Hi Nostr community, today is World menopause day, so I'm making a comeback after some months, to leave you some basic definitions to orient you on the journey.

Unfortunately, most women in their late 30’s & 40’s have no idea what menopause is. And, if they have it, it’s based on what the media feeds us: a devastating disease, where your ovaries stop functioning, and after it its THE END. Nothing farther from the truth 🔥!

Many feel confused and disoriented because they don’t know what’s going on. Others feel they aren’t getting the support they need, or are spending years trying to figure it out on their own.

So here are some basic definitions to get you oriented on this journey which lasts about a decade,and what you can expect.

Symptoms of perimenopause include: 🔥 Irregular periods 🔥 Memory issues, brain fog 🔥 Anxiety 🔥 Less stress resiliency 🔥 Mood swings, Depression 🔥 Migraines 🔥 breast pain 🔥 heavy periods Joint pain

But the truth is that the temporary perimenopausal symptoms are our bodies and brains re-patterning to new hormonal and brain pathways, away from reproduction into sustaining the second part of our lives.

And these are symptoms that take a toll in our quality of life, and are not to take lightly or just endure.

🐳 Perimenopause 🐳 Perimenopause begins 2-8 years before we cease to menstruate, our periods start to fluctuate. They become farther apart or closer, scantier or heavier.

Here you have early perimenopause and late perimenopause (see my next post)

First you have a stage of early perimenopause that is characterized by low progesterone and high relative estrogen.

Then, late perimenopause follows with high and fluctuating estrogen. And these can come with distinct symptoms, related to estrogen leaving the house, followed by its partner progesterone.

🐳 Menopause 🐳 Refers to the permanent cessation of menses after a year of complete absence of menstruation.

🐳 Postmenopause 🐳 The period after menopause and when bleeding has stopped for over 12 months.

What has been your experience with Perimenopause so far?

#perimenopause #menopause #womeninnostr #womenhealth #hormonehealth

Paradise!

GM 🌿 Morning harvest: Lemon balm, apple and chocolate mint, artemisa, mullein leaves, and cucumbers and tomatoes from the green house #homestead #herbs #herbalist

Can't believe is end of July already! Here is a podcast episode, where I share about how we can understand the #menstrualcycle through a different lens, not as a burden but as a superpower!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/60BQlISXZpadjphpM03mqH?si=gkpxn1C4SFyiedebqw9dJg

Great idea! #nostrdevs where are you??

What do you think? I had to turn around, park and take this picture.

Hey there nostr! it's been a while since my last post. I'm now in Puerto Rico, visiting family, but here comes some inspiration. this time, about how our cycle impacts our brain.

Monthly cyclical changes in our hormones dramatically reshape regions of the brain that mediate emotions, memory, behavior, and how information is transferred.

In the first half of the month high estrogen levels give you an increase in mental sharpness, creativity and communication skills.

Estrogen also enhances the release of serotonin which is our happiness hormone.

In the second half of the month, your cognitive abilities shift and you turn inwards.

What can go wrong? Some of the hormonal changes, especially in the second half can express strongly for some. For example PMS affects the limbic system and prefrontal cortex, where decision making, good judgment and stable emotions occur.

PMS symptoms include moodiness, trouble concentrating, aggressivity, and irritability.

Studies show that the longer you go untreated, the greater the risk of dementia.

Here's a challenge: Start noticing your daily mood and mental patterns. How is your mental clarity today?

Do you feel foggy?

Do you feel more inwards or more outwards, articulated and able to make good judgements?

Noticing these changes will help you be aware of your cyclical strengths and can help you better organize your tasks at home and at work.

I read you in the comments!

#women #hormones #brainhealth #holistichealth #menstrualcycle

To understand hormonal health, its important to understand that physiology doesnt happen in a vacuum. We live in a society that defines what it means to be a woman, who has knowledge about our bodies and how we are to behave from a very young age and in all stages of our lives.

**In menstruation, society dictates how we should bleed (or not blleed). **In motherhood, society determines how we should birth and what does it meant ot be a good mother. **And during menopause, society makes us beleive that we have to endure our old body, as we no longer fit the standard of beauty, productivity and fertility.

We live within structures that dictate that health is a goal to reach, with very little emphasis on how our bodies are a reflection of these same structures that perpetuate inequality, powerty, discrimination, shame and sometimes, liimited access to quality health care.

When we are ashamed of our body or our vital life cycles, whether menstruating, mothering or menopausing, we are giving our power away.

it's time to reclaim our body as our power, from a place of sovereignty, love, connection, pleasure and respect, beyond society' s expectations and definitions.

#womenhealth #holistichealth #womeninnostr #inequality #hormonebalance

Hey Nostr, here comes 4 Tips for PMS management (and other hormone related issues).

Many of the conditions that we think of as hormonal imbalances are much more complex than hormones being too high or too low. In fact, most studies find that hormone levels in women with PMS are usually normal. What we know is that women with PMS seem to have an irregular response to progesterone and serotonin. That’s why treating with progesterone doesn't «fix» PMS.

You hormones can be normal, but if you don't respond to them, it doesn't help.

Stress levels, dietary factors and environmental exposure to chemicals can activate/worsen PMS.

We also know that antidepressants, B6, and exercise improve PMS symptoms. This might be because these increase how we respond to progesterone, rather than increasing our hormone production.

If your mood and physical changes are cyclic in nature it can be you body trying to signal inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, or gut problems and can be a sign of serious hormonal imbalances like PMS, endometriosis, PCOS.

4 Tips for PMS management (and other hormone related issues)

EAT FOR BALANCE try an elimination diet, remove dairy, gluten, sugar, alcohol, and processed foods for 3-4 weeks and keep a journal to note any findings/improvements.

NOURISH YOURSELF Herbs like St. John's Wort and Vitex have been found to reduce depression/anxiety and support the nervous system. Adaptogens like Tulsi, Ashwagandha, Reishi, Schizandra, support mood, energy levels, stress response, and metabolic function.

UNDERSTAND YOUR CYCLES track your cycle so you can carve alone time a week before for rest, being in nature. Track your mood/energy levels to get an understanding if they have a cyclical connection.

CHANGE YOUR BELIEFS Dig into your hidden beliefs/attitudes about your body and your menstrual cycle. Studies show that our beliefs about menstruation, birth and menopause can influence how we experience them.

#pms #homonehealth #womenshealth #holistichealth #womeninnostr

I got asked this super important question: What alternatives to the pill are there for women who feel the stronger negative symptoms of menopause due of the depletion they experienced in their reproductive years?

Western medicine addresses individual symptoms (hot flashes, brain fog, anxiety, depression) with one magic pill, because this is what they are trained to. The holistic approach looks at the person to address the root causes of all the symptoms: inflammation, high levels of stress hormones: cortisol and adrenaline, which also fuel more inflammation, address gut issues, which lead to insulin resistance and taking care to balance your whole body systems (endocrine, brain, nervous and digestive). hope that makes sense. the how is through lifestyle changes!!!!

#womenhealth #menopause #holistic #hormonehealth

I'm more and more interested in Bitcoin as resistance money. looking forward to read resistance money! we need all the tools we can to resist systems of oppression and financial freedom is one important piece. It was really eye opening to listen to

,

last week at the Oslo Freedom forum talking about this and happy that there are more voices taking the lead in this!

Understanding the pillars of hormonal health is how you can have a sense of agency about what’s happening with your health. Join tonight's workshop at 10:30 AM PT /1:30 PM ET

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/176JRig8dm-tk_AcKUqAdBdLQW1bi19l_7b9QQbDLjOs/edit?chromeless=1

"The story of humanity is to engineer a better world"

. So inspiring to meet you in the #oslofreedomforum #OFF

I'm excited to host another online edition of The Five Pillars of Hormonal Health: How to solve your hormonal imbalances holistically on June 11th at 19:30 CET (Oslo time) 10:30 AM PT 1:30 PM ET.

80% of us will get a hormonal related imbalance in our lifetime that will impact our quality of life. This class will be a game changer for you if you are:

🔥You're struggling with fatigue, weight gain, PMS, cramps or mood swings. 🔥You have been diagnosed with PCOS or endometriosis and are feeling lost. 🔥You are experiencing menopausal symptoms, like brain fog, anxiety, burnout, or sleep issues and are confused by all the information out there. These are all symptoms of hormonal imbalances. Your hormones are the base of your whole body - your brain, heart, gut, bone health, your immune system and metabolism. Come to this free class to learn how to solve your hormonal imbalances holistically. This event will provide you with a root cause approach that will help you identify and deal with the root causes.

After this class you will feel inspired to take action to get your hormones and your whole physiology back in balance.

Date: June 11th, 2024 Time: 19:30-21:00 via Zoom

FREE sign up here: https://forms.gle/AyADraiYzpgJFrpV7

✨📸 Veronica van Groningen

#pms #womenhealth #hormonehealth #endometriosis #hormonebalance

Day 1 at the Oslo Freedom Forum!

Did you know that 5 billion ppl live under authoritarian regimes? That's 70 percent of the world's population. Today we heard about from Iraqi, Gazan, Venezuelan, Iranian, Cambodian, Ugandan, Nicaraguan activists and their struggles for freedom of expression under authoritarian regimes. I also learned how Bitcoin is censorship resistance currency that can be used by activists in their human rights work.

To give you some context, I worked as a humanitarian and environmental activist before I moved to Oslo in 2013. I lived in northern Iraq and traveled the middle east, doing advocacy to protect the Tigris river and also on a campaign to expose honor killing a in Iraqi Kurdistan.

This work was the foundation of the work I have been doing for the last 10 years on women health and rights. For me health human and environmental rights are deeply intertwined.

#OFF #humanrights #bitcoin #reclaimdemocracy

I'm reposting this, because I see it in Primal, but not when logging with Amethyst.

This is whats missing from current menopause discussions

There is a lot going on now on the menopause health world, with the reinterpretation of the WHI (Women Health Initiative) study, from 2002 and now in 2024, it's gone from HRT increases risk of breast cancer to the other polarity: all women should have access to menopause therapy, its safe, and all women should be able to have this conversation about risks and benefits with their provider. Having that conversation can be life changing/life saving for many.

But in the name of access to care, come a lot of narratives about women's bodies that are important to deconstruct.

First, the idea that a magic pill can replenish our needs and take care of all our symptoms. The symptoms of menopause are symptoms of a systemic depletion of women's bodies, something that has developed over time and there is no magic pill that can fix that. You can replenish biochemistry, but the toll that it has taken on your body, your emotions and mental health, that is irreplaceable. And yes, many women report feeling better: they are able to sleep, go to work, but still the narrative is that “my body is broken, and I can fix it with this magic pill” and that's where I see the disconnect.

Dr. Lara Briden refers to the work of endocrinologist Jerilynn Prior: Menopause is not a failure of the body or the ovaries, but a neuroendocrine transition that is completely detached from aging. Menopause is a brain overhaul to become more efficient to tend to our physiological needs in the second half of life. So, it's not about the failure of our bodies because we are aging, it is about our body’s ability to transform and to tend to our physiological needs. From now on, the focus is not the energy intensive process of reproduction, instead is brain, bone, cardiovascular health, and metabolism.

Neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Mosconi, who studies women's brain in menopause explains that the menopausal brain is smaller and less energy demanding, because it doesn't need to tend to this energy intensive process of reproduction. Instead, the focus shifts to other body systems: our nervous system, brain, cardio health and that's why menopause is a window of opportunity. That is why many women fall off the cliff in menopause; It's not because of aging, it's because they have been stressed, undernourished and overstretched for the whole reproductive period, and now when they enter menopause, that depletion makes they more vulnerable to symptoms.

Is like when you are rebuilding your house, but you didn't tend to your house for 30 years, and when you start remodeling, you find that the electric cables were damaged, the water piping breaks, it's not because of the remodeling. It's because it wasn’t maintained for 30 years.

Would love to hear your reflections and if this resonates or if I'm completely alone in this train of thought.

#womenhealth #menopause #health #womenrights

What are your favorite podcasts on democracy, environment, resisting and changing mainstream narratives on the current climate, health, and financial crisis?

#podcast #health #climatejustice #reproductivejustice

Interesting that we are starting to understand that our hormonal health (in both female and male) is key to our overall health and wellbeing!

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/sperm-counts-worldwide-plummeting-fast-infertility-lifestyle

“Contrary to common perception, infertility impacts men and women equally, says Amy E.T. Sparks, a reproductive physiologist and director of the IVF and Andrology Laboratories at the University of Iowa Center for Advanced Reproductive Health. “I think the perception that infertility is primarily a woman’s problem may be due to the tendency for women to initially seek medical care for infertility rather than men.”

Some interesting points articulate here are:
🖊️ infertility is as influenced by male as by female physiology

🖊️ We talk a lot about endocrine disruptors and the menstrual cycle, and now we are realizing that they influence both male and female physiology

🖊️ Lower semen quality is associated with risk of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. Very similar in the ways that suppressing sex hormones in women is associated with higher risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia.

#health #womenhealth #holistichealth #grownostr

This podcast episode has a lot of good points when it comes to our hormonal health and wellbeing.

Here is what stood out for me: 🔥 The overmedicalization and gaslighting of women when it comes to hormonal issues, without addressing the real cause of disease 🔥 How we have been taught to get rid of symptoms instead of seeing symptoms as messengers of deeper health issues. 🔥 The discourses out there: overmedicalization, wellness industry, biohacking, vs. the softer, deeper, simpler reconnection starting in our own kitchen. 🔥 Reclaiming and building health from leaning into the nourishing and pleasurable aspects of metabolic function.

I'm curious to hear your experiences, and reflections about what health approach makes sense for you?

https://avivaromm.com/metabolic-health-casey-means/

Really excited to share my interview with Yale MD and hormone health expert, Dr. Aviva Room.

" There was this idea that women and nature were basically resources to be used and all of our inner knowing was considered irrelevant and kind of stupid compared to science, and as women we have deeply internalized that. That value system has really not changed and it shows up today, right when a woman goes to her doctor and says I'm having horrible period pain and I'm not sleeping well before my period and all the things. And your doctor says: oh well it's probably distress. Or when a woman goes to her doctor and says: I've gained 30 pounds, I'm losing my hair, I haven't had my period in four months and the doctor says: well it's probably distress, or worse, your doctor says: well if you just lost weight. So, we're taught to just assume that our body's messages are insignificant and we're taught to respect the external voice which is usually a male authority voice as the authority on our own body."

#nostrwomen #health #grownostr #womenhealth

for every real food there is an ultra processed alternative. I recently came across Chris van Tulle and his book Ultra processed people.

hello, here's my wild garlic harvest 🌿 #herbs #garden #homestead

Do you have any fav. Recipes for wild garlic? I just fried it in butter, and it was amazing 🌿 .

Hey everyone,

Im coming back after a year away and wondering what has changed here.

So, I wanted to reintroduce myself, Im Johanna. I work as a holistic women’s health educator. I focus on all things women health: periods, birth and postpartum and menopause.I think my personal and work life are very intertwined and my personal interests are connected also to my work: herbalism, somatics, movement and sound. I guess they are all rooted in a sense of sovereignty, and agency and that’s why I am here. Looking for other ways to be in the world and also interested in Bitcoin as a tool to break the current monetary system.

#grownostr #introductions #nature #garden #herbalism #womenshealth #bitcoin

On the politics of menstruating bodies: Biology, especially women’s biology cannot be understood in isolation, it happens to be experienced in a specific socio-cultural context. We live in societies where culture defines what it means to be a woman, who has power and knowledge about our bodies, and how we are supposed to behave.

https://wildandthemoon.earth/our-bodies-our-power-on-the-politics-of-the-menstrual-cycle/