Menopause has been a part of women’s life cycle since humans started reproducing but for many modern women this natural event has now become a time of immense suffering. Weight gain, hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, irritability, memory and recall lapses, loss of libido, vaginal dryness and bladder weakness appear on the scene and can hang around as unwanted guests for an indefinite amount of time.
Menopause symptoms can be debilitating and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is quickly offered as a treatment by doctors. However, many women if given the opportunity would prefer not to use HRT but use a natural solution instead. The good news is in this article we’ll discover what those natural treatments are.
Understanding Menopause
Before we dig into the best natural remedies for managing menopause symptoms let’s start with understanding just exactly what menopause actually is…
Menopause is a natural phase in a woman’s life, typically occurring around age 50, when her menstrual periods stop permanently. This transition marks the end of her reproductive years. It happens because the ovaries gradually produce fewer hormones, like estrogen and progesterone. These hormonal changes can lead to various symptoms such as –
- hot flushes
- night sweats
- mood swings
- anxiety and depression
- sleep disturbances
- weight gain
- thinning hair
- dry skin
- low libido
- vaginal dryness
- bladder weakness
- Urinary tract infections
- loss of skin elasticity
- acne
- osteoporosis
- memory lapses
Every woman’s experience with menopause is unique. Some breeze into menopause with minimal symptoms but a large number face more intense challenges that put strain on their relationships, their career and their enjoyment of life.
Lifestyle Changes
Some of the best natural ways to reduce menopause symptoms is with lifestyle changes. Dietary changes, stress reduction and exercise can reduce menopause symptoms significantly and are an important foundation to build before thinking about supplements.
Diet & Nutrition
Some of the most important things you can do with your diet to help ease menopause symptoms are –
- alcohol
- caffeine
- spicy foods
- high carb foods
- refined sugar
Foods you want to eat more of or bring into your diet because they are –
- fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines because they are rich in hormone balancing omega 3 oils
- flaxseeds because they contain omega 3 oils and oestrogen supporting phytoestrogens
- organic tofu because it contains phytoestrogens to balance your hormone levels
- fruits and vegetables because they supply hormone regulating vitamins and minerals
Exercise
Physical activity of any kind whether that is structured exercise, sport, dancing, hiking or walking it will help manage menopause symptoms. This is because regular physical activity helps maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of weight gain associated with hormonal changes. Regular physical activity improves mood and reduces stress through the release of endorphins, helping to alleviate mood swings and anxiety.
Exercise strengthens bones and muscles, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and joint pain. It also promotes better sleep by regulating sleep patterns. Additionally, cardiovascular exercise enhances heart health, which is crucial during menopause when the risk of heart disease increases. Overall, exercise contributes to improved physical and mental well-being during menopause.
Stress Management
Relaxation techniques and mindfulness are amazing for managing menopause symptoms because they lower stress levels. Stress is one of the worst causative factors of hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and mood swings. Practices like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga promote relaxation and improve emotional stability.
Mindfulness helps in staying present, and reducing anxiety and irritability. By managing stress effectively, these techniques contribute to overall well-being and make it easier to cope with the physical and emotional changes of menopause.
Herbal Remedies
Herbs are probably the oldest form of medicine for managing menopause symptoms and their popularity has increased in recent times as women look for a safe alternative to HRT.
The biggest issue facing many women in regard to using herbs as a symptom management strategy is… which ones to choose. Online, in health food stores and in pharmacies the choice is overwhelming because there are rows and rows of herbal supplements for menopause.
So to help you with your decisions, here is a list of herbs we naturopathic herbalists have discovered are the best –
- Black cohosh – supports oestrogen levels and reduces hot flushes
- Wild yam – supports oestrogen levels and reduces hot flushes
- Evening primrose oil – hormone balancing and improves mood
- Siberian ginseng – improves your resilience and helps maintain oestrogen and progesterone levels
- Ashwagandha – improves your resilience and helps maintain oestrogen and progesterone levels
- Rehmannia – reduces hot flushes and night sweats
- Sage – reduces hot flushes and night sweats
- Shatavari – helps to maintain oestrogen levels
- St John’s Wort – improves mood and helps with depression. It is contraindicated with many medicines so check before using.
Many of these herbs are available as teas however their effect is very weak. To achieve a therapeutic effect these herbs are best as herbal extracts. Herbal extracts are produced by mixing the herb with solvents, usually water and ethanol, to extract the active compounds from the herb.
The traditional herbal extract is a liquid, which we use regularly in our clinic. But more recently herbal extracts are put through an evaporation process to produce a powder that can be formed into tablets or placed into capsules.
Safety
Herbs in general are very safe but herbs are also foods and so there is always a small chance of sensitivity. One herb that you do need to be aware of its potential risk is St John’s Wort. It is a fabulous herb but it interacts with many medications.
So even though herbs for menopause symptoms are available everywhere, it is best to work with an herbal medicine expert like us before you start taking anything so you can be sure that what you take is safe for you.
Supplements and Vitamins
In addition to herbs, there are some important vitamins and minerals the body needs to maintain optimal hormone balance during the transition into perimenopause and menopause. Here is a list of the most essential –
- B vitamins – energy and mood support
- Vitamin C – stress support
- Vitamin D – bone health
- Vitamin K2 – bone health
- Zinc – hormone balance and skin repair
- Magnesium – stress and energy support
- Calcium – bone health
- Probiotics – vaginal health
As with herbal supplements, it’s best to consult with an expert like us naturopaths before you supplement with vitamins and minerals. They can help work out the best combination of ingredients to fit your circumstances.
Alternative Therapies
Besides herbs, supplements, exercise and lifestyle there are some great additional alternative therapies you can use to help relieve your symptoms.
Hypnotherapy
This might not sound like an obvious one but hypnotherapy is a wonderful tool for easing into menopause. This is because hypnotherapy helps to reprogram your thinking and habits.
As mentioned earlier in this article, three of the biggest triggers of anxiety, mood swings, hot flushes, night sweats and insomnia are alcohol, caffeine and stress.
By changing the way you behave hypnotherapy can help you stop alcohol and caffeine. and by changing the way you think it helps reduce stress levels.
Meditation
Stress is such a massive trigger of menopause symptoms that it needs to be tackled on various fronts. So meditation, a proven method for reducing stress, is something to definitely integrate into your lifestyle. Many people say they find it difficult to meditate and if this is you then that’s okay because meditation is a skill and it takes regular practice. A key thing to remember is you won’t be able to clear your mind when you first start meditating.
This is normal, so don’t get frustrated and disheartened.
Interestingly, the goal of medication isn’t to think of nothing it is to think of one thing. That is, you’re trying to focus on one thing, like your breath. You focus on it and then when you notice your mind wanders off, just bring your attention back to your breath. And start small, like for 5 minutes rather than 30 minutes or an hour.
Cold Therapy
One of the hallmarks of menopause is an increase in body temperature. Many women feel they ‘run hotter’ once they hit menopause. So this is where cold therapy is a winner. Besides obviously cooling you down, cold therapy also strengthens your nervous system, reduces anxiety and lifts your mood.
It’s a positive stress on the body that is short and sharp and short circuits the fight and flight response.
The simplest forms of cold therapy are cold showers, cold baths and swimming in lakes, rivers and the ocean, especially in winter. However, ice baths have become super popular and you can find them in gyms and recovery studios.
So how cold is cold?
It needs to be below 18 degrees Celsius but between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius is better. 1 to 2 minutes at least 3 times a week is all you need.
Manage Your Menopause Naturally
After 20 years of working with patients, the thing I’ve discovered about managing menopause symptoms naturally is that there isn’t one supplement, or one herb, or one food to avoid that makes the symptoms go away.
Rather, it’s a holistic approach that’s needed. Each element of the process gives benefit and the effect of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
But the really fantastic thing is when you treat menopause this way it doesn’t just take away your symptoms, it makes you feel amazing because all your whole health and wellbeing have been improved.
So if you’re suffering with menopause symptoms, and you don’t want to take the hormone therapy route but the natural route then we can help you because we have the experience and expertise from helping thousands of women.
As naturopaths and herbalists we understand what, how and when to use herbs and supplements and we can create a personalised plan to help you. To get our help just contact us or click here to book an initial consultation.
