Natural Ways To Relieve Menopause Symptoms

Menopause is the phase of life when a woman stops menstruating. The average age when this happens is 51 years. Menopause affects every woman differently; some make a smooth transition with minimal complaints while others really struggle. It is often the women who have experienced either chronic stress throughout their lives, or significant illness that go through a difficult menopause. Often the healthier you are, the less likely you will have problems with menopause. Therefore it’s good to try and get as healthy as possible before menopause arrives.

The following are typical menopause symptoms:

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Aches and pains
• Vaginal dryness and discomfort
• Painful sexual intercourse
• Loss of libido
• Bladder problems such as urgency and incontinence
• Mood changes
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Memory problems
• Poor concentration and foggy head
• Dry and aging skin
• Hair loss
• Sleep disorders

The intensity of these symptoms can vary greatly. For some women they last a few months, while for others they can last more than a decade.

The following natural remedies can help:

• Take care of your liver The liver is the primary fat-burning organ of the body and one of its many roles is regulating hormones. Fatty liver is becoming increasingly common in modern society, and occurs when our liver cells get clogged with fat. Women with a fatty liver are more prone to hot flashes; due to their liver function being compromised and not being able to adequately regulate hormones. A healthy diet, lifestyle changes and good quality liver tonic can correct this. See the book ‘Fatty Liver: You Can Reverse It’.
• Try not to be overweight It is very common for women to experience weight gain between the ages of 35 and 55 due to fluctuations in hormone levels. When sex hormone levels decline, metabolism slows down. Overweight women are more likely to experience hot flashes, especially if their weight is centered around their abdominal area. Assess all areas of your lifestyle that may be contributing to weight gain with the intention of keeping your weight in the healthy range. There are excellent weight loss tips and recipes in my book ‘I Can’t Lose Weight and I Don’t Know Why’.
• Stress can make all menopause symptoms worse Feeling stressed, anxious and tense can cause hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes and insomnia. Work, health, family, relationships and financial issues can cause stress which diminishes hormone production. Have a massage, take a hot bath, listen to some relaxing music, read a good book, eat well and make sure you are getting adequate sleep. Take some time out for yourself and focus on the things that make you happy. You may benefit from taking magnesium, a mineral that helps to improve the physiological response to stress and helps to promote relaxation.
• Minimize your contact with plastic Try to avoid plastic containers and plastic water bottles, and use glass containers and bottles instead. Plastic containers contain chemicals called xeno-estrogens; endocrine-disruptors that alter the normal function of hormones. Xeno-estrogens specifically have estrogen-like effects; which can cause ‘estrogen dominance’ and cause many unpleasant symptoms that were discussed previously. Toxins that leach from plastics into your food make the body work twice as hard at detoxifying, leading to illness. Build-up of xeno-estrogens has been linked to: breast, prostate and testicular cancer, obesity, infertility, early onset puberty, miscarriages and diabetes.
• Hydrate your body Your body requires water to support the detoxification pathways in your liver and kidneys, and also helps to eliminate toxins from the body. It is recommended to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to reduce hot flashes and hydrate dry itchy skin and vaginal dryness. If you are feeling peckish, have a glass of water. It’s likely you are getting your hunger signals and thirst signals mixed up and your body really needs water. Keep your fluids up with filtered water, herbal teas and raw vegetable juices. There are juice recipes specifically for menopause in my book ‘Raw Juices Can Save Your Life’. Adequate water intake is also important for helping to prevent kidney stones, which are common and extremely painful.
• Phytoestrogens can ease menopause symptoms Phytoestrogens in some herbs and foods have weak estrogenic properties. They help to ease the symptoms of menopause that are caused by lack of estrogen in a safe and balanced way. Legumes, nuts, seeds, spices and some vegetables contain varying levels of phytoestrogens. Femmephase capsules contain potent herbal phytoestrogens and may help relieve menopause symptoms.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.