Speaker to discuss perimenopause, women’s health

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This article was published 12/04/2024 (743 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Every woman will go through perimenopause and menopause in her life. As she ages and her hormone levels drop, her body goes through a number of changes. Some women find they are lost as to what is happening to them and others feel the need for guidance.

In an effort to provide that guidance, female wellness lecturer Aeryon Ashlie will hold a free lecture at the Mennonite Heritage Village where she will discuss perimenopause and menopause.

“Part of my goal with doing these talks is to educate women on the steps and habit changes they need to make in order to ensure that they’re not only feeling great now, but also as we get older, that’s the big thing,” she said.

Ashlie owns Aeryon Wellness, a female supplement line that is geared towards hormonal changes in the body. She has been in the supplement world for 20 years and started her company five years ago. She was also a fitness competitor for 13 years.

“Part of that big conversation when I do this perimenopause talk and part of my drive is to really educate women on making the shift now so that we can have a wonderful older life as well. And it’s really important that we pay attention to the signs.”

Ashlie called perimenopause the second puberty because women’s bodies are “re-calibrating.” Perimenopause can happen as early as 35 years old with the lowering of the progesterone and estrogen but typically happens in a woman’s 40s. Perimenopause leads up to menopause where women cease to have their periods usually between the ages of 40 and 50. In North America, the average age for menopause is 51.

Some of the symptoms of perimenopause include tender breasts, heavy painful periods or extremely light periods, irregular periods, weight gain, hot flashes, sleeplessness, anxiety, and moodiness.

“I think a lot of women don’t understand that if they’re going into menopause and it’s really challenging right now, that’s going to lead into Type 2 diabetes, it can lead to dementia, it can lead into osteoporosis. All these things are leading signs if you’re not paying attention right now. So, it’s a really big driving force to get women to stop and take stock of what’s happening in (their bodies) right now and start advocating for themselves and make changes,” said Ashlie.

Some of the habits and lifestyle choices women can make to better their life during perimenopause, and even menopause, is lifting weights, eating protein with every meal, reducing stress, movement, and taking supplements.

“It’s making these lifestyle choices that will definitely support you to having an easier transition that’s really part of the messaging….So, using (supplements) with healthy habits can really help you as you transition into menopause later in life,” said Ashlie.

Ashlie will begin her talk at 7 p.m. on April 16.