If I go to the gynecologist, can she tell me how far I am from menopause?

As a brief disclaimer, I am not a medical professional and I am not giving medical advice. I do not recommend self-diagnosis, nor do I take any responsibility for your choices concerning treatment of any symptoms of menopause or your use of herbs or prescription medications. This you should consult a doctor or physician about on your own if you need to.

Menopause is an inevitable stage of every woman's life, whereby the body goes through changes affecting her due to the physical, emotional and hormone changes that occur. This period of life does not necessarily have to be very painful or disturbing. It can be a liberating experience and can be both enjoyable and meaningful instead of being filled with misery.

With that said, menopause is not a disease or condition, but merely an evolving cycle in a woman's life when the child bearing years are beyond us and life has served some of it's natural purposes and our bodies must move onward to the next stage.

The better care you have taken of your body during your younger years, will affect how you will be living during later years, so try to take good care of yourself as you are moving forward in life toward this inevitable cycle called menopause.

Menopause symptoms can vary from person to person but they may include mood swings, moodiness, insomnia, weight gain, hot flashes and other symptoms. For many women going through menopause, the decrease in hormones can also increase the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. The role of diet and exercise and other environmental factors is also important at this point in life.

The good news is there may be some natural solutions to overcoming and dealing with these un-wanted symptoms. Certain plants and herbs contain compounds called phytoestrogens. These phytoesgrogens can actually mimic a woman's own estrogen in a mild way, helping to prevent some of the symptoms and risks associated with menopause.

Soybean products such as tofu, tempeh and soy nuts contain high levels of these phytoestrogens. Many women from Asia who consume large amounts of soy based products do not have the same instances of hot flashes, nor does their rate of osteoporosis and heart disease rise as much with menopause, as it does here in the USA.

Some of the herbs that have a benefit to symptoms of menopause are Licorice Root, Black Cohosh, Alfalfa and Red Clover. You may notice a decrease in the frequency of hot flashes by taking one or more of these herbs. They can usually be found in tinctures or capsule form and are in most health food stores.