Relieving Menopausal Symptoms Through a Healthy Lifestyle
A few weeks ago, I received some products for women in different stages of menopause from a company called Pause Well-Aging. The first one I tried was a cooling spray for hot flashes…I really loved it and now keep it by the bed because most of my hot flashes occur at night. I also keep a small fan by the bed and, between the two, I sleep pretty well. Menopause for me hasn’t been such a big deal…just a minor inconvenience, but I realize that for some women, it’s a really big deal.
I had a hysterectomy about 15 years ago. I still have my ovaries, but haven’t had a period for a long time, so I really had no idea when menopause was starting for me, until the hot flashes began. At the time, I was still taking birth control because it seemed to keep my problem skin under control. That turned out to be a very bad idea because it caused a blood clot in my leg. Subsequently, I had to take Xarelto for about a year, which I hated. After that, I was told not to take anything that could affect my estrogen levels, not even herbs such as Black Cohosh. That meant that I just had to tough it out! Luckily, as I said, my symptoms have been pretty minor so it hasn't been such a problem. I feel like I may be almost on the other side of menopause because my symptoms have nearly gone away, but for some women, hot flashes and symptoms of menopause can last for ten years or more.
One thing that has definitely helped my symptoms…hot flashes, irritability, mood swings, etc., is regular exercise. When I don’t exercise, my symptoms seem worse. A study led by Dr. Emillia Berin of Linkoping University in Sweden, showed that consistent resistance training may be effective in lessening hot flashes during menopause. You can read the whole article here. I’ve been really interested in hot flashes and what causes them and how as women, we are affected differently. All of this led me to look for some remedies (natural mostly) for menopausal symptoms and here is some of what I found…
First of all…what are hot flashes and what causes them?
“Hot flashes occur when blood vessels in the skin of the head and neck open more widely than usual, allowing more blood to shift into the area, creating heat and redness. Researchers believe that this vascular shift is due to changes in neurotransmitter activity that are not fully understood, occurring in response to erratic hormone levels.”
Hot flashes affect between 50 to 85 percent of menopausal women and are the most common symptom of the menopausal transition.
While hot flashes are seen in women with low estrogen, women with high estrogen levels or fluctuating estrogen levels also experience hot flashes. Women also experience hot flashes during and after pregnancy (I had night sweats for a while after all 3 of my children were born). An interesting fact that I just read is that most night sweats occur between 3:00 and 4:00 am. Who knew?
Because low levels of antioxidants in the body can contribute to hot flashes, a diet designed to balance your hormones is recommended. A healthy, hormone balancing diet is also important because menopausal women are at a higher risk of several diseases including osteoporosis, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Eating a healthy diet that is low in refined carbohydrates, high in plant based protein along with fruits and vegetables is more important than ever as is weight bearing exercise. These foods may help relieve some symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, poor sleep and low bone density.
What exactly does a healthy diet look like?
Calcium and vitamin D are important for bone health so getting these nutrients is important. Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale and collard greens are high in calcium as are dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. You can also get calcium from beans and sardines.
Sunlight is the main source of vitamin D, but taking a supplement can be important because most people aren’t in the sun enough. Vitamin D3 combined with vitamin K2 ensure that calcium is absorbed easily and reaches the bone mass helping to keep your heart and bones healthy. Read more about this here.. Include oily fish (such as salmon), eggs, cod liver oil, flax seeds, hemp seeds and chia seeds in your diet. An omega 3 supplement may also be helpful.
During menopause, there is a decline in estrogen that is linked to decreased muscle mass and bone strength. Eating more protein (45 - 55 grams) from a good source (plant based is best) is more important than ever. High protein foods include lean chicken, lean pork (in moderation), fish, lean beef (in moderation), tofu, beans, lentils, low-fat yogurt, milk, cheese, seeds, nuts, and eggs
I’ve been taking Vital Proteins Collagen Powder for years and In a recent one-year study in 131 postmenopausal women, those taking 5 grams of collagen peptides daily had significantly better bone mineral density compared to those taking a placebo powder.
Decreasing consumption of alcohol and caffeine may lessen the severity of hot flashes. Try eliminating these for 1 week to see if your symptoms lessen.
The bottom line is, a healthy diet rich in plant based foods is important for overall good health and will make the menopausal transition easier. A healthy diet, combined with exercise, aerobic as well as weight bearing, will also help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight which may help to alleviate symptoms and prevent other diseases.
What Do Emotions Have to Do With It?
From Dr. Christiane Northrup - “ While I am not discounting the direct physical effect of changing hormones, it is important to understand that uncomfortable symptoms, such as hot flashes, will be magnified and prolonged if a woman is carrying heavy emotional baggage. In general, women with a history of anxiety, panic attacks or depression are more troubled by hot flashes than women without these experiences.
In our culture 70 to 85 percent of women suffer from hot flashes, sometimes severely. I believe that this is, in part, because we have been led to believe that issues that arise premenstrually and perimenopausally are just hormonal, or that they exist in a universe that is completely separate from the rest of our lives. This is simply not true. By reducing our bodies’ signals to physical symptoms, we are “buying in” to the belief system that pervades Western medicine. If we don’t pay attention to the emotional issues that arise premenstrually and perimenopausally, our symptoms will continue to escalate until we pay attention to the signals our bodies are sending. These signals are usually related to a larger need that is not getting met.”
Food for thought for sure!
Some Hot Flash Solutions
Estrogen Replacement - Estrogen replacement is shown to be effective in cooling hot flashes and from everything I read, the best estrogen replacement is bioidentical estrogen. Be sure to have your hormone levels tested before using estrogen. A compounding pharmacist makes the bioidentical hormones from natural substances and the pharmacist prepares customized doses depending on an individual's needs. In contrast, synthetic hormones do not have a chemical structure that is identical to a woman's natural hormones.
Traditional Hormone Therapy - Traditional hormone therapy is another alternative for reducing symptoms of menopause, however long term treatment can put you at risk for breast cancer, stroke, blood clots, and other health problems.
Natural Progesterone Cream - Progesterone cream is a form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) designed to help relieve menopausal symptoms, reduce signs of skin aging, and prevent bone loss that could lead to osteoporosis. According to Dr. Northrup, two-percent bioidentical progesterone cream has been shown to decrease hot flashes in many women at a dose of one-quarter teaspoon per day on skin.
Stress Reduction Techniques - Relaxation based stress reduction techniques can help cool hot flashes. I sometimes lie in bed while having a hot flash and imagine myself falling into a pool of ice water. I remember doing this after my children were born when I started to have night sweats and I promise that it helped. Consistent meditation is also a great stress reducing tool that has been proven to help with menopausal symptoms. A small new study shows that menopausal women who participated in a stress reduction program that included meditation experienced significant relief from hot flashes and improved their quality of life. Your mind is a powerful thing!
Herbal Therapies - Herbal therapies can work for some, but be sure to check with your doctor before taking herbal therapies. Herbs such as black cohos, motherwort, and licorice can be helpful.
Vicki Noble, author of Shakti Woman: Feeling our Fire, Healing Our World suggests that hot flashes are the body’s way of naturally cleansing what it no longer needs. This is an interesting way of looking at Menopause and hot flashes. Midlife is such a time of change for most women, and we are shedding so much of the old and we have the choice to make a fresh start.
Talking with other women about your experience is always helpful in alleviating some of the anxiety often associated with menopause. I am in no way trying to make light of menopausal issues and recommend talking to a doctor if you need help and relief for symptoms. This post is a compilation of information that I found while doing research on easing symptoms of menopause. I do know that there is no downside to practicing any of these suggestions and most especially eating a healthy diet, meditating and doing weight bearing exercise. Having a healthy body and mind is all about making the right choices like being active, eating healthy foods and improving your mental well-being.
Ok on the lighter side…did you know that there are things called Bra Coolers…I had no idea, but what a great idea…wish I had invented them!
My sources for this post include Dr. Christiane Northrup, Mayo Clinic, Healthline, PubMed, Web MD, and author, Vicky Noble.
The products I spoke about in the beginning of this post are by Pause Well-Aging. Pause makes products for Perimenopause, Menopause, and Post Menopause. I have tried the 4-in1 Micellar Cleansing Treatment, the Fascia Stimulating Tool designed to improve elasticity, minimize sagging and enhance skin health, the Collagen Boosting Moisturizer and the Hot Flash Cooling Mist. I am not being paid to promote these products. They are products designed for women in different stages of menopause and sometimes, doing something nice to take care of yourself is helpful.
Thank you so much for reading today and please leave me a comment below and let me know what you think!