Morselicious Menopause Mondays-Ellen Dolgen+giveway

 Ellen Dolgen & Mo, the Morselist

Last week the fabulous Ellen Dolgen of Menopause Monday’s wrote an article published in the Huffington Post about yours truly. This week, I’m honored to return the favor.   Who is Ellen Dolgen and what is Menopause Mondays? NOT to be confused with MORSELICIOUS Mondays!

Q.  How did you begin writing Menopause Mondays?

When I entered the hormonal throes of perimenopause, I was irritable, uncomfortable, troubled by memory loss, and sleeplessness. I knew something was changing inside of me, but I didn’t know much of anything about “the change,” so I couldn’t put my finger on it. For all I knew, a perimenopausal monster had taken over my body.

Confused, scared, and let’s face it, embarrassed, I turned to my go-to person for all female issues: my mom. So when she told me that she didn’t have time for menopause, I thought I just had to put my head down and continue life as before.

Later, after putting some pieces of a family puzzle together, I learned why my mother “didn’t have time” for menopause. It turns out my grandmother had gone through a very severe depression during menopause, and in those days, some women like my grandmother were given shock therapy to “treat” their menopausal depression. Can you imagine?! My mom had to take a leave of absence from work to take care of her mother. No wonder my mom “didn’t have time” for menopause! Who would want to have time for that?

I then resolved to help women reach out and end the confusion, embarrassment, and health complications that come with “the change.” My passion is to be a “sister” to all women, which is exactly what fueled my first book, Shmirshky: the pursuit of hormone happiness. As a result of my own journey, and in response to the need for more empowering information, my weekly blog, Menopause Mondays^TM was born. Now, it’s a way for me to regularly connect to the “Sisterhood” of women who are in perimenopause and menopause to help them reach out and find the same hormone happiness I did in my own menopausal journey.

Q.  What is the biggest myth about menopause?

The biggest myth out there is that, as women, we just have to put our heads down and put up with the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. We think, “this is just the way it is, and I should deal with it.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Women shouldn’t have to suffer through perimenopause and menopause, and the biggest reason women are is because they are not prepared for perimenopause and menopause! So many women think that menopause is a taboo topic and not one worth mentioning. No, no, no! Suffering in silence is OUT! Reaching out is IN! When we add ourselves to our own priority lists for a change, speak up, and seek the help we deserve, a perimenopause and menopause specialist can help guide us towards a life filled with hormone happiness. It probably sounds counterintuitive to the women out there who are now suffering in silence, but today at 60 years old, I feel stronger, healthier, and more empowered than I did when I was 40!

Q.  What are the risk factors that accompany menopause? Ie. Vitamin D deficiency, etc.

Symptoms of perimenopause and menopause can include hot flashes and night sweats, mood swings, memory loss, weight gain, dry eye, vaginal atrophy, and decreased sex drive. But it’s important to remember these are the symptoms of perimenopausal and menopausal women who have not achieved hormonal happiness. Every woman who has or is entering perimenopause and menopause should reach out to their healthcare provider or visit my Menopause Doctor Directory to find a qualified perimenopause and menopause expert who can help make their symptoms nothing more than a bad memory.

Q.  What is your dream/vision for women approaching or experiencing menopause?

My mission is to empower women to reach out and end the confusion, embarrassment, and less-than-lovely symptoms that are associated with perimenopause and menopause. I want to end forever the taboo nature that surrounds this completely natural time in women’s lives. Only then will women be able to achieve the hormonal happiness that they deserve—for themselves, their loved ones, and future generations. It is up to us to support one another and teach our daughters so that they never encounter the confusion and embarrassment that some of us have. I hope my daughter can say that the best thing I ever taught her was how to be an advocate for her own health and happiness. I hope the same for all of the daughters out there. Together, we can make it happen!

Q.  How does diet affect women suffering from extreme menopause symptoms?

Your body runs on food. The better you feed it, the better it feels. Research shows that what women eat can either quell or exacerbate just about every menopausal symptom from hot flashes and night sweats to mood swings and weight gain. Eating more produce, swapping saturated fats for healthy unsaturated ones, and eliminating processed foods from your diet are three surefire ways to ease menopausal symptoms. (Note from Mo, the Morselist: please contact me if you want to schedule a FREE telephone health coaching session)

Read Ellen’s post on the best foods for easing menopausal symptoms.

Q.  What role does exercise or as Mo, the Morselist likes to say, “get on your glow” and a healthy (Morselicious) diet play in maintaining a more pleasant experience during this period?

A huge one! Proper diet and exercise can ease menopausal stress, hot flashes, mood swings, and prevent weight gain. Personally, I stick to this by riding my bike each morning, performing resistance training twice a week following Weight Watchers. It’s easy, enjoyable, and has made a huge difference in helping me feel my best during menopause.

Q.  If you could teach my MORSELITES 3 things from your approach, expertise, what would they be?

1. Listen to your body. The first and most important step to achieving hormone happiness during perimenopause and menopause is to pay attention to how you feel—and yes, even keep track of how you feel and how it changes over time. To help track your symptoms, sign up for my free Menopause Mondays Newsletter to receive my Menopause Symptoms Chart via email. Each day, chart the frequency, duration, and severity of your perimenopause and menopause symptoms and take this chart in with you to your appointment with your menopause specialist.
2. Get a perimenopause and menopause specialist. To find a specialist near you, consult my Menopause Doctor Directory, get a referral from your primary care physician, or ask the women in your life who’s guiding them toward hormone happiness. Your menopause specialist might even complete a blood workup, including a hormone panel. This testing, together with your completed Menopause Symptoms Chart will enable your doctor to create an individualized program just for you. There are lots of numbers involved, but don’t worry, no algebra needed!
3. Stay on the path. Remember, one tweak in medications and lifestyle behaviors is never enough when it comes to continued hormone happiness. By constantly listening to your body, monitoring your symptoms, and maintain an open dialogue with your menopause specialist, you can feel great for good!

Thanks a million morsels to Ellen for her Morselicious advice and for her generous offer to giveaway a Menopause Monday’s mousepad, iPhone case  and  a copy of her book, Shmirshky: the pursuit of hormone happiness to one lucky MORSELIST.

Bio: http://www.shmirshky.com/media-press/for-the-media/about-ellen-dolgen/ www.ellendolgen.com