Diet & lifestyle strategies to improve menopause symptoms
I must admit that menopause can be really hard on some of us. As more than 70 % of my clients are females struggling with the changes associated with menopause, I thought I would do blog dedicated to this topic and include some tips on how to naturally manage your menopause symptoms.
What is menopause?
The definition of menopause is when there is no menstruation over a 12 month period and when periods permanently stop. Perimenopause is the phase leading to the cessation of menses and is usually accompanied by significant reproductive and physiological changes which are often accompanied by the additional effects of ageing and social adjustment. The length of this transition is about 4 years, but usually shorter in smokers. The median age for menopause is 51, over an age range from 39-59 years old.
Severity of symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can last from 2-20 years.
These can include:
- Hot flashes or night sweats – reported in 40-65 % of women
- Disturbed sleep, insomnia, fatigue – 30-60%
- Vaginal dryness – 25-35%
- Lack of libido
- Urinary problems – increased urgency and frequency
- Headaches
- Dry skin
- Hair loss
- Joint pain
- Breast tenderness
- Palpitations
- Depressed mood and loss of confidence
- Irritability and anxiety
- Issues concentrating and remembering things
Reading this you may think… great I can’t wait for it… or perhaps if already experiencing some of these symptoms you may find some relief. No, you are not going crazy, it is just your body trying to rebalance and find a new set point which is often uncomfortable. The good news is that while most of us will experience some of these symptoms there are a lot of menopause treatment strategies that research has found to be helpful in alleviating your discomfort so let’s look at these now.
Menopause Treatment Strategies
1. Balance your diet
Goes without saying that you must ensure you have a well-balanced diet filled with vitamins, minerals, fibres, healthy fats and proteins. Each of you is unique so please make sure you seek advice from a specialist dietitian who can tailor recommendations to support your transition and goals.
Some general recommendations you could consider are:
- Consume more phytoestrogenic foods (if no history of breast cancer) such as – flax seeds, soy beans (fermented only options), sesame seeds, garlic, humus, multigrain bread, mung bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, dried apricots, pistachios, dates, sunflower seeds, chestnuts, fennel, yams, dried prunes
- Eat min 2-3 pieces of fruit per day
- Eat 4 cups of vegetables/salad per day
- Reduce red meat intake to max once a week
- Increase fatty fish intake to min 3 times per week – wild caught salmon, sardines, mackerel etc (avoid farmed or tinned fish)
- Avoid coffee
- Drink more water – min 2-3 l per day
- Minimise alcohol (max 1 serve 3 days per week), possibly avoid if having severe symptoms
2. Lifestyle recommendations
Learn how to breath and practice deep belly breathing several times per day. Notice the tendency to hold your breath or over breathe and relax the muscles around your chest wall.
Listen to relaxation music during the day or while driving and try to sing along as this will help you relax further.
- Aim to go to bed no later than 10 pm – it is very important to restore your sleep patterns and ensure you get min 8 h sleep per night
- Stop smoking
- Get some sunshine on your skin min 15 min per day – helps with Vit D, melatonin and serotonin production
- Exercise most days – forms you should consider are yoga, qigong, taichi, lifting weights, swimming, cycling, outdoor walking/hiking. Again, a specialist dietitian can help tailor these recommendations based on your presentation and lifestyle.
- Learn how to deal with your stress proactively – techniques you can consider are mindfulness and meditation, breath work, hypnotherapy, biofeedback, acupuncture, spending time in nature, keeping contact with friends and family when that is supportive, having a massage and creating a mindset focus on wellness and not disease.
3. Supplements
Research has found the following supplements to be helpful as an adjunct to the above recommendations and I strongly recommend using these under supervision from your GP, Specialist dietitian or at least ask your pharmacist.
- Some of these include:
- Vitamin E
- Flaxseed/ Evening primrose oil
- Melatonin
- Ginko biloba
- Ginseng
- Wild yam
- Hop extract
- St John Wort
- Black cohosh
- Red clover
Again, some of these supplements come with side effects and some are not recommended for those with a breast cancer history… so please make sure you seek advice before taking any of these.
Finally, If you require help managing your menopause symptoms and associated weight gain, please know you are not alone and that you can get specialised and personalised support to make this transition as easy as possible. To make an appointment please feel free to contact me directly at www.vereenhealth.com.au / 1300 787 411 / info@vereenhealth.com.au
The post Menopause Treatment appeared first on Vereen Health.
