Lara, a 53-year-old mother of three adult children, is a remarkable individual who defies societal norms and embraces the power of self-transformation. Since 2019, she has been practicing yoga diligently in the comfort of her own home, challenging the notion that ageing limits our physical abilities. With grace and ease, Lara effortlessly performs splits, headstands, and backbends, showcasing the strength and flexibility she has achieved through her dedicated practice.
In 2012, Lara made the courageous decision to quit drinking alcohol, a choice that has profoundly impacted her well-being. As a result, she now feels stronger and healthier than ever before, surpassing the vitality she experienced in her twenties. Lara firmly believes that life encompasses both tragedy and beauty, and she embraces the belief that our thoughts shape our reality. With this understanding, she empowers herself and others to take control of their thoughts and create the lives they desire.
Lara's passion lies in inspiring women to recognise their inner strength and embrace their journey through menopause. She firmly believes that women possess the power within themselves to cultivate health, happiness, and strength during this transformative phase of life. Lara encourages women to have a burning desire for personal growth and to harness their inner strength, reminding them that they can emerge from menopause healthier, happier, and stronger than ever before. Through her own journey, Lara serves as a beacon of hope and motivation for women seeking to embrace their power and thrive during this significant life transition.
Lara is a published author for the Intactivist community regarding circumcision as well as a juror artist in the Washington state erotica art show
https://en.intactiwiki.org/wiki/Lara_Johnson_Stang
How do you feel about being in Menopause? Menopause is not a medical event. It’s not a disease to be feared. It’s a normal phase of a woman’s life. Ovaries are still producing hormones, they do not shrink up and die, they just produce less when we are no longer fertile. Drugs are not necessary to produce the same amount of estrogen our bodies needed in our reproductive years. I think women are being over medicated instead of making healthy lifestyle choices.
Why did you decide to quit drinking and how did you do it? I was sick and tired of feeling and looking sick and tired. Whenever I had the urge to reach for the bottle, I would remember how good I felt and how proud I was for waking up hangover free when I resisted that nagging temptation.
Do you miss alcohol? Not at all. I miss smoking cigarettes sometimes, but never drinking. You can’t crave what you don’t want. I finally realised how good I felt without drinking and how lousy I felt when I did. The guilt, the shame, the stupid things I did or said. There really is nothing at all to miss.
Do you go to AA meetings? No, I never went to AA meetings to quit drinking. I never liked the vibe at AA meetings. I felt like the mantra there was that you are defective or abnormal because you couldn’t be like “normal people” and have just one drink. I think it’s the opposite actually. It’s normal for our bodies to get sick from drinking a class 1 carcinogen. It’s normal to become addicted to a highly addictive drug. We wouldn’t say that about crack addicts would we? Poor Susie can’t handle her crack like the rest of us so she’s diseased and missing out. I felt like everyone there was white knuckling day after day just to stay away from the drink. That mindset didn’t work for me. AA works for some but not for all. I quit drinking for me, because I wanted to…not for sobriety chips or any other reward. I think that’s the secret to sobriety, doing it for yourself because you want it more than anything else in life. And I cut a lot of toxic people out of my life in order to stay sober, that's how important it was for me. I have no regrets for doing that, even though it was the hardest thing I ever had to do, it was so worth that initial suffering.
Sure some people are more predisposed to addiction than others but that doesn’t make us diseased or defective.
What was the hardest part about getting sober? Filling up all the extra time! I had so much free time on my hands that I didn’t have when I drank. Drinking consumes a lot of time, the time you can’t drive or do important things with your kids, not to mention the entire wasted days of nursing your hangover LOL.
What is the best part about getting sober? knowing myself again. Being more aware of my surroundings, being truthful about my emotions, my past, my future, getting stronger, and healthier, no more hangovers! No more shame and guilt.
Why do you think other cultures don't suffer from menopause symptoms the way the western world does? Ageism, diet, stress and unhealthy lifestyle.
Do you lift weights or go to the gym? Never. I do yoga and I hike. That’s it.
Do you follow a high protein low carb diet? No, actually the opposite. I eat tons of carbs, but not processed carbs. Lots of fruit, rice, potatoes, beans, nuts, veggies seeds, anything that has no artificial ingredients. Whole foods with the occasional weekend splurge. The only meat I consume is seafood. I’m not diabetic, malnourished, or overweight like the carb nazis claim will happen.
Do you take any medications or supplements to help with menopause? I make my own bone broth, and I take magnesium glycinate, Cod Liver Fish Oil with Vit A and D, B complex, a multivitamin, and iodine. No HRT or other medications.
Do you deny yourself anything? I eat whatever I want whenever I want, I never feel deprived or hungry. As with alcohol, once I broke the habit, I no longer craved it. You can't crave what you don't want. Once I stopped my addiction to processed foods and sugar, I no longer crave it so again, there is no denial.
What's the biggest detriment to your health? Stress. I get in my head a lot but I’m learning to not overthink things. When I find myself doing it, I name it, acknowledge it, then let it go. Hiking and getting outdoors is my therapy. I love nature and photographing wildlife. Find what makes you tick, find your passion, and do it often. Years ago I would grab a cigarette or a glass of wine whenever I got stressed. Now I go outside and move. Nature is the most underrated medicine. It has no negative side effects and it’s great for mind, body and soul. Technology has killed that for most people today.
A great coach will give you the tools that you need so that you can succeed using your own resources. You Don’t need to follow others or buy their product or subscribe to their mantras. A great Coach teaches their students to tap into their own internal wisdom and they do this by challenging their students with difficult questions so that they can unlearn toxic fallacies the world has ingrained in them since birth, and they can learn about who they truly are what and what they truly want so they can live an authentic satisfying life.
I’m not a therapist or a counselor I’m a coach. I don’t wanna hear about your problems I wanna hear about your plans your desires, your strategies to make you someone that you can be proud of, someone that can inspire others, someone who knows that strength, courage satisfaction and happiness comes within. No one else in this world can give you that, only you. I will coach you to be your own hero, your own savior, your own champion..the number one rule first, is you must believe in yourself.
