How To Prepare For Menopause & Perimenopause
Depending on where you are on your life’s journey today’s post can either be helpful to you now, or something you can start preparing for :)
Many people associate symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, depression and mood swings with menopause but often these start occurring in perimenopause (before menopause) phase.
I love it when we have women who come to us in their 30s and 40s because helping them address hormone issues now can significantly improve the way their body is able to go through upcoming menopause.
Did you know that nourishing your thyroid and adrenals can help you go through this time without experiencing all of the unpleasant side effects that many women deal with?
By building you up and supporting your thyroid and adrenals we can insure that your body will be able to handle the change over when your ovaries are no longer producing the sex hormones like they were. In menopausal women it’s the adrenals that actually produce most of your sex hormones. Having them in good shape goes a long way. Our adrenals are what help us deal with stress so if they are already overtaxed, going into menopause will just stress them more.
So what are some natural things you can do?
Starting early to get your body in balance as soon as possible is key. If you’re already dealing with hormonal issues, anxiety, fatigue, etc. before entering perimenopause you could be setting yourself up for more difficulty.
Work with a Functional Medicine Practitioner to strengthen and nourish all areas of your body. We use the Dutch test with our patients who are struggling with hormone issues. It’s a simple urine test that you can do at home. It provides a ton of information on your body’s sex and adrenal hormone production and metabolites. Based on results we can customize a lifestyle and nutritional plan just for you. Our Healthy Hormone Blueprint Program is perfect to help regulate things. Click here to read more about the program.
It’s important to make sure your Vitamin D levels are optimal, we like to see it in the 50s at minimum. You also want to make sure that your liver is supported as it helps to metabolize estrogen. We often use things like Dandelion, Beet Root, and/or Milk Thistle.
You should also take in plenty of good healthy Omega 3 fatty acids which are found in foods like fish, flaxseed oil, pumpkin seeds, eggs and walnuts. These oils are essential for our body and have been shown to help with anxiety, depression, inflammation, reducing the risk of heart disease, help fight autoimmune disease, skin health, improve sleep and reduce menstrual pain among other things.
Acupuncture is amazing for helping women deal with hormonal issues at any stage of life. Seek out a qualified Nationally Board Certified Acupuncturist. You’ll want to commit to weekly sessions for the best results in the beginning. Not only can acupuncture help to regulate the hormones, it is wonderful for helping sleep issues, stress, and anxiety.
Essential oils can also be helpful- we use Plant Therapy and doTERRA oils, it’s important to buy from a company that does testing for safety and purity. Depending on what symptoms are most present we use Peppermint for cooling the body, ClaryCalm which is a blend of 12 oils that are specifically chosen to aid the body’s hormonal system, and Lavender to help calm the body. If you are interested in learning more about essential oils click here.
Dealing with hormonal issues can seem overwhelming and tricky. Many women think that dealing with the unfortunate symptoms associated with menopause is something they must deal with but it doesn’t have to be a miserable experience!
Making lifestyle and nutritional changes early is the key. Things like exercise and eating a clean healthy diet, and supplementing nutrients you’re deficient in can help immensely. It’s possible to go through menopause smoothly if you make the changes to nourish yourself.
