Riti Sachdeva, 51, is “just rolling with perimenopause,” even when that means months between visits from her period. “It is always a relief when my it finally comes. This way of cleansing my body and losing blood is no small feat. American culture tells you — never take a break — push through discomfort. But I do not approach my body that way.”
“Western medicine doesn’t ask us to be responsible for our health. It’s more like — this pill can solve your problems. But I have to be responsible for my lifestyle. My health. And my future.”
A different cultural lens for ‘The Change’
I was born in India and moved here when I was 6. I have a lot of friends and family there and visit often — at least, before the pandemic. My mother told me absolutely nothing about my body, periods, or menopause. No one talked to her about anything sexual — it was taboo. Now, my mother and I have a different relationship — I ask her questions about what I am going through…sometimes she shares.
East meets West at Perimenopause Junction
My early perimenopause signs were not unique: Spotty periods, lack of energy, warm flashes — which I rather enjoy. I am always cold. But my real issue was having strange skin issues — Eczema. My face would literally blow up about a week before my period. It was then that I started with Ayurveda — one of India’s oldest healing systems. It’s based on balance between mind, body, spirit.
I haven’t left western medicine behind completely. I go in a crisis. But for my daily maintenance, I have a much deeper knowledge and understanding of how my body works with Ayurveda. It has changed my life.
What the what: The new food plan
The shift to Ayurveda has made me more mindful of what goes on in my body. In my youth — I loved junk food. I grew up here! But the insomnia and anxiousness were an issue through early perimenopause. When I visit my parents, I used to nosh away at peanuts. I took them out of my diet and my sleep got much better. And I had cramping and exhaustion, moodiness — eliminating sugar and flour was life changing. Now, no refined sugar, no flour — no alcohol, watch the nuts. My periods have transformed, and huge improvements in cramping, mood swings, my skin …
When the Ayurveda practitioner told me I had to give up flour and sugar — I cried. I was in the grocery store — staring at the bread — but I survived. And soy was another challenge. Sigh…
“I was either going to take a pill for the rest of my life — or change my lifestyle.”
All this has not been a natural progression — more of a series of crises. It was unavoidable to make changes. Either take a pill for the rest of my life — or change my lifestyle.
My body has shifted too — my hips are bigger, I have more of a belly — though that could be pandemic stuff too. And my legs are skinnier, no muscle mass.
Meditation and acceptance
Meditation has also changed my point of view through this. Radically. My family is Hindu. But my meditation technique is based on a Buddhist tradition. In my family, meditation is as important as dinner or work. It’s not “wasting time” — I take an hour in the morning and since the pandemic, added an hour at night. Without that — my anxiety skyrockets. This helps me accept things. Like body shift. Like energy shift. Like cottage cheese thighs. The gray hairs. The wrinkles. Why fight it?
“I am learning to pay attention to what perimenopause is doing— and to respect it. I’ve learned to listen to my body.”
Heal Thyself
I would tell younger women: you have to prepare for this stage in your life to become our own healers — to have agency over our bodies — perimenopause, menopause — post-menopause — all of it — into our old age.
