Laura (not her real name) was a 50 year old dynamo. She had just re-married, adopting a teenager and her business was thriving. The only glitch was the sleepless nights and the hot flashes. If she could learn to kick those, she’d be all set.
Menopause Everywhere
One in six women will reach menopause over the next decade, and, unfortunately there are gaps in the knowledge and also in the treatment options that are available. When Laura went to her doctor for relief, he offered her pills and hormone replacement therapy. All the things she’d been hearing scary things about for years. She needed education and guidance during this stage of her extraordinary life.
Different Bodies
We are all uniquely different in regards to our bodies’ composition, therefore, we all experience menopause in many different ways. 80 percent of women experience hot flashes, guaranteed! This means disrupted sleep, irritability and a decreased quality of life. For example, while Laura had hot flashes, she was not experiencing any irritability. Her friend was the opposite, she didn’t once break out in a sweat but was fit to be tied fighting with her family often.
The Risks Again?
Women aged 40-60 really need to be aware of their risks for heart disease, stroke and various other conditions. Unfortunately, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), is a factor which has consistently shown an increase in breast cancer and other cancer risk factors. Since 2002 HRT has dropped dramatically, Thankfully!
The Insidious
Did you know 1 in 4 post-menopausal women have osteoporosis? When I met Laura as a client, I had to teach her that there are many different issues that could have hurt her if she didn’t take control, manage, and recognize her own menopausal symptoms.
What You Put In Your Mouth
As a nutritionist, I believe very strongly that we truly are what we eat and that the refrigerator could be our friend in the time of menopause. When we started working with Laura to help her balance her hormones we did a complete hormone analysis, we analyzed her updated blood work, and we adjusted her food choices, added some supplements, and changed some lifestyle practices. Within the following months Laura reported that she had drastic improvements in her hot flashes and is thoroughly enjoying her improved quality of life. She was ecstatic.
You are no different than Laura. This time in your life should be embraced and celebrated, and not be a struggle. All women can reduce their risks and symptoms by making easily adaptable dietary and lifestyle changes. How exciting would it be to balance your hormones fully so you can enjoy, be satisfied and happy every single day.
If you’d like more natural menopause-rescue advice, Take my 5 minute free Is Your Diet Worsening Your Hot Flashes? QUIZ to see if your menopause is being affected by your diet.
