Unfortunately, like so much in the women鈥檚 health space, a disproportionate amount of the advice is weight loss-related, involving food restriction, fasting, and exercise. This is especially concerning, since according to experts in the field, women approaching menopause鈥攁 process known as 鈥減erimenopause鈥濃攎ay be at an elevated risk for developing an eating disorder. Deprivation, along with a preoccupation with food, our bodies, and working out, only increases that vulnerability.
Beginning in your 30s, 40s, or 50s, perimenopause can last anywhere from a few months to eight years. Twelve consecutive months without a period means you鈥檝e entered menopause, but until then, there鈥檚 an 鈥渁re we there yet?鈥 quality. There are no concrete tools for diagnosis apart from the symptoms themselves.
I鈥檓 in it now鈥擨 think. I鈥檓 around the 鈥渞ight鈥 age, and after decades of regular periods, sometimes I miss one. I don鈥檛 (yet?) have any of the classic hallmarks like hot flashes, which is sort of the 鈥淏orn to Run鈥 of perimenopause symptoms, and if you get that reference, you鈥檙e probably in perimenopause, too. But I鈥檓 bracing for any others to come鈥攖he list is long and runs the gamut鈥攊nsomnia, anxiety, brain fog, incontinence, high cholesterol, dental problems, and so many more. All the results of declining estrogen, a group of hormones which, in addition to sexual and reproductive health, impact bone density, metabolism, cholesterol, and just about every organ system in the body.