Perimenopause Doesn't Exist in Japan...

...**sort of***

Omgggg. Everywhere you turn someone is talking about perimenopause. Get ready for 7 years of night sweats girls! I feel like, as ladies, we already go through so much. Can’t we catch a break?

I had my annual the other week and announced to my OB that I would like to preementively curb or cut off any incoming perimenopause business. I’m not in the mood. I will take whatever pill to stop it.

He crossed one leg over the other, interlaced his fingers around his knee and leaned way back on his stool. “Welllll…..menopause is usually around 52.. or whenever you haven’t had a period in a year. Perimenopause is an unofficial time before that, where you may experience symptoms.”

I asked what percentage of his patients have symptoms and he said that was really hard to quantify: some have IUDs (which help manage hormones, therefore mood swings, therefore stress), some take Estrogen to balance hormones, some have strict diets… so “it’s difficult to give a ballpark number.”

Right… got it.. not really the concrete info I was hoping for. I told know that my mom said she “didn’t sleep well for a couple of nights but then was fine,” so maybe…hopefully genetics factor?

Then he drops this bomb: “Potentially. You know, a lot of Japanese women don’t experience symptoms the way American women do - you should read about that.”

Pause. What? I made an immediate mental note to schedule an omakase dinner asap.

Then I got home and got to work researching online (you know, in addition to my medical degree) .

Let’s take a peek at the takeaways:

Fish

If you look at a map, you’ll notice Japan’s got plenty of water around. Japanese diets are fish-heavy and fish are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which help stabilize moods (less anxiety, less irritability) and reduce inflammation that causes tiredness, hot flashes and joint aches.

Exercise

Last year I read this little blub on Japanese walking which is basically 30 minutes of walking, then speed walking, then regular walking… I mean… essentially what call intervals. Seems manageable enough. Doesn’t require a membership, or an instructor. (But some of us need accountability and I have to have an instructor so someone else please do the walking and report back).

Regular exercise also helps maintain muscle mass and bone health and prevents weigh gain. Weigh gain is apparently a red-flag symptom of menopause (FML… load up an arsenal of shots). Just to see how cool my OB and I are, I asked for Retatrudide, and he gave that a hard no.

Contrasting Cultural Views

Not too long ago, when I heard “menopause” I pictured the cast of the Golden Girls. But when doc said 52…. I pictured Jennifer Lopez in that sequined onesie twirling on a pole at the SuperBowl, and Gwyneth posing nude in gold body paint and Vogue’s video of my personal favorite, Julianne Moore’s, makeup routine. All these ladies are past that number and are absolute hotness.

In Japan menopause is seen as this fun, new, freeing part of your life. It’s called “konenki”…. are you ready for this? It translates to “renewal”. You’re done having babies, you have a more control over your plans and/or your career and life is out there for the taking for the first time in a long minute.

In a nutshell it sounds like we can be somewhat proactive about this situation. We can eat more sushi - bonus points for anything with a miso glaze cause that’s another inflammatory reducer - move more, and take care of ourselves maybe a little more than we normally do.

Color the grays, buy the outfit that you look awesome in, etc etc. When you look good you feel good, and feeling good improves the mood and reduces stress. Look at that: figured out a way to loop in a shopping opp here. I just bought this sexy fun lip color after seeing Emily (Insta @wport) in it….Always trying…

If you want a more clinical breakdown, read this and this.

If anyone wants to see Julianne’s video it’s here… Spoiler alert: she uses Cetaphil, just like me.

xx

ps. I’m always banging these posts out really fast but I just realized…. isn’t Koneki the sushi place in Aspen????? Got to run.. need to move. Happy Sat chicas. xxxx