It seems to be a shame, something to hide. In the world of entertainment, moreover, it is still a taboo because it is as if it marked the end of the woman, considered no longer “palatable”. But I don’t care and, indeed, I’m happy to tell my experience about menopause. It was October 2017 and suddenly the menstrual cycle stopped. I said to myself, at the beginning, “how cool, I no longer have the hassle of menstruation, no more stomach ache, painkillers …”. And instead I would have preferred to have those hassles for as long as possible. Why let’s say it: menopause is a big pain in the ass. There are many inconveniences to be faced, but surely the first is that of hot flashes; no matter what temperature the thermometer reads, me I was always hot. I remember that at that time I went on the air with the fan, waved it like crazy and joked with the spectators saying that it was all the fault of the “scaldoni” (so I called the hot flashes).
I made fun of myself, made fun of myself, and I understood that it was the right key to face that period in the best possible way. The alternative would have been to get down and let go of past bounty memories. One of the most destabilizing side effects of menopause is, in fact, the body change. I had suddenly grown thick; not greasy, thick. The skin was different and it wasn’t a question of weight or water retention – I was really big. The clothes did not fit me and the costume designers were forced to look for the right dress for me every day. It was not easy to deal with this new physicality, moreover subject to the judgment of millions of people.
Herbal and hormonal treatments have not solved the problem
But the moment of discouragement did not last long, just long enough to understand how to intervene. To alleviate the effects of the climacteric I tried all possible treatments. That based on hormones it caused me more damage than menopause itself: abdominal pain, nausea, headache, general malaise and even weight gain. Especially for those with a more shapely silhouette like mine, taking estrogen can make you fat. After that I opted for the phytotherapeutic treatment, but after a couple of cycles I have had problems with the endometrium. What remedy could I still try? Nobody. But I didn’t give up and I let myself be guided by some specialists who allowed me to find a tailor-made method to deal with menopause. Primarily I turned to my trusted nutritionist, Evelina Flachi, which gave me some tips to better orient myself at the table.
Minor changes to the power supply
First he advised me to eat less. So: either first or second at every meal, and for me who am a good fork accustomed to having them both it was a nice change; he later suggested me to remove the salt, harmful both because it raises the pressure and because it hinders an optimal drainage of liquids. Obviously, reducing quantities does not mean eating little but everything you want: few sugars, except the good ones of fruit, and fats, such as those of cheeses. The reorganization of my eating routine was also important to keep cholesterol levels at bay, which until the advent of menopause were perfect. At least twice a year, in fact, I usually undergo the classic blood tests and at that time I had noticed that cholesterol was skyrocketing without my having changed anything in my diet.
Sports at least three times a week
However, I achieved the most satisfactory results by adding theaerobic workout. I realized that running or brisk walking are the activities that best match my physicality, which needs constant movement to slim down. For this reason I am committed to finding an hour, at least three times a week, to devote to sport. When I fail to do so, I feel bad because I immediately feel heavy and not very energetic. Every day I also take a sachet to dissolve in water that contains all the vitamins and minerals I need. In this way, and without taking hormones or medicines (except for cholesterol), I was able to lose the excess pounds and control the effects of menopause.
Regardless of the type of treatment that each woman decides to (or can) undertake, I, however, feel I can give two pieces of advice. The first is that keeping us active and moving is important especially for our health and not only for the physical aspect; I know that sometimes it is difficult and the results are slow to arrive, but we must not lose consistency, because only that pays off. The second is that you don’t have to feel doomed, old, finished. Maturity gives us the awareness of who we are and the possibility of not giving a damn if the skin is no longer toned as it once was. If we want and can, maybe we can resort to aesthetic medicine, what’s wrong? But I am convinced that the esteem and love of people who really know us, and don’t judge us only for our size, is the most beautiful facelift possible.
Antonella Clerici