Naturally © lynette sheppard
Guest blogger Jessica Socheski outlines a natural regimen for coping with menopausal symptoms. Enjoy!
Natural Remedies For Menopause Relief
Dealing with menopause proves a different battle for each individual woman. While some experience mild symptoms, others face prolonged and often painful effects of the hormonal change in their bodies.
Occurring at the natural end of a woman’s reproductive life, menopause symptoms can be treated in various ways. There is no “cure” for menopause because it is a process that must work its way through the body, but there are relief techniques to ease the discomfort.
While medications can be taken, many women have unpleasant reactions to medicine or just prefer more natural means and are seeking a holistic method of relief through private medical care. Here are some of the top ways to combat the effects of menopause and continue enjoying your life.
1. Diet
The foods you consume can either aid in controlling menopausal symptoms, or they can exacerbate these side effects. Foods high in caffeine and carbonation contain phosphorous which can aggravate menopausal symptoms.
Eating organic foods instead of commercially raised foods can decrease symptoms. Commercially raised foods including meat contain high amounts of saturated fats that decrease the body’s ability to metabolize estrogen.
Excessive ingestion of overly sugary foods limits the body’s ability to metabolize estrogen as well, and this can also damage the body’s immune system.
Food containing phytoestrogens and omega-3 fatty acids should be added to a daily diet. These decrease symptoms by filling the body with essential nutrients. Foods such as soy, oats, grains, almonds, blueberries (berries in general), vegetables, and wheat should be digested daily.
2. Vitamins
Pharmacist Steven G. Ottariano recommends adding vitamins and minerals to a daily diet because of their benefits for mid and late life hormones.
Vitamin E helps reduce night sweats and hot flashes. Taking Vitamin E and Vitamin C together helps the body to absorb Vitamin E’s benefits while decreasing capillary fragility.
Calcium relieves menopausal symptoms and should be taken with magnesium, which aids in the body’s absorption of calcium.
Studies have shown that ginseng helps with menopausal mood swings as well as relieving sleep disturbances and emotional sensitivity.
Evening primrose oil is known to help reduce hot flashes, too. Used for its ability to aid in menstrual cramp relief, it is logical that this would also impact hot flashes and help provide relief.
3. Black Cohosh
An herb, Black Cohosh has received scientific notoriety for its effectiveness at cooling hot flashes. It has been studied and recorded to have helped women with hot flash relief.
While there has been concern that this herb could affect hormone-sensitive tissue such as the uterus and breast as well as creating possible liver problems, much of the scientific research suggests these connections are not linked to Black Cohosh alone.
4. Stress Relief
Because menopause is affecting the body’s hormones, many women find themselves more stressed than usual and unable to sleep. Hot flashes only disturb sleep further and cause more stress.
Drinking herbal tea can relieve hot flashes while soothing and relaxing the body in order to achieve a better night’s rest. Relaxing in a bath is also known to relieve stress, and many women find that taking an ice bath actually relieves their symptoms more because it soothes hot flashes.
Working through menopause is not a pleasant experience, but it doesn’t have to be painful either. Working through it with natural options can aid relief while helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
