Print article Menopause is a point in time when a person has gone 12 consecutive months with out a menstrual cycle. Menopause is a natural part of aging and marks the end of your reproductive years. On average, menopause happens around age 52. When menopause happens due to medical treatment or surgery (ovaries removed), it’s called induced menopause.
Hormonal changes from menopause can cause uncomfortable physical and emotional symptoms. Changes in your hormone levels cause these symptoms. Some people have intense symptoms while others have mild symptoms. Not everyone will have the same symptoms as they transition to menopause.
What Are the Three Stages?
Perimenopause: Perimenopause is the transition that can begin 8-10 years before menopause when your ovaries gradually produce less and less estrogen. This usually starts in your early to mid 40s and you may start experiencing an irregular cycle, mood swings, or hot flashes.
Menopause: Menopause is when you no longer have menstrual periods. At this stage you no longer produce eggs, and your body doesn’t produce much estrogen. Symptoms may include: Anxiety or depression, breast tenderness, body aches and pains, irritability-mood swings, heart palpitations, low sex drive, night sweats, weight gain, hair thinning or loss, vaginal dryness, dizziness, difficulty concentration and poor memory. As previously mentioned, not everyone will have the same symptoms as they transition to menopause.
Postmenopause: This is the time after menopause and you stay in post menopause for the remainder of your life. Most symptoms of menopause ease up after menopause, but some women have mild menopausal symptoms for several years after post menopause. People in the postmenopausal stage have an increased risk for osteoporosis and heart disease due to low estrogen levels.
There are different treatments available to ease these symptoms like Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) which uses synthetic or animal-derived hormones or Bioidentical Hormone Replacement therapy (BHRT) which uses hormones derived from plants that are chemically identical to those naturally produced in the body. However, taking hormone replacement drugs can cause many side effects, including blood clots, stroke, and may increase risk of heart disease or breast cancer if you’re older or use hormonal therapy for extended period.
On the other hand, diet and lifestyle changes can be very effective. Our bodies are all unique, so it makes sense that different treatments work for different women.
Prevention Is the Best Place to Start.
Balancing your hormones in your 20s and 30s will make for a better transition to menopause. Be mindful of your weight. Fat cells produce excess estrogen and this estrogen signals the body to store fat. This can lead to higher estrogen levels. In a study of newly menopausal healthy women over a four‐year period, women showed an increase in weight and body fat (primarily as visceral adipose tissue), which coincided with a drop in estradiol levels and a decrease in physical activity and energy output. The best way to deal with this is eat a clean diet along with healthy fats, fiber, and probiotics. Manage stress, increase activity levels or exercise, limit exposure to toxic chemicals and prioritize high quality sleep.
Natural Remedies for Menopause Symptoms.
Exercise: Exercising boosts serotonin levels, improving your mood, your appetite and help you sleep. Exercise has also been shown to improve memory, maintain a healthy weight and relieve stress.
Healthy Diet: Eating a healthy diet is an often overlooked way to decrease troublesome symptoms of menopause, as well as to lower your risk for many other age-related illnesses. Email support@behealthyoga.com for your free handout on Menopause Diet: How What You Eat Affects Your Symptoms.
Herbal Preparations: Flax Seeds can reduce hot flashes, Red Maca powder can help reduce hot flashes and may help low libido. Pomegranate might help reduce hot flashes and help with vaginal dryness/discomfort. Note: talk to your doctor as pomegranate might interfere with medications, trigger allergies, or cause digestive discomfort.
As with all treatments, natural or not, what works for one may not work for another. It’s a personal decision that you and your doctor can discuss and do what’s best for your body. Some studies show that a few of the natural options described above are effective for a high percentage of women, while other studies show they don’t work well on other women. This means you may have to do a little research and experiment with a few different natural remedies and then decide what works best for your menopause side effects.
You Don’t Have To Cope with Menopause Alone.
Although menopause might feel inconvenient and hard, taking hormone replacement drugs can cause many side effects. A wiser option is to naturally manage symptoms through a healthy diet, exercise, stress reduction and sometimes using natural herbs.
I’m certified in Hormone Health and have strategies and access to resources to help you restore hormonal balance. Using a holistic approach combined with my personal experience with the 3 stages of menopause, I can help you make shifts to your diet, exercise and lifestyle so you can manage your symptoms and feel good while, “going through the change”. Schedule your personalized Health Consultation today.
Sources: Institute for Integrative Nutrition, ClevelandClinic.com, Healthline.com
