Participants: Amy Wellard, Cherie Lon Fernandez
Series Code: WM
Program Code: WM000441
00:36 I'm Amy Wellard with the Wildwood Lifestyle Center
00:39 in Georgia and with me today is Dr. Cherie Lou Fernandez 00:41 Welcome Dr. Cherie Lou. Thank you 00:43 Our topic today is being a vibrant woman 00:46 during those golden years... the menopause. 00:49 Now this can actually be one of the most beautiful 00:52 times in your life. 00:53 It doesn't have to be a stressful, long, 00:57 protracted period where we just can't wait to get through it. 01:01 Dr. Cherie Lou, today is going to share with us 01:02 how we can make that one of the most special times in our lives, 01:06 the menopause season. 01:07 Dr. Cherie Lou, you are actually originally from the Philippines 01:10 Yes, I am a Filipino, a... -blooded Filipino. 01:15 And that is what we call a developing country, 01:16 and you have made a very interesting 01:19 observation that you shared with me... 01:21 That in the developing countries what we call the menopause 01:23 in the West, is not nearly as prevalent; 01:26 the symptoms are not as prevalent as they are with us. 01:29 Could you tell us why is that. 01:30 Oh, there is a big difference in the lifestyles here 01:34 in the United States, and the lifestyle 01:38 where I grew up and where I used to live in the Philippines. 01:43 And, there is also a way of looking at things, you know... 01:51 For example, there is a tribe down south in the Philippines 01:55 that women are just wanting to go into menopause! Really? 02:02 It's the opposite; here, we'd rather stay 02:05 plush and pretty and yes - young FOREVER, 02:11 but this tribe it is interesting. 02:13 They want to get into menopause FAST! 02:17 And they couldn't care less whether they have 02:20 no more menses, but the thing is 02:23 they want to be in menopause 02:26 because they become the MATRIARCHS. Really? 02:30 So to say they are now sitting at the gates! 02:34 They are the ones who... they have passed through life... 02:37 They have learned enough and so now they are the ones 02:40 who call the shots! 02:43 They are the ones who give the orders. 02:45 Wouldn't I want that? Oh yeah - I would! 02:48 So it's a nice way of looking 02:51 forward to getting into menopause. 02:53 They would rather have menopause. 02:55 It's a beautiful way of looking at our maturity 02:59 instead of seeing it as a negative 03:00 which we so typically do in the West. 03:02 Now, what are some of the symptoms that we do experience 03:06 that's causing us to look upon it in a negative way? 03:10 Oh menopause is really not a disease - yeah? 03:14 We go into menses, we have menses, we give birth, 03:19 and when our ovaries finish all their stock of eggs, 03:23 we don't menstruate anymore and we go into menopause. 03:27 It's just part of the female phases of life, you know? 03:31 It's not a disease; however, when you come to that area 03:37 when your hormones start to wax and wane; 03:41 your ovaries start to slowly lose the number of eggs 03:47 that it is supposed to be giving out for every menstrual cycle. 03:52 Then we start to have problems; that is the perimenopause. 03:58 That's the hard time and perimenopause usually 04:02 starts about 1 to 3 years before menopause; 04:06 however, the problem with this menopause and waxing and waning 04:10 of hormones could go as long as 7 years... unfortunately. 04:17 That's the longest - 7 years, 04:19 but it could be earlier than 7 years. 04:22 And some women actually enter perimenopause 04:25 in their mid 30s even. Yes they do 04:28 And can that be reversed by lifestyle changes so that 04:31 they can enter perimenopause in their 40s instead? 04:33 It depends on the cause because there are some women, 04:36 really, who unfortunately because of their lifestyle 04:39 have unknowingly suffered their ovaries to lose the eggs. 04:48 The eggs just die - the eggs that they would have ovulated 04:52 they die earlier than they should have. 04:56 Too bad and that would cause an early onset. 04:59 It's premature menopause or you call it - 05:01 "premature ovarian failure" that happens. 05:06 And there are other ways, for example, surgical menopause 05:10 can bring the onset earlier. 05:12 Yes, can bring the onset earlier. 05:14 That would be from removal... of the uterus and/or both. 05:20 Uterus and ovaries. 05:22 Okay, so this 8-year-period or shorter, called perimenopause 05:28 what exactly is it that's causing it? 05:32 You know, as I said, the ovaries towards the end of the 05:37 reproductive cycle start to lose the eggs. 05:41 I mean, the eggs are consumed! 05:43 You give it every month, every month, every month... 05:47 you will have no more stock! 05:50 You'd say - I don't have any more stock left. 05:53 I can't sell you anymore eggs. 05:55 I have consumed my stock. 05:57 So then your ovaries will just decline, 06:00 and your menses going far apart, your ovulations going far apart. 06:05 It's because you because you don't have enough eggs anymore. 06:07 Okay, so what you're saying is 06:09 there's nothing we can do about it. 06:10 The eggs are naturally going to come to their natural end 06:13 so there's nothing we can do, this is a normal process. 06:16 So, we're talking about the phase prior to 06:19 menopause technically which is when 06:21 the menses has completely ceased... Yes 06:23 and that phase is called "perimenopause" Yes 06:25 And so, what kind of symptoms 06:27 can we typically expect during this phase? 06:30 First again, we should know the physiology of 06:33 what happens behind everything. 06:36 Estrogen again is in every cell of our body, 06:40 and if it's in your brain and this estrogen effect 06:44 in your brain is starting to wane, 06:46 your brain is going to have problems... 06:49 like you become forgetful, you become irritable, 06:53 you have a lot of headache, you cannot sleep, 06:56 and if it were affecting your cardiovascular system, 07:00 your heart, your blood vessels, 07:01 your blood pressure will start to go up. 07:03 You'll have palpitations, you'll have night sweats... 07:07 And if it were your skin, your skin will start to wrinkle; 07:12 you'd start to have spots on your... 07:14 You know, I didn't have so many spots before 07:17 but now they're coming out. 07:19 I just promise that I'm going to AGE GRACEFULLY! YES! 07:26 These things are coming out but I ACCEPT them, you know? 07:30 And so practically every system in your body is going to 07:33 start to slowly... I don't want to say "deteriorate" 07:37 because it's a very strong word, 07:39 but they start to come down a little bit; 07:42 they are not working as well as they used to. 07:45 So that's the perimenopause - headaches, night sweats, 07:49 hot flashes, irritability, depression, wrinkling, 07:55 some back pain, joint pain - Oh - you can name a lot! 08:01 And this will continue for possibly even 8 years. Yes 08:04 Even if you're menopaused already, 08:06 because menopause, technically means "one year - no menses" 08:14 So if you have every 6 months, you're not menopaused; 08:17 you are still in the perimenopause. 08:19 When you've hit one year of NO menopause... 08:23 CONGRATULATIONS! Welcome to the club, you've menopaused! 08:28 Now I can sit with the elders in the gate. 08:30 Yes you could! 08:32 Okay, so... Actually you know, 08:33 on a word on that... 08:35 When we enter menopause, it's the ripening years of life. 08:38 It's the years when we've got children, maybe grandchildren. 08:42 It's the years when we can counsel our children; 08:44 we can counsel people because life experiences have 08:47 given us a breath of character and of knowledge 08:49 and wisdom - hopefully... 08:51 And so it's a time we can really look forward to and enjoy, 08:54 and really put the symptoms on a backburner, 08:56 and treat them as best we can 08:58 with the natural remedies, of course... 08:59 And for perimenopause, one of the herbs 09:02 that I've actually used is Vitex chasteberry 09:04 that you've been recommending for many of the 09:06 female conditions on the program. 09:08 Is there any other herb that you would recommend 09:10 that would be exclusive to the perimenopausal period... 09:13 Well, you could... proven, you know, 09:18 what they use is wild yam. 09:21 Wild yam has been, in the laboratory, 09:24 been made into the estrogen that you use for 09:28 hormonal replacement therapy. 09:31 Or you can use the wild yam done naturally, 09:34 you know, not drug, not synthetic... 09:36 you can use it. 09:38 You know, it helps with your estrogen. 09:40 You could also use dong quai 09:42 because it helps balance your hormones. 09:46 Even if your uterus is not working, 09:48 your ovaries are not working, 09:49 your pituitary and your hypothalamus - all these organs 09:52 that work together to give you your normal hormones, 09:55 still the dong quai helps you go together at an even pace 10:00 until you menopause. 10:01 So Vitex, yes - is very good. 10:04 Don quai is very good. 10:05 Wild yams very good and all the 10:08 other natural remedies... but these are the herbs. 10:11 These are all very readily available 10:12 so they're easy for us to obtain in a natural form. 10:15 Oh yes, red clover besides. 10:17 Red clover, yes high in estrogen... Wonderful! 10:21 So, just thinking about the perimenopause phase 10:24 as it comes more into menopause, 10:26 you say that's the cessation of menses for a whole year... 10:29 Are we going to be experiencing other perhaps long-term symptoms 10:34 For example, osteoporosis is becoming more prevalent. 10:37 Yes, unfortunately, even if you would say 10:40 this is your golden years, because we are on this earth, 10:43 and there is the result of sin, 10:45 we will deteriorate because this hormone is not present anymore. 10:50 That's why many would rather take the hormones 10:53 because they want to keep their vitality still. 10:58 You mean the hormone replacement therapy? 11:00 Hormonal replacement therapy... 11:02 Because hormonal replacement therapy has been proven 11:05 really to help with... 11:07 First - your bones being strong until you really grow older. 11:12 Because when you have estrogen not being there, 11:17 not the first thing that happens but first discussed is... 11:20 our bones start to become brittle because we don't 11:24 have estrogen that helps bring calcium into the bone 11:27 and so your bones' calcium is not replaced. 11:31 So as you do your calcium metabolism in your body 11:35 calcium is taken out of the bone, 11:36 but you're supposed to replace it... 11:38 But since estrogen is not there anymore, 11:41 this replacement of calcium by estrogen is not there anymore 11:46 ...So your bone will really start to become osteoporotic 11:51 as time goes on. 11:53 So really, we want to be replacing the loss of the 11:57 natural estrogens with using herbal agents. Yes 11:59 ...Like red clover can help minimize as well as 12:02 weightbearing exercise, vitamin D supplements and so on. 12:06 Now cardiovascular incidents also increase after menopause. 12:09 Actually the female risk for heart attacks can actually 12:14 be the same as men, is that right? Even MORE! 12:16 Even more? Even more, because the 12:17 withdrawal of the female hormone... 12:22 it's like suddenly you become prone to more problems. 12:26 It's like when you throw a baby in the water, 12:29 and you're not there... 12:30 Of course the baby can't swim, you know the story, 12:32 but let's say a child. 12:34 So when the baby... nothing, no support anymore, 12:37 it's going to struggle. 12:39 So then when you do that, your cardiovascular system 12:42 is going to struggle and you get MORE risk of developing 12:46 cardiovascular diseases. 12:47 No more protection of estrogen on your cholesterol, 12:51 on your lipids, on your bad cholesterol. 12:54 No more protection of estrogen. 12:56 Your cardiovascular system is pliant with estrogen, 13:00 but when estrogen is gone, 13:02 it becomes stiff, relatively stiff 13:05 so that you are more prone to... 13:07 When you have osteoporosis you're more prone to 13:10 obstruction or hypertension, you know. 13:14 Are there studies out there that indicate that 13:17 ladies on a complete plant-based diet with NO animal products 13:20 and obviously no cholesterol... they can actually minimize their 13:25 risk of these cardiovascular events. 13:27 Yes, it true because of all the - let's say first... 13:31 When you're eating a plant-based diet and you know 13:34 what you're eating, you're really doing a 13:36 balanced diet, thinking what you are eating is really healthy 13:41 So that means you don't have a lot of fat, 13:44 you don't have a lot of salt, 13:45 you don't have a lot of sugar... 13:47 You're healthy - you're eating healthy. 13:49 You have more fiber so that your cholesterol 13:52 is kept in control because whatever fat you eat 13:56 ...what is not absorbed, it goes down. 13:59 And your vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals 14:03 for your body's working - all your metabolic processes. 14:11 You have enough firewood to help the fire of your body 14:16 keep going... 14:18 And all these are there in a complete diet. 14:22 You become vegetarian - be wise! 14:25 That's why a lot don't want to become vegetarians, 14:27 and look at vegetarians because they don't really know - 14:30 You just stop without learning how to do it. 14:33 Okay, so do it properly, do it gradually, 14:35 do it so that your taste buds can adjust, 14:37 so you can enjoy it. 14:39 That's really good news for menopausal 14:40 and postmenopausal ladies. 14:42 We don't need to succumb to the conventional diseases 14:45 of the Egyptians after we go through menopause. 14:48 Now, something else is the urinary incontinence... 14:50 This is rather sensitive subject that can beset some of us 14:53 as we get older, especially those who 14:55 have had children. 14:57 What can be done about that 14:58 as well as the vaginal dryness and so on... 15:02 First, let's do the urinary incontinence... 15:05 You cough and it goes - You laugh and it goes - 15:09 It's funny but it's not funny - it's serious! 15:13 But you see, you can do exercises... 15:17 what you do is you exercise the pelvic floor, 15:22 the muscles of your pelvic floor. 15:24 When you go into menopause, they sag like this... 15:28 and/or if you've given birth, it is stretched, 15:31 and so it's easily prone to sag. 15:33 So then it's sagging like this and you don't exercise it... 15:36 you think you exercise your muscles of your body; 15:38 you also have to exercise the muscles of your pelvic floor! 15:43 ...Special exercises - you call them "Kegel exercises" 15:48 Do you want me to explain Kegel exercises? 15:50 I think that would be beneficial Okay! 15:52 Well... It is a very prevalent problem. It is important! 15:54 Okay, the muscle of your pelvic floor... 15:56 Just imagine you're going to the bathroom, 15:59 and you're peeing... okay? 16:01 You make a conscious effort to release your urine, right? 16:05 It's... Can you imagine with me ladies? 16:09 You're going to the bathroom and you're doing it... 16:12 and then the Kegel exercise is CUT YOUR URINE LIKE THIS! 16:16 Can you feel your muscles... okay that's contracting 16:20 your pelvic floor and then maybe it is exhausting 16:25 Amy, believe me because I've been doing it 16:27 and until you're really used to doing it, it's exhausting! 16:30 It's like walking up a hill too. 16:32 You would huff and puff as well! 16:34 And you see, so you do it slowly and gradually... 16:37 You would hold it like this 16:39 and count 1-2-3-4-5 and then release, 16:42 then 1-2-3-4-5 for about 5- 10 times 16:46 every time you think about it. 16:48 For a week, you hold it for 5, and then next week 16:52 you say 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 and then release; 16:55 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 about 5-10 times. 16:59 Next week, you make it 15 and then 30, 17:01 and then until before you know it, 17:03 you're just taut like this! 17:06 But when you're taut like this, you're pushing your bladder up 17:12 ...you fixing the bladder, urethral angle, 17:15 and you won't have incontinence, 17:17 besides your muscles are closing your urethra. 17:20 So then that would be helpful for your incontinence. 17:24 Okay wonderful, and that's something you can do 17:26 while you're standing in the checkout 17:27 at the supermarket... No one needs to know! 17:29 What helps me is to associate it with something else, 17:33 so every time I'm standing in the line, 17:35 at the store, just remember to do it. 17:37 So if you program yourself, 17:38 it becomes easier to make it a habit. 17:40 Especially for women who have had traumatic vaginal deliveries 17:45 Ladies that have been torn. Yes 17:48 Big babies, heads coming through... 17:50 They have to make effort on Kegel exercises. 17:54 Thank you, I need that reminder myself. 17:57 Now I want to move on to the very sensitive issue of 18:00 vaginal dryness... 18:01 Now because this is pertaining to the man as well, of course, 18:04 sometimes intercourse can become very painful, 18:07 and it's natural that the vagina gets drier as we get older 18:12 because of the changes in the estrogen... 18:14 I do believe you have a very good solution for us. 18:17 Oh yes... and I have proven this with several other women. 18:22 I had a lady come to me some 3 years ago 18:29 when we were out on a health emphasis weekend down South, 18:32 and she came to me because her 18:35 husband prompted her to come to me, 18:37 and she said my husband told me that if I don't do 18:40 ANYTHING about this problem of hers - she said, 18:44 he would leave her! 18:47 He had the audacity to tell her... 18:49 if you don't fix your problem, I'm going to leave her... 18:52 And she was crying when she told me... 18:54 And I told her - "I'm giving you my email... 18:57 Just email me as soon as you have a chance, 19:01 and I will study this thing, 19:04 and I will come back to you on email. " 19:06 So I studied and I found a remedy! 19:12 We would LOVE to hear this remedy! 19:14 I'm just going to give you a 19:16 second at home to get a pen and paper... 19:18 I hope you've got it ready. 19:19 And Dr. Cherie Lou is going to give us this very simple 19:22 home remedy for you to deal with this intimate issue 19:25 that can be SO important in your relationship. 19:29 So Dr. Cherie Lou... What is it? 19:30 It is an oil mixture... it's sort of an oil-lotion 19:36 composed of vitamin E 19:38 If you can get the capsules of 1,000 IU, 19:42 or if you can't get 1,000, then you can get 500, 19:45 and then you get 2 capsules, 19:46 but as long as it's 1,000 international units 19:50 You poke your capsule and make the oil come out... 19:54 into a little container and then 19:56 you have 2 drops of geranium essential oil. 20:00 Geranium essential oil and an ounce of almond oil. 20:07 Almond oil, geranium essential oil, vitamin E 20:12 You mix them in this little container, 20:14 so it's an oil mixture and you apply it to the vulva, 20:18 and the lining of your vagina, especially over the area 20:22 where it's sore most of the time when you have intercourse. 20:27 You do it every day for 2 weeks the least, 20:31 and it's going to help because she called me after 2 weeks 20:35 ...The husband again had prompted her to say, 20:38 "Please call her and say how THANKFUL I AM 20:41 for what we have learned" 20:44 What a blessing! And it does work 20:46 because it worked with other women as well. Wonderful! 20:49 So, we've talked a lot about the physical symptoms. 20:51 Now let's get on to the emotional... 20:53 Some women become extremely sensitive 20:56 to their husband's comments or even we may become 20:59 negligent in taking care of ourselves or of the home 21:02 or the children; 21:04 we don't want responsibilities; 21:05 we've become introverted and unsociable... 21:08 Depression and insomnia is very common as well. 21:10 Let's talk a little bit about these 21:12 emotional manifestations... What can we do? 21:15 It's almost like PMS - "premenstrual syndrome" 21:18 The hormonal changes affect the brain, 21:21 the serotonin and the beta endorphins as well. 21:25 And so, if it becomes so bad, I think professional help 21:29 has to be sought because you don't want to 21:32 see your wife end up in a mental institution... 21:35 Because sometimes menopause 21:37 can PUSH your wife OVER the brink, 21:40 and I've seen a lot of this. 21:41 They have already a problematic marriage with the husband 21:45 around the perimenopause and on top of it 21:48 you add this thing and the husband not being there for her 21:52 And so, if depression is too bad, it's really bad, 21:56 I think that you should seek counsel. 22:00 And just a word for the ladies that perhaps are not married, 22:03 or they're going through menopause on their own... 22:05 It can be very helpful to have female friends to share 22:10 what you're going through with because actually talking to a 22:13 woman can produce a hormone called "oxytocin"... right? 22:16 We need each other! 22:18 We need each other and actually some studies show that 22:20 women that are happily married but don't have girlfriends 22:23 don't live as long as the women that don't have a happy marriage 22:26 but have girlfriends! 22:28 So girlfriends are THAT necessary. 22:29 They are very necessary and I think the oxytocin levels 22:32 makes us feel good and it's part of the reason... 22:34 And, of course, serotonin which is a happy hormone, 22:37 that's secreted when we feel supported, 22:38 and that we have empathetic friend. 22:41 So if somebody is not severely affected, like you say... 22:44 "menopause is not a disease" 22:46 and they're not having severe symptoms, 22:49 what would you suggest just to 22:51 keep things really in par and in balance 22:54 in terms of diet? 22:58 Again, a very, very balanced diet would help anybody 23:04 in any phase of life... even more so - 23:09 a woman in menopause should take her body more seriously 23:15 You take care of a body that's brimming and bubbling 23:21 with health during the reproductive years. 23:24 Why don't you take care of one that's struggling - you know 23:29 More so - yes, and a husband being there 23:33 supportive because she, again, can only be as usual 23:38 as he is supportive of her. 23:40 So really, it is important that you have close support 23:45 from friends and family... and husband especially. 23:49 Now, we talked earlier about the herbs that are indicated 23:53 for the perimenopause phase to help us 23:56 during the wax and waning, 23:57 but once menstruation has really stopped, 24:01 and we're in menopause proper, if you like, 24:04 is there any point in continuing with the herbs 24:06 that we had been using before? 24:08 Actually, in Wildwood, we talk about women taking these herbs 24:15 during the waxing and waning... 24:18 to be able to help with the perimenopause problem. 24:23 However, when you have finally settled and your hormones 24:26 have come down both evenly and you have now 24:31 come down to a balance that is relatively low 24:33 but still already balanced... 24:35 No more of this storm season, it's already down and balanced. 24:39 You may NOT already need the hormones for support. 24:45 That's what we do at Wildwood. 24:47 You don't take Vitex forever. 24:50 It's only around the time when you really are in perimenopause. 24:54 But of course, exercise, REGULAR exercise is the key... 24:59 Your musculoskeletal system should be... 25:01 you know - you can still walk up the mountain, 25:05 you can still swim 12 laps - 25:08 you know - all these relaxing things, 25:11 eating the right food, NO alcohol. 25:15 No caffeine, no tea, no spicy food, 25:21 no high caloric food. 25:23 Healthy! Healthy living! 25:27 Temperate. Absolutely - absolutely! 25:30 I'm just thinking about the hot flashes 25:31 because that's such a debilitating symptom. 25:34 If we can just go back to that because SO many of us 25:36 in the night, we'll wake up with hot sweats. 25:40 When we're at work, at very inconvenient moments, 25:42 we can suddenly find ourselves hot and drenched. 25:46 Is there anything we can do immediately when that happens? 25:49 Go to the refrigerator! 25:56 It will pass. It will pass. 26:00 So really, it's not something we need to be afraid of 26:03 or have a very fearful attitude about. 26:04 We can just.. just let it go 26:06 and in a few seconds, it will be over. 26:07 Oh, you take deep breaths! 26:09 Take 6 deep breaths in a minute. 26:12 It helps control the hot flash. 26:16 Apparently you're giving more oxygen and blood supply 26:19 to your brain so that your nervous system, 26:22 and your heart will work to par. 26:27 Because it starts in the face and it comes down 26:29 to your body and you feel really hot, you know 26:32 When it even starts, then you start... 26:35 hold your breath and slowly 6 times, it helps control. 26:44 I actually heard of some other measure. 26:46 I don't know if you are familiar with the "Chillow" 26:47 It's a pillow that's cold and you lie on it at night... 26:50 And so when the heat comes from the head, 26:53 it usually starts there that the Chillow pillow 26:55 comes into action and can calm you down. 26:57 I just kick off the blanket. 26:59 Kick it off - of course! 27:02 Well thank you so much, Dr. Cherie Lou 27:04 I'd like you to leave a word with our viewers today 27:07 about the emotional aspect of menopause 27:09 and the spiritual component. 27:11 What encouragement can you leave with us to be 27:13 vibrant and happy as we go through these years? 27:17 Oh... aging always is a normal process. 27:21 We don't have to worry about the future because 27:24 our lives are in God's hand. 27:27 He knows the future of each one of us. 27:30 He knows what's good for us. 27:32 He KNOWS everything. 27:36 No hair can drop from our head without His knowing. 27:40 That's beautiful. Thank you 27:41 And I was also reading today in Proverbs 31... 27:44 the famous godly virtuous woman chapter... 27:47 Who can find a virtuous woman? 27:48 And there's actually a text there for people going through 27:50 menopause... I like to share that with our viewers. 27:53 If you turn to Proverbs 31:25 27:55 It talks about the virtuous woman... 27:58 "Strength and honor are her clothing and she shall 28:00 rejoice in time to come. " 28:02 That's us during our menopausal years. |
Revised 2014-12-17