Menopause can be an intense season for women as they navigate hormonal changes and fluctuations and the various symptoms that come with it. This article provides women with real steps and ideas of how to manage their menopausal symptoms day-to-day from a holistic perspective.
A holistic, sustaining approach to menopause begins with choosing a diet of nutrient-rich, whole foods.
Eating a diet abundant in quality meats, fruits, and vegetables can set a foundation to deeply nourish the body, reduce inflammation, prevent bone loss, and avoid excess weight gain.
A diet that includes hormone-balancing foods is crucial to keeping menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and fatigue at bay. Enjoy the following foods where available:
An imbalance in the gut flora, known as dysbiosis, can exacerbate hormonal imbalances during menopause and may be accompanied by other infections such as candida (an overgrowth of yeast) or SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).
These gut conditions can lead to increased inflammation, which blocks the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and balance hormones efficiently. They can also be exacerbated by hormonal fluctuations, causing a chain reaction resulting in increased negative symptoms.
Working to reduce inflammation and ensure the body can properly absorb nutrients will positively affect a woman’s overall health as well as help manage menopause symptoms.
Removing processed foods and refined sugars from your diet is one of the first and most influential steps a woman can make in eating a cleaner, more nutrient-dense diet. These types of foods are often to blame for sending blood sugar levels on a rollercoaster ride.
Keeping blood sugar stable is crucial for navigating menopause successfully. Blood sugar spikes can impact mood and cause irritability, and are associated with depression. Similarly, consuming a diet high in processed foods has been correlated with poor bone health in women ages 50–59.
Avoiding spicy foods, alcohol, sugary foods, and caffeine may keep hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings in check. If a woman is experiencing sensitivity to a particular food item, it’s important to identify that food and remove it from the diet. If multiple food sensitivities are being identified, an elimination diet is worth considering to help reduce inflammation and identify what may be triggering symptoms.
Elimination diets can take many different forms, but the core idea is to stop eating foods you think may be triggering symptoms to see if you notice a difference.
The drastic hormonal changes and fluctuations a woman’s body experiences during menopause can negatively affect bone health. This leads to weaker bones and an increased risk for osteoporosis.
Food and supplements to boost bone health:
Methylation (a biochemical cells perform constantly throughout the body for countless tasks) is important in the production of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline, norepinephrine, and melatonin. If this integral and vital process is not optimized, a woman’s body will not properly process estrogen and other important hormones and the ability to clear and recycle hormones is impaired.
Methylation works to assist estrogen to be cleared down the 2 hydroxy pathway (2OHE1), however, problems arise when estrogen is cleared from the body down the 16aOHE1 and 4OHE1 pathways. This pathway of estrogen clearance can exacerbate menopausal symptoms and predispose women to breast cancer and other endocrine-based cancers. Working with a skilled health care provider to understand your methylation status and genetic variants such as MTHFR can help you understand how to best support your unique physiology.
A regular sleep schedule or routine can help women support a balanced mood, a healthy weight, and keep stress levels low. Seven to eight hours of sleep at night will not only support a woman’s overall health but also help to reduce symptoms of menopause.
Tips to establish life-enhancing sleep rhythms:
Staying active is one of the best ways to support a woman’s body and manage symptoms during menopause. Walking 20 minutes a day can be extremely beneficial to the physical body, while also encouraging feelings of relaxation. Strength training and yoga are enormously helpful for bone health in women going through menopause and beyond.
Regular exercise a few times a week can promote many health benefits such as:
Mood changes are a common experience for women on the path of menopause. Practicing stress-reduction and relaxation techniques such as deep-breathing exercises, full-body stretching, massage, and cranial-sacral facial work can help bring a sense of peace and calm when experiencing mood fluctuations.
Consider working with a health care practitioner to supplement with St. John’s wort, passionflower, or vitamin B6, and always discuss any mood concerns to help identify the root cause.
At times, supplementing with additional herbs and vitamins can be extremely beneficial to fill out the areas that diet or other efforts have not met. As always, consult with a health care provider before supplementing.
Menopause is a normal, natural stage of a woman’s life. While it does mean many hormonal changes, women can be empowered to walk through this season with strength and ease.
Following these holistic diet and lifestyle methods can significantly improve menopausal symptoms. As always, working with a trained practitioner to assess an individual’s body chemistry, test hormone levels, and consider any other underlying factors can be a valuable step in adding another level of support as a woman navigates these changes.