If you are perimenopausal or menopausal, the following information is essential for your short and long term wellbeing relating to hormonal health and indeed your overall health as hormones play a vital role in wellbeing. At the end of the article I will outline our simple, yet powerful 3 step system for allowing your body to go through this natural transition.
Natural transition
A woman’s natural biological transition from being fertile to infertile requires a shift in hormone production. From relying on oestrogen and progesterone to support fertility to an alternative androgen based hormone system which shifts from ovarian hormone production to primarily adrenal hormone production.
The requirement for oestrogen and progesterone reduces and an alternative hormone system based on androgen hormones produced from the adrenals emerges. These hormones have the same nourishing effects as oestrogen and progesterone, however without the stimulatory effects these hormones have on cellular tissues. If a woman continues to receive these hormones i.e HRT once she is no longer fertile, a whole range of potential side effects ensure such as;
- bloating
- headaches
- weight gain
- brain fog
- fluid retention
- sore breasts
- cellular tissue overgrowth
- and mood changes.
All the same symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome because these are the same hormones fertile women often have in excess.
Women have been lead to believe their bodies are diseased, faulty and inadequate. This is not true.
Women have the perfect system in place to transition perfectly from being fertile to infertile. This natural, inbuilt system just needs to be nurtured and supported. Read on and I will explain how you can achieve this.
Perimenopause
Your body starts to enter perimenopause usually around the age of 40 on average. This may be obvious or not so obvious. What your body naturally starts to do is reduce your levels of progesterone. You may have been told you are deficient in progesterone at this time of life. But remember the body is doing this for a reason.
The reduction in progesterone can lead to an imbalance in the ratio of progesterone to oestrogen. The reduction in progesterone allows oestrogen to become dominant in its actions because they normally balance themselves out. This is known as oestrogen dominance and is more prominent in some women than others. Symptoms of oestrogen dominance in addition to progesterone deficiency include;
- Fibroid growth
- Heavy periods
- Fluid retention
- Weight gain
- Headaches and migraines
- Reduced Libido
- Tender and Fibrocystic breasts
- Increased PMS symptoms
The severity of these symptoms can be extreme and depends on the degree of hormonal shift. i.e drop in progesterone and increase in oestrogen. There are other factors associated with the severity of these symptoms we will discuss later.
Entering Menopause
As women enter menopause oestrogen levels finally start to drop which is signalled generally by irregular and missed periods along with the tell-tale signs of hot flushes, mood swings, poor sleep and cessation of periods.
The reduction in progesterone and oestrogen from the ovaries signals to the adrenal glands to start to produce an alternative hormone system which is androgen based. Hormones such as Adiol and DHEA increase 5x to 8x the premenopausal levels and these hormones are used by the body directly to support hormonal tissues and functions as well as converting to smaller amounts of oestrogen. Oestrogen is also produced in small amounts by fat, breast and even brain cells.
When this natural process does not occur as efficiently as it should then symptoms of
- Hot flushes
- Poor Sleep
- Aches and Pains
- Irritability
- Mood changes
- Vaginal dryness
- Reduced libido
To avoid all these symptoms we must support this natural transitionary process. This involves supporting the adrenal glands and stimulating the hormone control centre in the brain, the hypothalamus/pituitary axis. Many women have not prepared their bodies for this transition and chronic long term stress can make this transition more difficult. The secret is to start to nourish your nervous system and adrenal glands. To give your body the attention it needs and take time for yourself.
The following is our simple 3 step approach to achieve this.
Step 1
Adrenal Health
Considering it is the adrenals that control the production of hormones during and post menopause it is essential we support the adrenals. Unfortunately for many women, years of chronic stress have caused the adrenals to underperform. The good news is however that the adrenals can be supported and engaged to start efficient hormone productions. To do this the following steps are important
- Stress management
- 8 hours sleep
- Avoid caffeine and stimulants
- Regular exercise
- Ashwagandha and Rhodiola herbal medicines (Happy Calm)
- Magnesium
Step 2
Hypothalamus Pituitary Axis
These two endocrine glands in the brain are your primary hormone control centre in the body. They signal to the ovaries and adrenals your entire life in terms of hormone control. Many women have a disruption of these glands due to hormonal contraceptive use, stress and alcohol. The good news is these glands can be nourished and signalled to start balancing hormones.
Meditation
Avoid hormone therapy
Avoid exogenous hormone mimics from plastics and petrochemicals
Step 3
Natural Hormone production
The body can and does produce the necessary hormones to be symptom free and lead a healthy and vital life. You just need to give it the right tools to do this. Apart from the above suggestions the following actions support healthy hormone production.
Increasing healthy fats
Reducing alcohol intake
Reducing Sugar intake
Supporting digestion and your microbiome. (Happy Greens and Happy Turmeric)
Summary
When it comes to our health we are often faced with decisions. Perimenopause and Menopause present women with a range of choices to make. To work with your natural processes or to take medications.
If you are more interested in supporting your natural processes and making positive choices for your overall health then we have a solution for you. We also have our practitioner team to support you on that journey and thousands of women in our community to help guide you along the way.