An inevitable life-changing event for all women is the menopausal stage. Women have different reactions to it. Some dreaded it as it gives them a roller coaster of hormonal imbalance, while some have it easy and are actually thankful that they are already done with the days when they had to worry about menstruation. The difficulty presented by menopause is that no matter how abundant the information we have on it, no one is ever really prepared for it.
But that does not mean women should take the matter lightly. In fact, it’s best that when menopause begins at a woman’s early 50’s.she should prioritize staying fit more than ever, as this is her body’s stage of facing a new phase of life.Though many experts and practitioners debunk the idea that there is “menopause diet”, that does not mean you can’t try eating smart and eating right. You still need to work on supplying your body the nutrition it needs to maintain your strength and stay fit.
First, you should realize the kinds of food you should steer clear from, here’s a helpful list and a brief explanation on why you should steer clear from them.
Cut Down On Caffeine
Stacking up on cups of coffee, sodas, energy drinks or other caffeinated drinks might have boosted your energy level at work or through the busy years of handling so many responsibilities. However, maybe at your age, it’s time to take things easier. It’s a good idea to cut down your caffeine intake, particularly when you notice that after drinking a cup of your favorite latte seems to be always followed by an episode of hot flashes.
Skip White And Refined
Yes, it is difficult to avoid processed and refined foods since they are very convenient and tastes good. These are products such as regular pasta, white bread or anything made from refined flour, in addition to that, white rice. Even though they are able to give you carbohydrates providing fuel to your body, they are still considered empty carbs because they only contain limited nutrition and does not compensate to the health benefits you can get from fiber-rich whole food alternatives. Women going through menopause were suggested by the National Health Services to consume more of their carbs from more nutritious sources. To avoid the added baggage of extra weight gained from refined carbs, opt for wholemeal and wholegrain starchy products that are able to give you the vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need, inclusive of the energy boost from the carbs. Consider enjoying more of brown rice than white, also trying switching up your regular pasta for whole wheat pasta, and of course, ditch the white bread and go for high fiber wheat bread.
Eat Less Spice
This is bad news if you love your chili, spice can actually trigger hot flashes. It even comes to a point where it becomes a bit unbearable, in which case maybe you should cross it out from your food shopping list next time. Your metabolism can be greatly boosted by spicy food giving you a hotter sensation beneath your collar. You must also be wary that some veggies such as spicy peppers for example; cayenne contain a good amount of capsaicin, enough to cause “heat” both on your palate and on your body.
Skip The Tipple, Ban The Booze
Without even realizing it, alcohol consumption can be a perfect concoction for disaster among menopausal women. Those unwelcomed hot flashes can be commonly triggered by alcohol. But the worse news is it can also increase both the risk of bone loss or osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease if your consumption is excessive. Sad to say, the limit is just seven drinks a week with a maximum of three on a single day. If you found this information a little too late, my heart goes out to you.
Another thing you have to be mindful of is the interactions between medications and alcoholic beverages for it could cause problems such as indigestion, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and even arthritis. A study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states that not just women, but older people, in general, are at a higher risk due to their bodies’ slower function of breaking down alcohol.
Now, let’s learn about the foods you should be focusing on;
Feast On Fatty Fish, Fortified Milk, And Farm-Fresh Eggs
Enough vitamin D which means getting 30 ng/mL that translates to 400 to 600 IU is important ti ensure your able to make the most of your calcium intake. This is great if you love seafood because you can indulge especially in fatty fish like sardines, herring, mackerel, or salmon. Enjoy a breakfast that includes Vitamin D fortified milk or cereal, or simply have an egg.
Enjoy Soy
If you don’t have a taste for soy, this might be the right time to develop one. Soy products intake were said to be helpful for women in coping with those annoying hot flashes. A study suggested that 75 postmenopausal women who had a minimum of seven hot flashes every day, soy isoflavone extract intake for a 16 week period resulted in a 61 percent reduction in their incidence of hot flashes.Great sources of soy can be attained through tofu, soy meal or grits, or even soy flour.10 to 15 gm of soy protein daily is the recommended dosage. The soy contains phytoestrogens or plant estrogens which mimics the estrogen in your body which somehow compensates the estrogens you lose since your body produces lower levels of it since menopause began. If we’re talking menopause diet, it means we are regarding food that can provide you with estrogen in forms of sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, green beans, celery, and rhubarb.
Tank Up On Calcium-Rich Food
Although the primary line of defense is still considered to be hormone replacement therapy which works as it increases calcium levels by increasing progesterone and estrogen levels, you can still work your share by making sure you attain the recommended amount of calcium from your daily diet. It’s important to get as much as 1,200 mg/day when you’re postmenopausal.
Have Lots Of Fresh Vegetables And Fruits
And how can we ever forget to mention vegetables and fruits! If you have been practicing healthy diets through getting enough vegetables and fruits in your diet, that’s great.However, if you don’t, it’s never too late to start. As the American Heart Association suggested that this is the life stage when high-risk behavior from your younger days (like smoking or eating high-fat food) will take its toll.So at least try counteracting it by consuming food with rich antioxidant content.
Media captionJust what does it feel like when you’re going through the menopause?
Health professionals need to have a better understanding of the menopause, say women suffering with the condition.
One of those women, Amanda Sweetlove, told BBC News NI she had difficulty getting diagnosed as her GP and a consultant offered different opinions.
“No-one has offered any help whatsoever. So right now it is a case of you just live with it and the anxiety levels and all that it brings.”
Belfast’s HRT clinic is based at the Mater Hospital and gets 26 new referrals a week – there are many more are on the waiting list. Another menopause clinic is based at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry in the Southern Health Trust.
The Mater Hospital clinic only extreme cases with around 65 women coming through its doors every week.
But some women, like Amanda, didn’t know that the clinic even existed.
And she says she would have benefitted from such expertise. Amanda describes the menopause as “the most hideous experience medically of my life”, adding: “And that is after two children. It is just horrific. The symptoms are just awful, absolutely awful.”
What is the Menopause?
The menopause is a natural part of ageing that usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman’s oestrogen levels decline.
In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51.
For a few years before women can develop a series of symptoms.
Hot flushes, night sweats and mood changes are among the most common.
Deborah Yapicioz is also going through the menopause – she said it needs to be recognised as a medical condition.
“It affects 50 per cent of the population and you are likely to be in this period of your life for up to ten years.
“So you need to find a way of coping with that and relieving those symptoms.”
Image caption Deborah Yapicioz says menopause needs to be recognised as a medical condition
Hormone replacement therapy, which can be taken via patches or as a gel or tablets, helps to replace the oestrogen lost when a woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs.
Some studies have linked it to increased risks of ovarian cancer and clots but Dr Joanne McManus, a consultant gynaecologist at the Mater Hospital’s clinic, said women in Northern Ireland shouldn’t be afraid of taking HRT.
“It can make a huge difference to a woman’s life. Time and time again in this clinic, women say to us HRT has given me back my life and I think that really says it all. “
“Some women just don’t know what is happening to them. They just feel they can no longer cope and they can’t believe it when they start HRT and what a difference it can make.”
“It is very safe and the benefits in terms of symptom relief will far out weigh any small risks.
“I think any woman who is suffering from symptoms which significantly interfere with their quality of life should speak to their GP to see if HRT is right for them.”
Over the last few days I have spoken to women in various states of emotional distress due to their menopause symptoms and the way that they have been treated by their GP’s, employers and even their own partners. This is not unusual, I hear similar stories every day of every week and I know that for every woman I work with there are thousands of others out there experiencing similar situations.
As a psychotherapist with medical menopause training I have spent the last few years specialising in providing menopause counselling, education and support for women and men both in and out of the workplace. I can truly empathise with each and every one of the women I work with, as back in 2013, due to my own menopause experience, I came very close to taking my own life.
In April 2012 I hadn’t given menopause a second thought, twelve months later I had become completely consumed by it. Hysterectomy surgery including removal of my ovaries put me into surgical menopause overnight. Having received no information or advice about the possible effects of my surgery at the hospital I was discharged and told to visit my doctor once I felt strong enough. The hot flushes began almost immediately but I had booked an appointment with a nutritionist to discuss how I could cope with the symptoms. At my doctor appointment I politely refused HRT when it was mentioned but didn’t explain why and the doctor didn’t ask, with hindsight it is clear that had we discussed it further things could have been very different.
Business leaders should ‘speak up’ about the menopause
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Media captionRoseann Kelly
Women in senior roles need to “speak up” about working with the menopause.
Roseann Kelly, the chief executive of Women in Business NI, said women were “powering on through” but it needed to be addressed at work.
In Northern Ireland, women make up 50.5% of the workforce, with about 56% of females over 50 in employment.
There is no specific legislation which addresses menopause at work, but employers are obligated to look after the health and welfare of employees.
“We, as women and role models, need to speak up,” said Ms Kelly.
Image caption Roseann Kelly said conversations around the menopause in work needed to take place
“I myself have sat around a boardroom table and got a hot flush.
“I would prefer people to know I am having a hot flush than for them to think that I am under pressure in my role.”
Potential discrimination
Lisa Bryson, the head of employment law at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, said if employers fail to adequately support a woman or potentially discriminate against her because of menopausal symptoms, they could face a law suit.
“It is becoming an issue because there is case law,” she said.
“Tribunals are already having to determine cases connected to menopausal symptoms.
Image caption Lisa Bryson said employers could make simple changes to make it easier for menopausal women
“A relatively recent tribunal decision in Great Britain found that a female employee had been unfairly dismissed and discriminated against on the grounds of her gender which resulted from the management of her performance.
“Although she put forward medical evidence from her GP to say her lack of concentration and her lack of confidence was directly connected to the menopause, the employer just completely ignored that.
“So there is really a new focus on this as being a big part of the occupational health landscape.”
Productivity
Ms Bryson said there were straightforward adjustments that employers could make to encourage experienced staff to stay in work.
Fans could be introduced to the workplace, uniforms could be changed or flexible working may be an option if tiredness was an issue.
“Ultimately, it comes down to productivity and the bottom line,” she added.
“If these women are continuing to work hard and the employer is getting the best out of their staff, then the return in retaining that mature, female staff in the workplace can’t be overstated.”
Ms Kelly called on employers to look at the issue.
“I think it is very much a taboo subject, particularly because we have women in senior positions and they do not want to have their positions undermined by saying ‘I am not performing well today’,” said the Women in Business chief executive.
“But I think we need to be able to have the conversation.”
Image caption The Unison union is working with its female members to raise awareness of menopause in the workplace
Dr Liz Simpson from the School of Psychology at Ulster University is currently compiling research into the menopause and said people do not talk about it enough.
“I think it is associated with the ageing process. It signals the end of those reproductive years and we are going into old age,” she said.
However, Dr Simpson believes that the issue will be discussed more openly as society changes.
“Women are having kids at 40 so potentially they could be at the school gate and having the menopause,” she said.
“This is a really good opportunity to have an understanding of what’s happening.”
‘Absolute misery’
An increasing number of employers are looking at the issue and taking advice. The union Unison recently held an information evening for female members.
Amanda Sweetlove, a health service worker, said wearing a heavy uniform could be problematic.
“I take a hot flush and sweat into the coat,” she said.
“I end up in a hospital setting where it is too hot and I take my coat off, cool myself down to come back out to go to an incident.
“The sweat is still in the lining of my coat because the coat doesn’t dry out so it is an absolute misery putting it on.
“Menopause is not so widely recognised in such a male-dominated environment. It’s not being taken seriously just yet, but hopefully that will change as we are trying to set up a women’s forum.”
Deborah Yapicioz, who also works in the health service, said she once worked with a woman who gave up her job because of the menopause.
“She couldn’t cope with the symptoms of the menopause and the way it affected her confidence and her ability to do her job,” she said.
Women who eat more pasta tend to get menopause earlier
Cause or correlation?
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By New Scientist staff and Press Association
A study of more than 900 women in the UK has found that eating more white pasta and rice is linked to getting menopause earlier, while a diet rich in oily fish is linked to later menopause. However, it is not possible to tell if these diets directly affect the onset of menopause, or if they merely reflect some other, hidden factor.
Janet Cade, at the University of Leeds, UK, and colleagues analysed data from 900 women who experienced menopause between the ages of 40 and 65. They found that the average age of menopause was 51, but that certain foods were associated with when menopause begun.
Women who ate an additional daily portion of refined white pasta or rice tended to reach menopause around one-and-a-half years earlier than average, while an extra daily serving of oily fish was associated with a delay of more than three years.
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Diets high in fresh legumes – such as peas and beans – were linked with women reaching the menopause around a year later. Higher intake of vitamin B6 and zinc were also associated with later menopause.
Health implications
“The age at which menopause begins can have serious health implications for some women,” says Cade. Women who go through menopause early can have an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease, while those who do so later can be more likely to develop breast, womb and ovarian cancers.
Cade and her colleagues suggest that the antioxidants in legumes may help keep the menstrual cycle going for longer, and that omega 3 fatty acids – which are abundant in oily fish – may boost this. It’s possible that refined carbohydrates increase the risk of insulin resistance, which may interfere with sex hormones.
“The body’s metabolism plays an important role regulating ovulation and periods,” says Channa Jayasena, at Imperial College London. But he warns against inferring a dietary recipe for delaying the menopause from this study. “Unfortunately, a big limitation of these observational studies is their inability to prove that dietary behaviour actually causes early menopause. Until we have that type of proof, I see no reason for people to change their diet.”
Journal reference: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
How your diet could influence the age of your menopause
Image copyrightGetty Images
A diet high in carbs could bring on an earlier menopause, a study suggests.
Eating lots of pasta and rice was associated with reaching menopause one-and-a-half years earlier than the average age of women in the UK of 51.
However, the University of Leeds study of 914 UK women, also found that a diet rich in oily fish and peas and beans may delay natural menopause.
But experts say many other factors, including genes, influence timing of the menopause.
It’s not clear how big a contribution dietary choices might make and women should not worry about changing what they eat based on the findings, they add.
A diet high in legumes, which includes peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas, delayed menopause by one-and-a-half years, on average.
Eating lots of refined carbs, particularly rice and pasta, was linked to menopause coming earlier by one-and-a-half years.
Image copyrightGetty Images
The researchers took into account other potentially influencing factors, such as a woman’s weight, reproductive history and use of HRT, but they weren’t able to consider genetic factors, which can influence age of menopause.
The study is observational and cannot prove any cause, but the researchers offer some possible explanations behind their findings.
For example, legumes contain antioxidants, which may preserve menstruation for longer.
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are in oily fish, also stimulate antioxidant capacity in the body.
Refined carbs boost the risk of insulin resistance, which can interfere with sex hormone activity and boost oestrogen levels. This might increase the number of menstrual cycles leading to the egg supply running out faster.
Health implications
Study co-author Janet Cade, professor of nutritional epidemiology, said the age at which menopause begins can have “serious health implications” for some women.
“A clear understanding of how diet affects the start of natural menopause will be very beneficial to those who may already be at risk or have a family history of certain complications related to menopause.”
Women who go through the menopause early are at increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease, while women who go through it late are at increased risk of breast, womb, and ovarian cancers.
Kathy Abernethy, menopause specialist nurse and chairwoman of the British Menopause Society, said: “This study doesn’t prove a link with the foods mentioned, but certainly contributes to the limited knowledge we currently have on why some women go through menopause earlier than others.”
Image copyrightGetty Images
Prof Saffron Whitehead, emeritus professor of endocrinology at St George’s University of London and Society for Endocrinology member, said: “It is an interesting approach to investigate the timing of the menopause but I am not yet convinced that diet alone can account for the age of the onset of the menopause. There are too many other factors involved.”
Dr Channa Jayasena, clinical senior lecturer and consultant in reproductive endocrinology and andrology at Imperial College, points out “the body’s metabolism plays an important role regulating ovulation and having periods”.
“It is tempting to speculate that this provides a recipe for delaying menopause. Unfortunately, a big limitation of these observational studies, is their inability to prove that dietary behaviour actually causes early menopause. Until we have that type of proof, I see no reason for people to change their diet.”
Military spouse’s heartbreaking journey to get pregnant – Love What Matters
“The hardest question to answer is when people ask me, ‘How long have you guys been trying?’ It is not because the question hurts, but because I believe there are so many answers. For me, we started trying the second we found out the pregnancy we thought we had was gone.
In 2016, just a few months before our big wedding, my husband and I were convinced we were expecting. I had all the telltale signs of being pregnant, starting with my breasts changing. For a week I went through the motions of nausea, loss of appetite, and fatigue. We ended up calling a doctor in town and they too believed I was expecting. They asked me to wait a couple weeks to come in, and I obliged. Another week went by and my symptoms got more and more prevalent, I even had friends thinking it was happening. I gave in and took a test, but it was negative. I called the doctor back and after crossing numbers, we decided I was still probably pregnant but too early to test. On the third week of thinking we are pregnant, I started cramping and bleeding. Unbearable and paralyzing pain. My husband had to carry me down the stairs and to the hospital. When we arrived, they concluded that they did not know if it was a miscarriage or ruptured cyst. I was sent home with paperwork on ‘spontaneous abortion care,’ and orders to rest, never given a blood test to confirm what had happened.
Amanda Desme
For my doctors, our journey probably began when they started pumping so many different medicines into me to make me ‘work right.’ However, for all intents and purposes, we say it all started when we decided I would go through 6 months of medically induced menopause. This 6 months would basically reboot my reproductive system by tricking it into thinking I am going through menopause, coming off it ‘endometriosis free.’ It was two injections into the bum, three months apart. That is where our Journey to Baby D truly began.
In 2007 at 13, I got my first and last period. From then on, I would need medical help getting them (birth control, infertility medicine). In 2013 at 19 I was diagnosed with PCOS, meaning I did not ovulate and had cyst-ridden ovaries. In 2017 I was diagnosed with Endometriosis as well, after undergoing a laparoscopy and D&C following what we believed was our failed pregnancy. In 2018 at 24 I began my relationship with In Vitro Fertilization.
Amanda Desme
I married my amazing husband in 2015 after being together for 3 years and before he left to be stationed in North Carolina. It did not take long for our original living plans to change. Just 3 months after being married I packed up my life, quit an amazing job, switched my major, and moved from my parents and Florida for the first time in my life. I never felt like I was giving up my dreams, I was chasing them. Now, he is about to sign for his second enlistment in the Marine Corps, I am a preschool teacher, and we have everything we want, except a tiny piece of both of us.
K Ro Wedding and Event Photography
You never imagine that the one thing a woman can do that a man never can would feel impossible to achieve. You never wake up and think, ‘Will I ever be able to have a child?,’ until you hear a doctor tell you, ‘I think we should try something else, this isn’t working.’ You do not know what it feels like to feel empty, to feel broken, to feel like you fail as a wife and as a woman.
After finding out I had Endometriosis and 24 cysts on my ovaries, I was left with two options; we could attempt to get pregnant in the month that we had until Nick’s departure, or I could undergo medically induced menopause. The two opposite options each had such unique ways of helping me. By becoming pregnant I would ultimately suppress the endometriosis and be ‘free’ of it for the 9 months I was pregnant. I could suppress it even longer if I decided to breastfeed. All the hormones in my body from a pregnancy would have made the extra misplaced tissue (the endometriosis) go away for a bit.
The menopause was tricking my body in another way. The medication would communicate with my pituitary gland, to my ovaries, to the endo tissue, and stop the growth. With that, my estrogen levels would increase, menopause symptoms would start, and then my period would stop and my levels would decrease. My doctor warned me that many women cannot make it to the second injection, that the symptoms are too much to handle. I took that as a personal challenge to do this. With my husband leaving for Syria just a month later, we were not left with much of a choice.
Nick and I started our infertility journey February 17, 2017, with one shot to the bum! For 6 months I would be 23 and go through menopause. Yes, hot flashes, weight gain, acne, mood swings, you name it I had it. Having my husband worlds away contributed to the downfall of my sanity. We decided we would start sharing our Journey when I started menopause. It was an amazing way for me to release all my emotions while Nick was gone and to be open and spread awareness of infertility. Thus, Journey to Baby D was born.
Amanda Desme
I was supposed to go through 6 months of menopause and as my body came back from the ‘reproductive reboot’ I would get a period and be able to conceive upon Nick’s arrival back home. As with everything else to that point, it did not go as planned. My body rejected the medicine a week before the 6 months and the endometriosis returned. That was a shot to the gut that I was not prepared for — feeling like I had wasted 6 months of agony and my body had failed my soul. I had failed my husband. So, we waited. We waited for Nick to return and we waited for a period. Seeing my husband walk off that bus was the biggest relief I had felt. I was not alone. I was not broken, I had him to help me be okay again.
Kitzman PhotographyKitzman Photography
When 4 months had passed, and no progress had been made, we took the next step and began at home medications and injections. For another 4 months I went through an emotional and physical change that I can only describe as feeling like you have lost control. My pills to get my period gave me migraines, anxiety attacks, and depressed days. My injections gave me bruises, shooting pains, and backaches that kept me bedridden. None of it gave me a baby, or even a follicle big enough to try and make one. I was broken.
Amanda Desme
Each doctor’s appointment I was reminded of the uncooperative uterus and hostile ovaries God had given me. I was told I was the poster child for PCOS, I win at cysts, and I was textbook article worthy. Text. Book. Article. Worthy. Ouch. Nick and I weighed our options, and with another upcoming deployment, we knew time was not in our favor. We made the decision, with the adamant advice of our doctor, to go the IVF route. It was our only option. It took me a day to make a consultation appointment because I knew this was going to work. This was our chance. That office held the tools we needed to be parents. The appointment was amazing. Science is beautiful and magical and hopeful. The excitement of the chance was slowly attacked by the astronomical cost that insurance would not touch. $15,000 – $20,000 to have a child, the cost of a new car to be a parent, 400 packs of pampers. How can you bring yourself to be excited about that? How do I let the anxiety and stress not overpower the happiness? Right now, we just do. We just wake up every day and focus on the goal. Knowing Nick will not be here for the end of our pregnancy, or the birth of this child that we are working so hard to have, is a thought I must put aside. It is one that weighs on me more than I wished it did. But knowing why he is going to be gone makes me that much prouder of him.
Amanda Desme
I was the little girl growing up who grabbed a baby doll and played mommy while everyone else wanted to be a princess. I took every opportunity and chance to pretend to be a mom. I babysat for cousins and volunteered at my aunt’s preschool class. For as long as I can remember, being a mom was all I wanted. Meeting my husband only solidified that feeling. I knew this amazing man was going to be my partner in bringing a tiny human into the world, and I knew he was going to be amazing. Going through all these struggles for something that comes so naturally to some people has had me question my faith, but has made my love for my husband and my marriage stronger than I had ever imagined.
Amanda Desme
I have cried over the thought of feeling like I was not enough. I have been told I did not pray enough or want it enough. Every bad doctor’s appointment, every seemingly wasted month, every painful injection has only made me want this more. I wish I could adequately describe the pain and emotional burden that comes with infertility. The constant wants for more, the need for answers, the questioning of everything you thought you believed. I have cried countless tears during this journey, I have prayed endless prayers, I catch myself smiling at just the thought of this working and getting the chance to be a mom. We know the cost for us to have this, and it is worth every penny. The feeling of wanting to be parents could never be measured by any monetary value. We have started a t-shirt campaign to help offset the cost of IVF, but mostly to spread awareness for infertility, for the silent suffering. By wearing our shirts, we are reaching people. By posting on my blog, we are helping people. By being so vulnerable and open, we are spreading love. I was born to be a mom, to give my husband a child, and I know it will happen. We will do what it takes to make it happen. We have faith and one day we will have Baby D.”
K Ro Wedding and Event Photography
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Amanda Desme, 24, of Jacksonville, North Carolina. Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best love stories here.
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Menopause generally occurs for women over 40, but women under 40 can also experience it (which is called early menopause). A woman’s body is going through so many changes during that time and may experience side effects ranging from hot flashes to mood swings.
Fortunately, menopause treatments are available to help ease this transition. Each menopause treatment works differently for different people, but there are so many options out there that everyone is bound to find the perfect choice for them.
Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise are considered natural menopause treatments, and can really make a difference without the risk associated with some other forms of treatment. For example, try eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and cutting out all the junk food you’re used to eating. Get to the gym or try something like yoga or water aerobics. If you’re experiencing hot flashes, try wearing lightweight pajamas to bed and keeping a cold glass of water on your nightstand to have available at any moment.
Over-the-counter treatments are another common DIY way to treat menopause. These treatments include herbal remedies such as ginseng, red clover, and evening primrose oil. While many people use these remedies as a way to treat their menopause, there’s no data that proves they have any effect. As with any new treatment, talk with your doctor before attempting to use these herbal remedies. Herbal treatments may mix poorly with any other medications you’re currently taking, and you don’t want to create any problems that weren’t there before.
Prescription medicine is, of course, the most reliable menopause treatment. Hormone replacement therapy can effectively “replace” estrogen, reduce hot flashes, curb mood swings, and can be used as night sweats therapy. Talk to your doctor if you’re interested in hormone therapy for menopause.
Menopause is a natural part of life for women, but it doesn’t need to be one you suffer through. Instead, you can live with menopause.
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Have you ever run a marathon? How about an ultra? The thought of running a 100K sounded like 62.1 miles of absolute torture when my sister told me about her first ultra run. Three years later, here I am, starting a new life as a personal trainer, and finishing just 4 minutes behind her at the Everglades 100! How did I do it? Just a few little changes in lifestyle, and a lot of practice — did you know that running, cycling and other endurance exercises release endorphins, the same happy chemicals produced from eating chocolate and smoking cigarettes? Read on for more tips how to get into racing form in no time!
Menopause occurs in middle-aged women when their production of estrogen and progesterone slows down. This is usually a gradual process, but can also occur abruptly and severely in women who have have their ovaries removed, which completely stops the production of estrogen and progesterone. Women going through this major physical and psychological change can experience anxiety, depression, mood swings, hot flashes, and insomnia. In fact, over half of women during menopause complain of sleep problems. Also, snoring tends to increase in menopausal and post-menopausal women, possibly signaling sleep apnea. There are medications out there, like hormone replacement therapy and estrogen replacement therapy, to aid in the relief of menopause symptoms. However, these medications are not meant to be used long term and should be taken at the lowest possible dose because recent studies have shown that HRT may cause dementia and heart problems. There is an alternative treatment using soy to combat symptoms, but it’s efficacy is inconsistent. There are also some things you can do in your everyday life to cope, such as eating small and healthy meals, wearing light clothing when sleeping to avoid overheating at night, reducing your daily stress level, and avoiding nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol.
Key Points:
1Adding a fan to your bedroom to increase air circulation and help cool you can improve your sleep.
2Avoid heavy blankets and wear light weight pajamas to bed to help avoid overheating.
3Reduce stress, maintain a healthy weight and make exercise a part of your daily routine to aid in a good night’s sleep.
Generally, post-menopausal women are less satisfied with their sleep and as many as 61% report insomnia symptoms.
Waking up with hot flashes sucks! I regained my sleep.
Is your menopause affecting your sleep habits? Click here to find out more!
When you enter menopause, hormones like estrogen and progesterone decline.
Because of the importance of hormones to a woman’s mental and physical health, declining levels of estrogen and progesterone (and other hormones) can result in a number of unwanted side effects, such as:
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Irregular periods (increased or decreased flow)
Vaginal dryness
Loss of sex drive
Mood swings
Weight gain
Osteoporosis
Incontinence
Hair loss
Sleep disorders
Key Point
When these side effects are experienced, women become painfully aware of how important their hormones are to their health and the way they feel.
Luckily, there are healthy and natural herbs that can effectively fight the symptoms of menopausal hormone decline.
Here’s a list of symptom-fighting herbs, and the evidence that supports their usage.
1. Soy Isoflavones
These estrogenic compounds in soybeans have incredible estrogen-modulating abilities and could be very helpful in fighting menopausal symptoms.
Numerous studies have shown that isoflavone-containing soy extracts reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes† [1][2].
About 80% of menopausal women receiving one soy extract had reductions in hot flashes and an average reduction in the number of hot flashes by over 47%† [2]. The other amazing thing about this study was that numerous other symptoms of menopause improved such as “sleep disorder, anxiety, depression, vaginal dryness, loss of libido and bone pain”† [2].
About 80% of menopausal women receiving one soy extract had reductions in hot flashes and an average reduction in the number of hot flashes by over 47%† [2].
In perimenopausal women (women about to experience menopause), soy isoflavones caused an increase in estrogen and progesterone† [3]. That’s a good sign. Also, hot flashes and vaginal dryness were significantly decreased† [3].
2. Licorice Root
Licorice root’s effectiveness is a result of the compound isoliquiritigenin. This compound has estrogenic effects [4].
One group of researchers was so confident in licorice root’s ability to fight hot flashes that they studied it in comparison to hormone replacement therapy [5]. Although the strong hormone replacement therapy was most effective in reducing hot flashes, researchers concluded that licorice “is not very different from hormones in terms of reducing the number and duration of hot flashes”† [5].
Licorice root is also “harmless” and “inexpensive,” and researchers say it should be used often to ease hot flashes in middle-aged women [6].
3. Vitex Berry
One research review concludes that the evidence supports the use of vitex berry in lessening symptoms of menopause [7]. The essential oil of the vitex berry has also been shown to be “effective” against menopausal symptoms† [8].
4. Black Cohosh
This herb is native to Eastern North America and is popularly used to ease symptoms of menopause.
In a 2013 study, black cohosh consistently reduced various symptoms of menopause [9]. “Vasomotor, psychiatric, physical, and sexual symptoms” all improved during 4-8 weeks of treatment† [9]. Researchers note that studies “clearly indicate the efficacy and tolerability” of the herb and that it is particularly effective at relieving hot flashes† [10].
5. Red Clover
In a human study, red clover was evidenced to reduce hot flashes and increase circulating estrogen levels† [11]. This herb can even improve the thickness of the uterine wall [11]. Red clover also addresses the effects of estrogen deficiency.
This herb is rich in isoflavones just like soy, so it’s no wonder that its phytoestrogenic activities help fight menopausal symptoms.
6. Dong Quai
This Asian herb has estrogenic effects, and several studies have shown reductions in hot flashes in women using dong quai in the range of 20-35% [12]. Dong Quai has also been evidenced to relieve migraines associated with menstruation† [12].
7. Sage
In 2011, researchers completed the first clinical study demonstrating the efficacy and tolerability of sage [13]. There was a significant decrease in the intensity and number of hot flashes, and “very severe” hot flashes were completely eliminated [13].
Moderate and severe hot flashes were diminished by 62% and 79% respectively; that is a massive success for sage [13]!
Moderate and severe hot flashes were diminished by 62% and 79% respectively; that is a massive success for sage [13]!
Other symptoms (psychological and genital) were diminished as well† [13].
8. Yam
It’s a food and a medicine, so let your food be your medicine!
This starchy veggie is quite estrogenic, and researchers found an impressive 27% increase in serum estradiol (the active form of estrogen) in postmenopausal women who started eating yams [14].
Researchers claim that the estrogenic effects of yam “might reduce the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women”† [14]. Yam also “improves the status” of antioxidants in these women [14]. This is important because estrogen has an antioxidant effect that protects skin, bone, and tissues in the body. Therefore, an antioxidant effect might reduce the chances of developing diseases that commonly accompany menopause.
9. Red Raspberry
This berry is included in lists of foods that are thought to have estrogenic effects [15]. Red raspberry might be helpful in preventing breast cancer that sometimes develops around or after menopause [16]. As researchers describe it, there is a “possible role for berries and berry compounds in the prevention of breast cancer”† [16].
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Containing all 9 of the evidenced-based herbs mentioned above, MenoMax fights menopausal symptoms and thoroughly promotes well-being and women’s health†.
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