Menopause can be hard to understand for someone who has been familiar with her own body for many years – and now suddenly nothing feels right. Hormones would explain a lot.
But menopause hormonal testing is not needed most of the time, unless we are trying to rule out an adrenal fatigue or a thyroid problem for example. The same is true for adjusting the dose. Your doctor should rely more on how you feel and how your symptoms are changing rather than testing.
I will group my thoughts on what can help you feel better during menopause in two short posts – this is a lot of information, and we don’t need to be additionally overwhelmed right now! Let’s start with the basics:
Most of the time, I would suggest to make sure there is no major nutrient deficiency or imbalance by using something like Spectracell or Genova blood testing. Such imbalance is known to possibly play a role in slowing down your hormone production. The same is true for adjusting the dose. Your doctor should rely more on how you feel and how your symptoms are changing rather than testing.
Exercise and stress reduction techniques are extremely important in this phase of your life. And they work! Based on numerous studies, the effects don’t take long to show up and help you feel better. Start with something easy like the 4-7-8 relaxing breath: inhale while counting to 4, hold your breath while counting to 7, and exhale all the way to 8. It’s easy and really works for everything including bad traffic!
Diet: I always start with discussing the anti-inflammatory diet, eliminating sugar, processed foods are among the most important first steps. Certain foods like flax seed and organic non-GMO soy can help as well, due to their phytoestrogen content.
The conclusion? Women who should not or do not want to take hormones may turn to herbal and nutritional therapies for managing their menopausal symptoms and risk factors.
These natural therapies are increasingly popular and have a growing body of scientific evidence to support their efficacy.
Supplements, botanicals and essential oils will be covered in my next post.
Feel better!
