As a literary magician and philanthropist, Sudha Murty has illuminated countless lives with her stories and acts of generosity. Yet, beyond her accomplishments, she has always possessed a touch of relatability that endears her to people from all walks of life. In a recent chat with Shaili Chopra, the founder of SheThePeople and Gytree, Murty revealed an uncovered side of her that shed light on her journey through menopause. With candour and grace, she talked about the emotional and physical changes she encountered, breaking the silence surrounding women’s reproductive health.
In a world where reproductive and sexual health is always discussed in whispers behind closed doors, Sudha Murty embraced confidence in opening up about her journey through hormonal imbalance and menopause. Her willingness to discuss the deeply personal topic further enhanced her authenticity. Here is an excerpt from the inspirational interview.
Discussing Menopause Uninhibited
While there are numerous interviews of Sudha Murty out there, Shaili Chopra sought to hear about her life as a woman, particularly about the health changes that are rarely discussed in society. “I want to know more about you and how you navigated your health. For example, today we are all talking about menopause. Did somebody talk to you about it?” Chopra asked.
Murty replied, “Of course, I knew very well. My father was a gynaecologist. From the beginning, when I was going through puberty, he said, ‘Now your hormones are high, so your skin glows. You look at the mirror many times. A day will come when the hormones will be withdrawn and you will go through menopause. But you should not think of it as a disease.'"
"My dad was a good friend of mine. He talked about menstruation, that is there's nothing wrong with it. It is not a curse or impurity. It has to be part of your hormone balancing. He made it a point that all three daughters accept these things as normal." Murty described, adding how her father had open conversations about topics like menopause right from her early twenties.
Accepting Changes As They Come
Shaili Chopra asked, "Despite all the awareness and information, were you scared?" Murty replied, "No, I knew that when my hormones started retreating, I should accept that my skin would wrinkle, that I'm going to put a little more weight, sometimes I may feel down, sometimes I may feel normal, sometimes I may feel up. I always remembered that it was happening because of hormones, and remembered that I should keep doing what interests me like working, reading, exercising, or watching a movie."
Recalling an instance when Murty realised the emotional impact of menopause, she said, "One day both my children were out and I suddenly remembered them and started crying. I wondered, 'I did not cry when they left to study in the US, why am I crying now?' Then I sat for two minutes to debrief and I remembered, 'Oh this is because of my hormones!'" She emphasised how her father talking to her about menopause eased these changes for her.
Hormonal changes can be more than just about a woman's physical changes and can affect their mental well-being as well. When Shaili Chopra asked about how Murty's husband, Narayana Murty, handled the changes, she replied, "I told Mr Murty that in case I'm upset for something without reason, think of it as a hormone retreat, laugh over it and don't take it so seriously."
"I ate first to stay energetic" - Sudha Murty
Sudha Murty gives major goals for women to look after their health and prioritise it. She says, "When I used to feed the baby, I used to eat first. I should be strong but if I eat after feeding the baby, I will get tired."
Murty goes on to say that women always care about their husband's health, children's health or grandparent's health. They eat in the last when thfood is almost over. So, Murty says, women need to prioritise their health. They can keep the food they have prepared aside for themselves first and serve everyone.
Murty believes, "If a woman's health is good, the entire family is stable."
Murty also asks women to practice healthy habits by "eating correct things". She says that women should consume nutritious food, exercise and control sweet or oily diets.
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