A Natural Approach to Alleviating the Symptoms
of Menopause
By Liz Barrington,
Natural Body Healing
Around the
age of 50, many women experience menopause and its symptoms due
to a natural decrease in hormone levels; the menopause is
a completely natural transition period from one phase of
a woman’s life to another.
The menopause
is defined as the point when a woman naturally stops ovulating
and menstruation ceases. The 'peri-menopause' is
referred to the in-between stage when natural changes
start beginning with the normal menstruation stage through to
the menopause itself.
During this
'pre-menopausal' stage, hormonal fluctuations can occur and the
change in balance and quantity of these hormones often cause a
variety of unwanted symptoms including anxiety, dry skin,
fatigue, feelings of bloating, headaches, heart palpitations,
heavy bleeding, hot flushes, insomnia, irritability, decreased
libido, vaginal dryness, loss of concentration, mood swings,
night sweats, reduced stamina and weight gain.
Some woman
experience very minor changes. However,
many women
in the westernised world experience much suffering in the months
or years prior to the menopause and during the post-menopause
period.
Long-term post-menopausal health conditions, such as heart
disease, osteoporosis and certain cancers, are all intimately
linked to your diet,
your
lifestyle and the environment in which you live. So,
what is the best approach to take to alleviate many symptoms of
the menopause?
In recent decades, the trend has been to regard the
menopause as a ‘deficiency disease’ which can be ‘treated’
through medication, in the form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Yet, we
are now discovering that HRT is not suitable for long-term
use; in fact 4 out of 5 women find that HRT doesn’t agree
with them. With safety at mind,
millions of women worldwide have now decided to stop taking HRT
to treat menopausal symptoms. This follows a recent series of
key studies that actually link HRT to serious health conditions
such as breast cancer, stroke, heart disease, along with other
side effects.
It’s
widely believed that elevated levels of hormones, especially
oestrogen, are the major reason for the increased incidence and
prevalence of breast cancer over the past 25 years. ‘Premarin’
is the most widely prescribed oestrogen 'HRT' drug used
worldwide which is actually derived from pregnant mare's urine
(hence the name PRE-MA-RIN). With increasing risks of side
effects associated with HRT, it’s no wonder that a
more natural approach to managing the symptoms of
menopause
is more desirable and is certainly a much healthier choice for
today's women.
Recommended Dietary and
Lifestyle Changes
To help manage your menopausal symptoms the natural way, it’s
recommended that you sleep in a cool room and cover yourself at
night with thin layers of cotton sheets which can be peeled off
as necessary. Simple changes to your diet and lifestyle
will also play an important factor. Short bursts of exercise
can trigger a hot flush, along with stress, hot drinks, caffeine
and alcohol. However, regular exercise will help to reduce the
overall number of hot flush attacks, along with adjustments to
your diet and reducing daily stress, alcohol and caffeine
levels.
'Phytoestrogens' have a balancing effect on the body’s
hormone levels. The richest dietary sources of phytoestrogens
come from soya (tofu, soya yogurt, soya milk) and also linseeds
(sprinkle on cereal), otherwise known as flaxseeds (start taking
flaxseed oil). Try to include
these foods in your diet at least 5 times a week. Other
good plant foods to eat include wholegrains rye bread or
crackers, porridge oats and wholemeal bread), root vegetables,
green leafy vegetables, beans and other pulses (beans, chick
peas or lentils). Also consume nuts and seeds and at least
five portions of fruit and vegetables daily. Oily fish
such as mackerel, sardines, tuna and salmon are also beneficial
for women during menopause.
There are many powerful herbs available to help cope with
hormonal changes that work quickly
and effectively in the body. Nature's Sunshine provides
the finest herbs, essential fatty acids and antioxidant
nutrients that nourish the body naturally and relieve the unwanted
symptoms associated with the menopause.
The supplements below can help
provide essential support for the bones, hormones,
cardiovascular and nervous systems during the peri-menopause,
menopause and post-menopause stages. They are:
Master Gland Formula - This key
system product provides nutritional supplementation for all the
glands on the body. Hormones produced by these glands
influence out state of health. Master Gland contains a
unique and comprehensive combination of vitamins, minerals and
phytonutrients to support this sytem.
Skeletal Strength: A
comprehensive supplement containing calcium, magnesium and
vitamins to help prevent osetoporosis.
Nutri-Calm: A B-vitamin
supplement that enhances the body's ability to adapt to hormonal
fluctuations, stress levels and mood swings.
Flax Seed Oil: This is a rich
source of the essential fatty acid known as Omega-3 which is
important for every cell in the body.
Do You Mainly Suffer From Just
'Hot
Flushes'?
If hot flushes seem to be your main symptom, then
you could try
Phyto-Soy.
Hot flushes can severely interrupt your daily routine and
interfere with sleep. Soya is in great demand
because of its health benefits for the immune, glandular and
circulatory systems. The benefits of taking high-levels of
genistein, a particular isobioflavonoid in soya, include helping
to protect the body.
Often,
many women view this new 'menopausal' stage in their lives from
a negative perspective. Yet, the menopause is often a time
for new freedoms and new beginnings; your children have grown up
and your career or your social support network is firmly
established, which when viewed positively, actually leaves you with
much more time to enjoy life!
If you
make the simple changes recommended above to your diet and lifestyle, you'll
no doubt feel happier; as a result you'll find that you have boundless
more energy with the ability to pursue this new phase of your
life and your interests, with much renewed vigour!
The nutritional supplement product links stated in this article can only be purchased from this website in UK and in Europe; however all other health product links stated on this page are available worldwide from Natural Body Healing.
The above information should not be treated as a substitute for the
medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care
professional.
|
