What you need to know about menopause in your 20s and 30s

If you're in your 20s or 30s, menopause may be the last thing on your mind. After all, it seems to take many years for us to transition into this other stage of life, and what we do now surely can't have that much impact on how we feel later in life, right? Well, actually it can.

Menopause is one of the biggest changes a woman goes through in her life, but along with menstruation and what to expect during childbirth, this aspect of women's health is another aspect of being a woman that isn't discussed nearly enough. Even in the medical world, until relatively recently, most drugs did not even include women in the trials because the results were unpredictable due to the different fluctuations in hormones throughout the month. According to Lisa Mosconi – Director of the Women’s Brain Initiative and author ofThe XX brain, women's health has largely been reduced to "bikini medicine," a term that refers to treating women's bodies the same as men's, except for the parts that fit under a bikini. However, as more women speak out and stand up, and more research is done on women's health, we are discovering that there are actually big differences in how men and women age, what happens to our hormones and brain health, how we deal with stress, and what advice we really need to hear.

If you've never thought about menopause before or are wondering how to stay healthy as you age, read on to learn a few things you need to know about menopause in your 20s and 30s.

The importance of brain health

Women are more likely than men to suffer from cognitive decline and problems such as Alzheimer's dementia, stroke, depression and migraines, especially at the beginning of menopause. 2 out of 3 Alzheimer's patients are women, and research from the Women's Brain Initiative shows that women develop brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease earlier than men. When it comes to Alzheimer's and dementia, as well as other brain-related diseases, it's important to remember that this doesn't happen overnight. We don't suddenly wake up with Alzheimer's like we do with a cold or flu - this begins to build up decades before symptoms appear. Therefore, we benefit from prevention when we are younger. To care for brain health, it is important to keep the brain active through regular journaling, studying, reading (books like The Woman's Yoga Book), and socializing. This decline in cognitive function has a lot to do with the changes in hormone levels, and it is the reduction in estrogen in particular that correlates with a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease, so it is important to maintain balanced estrogen levels throughout our lives.

What is estrogen and why is it important?

While we're in our 20s and 30s, most of us have enough estrogen, and too much can cause problems. Therefore, we want to look at how we can maintain a balanced amount without depriving ourselves of this valuable hormone. Estrogen is a category of sex hormones that help women develop a female reproductive system and characteristics, and although excess estrogen is often blamed for acne and digestive problems, it is actually the hormone that keeps us youthful and vital. Estrogen is a nourishing, restorative hormone that helps us maintain healthy bones, a sharp mind, strong muscles, good fertility and a balanced mood. Estrogen is important because when it decreases, we can simultaneously experience a decrease in bone density, cognitive function, strength and overall resilience.

How can I keep estrogen levels balanced?

Even though we don't necessarily want to experience a big increase in estrogen levels in our twenties and thirties, we want to make sure we're not depleting our hormones because they are the chemical messengers that tell the body how to function. Estrogen levels are negatively affected when we suffer from chronic stress, when we overexert ourselves, when we don't eat enough, and when we eat non-nutritious foods. To maintain healthy estrogen levels, focus on the following:

1. Üben Sie regelmäßig Techniken zum Stressabbau: Machen Sie es sich zu einer tiefen Entspannung (Link entfernt). Im Zustand von Yoga Nidra ruht, regeneriert und revitalisiert der physische Körper, während der Geist in einen tief entspannten Zustand geführt wird. Sie können Ihren Tag auch mit einem Baderitual ausklingen lassen, um die Entspannung weiter zu unterstützen – lesen Sie (Link entfernt) Inspiration zu göttlichen Baderezepten.
2. Ruhen Sie sich mehr aus: Machen Sie während der Woche mindestens eine erholsame Übung, um Ihren Körper aus dem „Kampf- oder Flucht“-Stresszustand zu befreien, in dem viele von uns Zeit verbringen, und hin zur „Ruhe- und Verdauungsseite“ des Nervensystems, bekannt wie das parasympathische Nervensystem. Verwenden Sie die Yogamatters Bio-Entspannungsset um dich mit allem zu versorgen, was du brauchst, um mehr restauratives Yoga zu praktizieren.
3. Ernähren Sie sich: Wählen Sie Rezepte aus (Link entfernt), in dem jedes Rezept kreiert wurde, um Ihren Körper und Geist zu nähren, oder entscheiden Sie sich für die Kripalu Küche Rezeptbuch mit 125 Rezepten zur Pflege von Körper und Seele.

Choose the right foods

There is a lot of evidence that women who are fully nourished and not underweight reach menopause much later than women who may be lighter and thinner than their natural body weight. It's important to think about the optimal foods to support the health of women in our 20s and 30s because as we enter menopause we need a good supply of vitamins and minerals to support us. Research has shown that just 3 servings of dark berries like blueberries and black berries can help prevent age-related cognitive decline, and that antioxidants (most of which are found in colorful fruits and vegetables) are key to maintaining vitality.

Other vitamins and minerals that women particularly benefit from include magnesium, adaptogens such asPukkasShatavari,Ashwagandha,and high quality nutritional supplements like (link removed) and their Premenstrual Peace Drops too. While you add these nutritious minerals to your diet, make sure you don't negate the positive effects by consuming sugar and junk food. Ultra-processed foods deprive the body of nutrients, meaning we become deficient in vitamins like B and C, which we really need for energy, mood and immune health. Women with healthier diets also tend to feel more comfortable during menopause. Therefore, whenever possible, choose organic, whole and nutrient-dense foods such as avocado, nuts, seeds, seasonal fruits and vegetables, eggs, organic fish and meat and legumes.

Make friends with your body

The final part of the most important things you need to know about menopause in your 20s and 30s is that our bodies are our friends, not our enemies! Despite PMS symptoms, awkward menstrual times, and the ever-fluctuating hormone levels that sometimes make being a woman an emotional rollercoaster, it's important to honor ourselves and our cycle. Especially if you experience mood swings, anxiety, extreme stress, and excessive pain just before menstruation, much of this can be influenced by the stress we dealt with in the weeks leading up to menstruation. Although changes in hormone levels can leave us feeling low, irritable and needing extra cups (link removed), much of what we feel is actually due to our bodies being in a state of stress and therefore much more sensitive to hormonal changes. It's a bit like the body is on high alert, and when hormones change just before menstruation, alarm bells start ringing, triggering anxiety and stress. To help you navigate the month more smoothly, keep track of how you felt throughout the month and how that might have affected your PMS in your journal. Read books like (link removed), and (link removed) to better understand your body. The key to becoming friends with our bodies and keeping an eye on changing moods is that we can begin to deepen the relationship with ourselves. We can go from fighting our hormones to loving and listening to them. As we begin now, even in our 20s and 30s, we will be able to enter menopause with a stronger sense of self-love, self-compassion, and awareness of the changes taking place.

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