5 Mistakes You May Be Making During Perimenopause/Menopause
Are you or a loved one feeling especially tired, moody, and hot? Or perhaps struggling with weight gain and insomnia? Especially for women in your forties or fifties, you may be experiencing perimenopause/menopause, a natural transition that marks the end of your reproductive years.
While menopause is a natural part of aging, it can also be a challenging time for many women. To help navigate this transition, below are five mistakes that are all too easy to make during perimenopause/menopause and how to avoid them.
Ignoring Your Symptoms
For many women, a common first mistake is simply ignoring their new symptoms or dismissing them as part of aging. While it is true that menopause is a natural process, it doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence. Symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and insomnia can have a significant impact on your quality of life. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about your options. There are also many safe and effective treatments available, including our own hormone replacement therapy (HRT) options, at-home lifestyle changes, and more.
Not Getting Enough Exercise
It’s so easy to ignore exercise, but it’s essential to maintaining a healthy body and a high quality of life. Regular exercise helps maintain good health at any age, but it is especially important during perimenopause/menopause. Exercise can help you manage your weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases, and boost your mood. It can also help you sleep better, which is crucial during this time when insomnia is a common complaint. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming.
Eating a Poor Diet
It’s easy to forget that what you eat can have a significant impact on your health and well-being, even affecting your symptoms during perimenopause/menopause. A diet high in processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats can contribute to weight gain, inflammation, and other health problems. On the other hand, a diet rich in whole foods, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats can help you manage your symptoms, reduce your risk of chronic diseases, and feel your best.
Abandoning Sexual Activity
Perimenopause and Menopause symptoms can make previously enjoyable things very challenging for women, particularly when it comes to sexual desire and enjoyment. Hormonal changes during the early stages of perimenopause can have a significant impact on how comfortable and enthusiastic you feel about sex. With so many physical and emotional changes to navigate, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and start to withdraw from your partner as a way of coping with the transition. However, your partner may misinterpret your lack of sexual initiation or enjoyment as a lack of attraction or interest in them, which can create distance and impact their sexual confidence.
To overcome this, the first step is to have an honest conversation about the emotional and physical changes you are experiencing. Explain that it may take longer to become aroused, that dryness can cause pain and discomfort, and that you may not understand your body as well as you used to. Most partners will be sympathetic and understanding, and working together, you can start to rekindle your desire and experiment with different types of natural lubrication to make sex enjoyable, comfortable, and intimate once again.
Neglecting Your Mental Health
Perimenopause/menopause can be a stressful time for many women. You may be dealing with changes in your body, your relationships, and your sense of identity. It is essential to take care of your mental health during this time. Talk to a trusted and licensed mental health professional if you are struggling with anxiety, depression, or other emotional issues. Practice stress-reducing techniques like mindfulness meditation, yoga, or deep breathing. Connect with supportive friends and family members and join a menopause support group if you need additional support.
Perimenopause/menopause is a natural transition that marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. While it can be a challenging time for many, it is also an opportunity to focus on your health and well-being. By avoiding these five common mistakes, you can manage your symptoms, reduce your risk of chronic diseases, and feel your best.
Contact Renewed Vitality to learn more about how our hormone therapy treatment options can alleviate perimenopause/menopause symptoms. Our expert team is dedicated to helping you feel like yourself again!
If you’re a man over the age of 40, you may have started to notice some changes in your body and mood that you can’t quite explain. Perhaps you’re feeling more fatigued than usual, or you’re having difficulty sleeping. Maybe your libido has decreased, or you’ve noticed a decline in your muscle mass. These symptoms, among others, can be indicative of a hormonal imbalance, which can be corrected through hormone replacement therapy (HRT). But if you’re new to HRT, you may have some questions. That’s where Renewed Vitality, Berks County’s premier HRT facility, comes in. We’ve compiled a list of FAQs to help you better understand how this life-changing treatment option can make you feel healthy and like yourself again.
What is HRT & How Does it Work?
At Renewed Vitality, HRT is a medical treatment that involves supplementing your body’s natural hormones with our bioidentical hormones. These hormones are engineered to be biologically identical to those your body produces. For men, the primary hormones that are targeted in HRT are testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH). You can also supplement your body’s natural hormones with synthetic hormones to restore hormonal balance and alleviate any symptoms of a hormonal imbalance.
Who is a Good Candidate for HRT?
Men who are experiencing symptoms of a hormonal imbalance, such as fatigue, decreased libido, difficulty sleeping, and muscle loss, may be good candidates for HRT. Additionally, men who have been diagnosed with low testosterone or growth hormone deficiency may also be good candidates for HRT. However, before undergoing HRT, it’s important to consult with your doctor to ensure that it’s an appropriate treatment option for you.
What are the Benefits of HRT?
HRT can provide quite a few benefits, including increased energy and stamina, improved sleep quality, increased libido and sexual function, increased muscle mass and strength, and decreased body fat. Additionally, HRT has been shown to have cognitive benefits, such as improved memory and concentration. HRT can also help to prevent age-related diseases, such as osteoporosis and heart disease.
What are the Risks Associated With HRT for Men?
Like any medical treatment, there are risks associated with HRT. However, when administered by a qualified medical professional at Renewed Vitality, the risks of HRT are minimal. The most common risks associated with HRT include acne and breast enlargement. However, these risks can be mitigated by monitoring hormone levels and adjusting dosages as needed.
How Long Does it Take to See the Effects of HRT?
The length of time it takes to see the effects of HRT will vary depending on the individual and the type of HRT being administered. Research shows that some men may start to feel the effects of HRT within a few weeks, while others may not notice any changes for several months. It’s important to be patient and to work closely with your medical provider to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your HRT treatment.
Hormone replacement therapy can be a restorative and healthy treatment option for men experiencing symptoms of a hormonal imbalance. With treatment at Renewed Vitality, men can restore hormonal balance in their lives and enjoy increased energy, improved sleep quality, increased libido, and more. If you’re interested in learning more about HRT or exploring whether it’s the right treatment option for you, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team is committed to helping everyone improve their quality of life through personalized, effective, and safe HRT treatments.
As January of 2023 comes to a close, it’s a great time to prioritize your mental health by celebrating the end of World Health Esteem Month. Around the globe, this month was dedicated to emphasizing the importance of having high self esteem in your everyday life. Which is not to say that self esteem is always easy to maintain or improve – quite the opposite is true for millions of people.
The great news is that everyone can boost their self esteem and mental wellbeing by practicing a few techniques that can help boost one’s sense of self respect and positivity about who you are. To honor the end of World Health Esteem month, let’s take a closer look at a few reliable ways to bolster your self esteem that you can use throughout the year.
Commit to Physical Activity
According to board-certified neurologist and psychiatrist Julia Samton, exercise has been shown to have a positive impact on self-esteem and life satisfaction. More specifically, NIH research strongly suggests that adults between the ages of 18 to 65 should strive to get either 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of challenging physical activity per week. For people who don’t have easy access to a gym, it’s still possible to achieve this by walking for 30 minutes daily, Monday through Friday. Essentially, adopting and maintaining a regular exercise routine into your daily life can help you to feel strong physically and mentally, providing you with lasting feelings of accomplishment and self-worth.
Appreciate Your Strengths
Having confidence in yourself and your abilities also supports your self esteem. When you know you’re good at something and have the ability to succeed, valuing yourself and supporting your sense of self worth becomes easier. Recognizing the strengths you have and your own passions is an essential part of building and maintaining your self esteem.
While many of us may lack the confidence to begin something new, it’s still necessary to get started to prove to yourself that you have what it takes to do it. Below are just a few ways to help identify your strengths and how to work towards them:
- Commit time to identifying what you know your strengths are, even if you don’t feel like they’re developed enough. Write a list to visualize them to help motivate yourself toward making them even better.
- You can also take an assessment from trusted others and ask them to list down the things they think your strengths are.
- After making your list of strengths, make a list of the things you most-want to do or achieve, or even that simply interest you about work or life.
- Go back to that list of your strengths that others think you have and consider how to match them with your interests. If there are some additional traits you need to develop to become more of a successful part of the things you’re interested in, this matching will help you know what you can work on to get closer to reaching your goals.
Understand & Accept Your “Flaws”
Every person on our planet has flaws, which is to say things we wish could change or want to improve on. But to prevent these “flaws” from taking over our self-esteem, it is essential to separate the “flaws” that can be improved from those that are unchangeable. With unchangeable “flaws,” there are really just two options: you dwell on them or you can find acceptance. By accepting unchangeable parts of yourself you can start moving beyond the confines of the negativity you associate with them, whether it be clinical depression or even low-self-esteem.
It’s important to note that accepting your flaws isn’t that same as convincing yourself to like them. It just means choosing to no longer let that which is unchangeable have control over you. For example, instead of resisting or feeling completely overwhelmed by negative thoughts or feelings, accept them. They may not be likable. But you should allow yourself to feel them. This sort of thought process will help you accept your greater value as a person. As your self-esteem increases, your confidence and sense of well-being will also continue to grow.
Prioritize Self Care
Incorporating self-care techniques into your life is another reliable and comforting way to boost your self-esteem. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, self-care prioritizes committing time to do things that help improve your quality of life, both for your physical health and mental health. In terms of mental health, self-care is a great way to help you manage stress, decrease your risk of illness, and improve your energy levels.
Self-care techniques include everything from maintaining a healthy and diverse diet, sticking to a regular sleeping schedule, including a relaxing activity in your daily routine, setting goals and priorities for yourself, and practicing gratitude by writing down the things you’re grateful for. Even small acts of self-care, like challenging your negative thought patterns with positive outlooks can have a substantial impact.
At Renewed Vitality, we strive to help every person in the Berks County community lead healthier lives with improved self esteem. We’re also the center for the area’s best facility for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other treatments. We proudly serve both men and women with innovative and practiced care that relieves hormone imbalance symptoms, improving and restoring quality of life for patients at any age. To learn more, don’t hesitate to contact Renewed Vitality today!
