Best diet to relieve menopause symptoms and signs
Menopause is a natural phase of a woman’s life. Although millions of women experience signs and symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, irritability, mood swings, weight gain, and similar uncomfortable symptoms, others go through this period symptom-free and with ease. While hormone replacement therapy is commonly recommended to relieve menopause symptoms, this may not be necessary. It turns out your diet has a lot to do with whether menopause will destroy your quality of life.
What is menopause?
Menopause is not a disease state; instead, a natural stage of every woman’s life. If you have not had a period for 12 months or longer, you are likely in menopause. But as mentioned above, the absence of periods is often not the only symptom women experience as part of this new phase of life.
If hot flashes, anxiety, vaginal dryness, night sweats are ruining your life, it is understandable why you may believe that hormone replacement therapy is the only option.
What’s so wrong with hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?
Contrary to common belief, HRT is not a solution to your menopause-related symptoms. At least not in the real sense. Solutions, by definition, resolve the core problem. HRT does not do that; it merely masks it, leaving the underlying issue completely unresolved.
But what’s even worse than that, HRT adds fuel to the fire and predisposes you to a whole host of side effects. Some doctors recommend estrogen-only HRT; others prescribe estrogen-progestin hormone replacement therapy. Regardless, the basis for this approach is always the same, and it is deeply rooted in the false idea that your aging ovaries are to blame.
HRT has serious potential side effects
Shortly after hormone replacement therapy for women became popular, doctors began noticing some serious adverse effects among their patients on the drugs. This recognition took place decades ago. You might wonder, where is the proof? Over the years, multiple clinical trials have confirmed the initial concerns, showing an increased rate of breast cancer, heart attack, and stroke among women on HRT.
If people were to read the information that is included in the product label approved by the Food And Drug Administration of hormone drugs, they would be horrified to find these and other similar “adverse events”.
The below examples come straight out of the package insert of one of the most commonly prescribed estrogen, Premarin:
- Black box warning about endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disorder, breast cancer, and dementia.
- Increased risks of stroke, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) and heart attack
- Higher risk of dementia in postmenopausal women over 65 years old
- Elevated risk of invasive breast cancer risk
The above is by far not an all-inclusive list of what can go wrong while on estrogen therapy with or without progestin. The risks are real and are not new. But I don’t blame you for believing the misinformation that there is something inherently wrong with you, that your body is simply breaking down as you get older, and that you have no other alternative than getting on HRT.
What is the real cause of menopause symptoms?
As I already pointed out, menopause is a natural stage of every woman’s life. Unlike what we are lead to believe, menopause symptoms are not meant to be part of the process, nor they are meant to be treated with synthetic hormones. The cause of your problems may be rooted in reasons other than your aging ovaries.
Your troubles are more likely to be the result of a combination of the following:
- sluggish liver
- adrenal fatigue
- thyroid hormone imbalances
- food sensitivities
- nutritional deficiencies
- high toxic load on the body
While taking estrogen and progestin pills may temporarily provide symptom relief, it does so by suppressing your immune system’s ability to respond to whatever the underlying issue may be in the first place. Hormone replacement therapy does not address the root cause of your problems and makes you more likely to develop breast cancer, stroke, and heart disease, especially when combined with other risk factors.
What is the best diet to help with symptoms of menopause?
Proper nutrition can have a profound impact on how you experience menopause. If you start implementing some of the below suggestions at the early stages of perimenopause, you will be far less likely to experience symptoms during menopause and postmenopause.
If you are already menopausal and concerned about the risks of HRT, know that you have options. The right foods, herbs, therapeutic grade essential oils and self-care can bring about the relief you have been seeking.
Dietary tips for menopause
Increase your consumption of whole, plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and other seeds. Many of these foods have powerful hormone-balancing effects.
Eat flaxseeds. They contain phytoestrogens and have demonstrated the ability to decrease hot flashes in multiple clinical trials.
Add fermented soy foods to your diet. Organic tofu, miso, and tempeh can also help reduce hot flashes.
If you eat animal products, be sure to only consume hormone-free meat to avoid creating hormone imbalance. Reduce or eliminate spicy foods and alcohol, both of which may increase hot-flash frequency and intensity.
Avoid processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol as they can make your symptoms much worse,
Herbs to support hormone balance during menopause
Black Cohosh
Vitex (chaste berry)
American Ginseng – an incredibly potent herb that supports healthy adrenals, boosts energy and relaxes the nervous system
Maca (Lepidium peruvianum) – has been shown to reduce hot flashes and support normal hormone balance. Be careful, there are many different phenotypes of Maca, and not all are created equal.
Lift your mood and cool your body with essential oils
Geranium and Rose oils have amazing hormone balancing effects. They also lift your mood and help you combat stress. There are few things in life more relaxing than taking a bath with a few drops of these powerful oils added to your water.
Peppermint offers an instant cooling effect. Place a few drops on the back of your neck, chest, and feet at night.
To get your long lost libido back, give Ylang Ylang a try! You may just find that it melts stress away and lifts your spirit.
When it comes to essential oils, please use therapeutic grade oils.
Whether you are in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause, you can benefit from making some simple diet and lifestyle changes to ease your uncomfortable symptoms. Cleaning up your diet may just be the most natural approach to getting the relief you want.
