mental health is so important for women at any time, but especially during peri-menopause or menopause. Join our private members group Meno101 (click on link below) and discover amazing coping strategies that can help you feel better and genuinely supported!
Let's help you feel like YOU again!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1207295773513969

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Naughty Ryan Air 🤭

This is Villaggio shopping mall right now! It’s our local shopping mall and like everywhere in Qatar, it’s putting on its best possible hosting togs, to welcome everyone to the World Cup 2022. Qatar is absolutely buzzing for this FIFA World Cup and the excitement is tangible 🎉🥳❤️ If you’ve been undecided, wondering if you should come over or not, due to all the negative press etc. Don’t be!!! The atmosphere is building, the country is already getting into celebration mode and the 2022 World Cup colours are everywhere! The fan zones have been doing soft openings and everyone who’s been, has had nothing but positive things to say! ⚽️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ⚽️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚽️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚽️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿❤️❤️❤️

🌹 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 💪🏽💪🏽

What a half! And breathe...

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

One of my lovely followers forwarded this to me today and I think it’s an amazing! Well done London Underground for helping raise awareness in the community💪🏽❤️
AND…If you are a male reading this post, please take the time to read through to the end. You will hopefully gain an insight into the multitude of reasons why the women that you care about, may suddenly seem to struggle or become ‘unreasonable’. Why all the daily norms become very challenging, or patience is in short supply.

Have a conversation with your loved ones about this and explore the options available to help manage her physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Let me know what the biggest challenges are for you and what you need help with, by commenting below 👇🏽 or send me a private message.

Amanda
X

Not everyone will like you…and that’s ok 😃

Take time to focus on the people who make you feel good about yourself.
Spend more time with the people who support you…who lift you up and celebrate your wins, and are there to comfort you during the lows. Be there for them too.

Spend more time with these people and make them your tribe. ❤️❤️
Your life will feel so much more fulfilled. ☺️

YOU CAN’T BE EVERYONE’S CUP OF TEA

There will always be someone in this life who just doesn’t like you, no matter how hard you try to please them.
There will always be something that you say, or do, which causes offence or division.
Whether you meant to or not.
There will always be someone who finds fault in you, your life or your words.
You may never find out why, please don’t waste your precious time trying to.

You can’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

Then there will be those who like you on impact.
A little fizz of energy that passes between you.
Silently, unseen, bonding.
Those people will not only like you but they will like you fiercely.
They are your people.
Whatever spare time you have, spend it on them.

You can’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but you can be someone’s first sip of a cold drink on a sunny day…

Or a warming hot chocolate when you come in from the rain
or the pop of a long awaited champagne cork
or a stiff shot of tequila when things go awry

Find your people,
love them hard.

Donna Ashworth
from ‘to the women’: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08LRGWY74/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_QXYBP1XQNKBHB07D6QHC

Art by IRA WHITTAKER (details below)

Supplements & Alternative Medicine for Menopause

Another option to naturally help with symptoms experienced during Peri-menopause and Menopause, would be to use a supplement.
NOTE: There are so many supplements on the market, which can be quite confusing and marketing pros are taking full advantage of the new 'Meno Movement' and adding the word 'Menopause' onto everything they possibly can to boost sales!! On a personal level, I would avoid all products that mention Menopause in the name, and stick with professionally recommended supplements, or try things that have worked for friends/family...providing you check with your primary carer if under their care.
Do your own research into brands and use a recognised supplement that has evidenced-based research, spanning several years. Red Clover products for example carry quite a substantial amount of evidence and provide isoflavones. Prior to going onto HRT myself, I found this hugely beneficial in reducing the frequency and strength of my hot flushes :) Most importantly, it meant that my sleep was improved, because I wasn't woken during the night with infuriating sweats! Improved sleep lead to improved mood :)

Note:

If you are taking a phytoestrogenic supplements then you should not combine this with certain food supplements or HRT as they may interact.
High amounts of phytoestrogens are not recommended for anyone who has had breast cancer.
Remember this market is not regulated as strictly as mainstream medicines.

Have you tried supplements to ease your symptoms? Comment below if you found they worked for you and which were most beneficial.

Amanda
x

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Finishing the group stages with a big win 🌹

Phytoestrogens & Alternative Medicine for Menopause
There is growing interest in Phytoestrogens, plant substances found in the diet. Phytoestrogens have similar effects as oestrogens.
Basically, they have a similar chemical structure to oestrogen which binds to the oestrogen receptors in your body acting like hormone regulators.
There is a lot of research being done with phytoestrogens because in countries where they consume a diet rich in these isoflavones, e.g. Asia, there are lower reported levels of menopausal symptoms, lower rates of cardiovascular issues, osteoporosis, and various cancers.
Find them naturally within our diets through:
• Cereals: oats, barley rye, brown rice, couscous, and bulgur wheat.
• Seeds: sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, poppy, linseeds.
• Pulses: soya beans and all soy-based products.
• Beans: chickpeas, kidney beans, haricot beans, broad beans, green split peas.
• Soya, linseeds, and red clover being the richest sources.

It would be very hard to emulate the Asian diet with their different plant sources but adding some of these foods to your diet can be beneficial. Effects will obviously be variable depending on the type and quality of the source.

Sarah Bowles-Flannery Clinic

Speak to an Expert about Herbs!...Long post alert!
When it comes to dealing with natural remedies, alternative medicines, or supplementation, I will always advise you to speak to an expert in that field, ESPECIALLY when it comes to taking remedies derived from herbs.
Herbs can be potent and can affect other medication that you may be prescribed. So don’t just grab a product that your friend says works for them, speak with a qualified practitioner!
On a personal level, I have always gone to my long-term colleague and friend, Sarah Bowles-Flannery. Sarah is a Naturopath and Medical Herbalist and has been the trusted professional used by myself and my family for 20 years. She has helped me through dark times and created effective herbal mixtures to aid with grief and insomnia, which I struggled with when my sister passed away some years ago. She also helped stop the hot flushes I had in Peri-menopause, before I could access HRT.
Sarah is based in Richmond, Surrey UK, but also does online consultations and is happy to post products internationally, which has been a godsend! I do not get any financial kick back or discounts etc. by promoting Sarah. This FB page is where I my own positive experiences and hopefully you will help others by sharing yours.
You must always make your own choices and decisions when choosing a practitioner. Find out more about Sarah by clicking on this link: -
https://www.sarahbowlesflannery.co.uk/

Some Examples of Herbs that are commonly associated with Menopause and Peri-Menopausal symptoms are:
Black Cohosh
Can help with hot flushes and night sweats, mixed results so not as good as HRT, and can interact with other medicines.
Sage
Another herb that can potentially help hot flushes but again watch out for interactions with other medication
St John’s Wort
Said to help relieve hot flushes/flashes and can help with mood swings. Again watch levels of dosage and interaction. Important message: St John’s Wort cannot be mixed with some antidepressants and can make skin more sensitive in sunlight.
St John’s Wort has been banned in France due to drug interaction concerns. In other countries, St. John's wort is only available with a prescription.
Have you tried any of these herbal remedies? If so, let us know what your experience was…Great? Average? No change? Terrible?

Sarah Bowles-Flannery Clinic Naturopath, medical herbalist, and nutritionist treating a wide variety of health concerns with natural medicines – herbs, diet, vitamins, minerals, homeopathy and flower remedies.

Before you take Herbal remedies….Read this!

Some facts about herbs:
Herbal medicines are made from plant parts such as leaves, roots, or flowers. These are active ingredients. Just because they are natural doesn’t mean they are safe to take and won’t have side effects. Herbal medicines like conventional medicines will have an effect on your body and can be potentially harmful if not used correctly.
• Herbs are treated as food supplements so aren’t subjected to the strict regulations of conventional drugs.
• In comparison to conventional regulated drugs, there is little scientific evidence.
• The choice can be confusing with many different strengths and contents available.
• Some herbs are not recommended for women who have had breast cancer as they have oestrogenic properties.
Seek Advice
Always consult a medical herbalist or a phytotherapist. They have the medical knowledge, skills and scientific understanding of plants plus they know what will interact with other medication you might be taking.
f buying over the counter always check the contents on the back and look out for the THR Traditional Herbal Registration logo (see below): This signifies these products are approved, you can be confident they have the correct dose of herb and that they are of high quality.
Do they work? Due to the lack of scientific research and evidence, you won’t get many Health Care Professionals recommending them. However, they definitely provide an option for women who choose not to go down the hormonal route, whether that be for personal or medical reasons.
But please do be cautious about what you are taking, don’t run into your local supplier grab half a dozen bottles and jars off the shelves in sheer desperation because various friends said they worked for them!
Note: Always remember that symptoms can change as you go through this menopausal transition so, the treatment you choose might need to change and be tweaked along the way.

Next up…….Some examples of Herbs!

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STOP - the misinformation ✋👮‍♀️❌

If you search “HRT” on the NHS website, you still get this: “Find out about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) … and what the main risks and side effects are – including how it can raise your risk of breast cancer.”

It’s true there’s a small increased risk of breast cancer for women who take the old combined HRT, which contained synthetic progestins. But the new HRT extracted from soy has molecules of progesterone and oestrogen that are exact copies of your own hormones.

An observational study of almost half a million women in the UK Clinical Practice Datalink showed that those using body-identical oestrogen and/or progesterone had NO increased risk of breast cancer.

NHS England and Therese Coffey you need to get with the programme 😕😕

Excerpt: 'It’s the menopause, stupid – why Britain can’t afford to ignore women’s health' by Kate Muir in The Guardian publication 17/10/2022

Happy World Menopause Day !
This is a day aimed at raising awareness of Menopause and highlighting the health and wellness challenges that it brings to women in their mid-life and beyond.
All women deserve to have access to tailored healthcare, so they can navigate their way through their own individual Menopause journey. It is different for us all!
We need to understand what is happening to us physically, mentally and emotionally and to feel we have options and choices when it comes to treatment.
I am a huge fan of Dr Louise Newson of Newson Health, who has been a trailblazer in the UK and beyond, making Menopause such a high priority topic in the medical world and in the media.
Dr Louise has recorded a special World Menopause Day episode of the Dr Louise Newson Podcast where she talks about her career and work spreading awareness of the menopause.
Follow her Podcast via your mobile and visit her incredible free resource programme called Balance. Click on her web link here https://www.balance-menopause.com she even has a free award-winning mobile app, also called Balance! 😊
Balance also worked with volunteers to translate some of the most-read resources in the balance Menopause Library into Hindi, French and Spanish. Use the filter to explore the new resources. How amazing is that!!

See you back here later today for some more Alternative Health options to help relieve Peri-Menopause and Menopause symptoms!

Love Amanda
x

Guide To Alternative Medicine

Not every woman can or will want to go down the HRT (Hormone Replacement Treatment) path to treat their symptoms, so this week we will explore alternative medicine for menopause.
Every woman should have the luxury of receiving individualised treatment and care when it comes to menopause. They should be made aware of all the different options available, which could potentially help their symptoms.
So, in the next few posts, I’ll aim to guide you through a comprehensive overview of the different options available, which may help you to manage your symptoms.

We will be discussing relevant lifestyle choices, HRT, and of course, there are a multitude of other options from the world of alternative medicine too.

So let me know which alternative/complimentary treatments you have tried and how successful they were in alleviating your symptoms......or if they simply burned a hole in your bank account and left you more frustrated!
Either drop a comment below, or send us the details via DM

Love
Amanda
x

NB: We always advise you seek the advice of a fully qualified practitioner or medical doctor before trying any of the treatments covered on this FB page. All content is for informational purposes and not to be viewed as a recommended treatment option or prescription.