Menopause is a natural biological process, not a medical illness. It usually occurs between 45 to 55 when female hormones begin to decline, resulting in irregular menstrual periods, then stops, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood changes, and low libido.
There are many natural options to help women sail through the life transition smoothly. Every woman is unique and will experience menopause differently. Therefore, you don’t need to use all of these remedies. Just choose some that work best for you.
Healthyping’s suggestions
Proper diet: Hormone balancing through food is the most important. Eat more green vegetables, soy products, whole-grain foods, fresh fruit, and seeds with rich phytochemicals to rebalance hormones.
Grazing: Eat smaller, more frequent meals to avoid the heat generated by digesting large amounts of food. Avoid spicy foods which can produce heat, and drink plenty of cold water.
Maca root: It grows in the mineral-rich highlands of Peru. It provides a unique set of nutrients that directly fuel the endocrine system and help the glands to produce vital hormones. Take 500 mg every morning. It works effectively for hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, energy levels, and sex drive.
GABA is an amino acid and the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Take 500mg 1 to 2 hours before bed to help relieve hot flushes, night sweats and improve mood, anxiety, and sleep.
Melatonin: The body naturally produces melatonin, but with age, it decreases. The biological clock does not run correctly, resulting in insomnia, so the elderly have a more significant benefit from using melatonin. Usually, it takes a week to see the benefits of insomnia. Some people may feel a little sleepy the following day for a few days, but this side effect will disappear with time.
Supplements: daily take 1,200 to 1,500 mg of calcium with vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis, vitamin C 500 mg to strengthen joints and also improve the immune system, multivitamins, and vitamin B complex to help with general health.
Bio-identical hormones are substances that exist in nature and plant resources. These bio-identical hormonal products (pregnenolone, progesterone, estriol, seven keto DHEA) come from wild yam and soy. They help balance and replenish a woman’s hormones, improve memory, relieve menopause symptoms and enhance sexual satisfaction. If used in proper dosages, they are more gentle and safer than synthetic hormones. Bio-identical hormone creams are the first choice because they enter the bloodstream directly through the skin, better than pills.
Omega-3 fatty acids can relieve mood swings, depression, memory loss; reduce hot flashes and night sweats; lower cholesterol and blood pressure; prevent blood clots, heart attack, stroke; relieve inflammation, and ease the pain. Supplements include Krill oil, Fish oil, Flaxseed oil, or powder. The flaxseed powder is also high in fiber to relieve constipation.
Soy Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogens in certain foods such as soy, natto, and tofu. They help relieve hot flashes and night sweats. Natto is the fermented soybeans and Japanese daily food. It contains phytoestrogens (hormone-like), nattokinase(anti-clot), good bacteria, vitamin B2, and k2. Natto helps relieve menopause symptoms, prevent osteoporosis, and reduce the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke.
Woman’s drink: use 30 Goji berries, 3 Chinese dates, and 30 grams of fresh Wild yam (Mountain yam). Clean well, add 2 cups water, and blend. Drinking this helps reduce hot flashes, boost energy, improves well-being and complexion. Note: you can use fresh potato or cooked yam instead of wild yam.
Chinese herbs soothe feminine discomfort and ease menopause symptoms. For example, both Lui Wai Di Hwang and Zi Bu Gan Shen Wan work well for insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings.
Vaginal discomfort: open one gel capsule of vitamin A or E oil; apply the oil 1 inch into the vagina for a lubricant to reduce vaginal dryness before intercourse. Staying sexually active also helps.
Optimize sleep: avoid drinking caffeine after 2 pm, but drinking Hibiscus or Chamomile tea in the afternoon will help sleep. Relaxation techniques such as Taiji, Pilates, and Yoga can be helpful. Exercise daily, but not right before bedtime.
Exercise regularly: Get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity three times a week (the more days, the better) to reduce stress, manage weight, and protect against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and other conditions associated with aging.
Gentle exercises: Taiji, Pilates, and Yoga are low-impact exercises to avoid tendons, joints, and bones injuries. They promote general health, stress management, mental clarity, mood balance, cardiovascular fitness, body coordination, flexibility, improving posture, alignment, endurance, energy recharge, and helping insomnia and hot flashes. TaiJi reduces the risk of falls in older adults and burns more calories than surfing and downhill skiing. Pilates and Yoga control breathing, posing with meditation, and strengthening the core muscles of abs, back, and legs to help physical fitness.
Kegel exercises can strengthen the pelvic floor muscle to improve some forms of urinary incontinence.
Strengthening Knees: the inner side of knee pain (medial knee pain) is the most common type of knee pain I see in my acupuncture practice. It mainly occurs often in older women. Daily knee strengthening exercises will prevent and rehab knee pain.
Don’t smoke: Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, cancer, and other health problems. It may also increase hot flashes, bring on menopause earlier, and age your skin.
Schedule regular checkups: for breast, thyroid, lipid level, bone density, and Pap test.
Acupuncture and Ping's meridian massage boost the body’s healing power; improve blood and energy flow; rebalance hormones and metabolism; reduce stress levels and help cope with life’s transition smoothly.
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