It’s well known that one of the many symptoms of Menopause (Peri, Menopause or Post Menopause) is having memory issues. In my case it was one of the big side effects of my ordeal with Menopause since Peri Menopause started in my late 30s. Again, not so sure if it was Menopause to blame or my B12 deficiency or the mix of both, in any case my memory was hit badly. I couldn’t access memories from my childhood or teenage years, I couldn’t even remember what I had eaten for dinner… it was this empty void for basically any little thing… Sometimes it was really hard to find the right words to say simple, everyday things in my own language because words would vanish from my vocabulary. Retain information was another major problem for me. And of course, writing was one of my most difficult task. Actually up to this date still is. Getting better, but still not ideal. But comparing myself now from a few years ago I can say that I have a quite normal memory. Not a brilliant one but a normal one. And I am very grateful for it. And I do, because I refused to accept it as something that comes with aging. It is not. In my opinion, it comes from some sort of deficiency in our bodies. And we can turn its table. How? Well, I only can tell you what I did that had some great impact in improving my memory issues. Here I go:
I made sure I had all the nutrients I needed. Especially those to put my Methylation back o track. It is really important that you find a doctor that can evaluate whether or not you need extra nutrients and work with him/her to keep yourself functioning well. In my personal opinion and experience, as we get older we need way more nutrients to keep up and if we don’t get them that is when things get weird, off.
I also believe that Meditation can help to ease our minds and nurture it. Meditation and other Zen practices that work for you to release some stress and improve your quality of life. Even Breathing Exercises can do this trick.
Other thing that I did and recommend is to keep your brain busy and constantly working, being stimulated. And with that in mind I decided to learn languages, play some silly games that exercised my brain like Stop, Color Code and so many others. Everyday I played (and still do) a little bit (or a lot!). I also decided to start this blog, in another language, to do that as well. Everyone of those things have been very helpful. And over the years it has become much easier. At the beginning any of those tasks was extremely hard. But I kept up. And it paid off.
So, if you have memory issues as a Menopause symptom, give those things a try. But don’t expect that it get fixed overnight. It won’t be. It can take a little while till you see some improvement. But until then, don’t give up, just keep up.
Up to a few years ago, I had no idea there was such a thing as PeriMenopause or PostMenopause. For me there was just Menopause. Full stop. And when the Menopause I knew would come, my period would stop so I no longer would be able to conceive, hot flashes/flushes would be an unpleasant side effect as much as some sleeping problems and low estrogen issues like aging and bone loss.
That was pretty much it my knowledge of Menopause.
So, when I started experiencing some Menopause symptoms (my period became irregular and suddenly I started having some sleeping issues) around my mid 30s I went to my gynaecologist and asked him whether or not those symptoms were related to the fact that Menopause was coming. Back then I have read that when Menopause was approaching our period would become “funny”. He assured me that was not the case, that periods were not a perfectly timed thing (except that mine used to be) and Menopause was far far away from my reality. No mentions to PeriMenopause whatsoever.
And that is how I went through my whole PeriMenopause phase (from my mid 30s through my early 40s): totally unaware I was on it. I just heard of it when I was entering Menopause and had almost everything undercontrol (or on my way to it).
Seriously.
Anyways, since PeriMenopause is a reality and can present a lot of symptoms that can make your life a little hell-ish and you were only expecting them when Menopause arrives, I believe every women should know about it even before going through it. Otherwise you get lost and people (aka doctors) who are supposed to put you back on the right track, for some reason just don’t help you at all. So, at least being aware of it can help you to get help from a doctor who actually knows about it and can help you through it. So here it is an introduction of what PeriMenopause, Menopause and PostMenopause are, because all of them matters:
PeriMenopause is the transitional phase through Menopause. It’s when you can present lots of symptoms related to Menopause like hot flashes/flushes, sleeping disorders, mood swings, low energy, brain fog, memory loss and others, even not being at Menopause officially. You still menstruate but your period can get funny, irregular, heavy, moody, insane in many other ways. It can last up to 8 to 10 years, more or less. PeriMenopause can hit you (pretty bad) around your 30s or 40s. Yep, that early. Here your estrogen levels start to fluctuate insanely and begin to drop.
Those are a few symptoms you can experience going through PeriMenopause, Menopause and PostMenopause!
Menopause officially happens when your menstruation stops and that lasts for a year for those who are over 50 and two years for those who are under 50 years old. Your estrogen levels drop significantly.
Having said that: because in PeriMenopause your period gets funny (meaning it can be late or early and you can menstruate for weeks or skip your period for months), you can go without your period for as long as almost a year and then, boom, it could come back. So, although you were a few months menstruation free, if it comes back before a year if you are over 50 and before two years if you are under 50 it means that you were not at Menopause but in PeriMenopause, still.
PostMenopause is the after Menopause phase when you have no more periods for more than one year or two, depending whether or not you are over or under 50. Your estrogen levels are pretty low. And this phase will last till you die.
I am kind of bias to say that cause I looooove dresses. They are like a second skin to me. They are easy to wear, put me at ease wearing them… they are comfy, fun, feminine, stylish, flirty… And sexy. It all depends on the dress mood. They can show my curves, only suggest them or completely hide them without making me look frumpy.
Or dated.
Or bored.
Or boring.
They are no-brainer pieces that can be a whole look just like that. You don’t need to mix and match them with another piece.
Me and my dresses.
Unless you want to add another piece or two to your look, like a cardigan or a coat (and even pants). But other than that, when you pick your dress all you have to do is to figure out which shoes to pair and in which bag to bet. Maybe pick a scarf, jewelry, sunnies or a hat to add some thing extra to your look.
Or not.
The thing is, with this one piece you can go wherever you need to. Ready. Put together. At ease.
Me and my dresses.
Some people might not even consider a dress because it doesn’t give much room to sport a whole different look every time you wear it since it is that one pre-set piece, a one note kind of style.
But if it is a dress that suits you, your body, the occasion you are heading to, makes you feel comfy and your best version, why do you need to vary that?
Me and my dresses.
Seriously, why?
Plus, wearing a dress can be one of the elements of your TradeMark Style, that will keep you very much you for you and everyone else.
Why not?
And yes, you can always pick different accessories, add different pieces or a detail to it, wear a different hairstyle to vary the look. If you want to.
Or not.
In any case, and because all of that, whenever in doubt, wear a dress.
Me and my dresses.
Of course, it is a good idea to have a basic dress wardrobe to suit different occasions. And even have a dress (or two) that can go from day to night and everything in between.
But you don’t have to have way too many. Just a few for day, a few for night and a few for day to night.
And make sure you have the right set of accessories like bags and shoes to take you anywhere you need to go with them.
Having said all that, of course I know there are some ladies who don’t fancy a dress. And that is totally okay. You don’t have to. This is a suggestion for those who, like me, like to wear a dress.
In another words, this post was my little ode to this piece I love and has kept me stylish even when I completely lost my passion for fashion and my mojo to dress up (or down). And yes, that is a true story. Up to this day I rely on them to keep me going. At ease. Feeling good under my two skins. Looking good and put together. Even when I dress up or down in the automatic pilot.
It can be very convenient going through Menopause (Perimenopause, Menopause or even Post-Menopause) single and pretty much alone. It can because one of the side effects of Menopause is an extremely almost non existent low libido, which makes sex and romance rank pretty low in our list of priorities. So, considering it, being alone is actually a blessing, cause you don’t have another thing to spend your already low energy on. And let’s face it, having to deal with a partner, old or new, during Menopause can be a very draining experience to say the least.
So, if you want to stay single during this period, it is perfectly okay. And you shouldn’t feel bad about it. Au contraire. Give yourself this time alone to figure out what you can do to go through this Meno Hell in a smoother way, to fix what is bugging you, to heal yourself. Stay alone. Stay cool. Have your back. You can make through it.
And yes, getting better is something achievable. I know that it might look like otherwise, but it is. That is what I did, by the way. And successfully. And I have no regrets in doing so. The way I did. Prioritizing myself and giving me all the time, self-care, self-love, self-compassion, self-support I could. Because I definitely needed it. So, this time alone was very helpful and a time that I could reconnect all my selves and to myself. I wouldn’t do differently if I could.
And as I just said, eventually I got much better from my Meno Hell. So well that I started to feel myself again after a long time of self-absence. Woo-hoo. And I started to miss having someone in my life as well. It just came naturally to me. At its own time, I guess.
So, I was ready to let my frozen heart melt.
At last.
But things are never that simple, although they should be. It had been such a long time since I went on a date that I had no idea what to do and if I would be able to go through it all once again. You know, all the dating process. Plus I felt like a virgin teenager who had just started dating… with more wrinkles and an injured knee. But still, very much wanting that experience.
Or maybe, what I really wanted was to skip the whole dating thing and go straight to finding someone to be in love with and live happily ever after. Like magic.
Back then I was still a little bit lazy due Menopause and the whole she bangs so all I wanted was an easy time.
And less work.
But that is not how things work, right? So If I want to get me a romance I had to go back to the basics and started to date again.
So I did.
Although naively I thought that the time I spend in New York, a city full of people and good looking dudes, a city that inspire me to go out and be out there and everywhere would be per se a great opportunity to get myself a date organically, that never happened. If you look around the city, there are a lot of possible interesting men to meet in New York crossing your way around town. However 99% of them are hooked in the their cellphone universe. They only have eyes and ears to what is going on there. And because of that, even your Whole Foods trip cannot convert in any dates.
And yes, I don’t know whether or not you have heard of it, but people usually consider Whole Foods or any market an actually good place to meet possible candi-dates. Organically. So, if that is what you are considering first, to see how it goes, include markets on your list.
The 1% who is not dragged into their phones are nut cases or the ones who never cross your way, if you want to know.
So, how on Earth I managed to score a date after all?
Anyways, as I said, organically was not happening for me. So I decided to try the modern date way: the app game. And I did because I kept hearing from people of any age that the only way to get a date these days are through apps. So I gave it a shot. But it took me a while to dive in to that experience. Because at first I was very cautious, not very sure whether or not I really wanted to join this whole app dating thing. Due to a bad rep, at least in my mind. Although I must confess that I do know a lovely couple who met through Tinder… Anyways, regardless, I honestly thought I would only meet douche dudes or something like it so I was not very keen to engage in this whole app dating. Plus, for me, chatting online was a completely turn off. Therefore, a virtual hello would never lead me to a good talk, much less convert in a date. As it never did. Cause I am a woman who likes a good eye on eye chat over a meal or a drink. I need to feel the person’s energy up close and personal. Not virtually. That is me.
Taking things to real life pretty soon. Okay, a good opening to a conversation helped but what really closed the deal was a straightforward invitation for a coffee or a drink from a dude I liked the bio. And the photo helped a little bit too. That simple.
Cause as I found out, there is actually nothing wrong in accepting an invitation to know each other over a drink or a meal and chat in person. Some men are just like me and don’t do that well chatting online. So we proceed as we would if we had crossed each other on any given street. In real life you just meet someone casually and then you set a date to see what happens, if we connect.
And with that in mind, in a row I got myself 4 dates. Not kidding. The dates turned out to be actually pretty good.
To my surprise, the whole experience was not exhausting as I was anticipating. It was actually fun. And I had a great time. And this is coming from a person who truly considered not showing up for my first date as I was walking towards the place we were going to meet because I thought it would be a waste of time, he would be creepy or boring or whatever. It turned out not being the case at all. And it would be a shame cause I really liked this dude. And we are kind of dating.
So that was my story. And there are a few tips I would like to share with you so your app dating experience can be as good as mine when you are ready to date again. Take a note:
First you have to be opened to that experience.
So your heart. Those are the two things that will put you through it. Nothing will happen, at least not nicely, until you are opened to it. Seriously.
Find dating apps that you like. Tinder, Ok Cupid, Match etc. Explore the possibilities. My favorite is Ok Cupid, so you know. And the first time I have heard about this app was from a decor blog post from a couple who got together from Ok Cupid. So I thought this one could be it. And it was, btw.
Take time to answer all the questions if the app has them (and the good ones do have) and be truthful to it. Not only about yourself but about who you want to meet. Be completely honest. Don’t try to impress. Let all be about you. So you can attract and connect to that person who wants to connect with your truly self.
You can ask a good friend who knows you too well to help you to write your bio if you have a hard time to find the words to express who you are.
Put a nice picture of yourself out there. It doesn’t need to be photoshoped (and it shouldn’t). Just pick the best one you can take.
Don’t take too long to answer the chats. And if you are like me and doesn’t like to chat online, you can move things to real life quickly. But if you are not like me and want to get to know someone online first and then decide if you want to meet this person in person, then take your time. But put some effort in engaging in the conversation. Don’t let it die. Keep it alive. And kicking. And when you feel you are ready, you can suggest a meeting.
And you can also hit on them. You don’t have to wait for men to find you. If you like someone, start a conversation. How? How do you usually start to talk to someone you just met? And if you don’t have an answer to it, take this note: good way to start a conversation is to point out something about the person that you read in his bio. Like his job, one of his interests, some thing you have in common, some thing you are curious about… Usually the bio/the profile should be a good source of possible topics to talk. Be interested in knowing about him and his life. Ask questions. I read somewhere I don’t remember where that a way to look like you are an interesting person is being interested. Plus this is going to be a good source of information to keep your conversation going when you meet him for real, in person. Always rely on his bio for keeping the conversation going.
And yes, read the bios. Fully before you start talking to the person. It is a must. I know that most people there just look to the pictures and that is it. If you are there to just have sex with someone, that could be enough. But if you are there to start a relationship with someone then yes, you must read the bio. Fully. Actually, for me, even if it was just for sex, I would read the bio. After all, I am that kind of person who gets turned on by someone’s brain, personality, sense of humor not much by his looks. So, bio is very important for me.
And if there is a guy out there you like you can invite him to have a coffee or a drink or a meal with you. You don’t have to wait for him to make a move on you. Unless waiting resonates more with the person you are. Then, wait. Being yourself is the most important thing here. Don’t ever feel bad about who you are. There are a lot of people who are looking for someone just like you out there. Bare that in mind.
And when things move to real life… pick as your first date location some public place like a coffee shop or a restaurant or a calm bar. It has to be a place you can talk to get to know each other. Not a loud one. It can be for a morning coffee or tea, a lunch, for a happy hour drinks, dinner or even for a brunch. Brunch is my favorite by the way. You can also go for a park or beach walk. Just make sure it is a place with people so you will not be alone with him in your first date. At least not until you make up your mind about him. Inviting him to your place? Or going to his place? Too soon for a first date with a guy you met online. First meet somewhere public and see how it goes.
Regarding the outfit for this first date… Pick an outfit that you love, looks good on you, feels good on you, favors you, it is very much you and above all, it feels comfortable. Unless you are a sexy siren you don’t need to wear something sexy, showing off your curves or a cleavage or your legs. Especially if you don’t feel comfy wearing such clothes. Don’t wear anything to impress. Just be yourself. The best version of yourself but in a low key mode. This is a first date and you want the man to know you. So you don’t need to distract him from that. And yes, dress accordingly to the place you are going to. It can be a no-brainer outfit, a blouse and jeans and boots. Or a dress and a sandal and a cozy shawl. I will make a post with some ideas later on so I can help you on that. Promise. Update: Fulfilled. Here is the post.
If by any chance you have a hot flush during your first date or a second or a third, you don’t need to feel embarrassed about it. It is part of Menopause. You can see that as an opportunity to let him know you are Menopausal or if you think it is too early to bring that up you can wait till it goes away as if nothing is happening while you drink some cold water and remove that extra layer (if you still have that one) to cool down. If you feel too uncomfortable with your hot flushes, just excuse yourself and go to the restroom. No biggie.
You can tell a friend you are going on a date and if it doesn’t go well you can ask her to call for an emergency or something. But honestly, if you are not enjoying the date you can simply be honest and say ok, time to go and I don’t think we connected or we are a match but it was nice meeting you, nevertheless. If you didn’t like the date, let him know there will be no second date. It is better to put an end to some thing you don’t want to start rather than leave it opened to his interpretation.
But if you did like him and the date, so let him know you had a good time. And exchange whatsapp or phone numbers if you haven’t already. And set a next date. Place, time and location. At the end. So you won’t be wondering whether or not he will contact you again to schedule that.
And yes, you can contact him if he doesn’t. To confirm the date or set one if you haven’t already.
Let the pressure go away. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Just have your back. And have fun.
And if things don’t go too well, well, it happens. Just don’t let it curb your reborn enthusiasm. If you do you can prevent yourself to have some fun dates ahead and even find that someone who are looking for.
If you take Maca powder you probably felt its, let’s call it, peculiar taste. It is not something yummy to say the least. Au contraire. I hear you. But worry no more cause I have the perfect trick so you can have your Maca powder without ewing it.
How? Try mixing your Maca powder with cinnamon powder over a mashed banana. Yes, first pealed the banana and with a fork mash it all. Then add plenty of cinnamon powder, enough to cover the whole mashed banana. Then add the Maca powder and mash it all together till Maca and cinnamon blend completely.
This would be enough to enjoy your Maca powder without tasting it. But you can also add some Chia seeds, Flax flour and Oat Bran to it. That is what I do. I like it and I do believe my body needs the nutrients and fibers from them. You can skip the Chia seeds and the Flax flour and just add the Oat Bran though. Or just eat the banana with Maca and cinnamon. It will do the trick.
1. The peeled banana. 2. The already mashed banana. 3. The banana with cinnamon powder over it. 4. The banana with cinnamon and the maca powder. 5. The banana with cinnamon and the maca powder all blended. 6. With oat bran blended over it.
In any case, you will not feel the Maca taste at all.🙏
And yes, if you don’t know yet… Maca is a good option for all of us who are going through peri-menopause, menopause or post-menopause. It can alleviate the symptoms related to it like hot flashes, low libido, vaginal dryness, interrupted sleep, poor memory, anxiety, stress issues and it can help with our bone health as well. It is also a good source of Copper, Vitamin C and Iron.
But when taking Maca be aware of this: If you have a low thyroid condition or it is heading towards it, bare in mind that Maca powder may interfere with the normal function of the thyroid gland because it contains goitrogens. Having said that, there is a gelatinized kind of Maca which is boiled and pressurized in order to remove all the starch from it. Nothing else is added. Because of it, this kind of Maca is much easier to digest and because it is boiled, it can diminish the impact of the goitrogens in your thyroid.
Still, be careful and ask for your doctor’s help on this.
Fab After 47 