Menopause: A time of powerful transition
Menopause: A powerful time of transition
The chapters of Perl-menopause, menopause and post menopause are often dreaded and feared by many women.
But in actuality, this phase should be honoured as a powerful time of transition that celebrates the next season of life.
A time that heralds self discovery!
A time to inspire a new way and a new rhythm!
A time to step into and claim your full power and wisdom!
A time guiding you what it means to be uniquely and fiercely you!
And a time to speak the truth in your heart a whole lot more! (much, much more).
The truth is, many women sail through menopause without any problems.
Aaaaand some women don’t, often suffering in silence thinking menopause is just another stage to grin and bear.
Honestly it’s not!
Solutions are everywhere!
The 3 main stages of change:
There are three main phases of menopause and often it’s not a case of clear beginning and end. Some ladies will bounce between all three phases and that’s OK.
Peri-menopause: Usually kicks off around 8-10 years before menopause and is characterized by a slow decline in the production of lady hormones and gradual body changes. A drop in oestrogen accelerates in the last 2 years of Peri-menopause and some ladies may notice menopausal symptoms beginning to emerge or intensify.
Menopause: Is official once your periods stop entirely for 12 months or less.
Post-Menopause: Is official once you haven’t had a period for longer than 12 months.
A simple blood test can help identify where you’re at!
Metabolism, Mood and Brain Chemistry during Menopause
Menopause is all about a decrease in the sex hormones - oestrogen, progesterone and to a lesser extent testosterone, which kicks off when the body begins to run out of eggs. Menopause can also occur for other reasons such as early menopause, surgery to remove the ovaries due to disease and certain treatments for cancer such as radiation and chemotherapy. Based on the type of menopause you encounter, your symptom story might be a little different to what I’m discussing in this blog.
A bit more about the hormones….
Oestrogen isn't a single hormone, but rather 3 hormones with different functions.
Estradiol, a powerful female hormone in childbearing women. This hormone is responsible for female characteristics and is important for bone health in women. Producing too much or too little can cause problems, so balance is key.
Estrone - a hormone in the post-menopausal women which is made from cholesterol and produced in the ovaries, adrenal glands and fat cells
Estriol - secreted by the placenta. This hormone is produced during pregnancy.
What about progesterone?
Progesterone is commonly known as the “fertility and pregnancy” hormone, it’s name literally means to “promote gestation”. Progesterone naturally begins to decline in our 30’s and continues to decline as we age. But progesterone isn’t just a fertility hormone, it’s also a natural “feel good” hormone that reduces depression, moods swings and anxiety. Studies even show that progesterone can protect the brain after a traumatic injury!
When menopause feels more painful than powerful:
Going through menopause is actually meant to be pretty breezy and uneventful. But many ladies will attest, that menopausal symptoms are very real and going through the change can be an absolute nightmare
Moods, metabolism, bone strength, blood sugar levels, thyroid function and joint health can all be negatively affected. And if that wasn't bad enough, a decline in lady hormones can raise LDL-C cholesterol (the bad stuff) contributing to fatty liver, weight gain, metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis. Naturopathic support can be very useful in the management of hormone decline and resulting imbalances, but it’s best to seek assistance sooner rather than later.
The most common symptoms of menopause
Mood Swings - Natural oestrogen is a great mood booster. Declining levels can lead to anxiety or depressive disorders. It is therefore important to understand the relationship between oestrogen changes and cyclical mood disorders. Medical clinicians recognize oestrogen's therapeutic potential for mood change. Therefore oestrogen replacement therapy is often used as a first line treatment therapy in post-menopausal women to improve mood, bone health, vaginal dryness, hot flushes, insomnia and general well-being. It's important to note that synthetic hormones like HRT and the "Pill" are not the same as naturally produced hormones and do come with a list of potential side effects. Please be sure to do your research!
Hot flushes - Often start in the Peri-menopausal phase. Hot flushes (Or tropical moments as I sometimes call them) are mostly triggered by declining oestrogen, progesterone and adrenal (stress) hormone imbalance. Lifestyle factors such as alcohol, caffeine and certain spices like ginger are heating agents and best avoided if you're experiencing hot flushes.
Depression - there is plenty of evidence suggesting the high incidence of depression in women going through the change is exacerbated by an imbalance of oestrogen, progesterone, cortisol and testosterone. Nutrient and hormone checks are very useful here.
Headaches/Migraines - the main trigger of menstrual related migraine is the withdrawal of oestrogen and progesterone. Hormonal replacement with oestrogens can worsen migraines and oral contraceptives can change its frequency and character. Women often notice a relationship between headaches and hormonal changes…as the frequency and pattern if often cyclical.
Vaginal dryness: This is one of the lesser discussed maladies of menopause. A drop in oestrogen can cause thinning and tearing of the very delicate V-jay jay skin (OUCH!), making it painful for some ladies to have sex, walk, wear tight clothing or even wipe after using the loo. HRT and hormone creams are thought to be the only option for this condition. But beautiful natural topical and oral herbal and nutritional solutions for vaginal dryness do exist.
Weight gain: All of a sudden you hit your forties and fifties and POOF! Suddenly you have back fat and a spare tyre around your middle. You haven’t changed your diet or lifestyle, but your body continues to pack on the kilo’s. Ugh!. The thing is, you might be still eating and exercising like you did in your twenties, but this may no longer be the right way to nourish your evolving forty or fifty year old something body. Hormone changes are largely to blame for this phenomenon. It’s also a good idea to have a full blood work up to identify what’s happening for you. The Metabolic Balance ® program may be a great solution for balancing your metabolism and learning to eat appropriately changing physique.
Insomnia: Many women may experience a change in sleep habits including trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or both. From a naturopathic perspective, menopausal sleep issues are often due to fluctuations in body temperature during the night as a result of hormone changes, blood sugar fluctuations (again due to hormone fluctuations and made worse by not enough sleep) and reduced liver efficiency (the organ that helps detoxify the body and balance hormones). If you’re regularly waking between 1am -3am in the morning, your liver could use some love.
Other symptoms of declining lady hormone levels include;
· Anxiety
· Heart palpitations
· Forgetfulness
· Dry hair
· Back and joint pain
· Tiredness
· Loss of libido, urinary urgency
· Abdominal bloating
· A general feeling of unenthusiastic lethargy
N.B: None of these symptoms are normal and should never be ignored or "put up with"
Naturopathic Solutions for menopause
Naturopathic healthcare recognizes that in order to heal, one must consider the integrity of the whole person, not just symptoms. Conventional medicine has become increasingly specialised, giving scant attention to the actual causes of illness, only masking the symptoms.
It's simply a pill for an ill and look no further.
Your lifestyle, diet and mindset are all very important factors to consider when experiencing symptoms of ill health!
Natural treatment considerations for menopause:
Detoxification: The liver is essentially one of the main detoxifiers of the body, happy hormones MUST have a happy liver!
Balance and nurture your adrenal glands. Healthy adrenal function is critical all the time, but particularly to ensure a smooth transition through menopause. The adrenals act as back-up generators once the ovaries begin to retire, producing tiny amounts of sex hormones. It’s important to adjust lifestyle factors that may be needlessly frying your adrenals. Poor adrenal health often leads to an increase in undesirable symptoms during menopause. The adrenals respond very well to herbal and nutritional medicine.
Nutritional interventions. Diet plays a crucial role for ensuring balanced and happy hormones. Experience show’s that clients who get their diet on point, have reduced symptoms and feel so much better. The Metabolic balance ® program is great for identifying your ideal diet. Book your free metabolic balance ® discovery call here.
Ensure your gut function is running smoothly. Wonky gut function, means a wonky liver function and wonky hormones. Poor gut function often responds beautifully to naturopathic interventions and support.
So there you have it, a little discussion about the joys and drama's of menopause.
Menopause really doesn't signify the beginning of the end. It’s simply a change of season, a changing body and changing mind.
Menopause is a time of “becoming” unapologetically, powerfully and authentically you!
Love xx
For further information please visit www.angelafrench.com.au or to make a booking click here
Written By Angela French -Naturoapth
A leading Gold Coast naturopath who loves supporting women to live their best life.
Photo Credit: @aselter
References:
1. Rev Neurol (Paris). 2000;156 Suppl 4:4S30-41. Sex hormones and headache. Available athttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11139745
2. EurekAlert. Public Release: 22-Jan-2012. The influence of estrogen on female mood changes.
Available at https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/sicp-tio010912.php
3. ScienceDaily. May 26, 2014. May 26, 2014. Hot flashes/night sweats solutions: Estrogen therapy vs. Venlafaxine. Available at https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140526182751.htm
4. Singh M, Su C. Progesterone-induced neuroprotection: Factors that may predict therapeutic efficacy. Brain Res. 2013;1514:98-106.