Nutritionist Talks About Various Stages Of Menopause

Menopause is a natural milestone in every woman's life and it is high time we break the taboo around discussing it openly. From hormonal shifts to physical changes, menopause brings about a significant transformation in a woman's body. Celebrity nutritionist Pooja Makhija recently took to Instagram to address the topic head-on. In her video, she spoke candidly about the importance of understanding and supporting women through this phase.

“In India, menopause is often met with silence—or worse, resignation. But this phase marks a profound biological shift, not the end of vitality,” read an excerpt from her caption. 

The nutritionist began the video by stating that one of the best-kept secrets in our society is menopause and women's midlife care. 

She shared, “It is actually genuinely sad how uninformed we are about menopause.”

Pooja Makhija highlighted various reasons behind the lack of awareness on the topic and emphasized that contrary to popular belief, gaining knowledge about it is extremely essential. She mentioned that by 2030, around one billion women will have entered or will be entering the menopause phase.

Emphasizing that every woman will go through menopause, the nutritionist cited a popular message from Dr. Mary Claire, saying, "We don't have to suffer through it." She added, "Menopause is inevitable, but suffering is not."

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A post shared by Pooja Makhija (@poojamakhija)

Pooja also shed light on the terminologies related to menopause. She stated, "A woman's menopause journey is primarily made up of three discrete segments - Perimenopause, Menopause and Post-menopause."

The nutritionist continued, "Although they are different stages. The symptoms are more or less similar and it may feel like one that's primarily because it is the weaning stages where our sex hormones, progesterone, estrogen and testosterone are going down. It is usually the severity of the symptom that changes and not actually the symptom as you transition through this Menopause phase.” 

As per Pooja Makhija's Instagram post, these are various stages of menopause:

• Perimenopause: She said, “Firstly, talking about the perimenopause, it is the start of the menopause transition. It is primarily when your periods have irregularity. Either they are coming closer or moving further away, they are becoming heavier or lighter. They are lasting longer or becoming shorter, they are becoming more irregular primarily and that is the start." Pooja described this as a "very long phase" and revealed that the transition can take anywhere between two to ten years before you reach menopause.
• Menopause: According to the nutritionist, menopause is the stage when you have not had your period for 12 consecutive months.
• Post menopause: She shared, “All the phases after this menopause phase is called post menopause.”
• Premenopause: According to Pooja, premenopause is the fertility period from puberty till perimenopause.
• Early menopause: She said, "If you hit menopause before 45, it is called early menopause."
• Premature menopause: The nutritionist explained that premature menopause occurs when you hit menopause before the age of 40.

In the concluding part of the video, Pooja explained that hot flashes are just one of the many symptoms among several others.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.