How to Thrive Throughout Menopause

Menopause is a natural part of aging for all women. Signaling the end of menstruation and triggered by a change in hormones, menopause comes with a laundry list of symptoms. That said, it’s also a crucial phase of life to process through. To learn a bit about how to thrive through menopause, read through these tips.

Prioritize Vitamin D

One of the most noteworthy postmenopausal problems is an inability to absorb calcium. This seriously affects bone health and heavily contributes to the development of osteoporosis, a disease in which new bone growth lags behind bone loss. According to a 2010 National Osteoporosis Foundation study, at least 10 million people in the US over 50 suffered from osteoporosis, while millions more had low bone density.

To promote calcium uptake and subsequent new growth, get as much vitamin D as you can. While your diet is one potential source, you can also simply spend more time outside in the sunshine. More time outside also pairs well with bone loss–fighting exercises.

Preserve Your Urinary Health

As your hormonal makeup shifts, so too can your urination patterns. This relationship between menopause and incontinence means as your estrogen plummets, your pelvic muscles, which play a role in bathroom habits, atrophy.

Steering away from caffeine and alcohol, apart from helping you deal with menopausal insomnia, a racing heart, and other symptoms, lessens the severity of any incontinence. Meanwhile, building up your pelvic muscle strength helps you guard against an accident. This way, you have one less anxiety-inducing menopausal distraction on your mind.

Embrace the Transition

Another way to thrive throughout menopause is to make an intentional mental switch about this life change. Rather than dreading menopause and its aftereffects, find ways to look forward to it, if purely to make the process easier. While you may not enjoy trying to distinguish between a hot flash and the Florida heat each day, there is a rich depth to menopause beneath your troubles.

It affords you a chance to step back and reflect on life with gratitude. It helps you press into the wisdom of your years and role as a teacher or guide for others. It helps you retain a connection with your body and to better care for it. And perhaps best of all, it frees you from the annoyance of a monthly period.

Please ‘LIKE’ the Facebook.com/TheFloridaCardinal Page. See all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages at Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …