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Dr. Christiane Northrup
I woke up one morning with a very heavy chest and a cough that sounded like a Nantucket fog horn. My first thought was, "call the doctor." Knowing it was Friday, my well-defined super-ego told me, better to be safe than sorry and my internal dialogue sounded like this: Don't get caught off guard.... this could become pneumonia, better get an antibiotic now!! And then, a small voice rose up from within me and nudged me to stop. Listen to your body's wisdom, I was encouraged. Do your really think this is bacterial? I heard a resounding no well up from a deep cavernous space in the core of my being. I knew there was another way to approach this situation and I set out to find out.
Dr. Christiane Northrup calls this "coming home to yourself." She believes that to create and maintain optimal health two things are required. "First," she advises, "we must have information and knowledge about our bodies and second, a strong connection with our inner guidance, or women's wisdom. A partnership between these two things, she says, " is the essence of empowerment, allowing us to make well-informed, individualized decisions about our health and lives, guided by our own inner compass."
If your getting images now of a medicine woman, in a way you are right on. But it's different.. Today, our culture has evolved to re-awaken our inner knowing; that aspect of ourselves that holds our wisdom. Pioneers such as Dr. Christiane Northrup appear on television talk shows, address students of medicine and offer keynotes to organizations on the advancement of science. Our changing world now embraces inner wisdom and considering the timing, it may be time to look at alternatives for yourself.
Dr. Northrup has redefined mid-life as she blazes a new trail for the millions of babyboomers that now enter this stage of life. She is encouraging and honest in her multi-faceted approach to surviving and thriving "the change." "Menopause, she tells us, "is every woman's awakening - a stage that holds enormous promise for healing our bodies, minds, and spirits on the deepest levels." Northrup destroys myths and challenges convention in her groundbreaking new book, The Wisdom of Menopause. Her goal is to lay the health foundation for the second half of life. The cornerstone for creating health during the perimenopause, she says, "is good nutrition, exercise, and developing the skills necessary to deal with relationships more effectively. It's a good idea to use this "change of life" time to update our diet and exercise program - as well as our mental diet of thoughts and beliefs - in order to lay a healthy foundation for the rest of our lives."
An ideal supplement program includes:
Nourishing our brain and body fully. She believes we need optimal amounts of the micronutrients found in vitamins and minerals, and the macronutrients found in fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. "Our diet," she explains, "should consist mainly of whole, non-processed foods, adequate protein, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Many different vitamins and minerals are essential for optimal hormone function during perimenopause. Soy and flax seed are advisable, whether you are on hormone replacement or not. A comprehensive supplement is essential. It should contain the full range of B vitamins, antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, chromium, and trace minerals. We also need a good source of omega-3 fats, in particular a fat known as DHA which is essential for optimal nerve and brain function, as well as the immune system."
Dr. Christiane Northrup advises us to nourish our midlife heart. "Statistically speaking," she warns, "women's risk for heart disease, the number-one killer of women, begins to rise rapidly after menopause. There is nothing "natural" or inevitable about this statistic. Since the heart is directly associated with and affected by emotions, midlife is the perfect time to prevent heart disease, by learning to listen to your heart, nourish your cardiovascular system with the right foods and supplements, and find the courage to change the aspects of your life that no longer serve you." While recently appearing on Oprah, Northrup advised woman to understand that rapid or irregular heart beat during perimenopause is common. "This, she tells us, "is related, in part, to the energizing of the 4th emotional center in the body, which is influenced by partnership, passion, anger, and forgiveness issues. Heart palpitations, like hot flashes, can range from mild to severe. It's like, all of a sudden, you're aware of your heart beat, whereas before it just did its job without you noticing it." It is the result of an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and often results from fear and anxiety that aren't conscious." When Oprah learned that her symptoms were related to menopause and not heart disease, she was relieved. Northrup offers other pearls of wisdom including awareness about buying organically-grown hawthorn berries and flowers or berries at our natural food stores. She suggests we put a large handful in a half-gallon glass jar. Pour boiling water over herbs and allow to steep for four hours. Drinking two cups a day tends to alleviate the palpitations.
So image this... I am in a restaurant treating my non- pneumonia viral cough with a mixture of hot water, cayenne pepper, ginger powder, wild cherry extracts and vitamin C. The waitress approaches me and says, " What are you a medicine woman? And I reply, "a wise woman."
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