Your Vietnam
Journalist highlights brilliant journey with ethnic people in photo exhibition
Journalist Nguyễn Bông Mai has recently inspired many people in Hà Nội with her photo exhibition titled Dám Sống Một Cuộc Đời Rực Rỡ (Dare to Live a Brilliant Life), which features her journey throughout Việt Nam to gather information and images on traditional costumes of ethnic groups.
The journey was made in 99 days, between February 2 and June 6, 2022. Mai drove herself through 10,000km, 44 provinces and 80 villages. She has collected images of 55 costumes of 35 ethnic groups.
Lê Hương chats with Mai on the journey and its results.
How did you come up with the idea of the journey? Why did you decide to travel alone rather than in a team?
I think women are limited by too many prejudices. Whatever they want to do may be frowned at and people will say: you cannot do this, cannot do that.
I want to prove that women can do everything provided that they want to. Nothing can bind them: money or time.
I joke that this journey is my journey to quit my children. I have raised up my children for the past 20 years alone. Now I think I rely on my children too much. My children told me: you can get married once more so that we don’t have to worry about you anymore. It means that they are worrying for me now and I may hinder them to do things. So I’m trying to live independently from my children.
My next purpose is that in five years, I can take a trip around the world. At that time, I and my two children will be three independent people.
Did you find any difficulties during the trip?
Actually, I was fairly lucky. I did not find any obstacles at all. I learnt how to fix my car when it breaks. I learnt when to start driving and when to stop to avoid difficult situations. A week ahead of the journey, I practised how to film, put data in the computer, recharge the devices. But I failed to do those tasks in the first week of the journey as things did not happen as I expected. I had too many things to pay attention to, not only those tasks.
Why have you chosen traditional costumes to focus on?
I have chosen ethnic culture to focus on, and I narrowed it down to women’s costumes. I read books for three months before going and marked out the map I should follow.
Each detail in a traditional costume has its own meaning. For example, Dao Tiền ethnic group embroiders a dog on their costume. They have handed down a legend saying that when the first people of the group moved from China to Việt Nam hundreds of years ago, they forgot to bring along a white scarf, which was very important to women. They asked a dog to swim back to get the scarf. Then, they embroidered the dog image on the costume to pay tribute to the dog.
You may see a bun of hair on the heads of women of the Si La group. The bun is passed down to women of the next generation as a treasure. No one can touch the bun, only the women themselves.
Pa Dí women wear a scarf on top of their heads.
If I did not spend time to learn, I would never know.
Inside the Mông group, there are five different sub-groups. Each of them has different costumes.
Phù Lá people in Điện Biên wear different costumes to Phù Lá people in Lào Cai Province.
I advise people who want to go throughout Việt Nam like me that they should start from the south up to the northern mountains. Because many interesting things will be found in northern mountains. The trip will get more and more interesting.
You have met many people? Who impressed you the most?
Every person I met on the journey brought a valuable story. I have chosen some stories, some people to feature in the photo exhibition.
I’m a Buddhist, so I believe in fate. I believe that Mua, a 9-year-old paralysed girl of the Mông ethnic group in Hà Giang was waiting for me in her poor house. No one had come to rescue her in the past 10 years. When I was taking photos of her brother at the door, I heard voices of a girl from the empty house. I stepped in and found out she was there lying alone in a chair. The room was smelly as she could not move to the restroom. Their parents were working in the field. The first sentence she asked me: Who you are? I understood that she had no trouble with her brain and she just could not move.
There are many unlucky children even in our city. Yet I believe my fate led me to meet Mua. Her mom gave birth to her when she was only 17, and lacked proper knowledge to take care of the baby. Mua got a fever and convulsions at 10 months old and then could not move. The family is so poor and they have not been able to take Mua to the hospital to check up.
I have called for support for Mua. Đông Đô Hospital has committed to offer free treatment and meals for Mua and her mom. The treating process may take very long, several years, depending on Mua’s efforts and her family’s efforts as well, until she can move properly. Doctors will combine both eastern and western medicine to treat her disease. Her brain has not been damaged, according to doctors.
I have set up a fanpage on Facebook titled Cùng Mua Khôn Lớn (Growing Up with Mua) so that people can follow and support her. I will let the hospital host the charity fund. I’ll help spread Mua’s story. I hope many more people support her during the process.
Please tell me about your next plan!
I plan to publish two books later this year. A book on traditional costumes with sketches, not photos like those in this exhibition. The producing team includes very young people of my daughter’s age. I want them to look at traditional culture from their young angles. They have the right to create things from materials I have.
The second book will be on my journey. There are many incidents that I want to share: the process to learn more about myself and about human love that I received during the trip.
I will release them in August, near my birthday.
After this costume project, I will start on traditional music melodies. I have collected 49 folk melodies during the trip. VNS
Source: http://ovietnam.vn/life-in-vietnam/journalist-highlights-brilliant-journey-with-ethnic-people-in-photo-exhibition_342009.html
Tran Thi Hai and his husband, residing in Nui Thanh District, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, have used their own budget to build a boarding house and offer free shelter for underprivileged students.
The boarding house has become an address of love and nurtures the kindness and dreams of many poor students.
House of kindness
Only 10 minutes after school finishes, students ride their bicycles to return to the boarding house.
Despite being busy as a bee, both Hai and her husband try to observe students living in their boarding house and care about their studying.
“We are happy to see them going to school regularly and studying hard.
“Their families believe in us and say that their children have made progress.
“Money is not a matter to help them pursue their learning journey.”
The help to the disadvantaged and the community by the family of Hai is well known in Nui Thanh Town of the namesake district.
Local authorities and associations often visit and support the boarding house.
Hai decided to use her money to build the boarding house for poor students after she and her husband did charity in remote areas and saw the difficult life of residents there.
Meanwhile, her house is nestled in the center of Nui Thanh Town and near many large schools.
Nui Thanh District is large, so many students have to travel dozens of kilometers to reach their schools, while some have to rent rooms near their schools.
Hai said she had discussed with her husband the plan to use their savings to construct the boarding house.
In June last year, a six-room boarding house with sufficient living and studying facilities was built near Hai’s house.
Each room in the boarding house measures 20 square meters.
In the beginning, many people thought that the boarding house was built for rent and poor students could not afford the rooms.
However, when the boarding house was put into use, Hai hung a banner in front of it, stating that it is free for poor students and workers.
This surprised many local residents and teachers as each student had to pay VND500,000-1 million (US$21-43) per month to rent a room in Nui Thanh. Meanwhile, Hai’s boarding house, which is beautiful and clean and has enough facilities, is free of charge.
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| Students at the boarding house can keep their mind on studying without thinking of paying room rent. Photo: P.N. / Tuoi Tre |
Another way of giving
Hai and her husband have supported the community in many areas over the past many years.
They also bought an ambulance to carry patients in difficult circumstances to hospitals.
Hai said building the free-of-charge boarding house is also a way of giving. It is aimed at long-term purposes: nurturing poor students’ dreams and shortening their path to school.
More importantly, underprivileged students will see the support of others and give back when they mature.
According to Hai, all six rooms in her boarding house have been occupied by students of Nguyen Hue High School in Nui Thanh District.
The boarding house is fitted with cameras and Wi-Fi. Hai also bought new bicycles and put them in front of the boarding house so that students can use them to go to school.
Nguyen Tinh, from Tam Thanh Commune, Nui Thanh District, who is a student living in Hai’s boarding house, expressed his happiness to have safe and convenient accommodations.
Tinh’s family is poor. To go to school, he had to take a bus or travel to the school from the early morning.
After Hai’s boarding house was completed, she asked teachers to introduce students to her place.
Tinh came and received a room of which many rich students would be jealous.
Tinh said the room is spacious and comfortable, he welcomed two other disadvantaged students to the room. In the clean room, tables are put in corners, helping these poor students pursue their studying dreams.
At the end of the boarding house, Hai also prepared stoves and saucepans so that students can prepare their meals to save money.
“I’m grateful to Hai as she allows me to live [in her boarding house] at no charge and pursue my dream of going to school,” Tinh said.
“She not only helps me but also sets my parents’ mind at rest when I have a safe accommodation as this is the first time I have lived far from my family.”
Besides Tinh, the boarding house is now home to 18 other students. All of them were recommended by their teachers or acquaintances.
Hai gives priority to students who live far from school and face many difficulties in life but show great studying determination.
Chau Huyen Ha Tram, residing in Tam Tra Commune, Nui Thanh District, said her house is nearly 30 kilometers from her school. To reach the school on time, she had to wake up at 4:00 am and catch a bus.
Tram recalled that when coming to Nui Thanh Town for studying, she used to think of dropping out of school due to the far distance and high living costs.
“Living in the free boarding house, I’m truly happy. My mom does not have to worry about my room rentals anymore,” Tram said.
“In addition, Hai and her husband take care of us, encourage and remind us to study, which urges me and other students here to try harder.”
Cao Thi Anh Suong, a student from Tam Son Commune, Nui Thanh District, said she was excited when reaching the boarding house but she was also worried that the owners would later collect rentals from her. However, all rooms are free.
“We tell each other not to make noise and to keep order and go to school on time so as not to affect the boarding house owners and neighbors,” Suong said.
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Tran Thi Hai and his husband, residing in Nui Thanh District, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, have used their own budget to build a boarding house and offer free shelter for underprivileged students.
The boarding house has become an address of love and nurtures the kindness and dreams of many poor students.
House of kindness
Only 10 minutes after school finishes, students ride their bicycles to return to the boarding house.
Despite being busy as a bee, both Hai and her husband try to observe students living in their boarding house and care about their studying.
“We are happy to see them going to school regularly and studying hard.
“Their families believe in us and say that their children have made progress.
“Money is not a matter to help them pursue their learning journey.”
The help to the disadvantaged and the community by the family of Hai is well known in Nui Thanh Town of the namesake district.
Local authorities and associations often visit and support the boarding house.
Hai decided to use her money to build the boarding house for poor students after she and her husband did charity in remote areas and saw the difficult life of residents there.
Meanwhile, her house is nestled in the center of Nui Thanh Town and near many large schools.
Nui Thanh District is large, so many students have to travel dozens of kilometers to reach their schools, while some have to rent rooms near their schools.
Hai said she had discussed with her husband the plan to use their savings to construct the boarding house.
In June last year, a six-room boarding house with sufficient living and studying facilities was built near Hai’s house.
Each room in the boarding house measures 20 square meters.
In the beginning, many people thought that the boarding house was built for rent and poor students could not afford the rooms.
However, when the boarding house was put into use, Hai hung a banner in front of it, stating that it is free for poor students and workers.
This surprised many local residents and teachers as each student had to pay VND500,000-1 million (US$21-43) per month to rent a room in Nui Thanh. Meanwhile, Hai’s boarding house, which is beautiful and clean and has enough facilities, is free of charge.
|
|
| Students at the boarding house can keep their mind on studying without thinking of paying room rent. Photo: P.N. / Tuoi Tre |
Another way of giving
Hai and her husband have supported the community in many areas over the past many years.
They also bought an ambulance to carry patients in difficult circumstances to hospitals.
Hai said building the free-of-charge boarding house is also a way of giving. It is aimed at long-term purposes: nurturing poor students’ dreams and shortening their path to school.
More importantly, underprivileged students will see the support of others and give back when they mature.
According to Hai, all six rooms in her boarding house have been occupied by students of Nguyen Hue High School in Nui Thanh District.
The boarding house is fitted with cameras and Wi-Fi. Hai also bought new bicycles and put them in front of the boarding house so that students can use them to go to school.
Nguyen Tinh, from Tam Thanh Commune, Nui Thanh District, who is a student living in Hai’s boarding house, expressed his happiness to have safe and convenient accommodations.
Tinh’s family is poor. To go to school, he had to take a bus or travel to the school from the early morning.
After Hai’s boarding house was completed, she asked teachers to introduce students to her place.
Tinh came and received a room of which many rich students would be jealous.
Tinh said the room is spacious and comfortable, he welcomed two other disadvantaged students to the room. In the clean room, tables are put in corners, helping these poor students pursue their studying dreams.
At the end of the boarding house, Hai also prepared stoves and saucepans so that students can prepare their meals to save money.
“I’m grateful to Hai as she allows me to live [in her boarding house] at no charge and pursue my dream of going to school,” Tinh said.
“She not only helps me but also sets my parents’ mind at rest when I have a safe accommodation as this is the first time I have lived far from my family.”
Besides Tinh, the boarding house is now home to 18 other students. All of them were recommended by their teachers or acquaintances.
Hai gives priority to students who live far from school and face many difficulties in life but show great studying determination.
Chau Huyen Ha Tram, residing in Tam Tra Commune, Nui Thanh District, said her house is nearly 30 kilometers from her school. To reach the school on time, she had to wake up at 4:00 am and catch a bus.
Tram recalled that when coming to Nui Thanh Town for studying, she used to think of dropping out of school due to the far distance and high living costs.
“Living in the free boarding house, I’m truly happy. My mom does not have to worry about my room rentals anymore,” Tram said.
“In addition, Hai and her husband take care of us, encourage and remind us to study, which urges me and other students here to try harder.”
Cao Thi Anh Suong, a student from Tam Son Commune, Nui Thanh District, said she was excited when reaching the boarding house but she was also worried that the owners would later collect rentals from her. However, all rooms are free.
“We tell each other not to make noise and to keep order and go to school on time so as not to affect the boarding house owners and neighbors,” Suong said.
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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/features/20230319/couple-offer-free-boarding-house-for-poor-students-in-central-vietnam/72091.html
Selex Motors, a Vietnamese start-up developing a smart electric scooter ecosystem in Vietnam, has helped define ‘Made-in-Vietnam’ electric vehicles (EVs), specifically electric scooters, as its products are completely manufactured in the Southeast Asian nation.
Selex Motors co-founders are Nguyen Huu Phuoc Nguyen, Nguyen Trong Hai, and Nguyen Dinh Quang.
Both Nguyen and Hai earned a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and worked for many companies in both the U.S. and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Quang is an expert in software engineering and the Internet of Things (IoT), and has developed complicated national defense systems for enterprises in Israel.
Since late last year, Selex Motors’ first smart electric scooters have run on the streets in Hanoi.
The company has been expanding its ecosystem to many large cities, heading toward exporting the ecosystem to other Southeast Asian countries.
|
|
| An event to experience Selex Motors’ electric scooters. Photo: T.K. / Tuoi Tre |
EV is the future of transport
Selex Motors founders have high confidence in the future of smart EVs, which help optimize energy use and reduce emissions.
Nguyen Huu Phuoc Nguyen, CEO of Selex Motors, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper the reason why he and his fellows pursue a smart EV start-up, saying that “the world is entering a vehicle transition period with many issues which must be definitely resolved in the near future.”
The issues include air pollution and fuel price hikes after over a decade of using fossil fuels for most vehicles.
“The future of transport following gasoline-powered vehicles is smart EVs associated with technology,” Nguyen added.
Initiating their start-up with two-wheeled vehicles instead of cars, the CEO of Selex Motors explained that scooters are still a vehicle of choice in Vietnam and the trend cannot change overnight.
“With more than 50 million motorbikes in circulation which consume over US$5 billion worth of gasoline and discharge a huge volume of carbon dioxide, gasoline-powered motorbikes have seriously affected the environment and public health,” Nguyen said.
“Fine dust and noise pollution have worsened over the years, while effective solutions to them have yet to come in place.
“If the coverage of electric motorcycles is wide enough, air and noise pollution will be tackled.”
|
|
| Selex Motors’ electric pick-up scooter. Photo: T.K. / Tuoi Tre |
‘Made-in-Vietnam’ electric scooters
Before launching the Selex Camel electric delivery scooter model in 2022, the three co-founders of Selex Motors and their team had suffered great hardships.
They had jointly studied, designed, manufactured accessories, assembled, and run the first electric scooter on a trial basis in a room.
After five years, Selex Motors has developed an optimal ecosystem including Selex electric scooters, Selex batteries, Selex automatic battery swapping stations, and the Selex app helping manage the entire ecosystem.
“We are proud to say that Selex is a ‘made-in-Vietnam’ start-up. The entire ecosystem is developed in Vietnam by Vietnamese engineers,” Nguyen said.
The technology development, research, and manufacturing by itself have helped Selex effectively deal with issues related to EVs, specifically offering a reasonable price and installing battery swapping stations.
Selex electric ‘pick-up’ scooters are priced at below VND23 million (US$973.3) each.
In addition, the owners of these vehicles can swap batteries, which takes less than two minutes each, instead of having their vehicles charged for three to eight hours.
“Furthermore, the identification and payment [for the batteries] will be completed via QR code scans, which is more convenient,” Nguyen said.
“To swap batteries, Selex vehicle owners use the Selex app to search for their nearest swapping stations. The app will also inform users of the number of usable batteries at the stations.”
Nguyen added that customers do not have to worry about the battery lifespan. By analyzing the behavior and habits of users, Selex can calculate the lifespan of its vehicles and batteries.
As Selex develops and operates battery swapping stations by itself, it can take the initiative in managing the quality of batteries and consider withdrawing the batteries for recycling after 10-14 years, ensuring the sustainability of the project, Nguyen said.
|
|
| Experiencing Selex Motors’ electric pick-up scooters at its factory. Photo: T.K. / Tuoi Tre |
Selex Motors has got 10 patents and five industrial design patents.
At present, Selex Motors’ factory can produce some 20,000 electric scooters and 100,000 lithium-ion batteries.
CEO Nguyen said Selex secured the first order from Lazada Logistics at the end of last year. The first batch of 100 Selex Camel electric pick-up scooters will be handed over to Lazada this year.
The company has also installed 30 battery swapping stations and expects to increase the number to 200 in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
“Following electric scooters, Selex may manufacture electric cars or buses in the future. We hope to become a pioneer in offering a sustainable traffic ecosystem in urban areas not only in Vietnam but also other regional countries,” Nguyen shared Selex’s vision.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Selex Motors, a Vietnamese start-up developing a smart electric scooter ecosystem in Vietnam, has helped define ‘Made-in-Vietnam’ electric vehicles (EVs), specifically electric scooters, as its products are completely manufactured in the Southeast Asian nation.
Selex Motors co-founders are Nguyen Huu Phuoc Nguyen, Nguyen Trong Hai, and Nguyen Dinh Quang.
Both Nguyen and Hai earned a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and worked for many companies in both the U.S. and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Quang is an expert in software engineering and the Internet of Things (IoT), and has developed complicated national defense systems for enterprises in Israel.
Since late last year, Selex Motors’ first smart electric scooters have run on the streets in Hanoi.
The company has been expanding its ecosystem to many large cities, heading toward exporting the ecosystem to other Southeast Asian countries.
|
|
| An event to experience Selex Motors’ electric scooters. Photo: T.K. / Tuoi Tre |
EV is the future of transport
Selex Motors founders have high confidence in the future of smart EVs, which help optimize energy use and reduce emissions.
Nguyen Huu Phuoc Nguyen, CEO of Selex Motors, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper the reason why he and his fellows pursue a smart EV start-up, saying that “the world is entering a vehicle transition period with many issues which must be definitely resolved in the near future.”
The issues include air pollution and fuel price hikes after over a decade of using fossil fuels for most vehicles.
“The future of transport following gasoline-powered vehicles is smart EVs associated with technology,” Nguyen added.
Initiating their start-up with two-wheeled vehicles instead of cars, the CEO of Selex Motors explained that scooters are still a vehicle of choice in Vietnam and the trend cannot change overnight.
“With more than 50 million motorbikes in circulation which consume over US$5 billion worth of gasoline and discharge a huge volume of carbon dioxide, gasoline-powered motorbikes have seriously affected the environment and public health,” Nguyen said.
“Fine dust and noise pollution have worsened over the years, while effective solutions to them have yet to come in place.
“If the coverage of electric motorcycles is wide enough, air and noise pollution will be tackled.”
|
|
| Selex Motors’ electric pick-up scooter. Photo: T.K. / Tuoi Tre |
‘Made-in-Vietnam’ electric scooters
Before launching the Selex Camel electric delivery scooter model in 2022, the three co-founders of Selex Motors and their team had suffered great hardships.
They had jointly studied, designed, manufactured accessories, assembled, and run the first electric scooter on a trial basis in a room.
After five years, Selex Motors has developed an optimal ecosystem including Selex electric scooters, Selex batteries, Selex automatic battery swapping stations, and the Selex app helping manage the entire ecosystem.
“We are proud to say that Selex is a ‘made-in-Vietnam’ start-up. The entire ecosystem is developed in Vietnam by Vietnamese engineers,” Nguyen said.
The technology development, research, and manufacturing by itself have helped Selex effectively deal with issues related to EVs, specifically offering a reasonable price and installing battery swapping stations.
Selex electric ‘pick-up’ scooters are priced at below VND23 million (US$973.3) each.
In addition, the owners of these vehicles can swap batteries, which takes less than two minutes each, instead of having their vehicles charged for three to eight hours.
“Furthermore, the identification and payment [for the batteries] will be completed via QR code scans, which is more convenient,” Nguyen said.
“To swap batteries, Selex vehicle owners use the Selex app to search for their nearest swapping stations. The app will also inform users of the number of usable batteries at the stations.”
Nguyen added that customers do not have to worry about the battery lifespan. By analyzing the behavior and habits of users, Selex can calculate the lifespan of its vehicles and batteries.
As Selex develops and operates battery swapping stations by itself, it can take the initiative in managing the quality of batteries and consider withdrawing the batteries for recycling after 10-14 years, ensuring the sustainability of the project, Nguyen said.
|
|
| Experiencing Selex Motors’ electric pick-up scooters at its factory. Photo: T.K. / Tuoi Tre |
Selex Motors has got 10 patents and five industrial design patents.
At present, Selex Motors’ factory can produce some 20,000 electric scooters and 100,000 lithium-ion batteries.
CEO Nguyen said Selex secured the first order from Lazada Logistics at the end of last year. The first batch of 100 Selex Camel electric pick-up scooters will be handed over to Lazada this year.
The company has also installed 30 battery swapping stations and expects to increase the number to 200 in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
“Following electric scooters, Selex may manufacture electric cars or buses in the future. We hope to become a pioneer in offering a sustainable traffic ecosystem in urban areas not only in Vietnam but also other regional countries,” Nguyen shared Selex’s vision.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/features/20230318/vietnamese-startup-realizes-dream-of-madeinvietnam-electric-scooters/72137.html
Dr Olga Sambolska*
Many women say they’re “in menopause”, while they’re actually going through the menopausal transition, also called perimenopause. This is the period before the full menstrual cycle cessation, and comes with specific physical changes.
The first sign of perimenopause is an irregular menstrual cycle. Menstrual cycles become longer or shorter, with heavy bleeding or spotting between periods from declining ovarian function. Heavy bleeding in turn can cause fatigue and increase risk of anaemia.
Then there are the hot flashes – a common name for vasomotor symptoms. They come on rapidly and can last from one up to 5 minutes. They range in severity from a fleeting sense of warmth to a feeling of being consumed by fire from inside out. A major hot flash can induce facial and upper-body flushing, sweating or chills. Hot flash frequency varies widely. Some women have one per week, others may experience 10 or more in the daytime and even at night.
Another symptom is slowed metabolism and weight gain caused by hormonal changes, causing fat storage around the belly. This excessive body weight increases the risk of diabetes type 2, hypertension, heart disease and respiratory problems.
Some women experience ”foggy brain”: attention problems and increased forgetfulness. This memory decline is not a sign of dementia, as these cognitive changes are typically small and well within normal range. Also sleep problems may occur, from full insomnia to interrupted sleep or waking up too early.
Other symptoms are depression, anxiety and mood swings. These are caused by estrogen fluctuation, leading to decreasing serotonin, our “happy hormone”. There can be irritability or sudden feelings of anger called “perimenopause range”. Another symptom can be vaginal atrophy, which feels like “dry” vagina and causes painful intercourse.
Some lesser-known perimenopausal symptoms are altered depth perception, “dry, watery or tired” eyes, body odour, wild hair (chin, nipple), joint pain and stiffness, muscle and bone ache, voice changes, skin sensations like tingling or itching with dryness.
The signs and symptoms described above are usually enough to tell that a woman started the menopausal transition. In some circumstances, blood tests can be necessary to check the level of Estradiol and FSH hormones or the thyroid function.
How to reduce perimenopausal symptoms before starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT):
1. Healthy diet plays a crucial role to minimise menopausal symptoms:
– High fibre food with cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale helps to balance estrogen levels. Fibre is important for the cardiovascular system, maintaining cholesterol levels, keeping a healthy weight and reducing constipation. Some of the best sources include nuts, seeds, legumes/beans, and avocado.
– Omega-3 fats from fish and flaxseed can protect the heart, and promote smooth skin. The best resources are salmon, sardines, mackerel and anchovies.
– Healthy fats and cold-pressed oil: it’s true that fats have more calories than proteins or carbohydrates, but they are essential for metabolism and many processes in our body. Moreover, unrefined oil provides vitamin E that helps regulate estradiol levels. Good sources of healthy fats: extra-virgin olive or flaxseed oil, coconut milk and wild seafood.
– Probiotic foods: as probiotics help to regulate levels of key hormones like insulin and leptin, capable of raising the immune system and cognitive function. The best sources include yogurt, kefir and other fermented food.
2 Water: aim for 8 glasses daily to help replace fluid loss from hot flashes and decrease bloating
3 Avoid certain foods like packaged food, as it contains added sugar, chemical preservatives, and high amounts of sodium and synthetic additives. Avoid sugary and carbonated drinks, and reduce alcohol and caffeine intake as both aggravate hot flashes and contribute to weight gain
4 Regular exercise like yoga, aerobic or strength-training, 10-30 minute activity most days of the week help to reduce depression, improve sleep quality and body weight.
5 Reduce stress: stress causes higher cortisol hormone levels which leads to weight gain, fatigue, poor sleep and low libido. Different stress-reducing techniques to relieve stress: meditation, acupuncture, aromatherapy, and spending time in nature.
6 Sleep: our body and brain need time to recover from daily stress and restore energy, the aim is 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Excessive stress and poor sleep lead to higher cortisol in the morning and as a result higher susceptibility to anxiety and trouble with work performance.
Not every woman in menopause experiences unpleasant symptoms. Some women have all of them, some just a few, others experience none at all. Many perimenopausal symptoms are of little concern and often correct themselves given time. Others can be easily remedied by diet, exercise, hormone therapy or other medications.
If symptoms of perimenopause become severe and affect quality of life: it’s time to check in with a healthcare provider. — Family Medical Practice
*Dr Olga Sambolska graduated from Lviv National Medical University in 1996 and commenced her medical career at the Volyn Regional Maternity Hospital in Ukraine. Since 1998 she has been a registered obstetrics and gynecology doctor, providing healthcare to women in relation to pregnancy, birth control, menopausal issues, contraception, menstrual cycle diseases and sexually transmitted diseases. She is fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and English.
Visit Family Medical Practice Hanoi 24/7 at 298I Kim Mã St, Kim Mã, Ba Đình. To book an appointment, please call us at (024).3843.0784, or contact us via Whatsapp, Viber or Zalo on +84.944.43.1919 or email [email protected].
FMP’s downtown location in Hồ Chí Minh City is in Diamond Plaza, 34 Lê Duẩn St, Bến Nghé, District 1, and 95 Thảo Điền St, District 2. Tel. (028) 3822 7848 or email [email protected]
Source: http://ovietnam.vn/life-in-vietnam/menopausal-transition-what-to-expect-and-how-to-mitigate-symptoms_342576.html
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