First things first what is perimenopause? Perimenopause is the period (pardon the pun) right before menopause. Symptoms can include-hot flashes, breast tenderness, lower sex drive, fatigue, sleeping difficulties,  urine leakage, and urinary urgency. These symptoms can last four months to ten years. Perimenopause ends when 12 months go by without a period. Once the 12 months go by without a period you are officially in menopause.

Two things prompted me to think about writing up a post about perimenopause and feeling fit and young at 52. About a year and a half ago, when I had just turned 50, I accepted a job offer that included a health exam. When asked when my last period was I promptly stated, I have my period today. The health tech stopped writing, looked me dead in the eyes, and said “You still get your period?” Um why yes I do. I’m 50 years old, I’m not dead. I don’t think she would believe it if I told her, now almost two years later, I still get my period. Like clockwork too, every 28 days and I’ve never missed one yet.

Is this normal? Well, it’s not abnormal. Yes, most women do begin to miss periods and experience menopause at my age. I’m just not one of them. The road to puberty, some forty years ago now for me, was very difficult. Very difficult. I expected that the duration between middle age and menopause to also be somewhat difficult, and if not difficult, unique to me.

Aside from needing to lose a few pounds I am a very healthy almost 52-year-old woman. Yet I have experienced over the last ten years’ symptoms of perimenopause. To be clear I haven’t experienced them for the full 10 years but I have had some symptoms off and on for 10 years. My health checked out fine and my hormone levels checked out within normal limits, so I’ve learned to deal with them. In the last year it’s been hot flashes, for a few years it’s been sleeping difficulties. I’ve also experienced an increased sensitivity to smells. Which didn’t change things too much for us, we’ve never used any strong sprays personally or in our household- things like febreeze or deodorizers or smelly laundry soaps. I clean our home with good hot soapy water and almost everything we use to clean and wash is unscented.

The second thing that prompted me to write this post was overhearing a woman in Target, approximately my same age, speaking about herself as if she was ready to pack it all in by calling herself an old gal.  To be sure being 52 years old isn’t being a teenager but being old or feeling old is a very subjective term. At any age we can have muscle aches or feel fatigued or feel exhausted. I see people all the time thirty years older than me riding bike and walking paths that I at 52 am just working up to. I’ve seen thirty-year old’s too tired to do anything after work but sleep and at the same time seen a senior citizen volunteer for 10 hours and go home and work in the garden. It all boils down to how well we take care of ourselves; the food we eat and our level of exercise and rest. Attitude also has a lot to do with it, it may be the single most important thing next to taking proper care of yourself. I’ve never been one to hop on trends, fall for gimmicks, or see doctor after doctor searching for ?

Throughout the years I’ve changed my diet to what it is now. After all that’s what my blog has been all about. Here are some things I’ve eaten, or tried eating to help with symptoms of perimenopause:

• I eat more foods rich in Vitamin D, I get outside as much as I can, and when that isn’t enough I take a supplement. Foods rich in Vitamin D- milk, cheese, tuna and salmon.I am unable to eat soy in any form, so that option is out for me. I eat 2 veggies and 2-3 fruits per day. A banana a day is a constant in my life, so are salads, cucumbers, eggs and salmon.
• I’ve always been found to be low in iron. In the last few years I’ve started to include foods rich in iron and I think by doing this I have helped my health and perimenopause symptoms immensely. Iron rich food- red meat, chicken, leafy green vegetables (spinach-yum), and nuts.
• I’ve cut down on sugar, fatty foods, all processed food (to almost no processed foods at all).
• I drink 6- 8 oz glasses of water a day plus a large glass of organic milk. I do not drink alcohol in any form and haven’t for years, thirteen years to be exact.
• Get plenty of rest- if you can. I get approximately 7 hours of sleep a night. I take a nap on both Saturday and Sunday. Despite what experts say, I nap when I can and feel wonderful afterwards. Short naps work best for me- 30 minutes to one hour.
• This tip may seem like TMI, I assure you it is meant to be helpful. Stop using the conventional sanitary products sold in stores and opt instead for Mama pads or a diva cup. I purchased my first Mama pads on Etsy fourteen years ago and have never looked back. The chemicals in even the unscented sanitary products are really really bad for sensitive areas, especially as sensitive as they will get during perimenopause and menopause. Initially I thought it would be gross to use washable pads. It isn’t. They’re soft, easy to wash, easy to wear and so much better for you- health wise to name the most important issue. They last for years with proper washing and save you a ton of money not buying store bought.
• This tip is unique to me- stop smoking. I stopped almost thirteen years ago and I have never looked back.  The risk of colon and breast cancer increases in women over 50 who smoke.  Enough said.

So those are the physical tips. What about the increase in emotions- sadness, depression, and irritability? Well, eating right and sleeping well is half the battle. Good whole food is good for your body and your mind. That said I do the following things to keep my spirits lifted:

• I buy myself flowers every month, sometimes beating my husband to it. Flowers make me happy, plants do too.
• Stay away from sugar if you can- you get a high and then inevitably crash.
• Stay away from too much caffeine- for the same reasons that you should stay away from sugar.
• I use aromatherapy to help with my moods- orange, lemon,  and apple.  I grow herbs- rosemary, thyme and lavender.  I make soap and sachets with the lavender and use rosemary and thyme almost every day. I rub both between my hands- fresh or dried and add to soups, stews and meats.  I also take naps when I can, soak my feet in epsom salts and set two hours aside each day to do the things I want to do- watch silly movies, read, work on my blogs, take photos, garden.
• Get outside, walk, bike or light cardio- I bike a couple of times a week and my husband and I walk 2+ miles every weekend. We walk and workout in the winter. I love walking and I love biking, but aside from that I am not much of an exerciser. I do cardio workouts- I use a treadmill all winter. I would love to find the time to learn yoga and meditation.

Turning 50 was and still is fabulous to me. I’ve always felt much younger than I biologically am. I owe part of this to marrying a much younger man and part of it to my state of mind which I feel is often very positive and upbeat. You’re only as old as you feel and I still feel fabulous. No rocking chairs or being called old gal allowed in my house. Staying active and staying healthy is a good start to helping you get through the varied symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.   There are a few books written about it, but for the most part discussion is silent. I hope I’m helping to change that with my post. For years I’ve discussed these very personal issues with my husband. He is and has always been very understanding (and genuinely sympathetic) toward me and some of the issues I experience as a woman. He is way more understanding of my mood swings and my need for rest or me time than your average man is, and I like to think that is, because I’ve talked to him openly about issues that affect women.

Update 2025–

I thought I would write an update to this post now that I am five year post menopause. I’m also 22 years sober this month. Menopause finally occurred for me at 56. My periods did skip a time or two and then finally, stopped. It was weird. As a woman you spend most of your life regulated by your period. Every single thing, it oftens seems, is scheduled around it for almost forty years. It’s hard to believe, but, it’s true, our periods are very important experiences. Then one day, they’re gone. I was sad for about a week. I thought I would be sad a lot longer. Physically, I feel about the same as I did five years ago. I feel good about myself, confident in myself, and as always a sense of positive as I await the next adventure of my life–my 60’s!