Discovering YOU Magazine PREMIERE 2016 ISSUE #1 | Page 38

" Many times the hidden fears of getting older become a reality and we have to learn to face it. ”

with our doctors. So they ask the question when was your last menstrual cycle? Suddenly the light comes on – BOOM! Oops! That’s what’s going on. Oh my God! This is menopause. Now let us have some real talk, we are experiencing a shifting in our lives that we must learn to embrace.

What happens to us during menopause? You probably already know that during menopause there is a drop in estrogen. This drop happens because your ovaries produce less estrogen which in turn affects a number of bodily functions that leads to hot flashes, night sweats and many other menopausal symptoms. Why do we have menopausal symptoms? Are you ready for a little science? So I studied just a little bit on it. Imagine there’s a little almond behind your eyes, right at the top of your neck, it’s called the hypothalamus, and it helps regulate your body temperature. Your hypothalamus also talks to your ovaries all the time and has an ongoing conversation about estrogen and overall balancing of your hormones. But as we get older and enter menopause, the hypothalamus and ovaries start going deaf. This is what I found very interesting. As you naturally stop producing estrogen, it is as if someone cut the phone line. These conversations become weaker, and essentially communication halts. Now your ovaries and hypothalamus are shouting at each other. These shouts come out as hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, lowered energy and libido. Playing estrogen phone tag with your ovaries is what turns into menopausal symptoms.

I needed to do a little research so that we could at least have some clue about what’s taking place in our bodies. Now that we understand this, we need to adjust to the truth. We are changing and no matter what we do, we cannot go back to the youth we once had. Many times the hidden fears of

SPIRITUALITY AND FAITH