What Menopause Does to Sexual Intimacy and What You Can Do About It — Holistic Wealth Podcast

Based on a two-part series on the Holistic Wealth Podcast with Keisha Blair and Dr Lori Brotto (Canada Research Chair in Women’s Health)

Women’s health is such a critical part of Holistic Wealth and Menopause has arguably one of the most profound, physical, mental, and emotional impacts on a woman’s overall wellbeing.

In the realm of menopause symptoms — we often hear about hot flashes and crushing fatigue — but the effect on sexual intimacy isn’t well explored. In a two-part series on the Holistic Wealth podcast, this topic was highlighted in depth to give women information and strategies to empower themselves.

“Menopause profoundly impacts women’s health, influencing not only physical symptoms like hot flashes and bone density loss but also emotional and financial well-being. Embracing a holistic wealth approach during this time is crucial, as it ensures that women can navigate these changes with resilience, maintaining their overall health and financial stability”. — Keisha Blair

Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause

“One of the most common symptoms is vaginal dryness which can give rise to pain during sexual activity” says Dr. Lori Brotto, Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health and Professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Painful sex can impact a woman’s desire for sexual activity, so first and foremost, we need to make sure that women are using moisturizers targeted at reducing pain”. In addition, “lubricants — intended to make sex more comfortable, can make a significant difference for a lot of women” says Dr. Brotto. “Among those women who oral estrogens are contraindicated (i.e. not safe), local estrogens have been found to be very safe, in the larger research studies, even among cancer survivors”. A study by Harvard Health indicated that vaginal dryness affects half of postmenopausal women, as many as 90% don't seek treatment for their symptoms.

The North American Menopause Society and the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health refer to this combination of menopausal symptoms, which are brought on by a drop in the body’s estrogen production, as genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). GSM can significantly reduce quality of life, similar to other chronic conditions. While other menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, typically decline over time, vaginal dryness tends to linger because it results from physical changes in the vagina — specifically atrophy of the tissues, which become thinner, drier, and less flexible because of estrogen loss.

Effects of Menopause on the Brain

Changes in attention, memory and concentration are also very common in menopause due to lower estrogen levels.

“The effects on the brain and memory are real, and that means taking extra steps, like writing down things on sticky notes. The brain also ages separate and apart from menopause, so again, it can be really distressing and finding memory aides when memory is affected is critical” — Dr. Lori Brotto

According to Harvard Health, “many women report increased forgetfulness and “brain fog” during the menopausal transition. All women eventually undergo menopause, but there is a large age range for when it begins (from late 40s to early 60s), and substantial variation in women’s experience of its impacts. Menopause can affect how brain cells are generated, connect with each other, and even die, and these processes impact brain regions that are critical for memory. Menopause also lowers the level of glucose in the brain, the primary fuel used by brain cells”.

Scheduling Intimate Moments

The research studies that have looked at the causes of fatigue during menopause have indicated that it is due to sleep disruption. “Fatigue affects a large number of women in menopause and also affects intimacy and relationships”, says Dr. Brotto. “If you are not getting a full night’s sleep, if you are not getting enough REM or stage 4 sleep then that’s a major cause of fatigue during the day”.

“It’s mission critical for menopausal women to schedule sex for a time of the day when she is maximally able to, and not when the gas tank is empty . “When the gas tank is fueled, that’s when we want to be planning sexual activity. Not after the 11pm news, not during times of the day when she is sleepy”. — Dr. Lori Brotto

Meditation and Mindfulness

“Alot of women get bombarded with negative messages over their lifetime and all of these negative judgements can impact sexual desire. Our thoughts impact our physiology and sexual function”, says Dr Brotto. “Mindfulness improves our compassion for ourselves as well as sexual satisfaction”.

Changes in women's bodies during menopause can also affect women’s perception of their own desirability. “I get alot of women coming to me saying: “I am exercising more and I am eating better than I ever did before and yet these changes in my body keep happening”. According to Dr. Brotto, “as estrogen goes down and leads to increased fat, part of the toolbox for menopausal women is self-compassion and appreciation for all the effort that we put into leading healthy and active lives. So non-judgmental awareness becomes important— so rather than labeling the body, focus instead on relaxation”. There are more advanced mindfulness techniques can help us to increase intimacy and self-compassion.

• Mindfulness Technique: Mindfulness of Thought — We make thoughts themselves the focus of the attention so rather than getting caught up in the minutiae of say: ‘I've gained 20 pounds and my partner is going to leave me” — we distance ourselves from judgmental thoughts and focus on the moment. This enhances intimacy and overall satisfaction and allows for deeper connection.

Limit Alcohol and Embrace the Mediterranean diet

According to Dr. Brotto, the Mediterranean diet is beneficial for menopause. In a study among 6,000 middle-aged women, researchers found that the Mediterranean diet decreased hot flashes and night sweats significantly. In contrast, diets high in fat and sugar were more likely to increase hot flashes. The Mediterranean diet has also been associated with improved cognitive health due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Research also indicates that by following a Mediterranean diet, women can prevent cognitive decline in midlife.

Global Holistic Wealth Day (celebrated every year on April 9th around the globe) and Global Holistic Wealth week, highlights the importance of women's health (including menopause) and promoting a holistic approach to navigating life’s transitions with resilience and financial stability.

“Women’s health is a cornerstone of holistic wealth, as it encompasses physical, emotional, mental, and financial wellbeing, ensuring a balanced and empowered life through all stages including the transformative period of menopause”. — Keisha Blair

Subscribe and tune in to listen to Holistic Wealth Podcast with Keisha Blair for more inspiration and motivation.

Holistic Wealth Podcast With Keisha Blair on Apple Podcasts

Also check out www.holisticwealthpodcast.com for all the top episodes of the Holistic Wealth Podcast. Also check out the new Global Holistic Wealth Day website: www.globalholisticwealthday.com