Aging Gracefully Amid Menopause
- Alanis Morissette, 52, is opening up about menopause as a transformative chapter in her life, calling the experience a “truth serum” that has helped her embrace her most authentic self — while sharing why she has chosen to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to manage the transition.
- Dr. Stephanie McNally, Medical Director for Katz Institute of Health at Northwell Health, tells SurvivorNet that menopause is the point at which a woman has gone 12 months without a period, while perimenopause is the transition leading up to it.
- Healthy aging isn’t just about accomplishing medical check-ups or managing illnesses. It’s also about maintaining a high quality of life as you age, keeping your body and mind as robust as possible, and living life to the fullest. SurvivorNet has put together some tips that can help you age healthily, which include: Physical Activity, Nutrition, Social Engagement, Mental Stimulation, Regular Check-ups, and Sleep.
- Remember, consistency is the key. Building these habits and making them part of your daily routine can potentially slow down the aging process and improve your overall well-being.
- Even small steps can have a significant impact, so it’s never too late to start. After all, aging is just another word for living. And our aim should not be to just live longer, but to live healthier and happier.
“Still alive, everybody! Get a little hot sometimes but here we are!” she recently told The Times, a British daily national newspaper.
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Dr. Stephanie McNally, Medical Director for Katz Institute of Health at Northwell Health, previously clarified to SurvivorNet that menopause is the point at which a woman has gone 12 months without a period, while perimenopause is the transition leading up to it.
“For a woman going through a natural hormonal transition, menopause, and I say natural meaning there’s no chemicals, there’s no surgery, there’s no chemotherapy, which obviously affects your patients differently,” says the leading OB/GYN to SurvivorNet.
“The average age in the United States is about 51 to 52, where your periods will stop,” Dr. McNally explained. “So it’s the full year without a period equals menopause. Menopausal is anything happening after, and perimenopause is the time leading up to that last period.”
As for Morissette’s take on Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT), a common treatment prescribed to alleviate symptoms of menopause, it’s something the “Queen of Alt-Rock Angst” sees herself using for a while.
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HRT is one treatment option used to help manage certain symptoms associated with menopause.
Morissette told The Times, “The other day someone said, ‘Why would you start HRT, because when you go off it in your seventies it’s like you’re experiencing it [menopause] for the first time?’
“‘And my question was, who’s going off it?!”
Menopause affects every women different and Dr. McNally told SurvivorNet, “Hormones are not just from your ovaries, they’re from your brain. They’re circulating through your body.
“So the way that your body changes from perimenopause to menopause, it’s going to be individualized, it’s going to vary, and it’s going to affect every single aspect of your body.”
Aside from combatting menopause, Morissette also manages life as a mom of two sons and one daughter, who she shares with her husband Mario John Treadway, an American hip hop artist known by his stage name, Souleye.
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“After having children, and we’re an attachment family, I’ll fly out to do a show and instead of staying overnight I’ll fly home at 3am just to be with them,” she said.
“I mean, nobody approves until they see. I think people just go, ‘Oh no, are they going to be deprived of socialization or education?'”
Expert Resources On Menopause
- Managing Menopause: Proper Nutrition Is Essential For Easing Symptoms
- Not Just Hot Flashes: Why Menopause Can Bring Changes to Your Skin, Hair and Waistline
- Understanding Hot Flashes: One of the Most Common Symptoms of Menopause
- What’s the Difference Between Menopause and Perimenopause? A Leading OB/GYN Explains
- Male Menopause and Hot Flashes During Prostate Cancer Treatment: What New Research Means for You
Morissette continued, “There’s so much expectation for professional, career-orientated women to be everything: emotional, psychological, logistical, social.
“My personal standard is to want to operate at 110 percent in each area, so there’s this sense of failing, but if I do the math I’m operating at 700 percent every day.”
RELATED: Understanding Hot Flashes: One of the Most Common Symptoms of Menopause
Morissette, who said she has always loved fashion, also opened up about the societal pressure women face to maintain a youthful appearance as they age—a factor that influenced her decision to leave Los Angeles.
“I really had to look at this. There was grief of going from the playful maiden into the mom, it’s an archetypal head spinner. I’m embracing the older woman with some ‘I know too much’ humor,” she said.
When questioned what makes her skin look so “glowy” she told The Times, “And isn’t that the irony? Because we are obsessed with beauty. It’s a glitch in the matrix. It’s not even the truth, yet here I am, getting my violent facials and making sure my hair’s shiny.
“I’m still doing it and I’m also questioning it at the same time. I’m all about women doing what the f*** they need to feel right. I have zero judgment.”
Understanding Aging & Menopause
Although the Canadian-born music artist is only 52, it’s understandable that aging can feel like a mystery at times, and it’s great to see her taking the journey with an open mind and a positive outlook.
From the day we are born, our bodies and minds start to change and grow. This continuous process is, fundamentally, what we call ‘aging.’ Life is a journey filled with countless changes, and aging is an integral part of that journey. Quite often, when we talk about aging, we focus on the physical changes, but it’s also about the evolution of our mental and emotional states.
SurvivorNet has provided an overview of aging to guide you through this universal process.
Some key points to remember about aging:
- Aging is a natural biological process that affects everyone.
- The experience of aging can vary greatly among individuals.
- While aging comes with some inevitable changes, many aspects of aging are influenced by lifestyle choices and attitudes.
- Aging isn’t something to fear or shy away from—it’s a phase of life that we all share.
Menopause is described by the National Institute on Aging, as “a point in time 12 months after a woman’s last period.” Additionally, “The years leading up to that point, when women may have changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes, or other symptoms, are called the menopausal transition or perimenopause.”
The average age women go through the menopausal transition, which usually lasts approximately seven to 14 years, ranges between ages 45 and 55.
“The duration can depend on lifestyle factors such as smoking, age it begins, and race and ethnicity,” the institute explains. “The menopausal transition affects each woman uniquely and in various ways. The body begins to use energy differently, fat cells change, and women may gain weight more easily. You may experience changes in your bone or heart health, your body shape and composition, or your physical function.”
Women dealing with menopause will may notice the following changes in their body:
- Menstruation changes
- Hot Flashes
- Bladder control issues
- Difficulty sleeping
- Vaginal health and sexuality changes
- Mood changes
- Body changes
- Aches and pains
Practicing Body Positivity and Self-Acceptance
If you struggle with self-perception and body image, you should try to look at yourself in a positive light despite how difficult it may be. By practicing body positivity, you can boost your emotional well-being.
Dr. Marianna Strongin, a New York-based licensed clinical psychologist, also has some helpful advice. She encourages people that spending time in front of the mirror can help with body image.
Although “research has found that when looking in the mirror, we are more likely to focus on the parts of our body we are dissatisfied with,” which can cause “a negative self-view and lower self-esteem,” it’s important to look at the parts of your body that you love and the parts of your body that you don’t.
Eventually, Dr. Strongin says, doing so can help you create a more accepting relationship with yourself.
“Body image is both the mental picture that you have of your body and how you feel about your body when you look in a mirror,” she said. “As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body.”
It’s important to remember there is no one definition of beauty, and following a health crisis, patients must learn to be proud of who they are and how far they’ve come inside and out.
Healthy Aging Tips
Healthy aging isn’t just about accomplishing medical check-ups or managing illnesses. It’s also about maintaining a high quality of life as you age, keeping your body and mind as robust as possible, and living life to the fullest. SurvivorNet has put together some tips that can help you age healthily:
Physical Activity: Try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise into your daily routine. This could be walking, cycling, swimming—any physical activity you enjoy!
Nutrition: Eat a balanced diet heavy on fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. Limiting processed foods, sugars and unhealthy fats can make a big difference in your overall health.
Social Engagement: Stay socially active. Whether it’s attending family gatherings, participating in group hobbies, volunteering, or just catching up with friends, maintaining social connections can significantly enhance your emotional health and well-being.
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Mental Stimulation: Engage in activities that stimulate your mind. This could include reading, doing puzzles, learning a new skill or language, or even playing memory-boosting games.
Regular Check-ups: Don’t forget about your regular medical, dental, and eye check-ups. Prevention is always better than cure!
Sleep: Good sleep is vital for your overall health. Practice good sleep hygiene – keep a regular sleep schedule, make your sleeping environment comfortable and quiet, and try to avoid screens before bed.
Remember, consistency is the key. Building these habits and making them part of your daily routine can potentially slow down the aging process and improve your overall well-being.
Even small steps can have a significant impact, so it’s never too late to start. After all, aging is just another word for living. And our aim should not be to just live longer, but to live healthier and happier.
Coping With Body Image Through Health Changes
Appreciating your body and all that it has accomplished is a beautiful thing, but body positivity is easier said than done. And cancer survivors or women dealing with menopause may struggle more than others during or after their cancer journeys or body changes.
Celebrity Stylist Ann Caruso on Beauty and Femininity After Cancer
Take Ann Caruso, for example. She had 12 surgeries to treat her breast cancer and told SurvivorNet about how all of the changes really impacted the way she saw her body.
“You’re not the same carefree person that you once were, and it was very hard for me to look at myself every day,” Caruso said. “It was like I was a totally different person and didn’t fit into any of my clothes for so long.”
But time is a powerful healer. Looking back on her breast cancer experience has helped her redefine femininity and body image.
“Femininity is a state of mind,” Caruso said. “And I think that’s something that we have to remind ourselves.”
Another breast cancer survivor, Jaclyn Kaczynski, had a similar experience after her diagnosis at 37.
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“My confidence was gone,” she told SurvivorNet. “My confidence was destroyed. I was always vain about my appearance and my weight, let alone losing a breast, or both.”
Some people find empowerment in going “flat” after losing their breasts to the disease, but Kaczynski found confidence in reconstruction. There’s no right or wrong answer for breast cancer survivors, but it’s important to consider all your options and go forward with whatever path is best for you.
“I just had my reconstructive surgery,” she said. “My favorite doctor was able to make it happen for me. It’s amazing how much more confidence I have within the past three weeks.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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