Younger Women
Women in the menstrual years, especially ages 14 through 35, are susceptible to ever-changing hormone levels that can cause physical and emotional symptoms that may come and go abruptly. Often called premenstrual syndrome (PMS), these symptoms include:
• Breast swelling or tenderness
• Painful joints and muscles
• Headaches/migraines
• Clumsiness
• Forgetfulness
• Bloating
• Swelling of the hands and feet
• Cramping or pelvic/abdominal pain
• Acne on face, back, arms, chest
• Irritability
• Food cravings
• Loss of interest in socializing
• Loss of libido (sex drive)
• Reduced efficiency in job, school or caretaking of home
• Sleeplessness
A clean diet and regular physical activity are vital to achieving hormone balance throughout the menstrual cycle.
What is a clean diet? In simple terms it excludes most packaged foods, eliminates sugar, and curtails breads and pastas. On the other hand, it includes lots of fruits and veggies; whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, spouted grain breads, couscous, millet, barley; good fats such as almonds, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, olive oil, flax oil, avocados; and organic lean proteins: chicken, turkey, extra lean beef, fish, tofu, eggs, cottage cheese, low-fat cheeses.
Staying active is equally important. Why? In part because regular physical activity is the one thing that helps women release endorphins, the feel-good brain chemical that helps to diminish bad moods and brightens days that seem hopeless. Taking a run or a bike ride, working out at the gym, or even walking around the block, can elevate mood and direct attention away from symptoms.
Some women need additional help alleviating PMS or menstrual-related symptoms. The following supplements have proven helpful to many:
1. Calcium (1000 mg daily) with 400-600mg of magnesium. Can help reduce moodiness, bloating or water retention, food cravings, muscle pain/cramping, and sleeplessness. Several studies have shown that this treatment works for PMS and additionally helps strengthen bones.
2. Gamma linolenic acid (GLA), 200mg daily. This excellent supplement helps to support the breasts by reducing swelling, and also helps mood, and the skin, hair and nails.
3. Essential fatty acids (Omega 3 fatty acids), 1-2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal or mixed fatty acids daily. Omega 3 fatty acids help with menstrual cramps, bloating, water retention, breast tenderness, and brain function. EFAs also inhibit the over-production of estrogen.
4. Vitamin E (natural), 400 - 800 IU daily. Besides being a wonderful antioxidant, vitamin E helps to relieve sore breasts and controls the production of prostaglandins (hormone-like substances).
5. Chaste tree, 200-250mg daily of standardized extract. This helps with painful periods and premenstrual cramping.
6. B-complex vitamins. High potency B-100 taken daily in the morning is one of the best supplements for supporting brain function, mood, energy, and immunity.
Perimenopause
HormonesSymptoms of estrogen dominance include:
* Weight gain around the middle
* Sleep difficulties
* Depression
* Irritability
* Acne
* Water retention
* Brain fog - forgetfulness and lack of concentration
* Sore breasts
* Cystic breasts
* Uterine fibroids
* Endometriosis
* Irregular periods
* Painful periods
* Heavy periods
* Rage
The following supplements are helpful during perimenopause:
1. B-Complex vitamins, 100mg daily. Support the liver and help to elevate energy, mood, and feelings of well-being. B vitamins also help break down and clear estrogen.
2. B-Complex vitamins, 100mg daily. Support the liver and help to elevate energy, mood, and feelings of well-being. B vitamins also help break down and clear estrogen. Vitamin C, 500-1000mg daily. Helps to reduce heavy bleeding. It aids iron absorption to prevent anemia and fatigue, boosts the immune system, and supports energy.
3. B-Complex vitamins, 100mg daily. Support the liver and help to elevate energy, mood, and feelings of well-being. B vitamins also help break down and clear estrogen. Bromelain, 500-1000mg. This enzyme helps to alleviate painful periods and inflammation associated with PMS.
4. B-Complex vitamins, 100mg daily. Support the liver and help to elevate energy, mood, and feelings of well-being. B vitamins also help break down and clear estrogen. Essential fatty acids, (Omega-3), fish and/or flaxseed oils, 2 tbsp. daily. Help ease menstrual pain, support thyroid balance for energy and weight, support cardiovascular system, and improve the health of skin, hair, and nails.
5. Vitex, 75-300mg daily. This supplement behaves like progesterone in the body.ÊIt helps ease cramping and heavy periods and corrects the effects of estrogen dominance.
6. Citrus bioflavonoids. Reduces estrogen dominance as it binds to estrogen receptors and blocks estrogen activity.
7. 5-http, 50-100mg in the evening. This wonderful supplement helps to support serotonin levels, boosting mood, reducing cravings, and aiding sleep.
Menopause
HormonesMenopause literally means the cessation of menstruation, but we think of it as the transition, usually between ages 48 and 52, when physical and psychological changes occur as a result of reduced production of estrogen and other hormones. If a woman has not menstruated for 12 consecutive months, she is usually considered to be through menopause. It may take several years of frustrating start-and-stop menstruation before a woman finally makes it through an entire year without having a period. During menopause the ovaries continue to shrink and produce fewer follicles (eggs) therefore manufacturing less hormonesÑthe estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone. Common menopause symptoms stem from the reduction of these hormones, plus less DHEA, pregnenalone, thyroid hormones, and human growth hormones.
The use of natural bioidentical hormones can help ease a woman's passage through menopause but they do not prevent menopause from occurring.
The typical symptoms of menopause are:
* Insomnia
* Hot flashes/night sweats
* Fatigue
* Weight gain
* Vaginal dryness
* Depression
* Moodiness
* Anger
* Loss of sex drive
* Involuntary urine loss
* Joint and muscle pain/aches
* Brain fog, mental confusion
* Loss of zest for life
The everyday changes that must take place in order to help restore balance include:
1. An excellent, high-fiber, lean-protein diet with healthy fats.
2. Stress reduction and stress management.
3. Aerobic exercise at least five days weekly, 30 minutes minimum per session.
4. Strength training two or three times weekly.
5. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Supplements that support women during menopause and that can be used with or without prescription bioidentical hormones include:
* Natural progesterone cream
* Menopause formula
* Soybeans and soybean products. Substances in soy closely resemble estrogen and help bind with the body's estrogen receptors and promote an estrogen-like action without having to take estrogen.
* B-complex vitamins for energy, mood, and brain function.
* Omega 3 fatty acids for thyroid support, brain function,and temperature regulation.
* Vitamin C, 500-1000mg daily for energy, immunity, andto relieve the effects of estrogen dominance.
* Vitamin E, for the estrogen-like effects and antioxidant properties
* 5-http, 50-100mg daily for mood and sleep
* Calcium-magnesium, 1200mg/400-600mg daily in the evening for sleep and mood.
There are many more suggestions for balance during menopause, but every woman is unique. The best thing to do is to have your hormone levels tested and work with a medical provider trained in hormonal balance who will work with you to create a treatment program for optimal health.
Postmenopause
HormonesOnce a woman has gone for 12 months without a period, she is officially postmenopausal. Welcome to the rest of your life! Most women live at least 25 years past their final period. Many women experience increased energy and vitality and freedom from hormone-caused emotional symptoms after their hormone roller coaster ride ends. Anthropologist Margaret Mead described the new vitality as postmenopausal zest.
While it is great not to have the hormonal ups and downs of perimenopause and the night sweats and surprise bleeding of menopause, the body is still producing hormones and imbalances can and do occur. All the advice given above for earlier times in a woman's life applies doubly now. An excellent diet, adequate aerobic and strength-training exercise, a healthy weight, adequate rest, active stress management, and dietary supplementation are all vital.
Postmenopausal symptoms can include:
* Vaginal dryness
* Painful intercourse
* Decreased libido
* Urinary incontinence
But the greatest health issues to women in postmenopause are the diseases of aging: heart disease and osteoporosis.
Heart disease, not cancer, is the primary cause of death in women. Although the average age of a heart attack for women is 74, many women in early postmenopause will want to reevaluate their lifestyles to reduce their risk. Quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, and following all the healthy lifestyle advice above will go far to maintain health.
Fortunately, anti-aging (longevity) medicine can help women to reduce and reverse the effects of aging, and the postmenopausal years can be the best of all. |
