The second half of your life—that’s what it’s called. But a humorous way of referring to this interesting stage is a “pause from men.” In truth, the term refers to the final menstrual period, but it doesn’t mean the end of the road for you. Not in the 21st century.

There are insights to be gained from “The Wisdom of Menopause Journal” by Christiane Northrup, M.D. It says that before reaching menopause, one enters the perimenopausal period, which can last anywhere from six to 13 years. The age when it occurs is usually 40-55. By age 52, add or remove a few years, the onset of menopause comes.

Symptoms while in transition: hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, itchy skin, weight gain, etc. When this happens, don’t panic. It is simply your body giving you a wake-up call. Call it a preparation, so to speak, for the main event.

A new woman emerges in menopause. While it means the end of your child-bearing years, a new era arrives—that of you giving birth to yourself. Thus, a new recreation has begun. The result is a new you.

Relating to yourself

It’s “me time” now. The primary goal concerns you. Definitely, there is a hormonal shift. At this time in your life, you begin to question your relationships.

There is a need to refresh and update your old ways of looking at the people in your lives, how you feel about them and who you truly want to be with.

The underlying intent: to be true to yourself. In short, you could reach your “make my day” limit and dare to challenge the system.

For example, if, after all these years, you have become enslaved by your “victim” mentality or situation, you’ve now found a new courage to challenge and change all that. One thing is clear: You are no longer a doormat.

Furthermore, to achieve emotional balance, you must address issues affecting you, such as love, health, finance.

Understanding your body

If you haven’t had your menstrual period for a year and your hormonal measurements are within the range, then there is no more room for “accidents.” Otherwise, you could get pregnant. You have heard of menopausal babies, right?

To do:

1) Hormone testing—a simple blood test will determine your levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

2) Thyroid checkup—you might have hypothyroidism.

3) Bone health—have a bone-density test to check for osteopenia or osteoporosis.

4) Breast health—increase omega-3 fats from flaxseed and fish; take co-enzyme Q10; reduce alcohol intake; have a breast exam every year.

5) Adrenal health—oftentimes, menopausal women have depleted adrenal glands. Causes are lack of sleep, too much of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, inadequate nutrition.

Adrenal hormones DHEA and cortisol can be naturally boosted by:

Increased protein intake

Reducing refined carbohydrate consumption

Adding more pleasurable fun times to your daily activities

Reducing or removing caffeine

Stopping fasting and cleansing routine

Taking supplements—increase vitamin C to 1,000-2,000 mg in small doses; vitamin B, 25-50 mg; magnesium, 300-800 mg in small doses; iron, 15 mg/day if low blood count; vitamin A, 25,000 iu/day; and vitamin E, mixed tocopherol, 400 iu twice daily

Taking herbal supplements such as Siberian ginseng, one capsule twice daily before 3 p.m.; licorice root – ¼ tsp (5:1 solid licorice root extract) thrice daily

Sleep from eight to 10 hours nightly

Exercise—engage in moderate, not intense, exercise

Sunlight—for vitamin D and to lift the mood, 15 minutes early morning or late afternoon (never at high noon)

At this point, consider BHRT (bio-identical hormone replacement therapy), a plant-based regimen that can restore your hormones naturally.

Watch out for:

Weight gain—get active

High blood sugar—avoid sugar; urinary stress incontinence; do Kegel exercises

Urinary tract infection (UTI)—drink 15 glasses of water daily; take probiotics (good bacteria); consider acupuncture.

Goal-setting

Make an “I promise myself” list to include:

I will empower myself by not seeking approval/permission from anybody.

I will release dead-end situations—relationships, jobs, projects, etc.