Perimenopause is experienced as young as 35 years old when a woman's hormones start to change. It can last for up to 10 years. Fluctuating and falling hormones are the cause of many symptoms. This blog aims to cover why this happens, give you solutions, and offer you back control of your life.
But first - I did a presentation all about this! Watch it or enjoy the article :-)
Common issues that occur in this time of life:
Irregular menstrual cycles
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Painful and/or swollen breasts (mastalgia)
Cyclical headaches (particularly menstrual or hormonal migraines)
Heavy or painful periods (heavy: going through a super pad or tampon every two hours or less; painful: you can’t function without ibuprofen)
Bloating, particularly in the ankles and belly, and/or fluid retention
Ovarian cysts, breast cysts, or endometrial cysts (polyps)
Disrupted sleep, perhaps with night sweats
Restless legs, especially at night
Increased clumsiness or poor coordination (thyroid)
More cravings for food, alcohol, sugar, etc. More emotional eating.
Miscarriage, usually in the first trimester
Infertility or subfertility
The 4 Phases of Menopause - Which Are You In?
These are the 4 phases of menopause. You may be in between 2 of them as well. But this should give you a good idea of where you sit.
Meet Your Hormones
Any symptoms you are dealing with are most likely due to the big changes seen in three dominant hormones - estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Meet your dream man - TESTOSTERONE
We all have testosterone. Men have LOTS of it, and women have less.
A primary cause for lost libido and difficulty orgasming.
Testosterone blood levels in women tend to peak during their 20s. This is followed by a gradual decline with age. By the time a woman reaches menopause, blood testosterone levels are about one quarter of what they were at their peak.
Elevated testosterone is one of the driving factors of PCOS, facial hair growth, and male pattern baldness.
Progesterone - the Peacemaker Hormone
One reason for many menopause symptoms is a huge drop in progesterone. Some of its benefits are;
Reduces all menopausal symptoms
Calms via GABA receptors
Stabilises moods
Protects your brain
Keeps estrogen in line
Protects against breast, ovarian and endometrial cancer
Improves sleep
Reduces appetite
Progesterone also makes cortisol - one of our stress hormones.
In times of stress, progesterone doesn’t hang around and is quickly converted to cortisol, resulting in low progesterone.
One cause of this is the pregnenolone steal and is a huge factor to women’s hormone imbalances.
Stress in the luteal phase of the cycle will deplete progesterone and drives PMS.
Estrogen - The dominatrix hormone
Estrogen is usually the main hormone driving hormone imbalance in perimenopause.
Symptoms of excess:
Breast tenderness or breast fullness
Decreased libido or reduced sex drive
Weight gain (especially in the hips/thigh/butt region)
Changes to your menstrual cycle (menstrual irregularity, heavy menstrual flow, or cramps/mood changes/migraines with your cycle)
Changes to your mood including depression, anxiety or not feeling like yourself
Bloating in the stomach
Water retention especially in the hands/feet and face
Changes to your bowel movements
Low energy or fatigue
It’s all about BALANCE
Normally estrogen and progesterone play a “balancing game” in the body in which estrogen tends to activate certain functions in the body while progesterone tends to turn them off.
The balance starts to shift from the age of 35 in most women, with the most obvious shifts occurring in the mid 40s.
Menopause is a second puberty - the changes in hormones are just as erratic!
Estrogen fluctuates greatly in perimenopause and is the main cause of the many symptoms experienced, from skipping a period, to sore breasts.
Know Which Phase You Are In
There 3 distinct phases in the menstrual cycle, and in order to regain control back of your life, you need to know what they are, and which you are in.
Tracking your period with an app is really essential.
Phase 1 — Follicular Phase
The first day of bleeding is considered day one of your menstrual cycle, and the follicular phase. On this day, the hormone progesterone plunges, which causes the uterine lining to shed, AKA "your period". Often, bleeding lasts between 3 and 7 days. During this time, your energy is the lowest, so you should honour your body and rest more, withdraw, and bring in quiet, nourishing self-care practices. If you track your cycle, block off the first 2-3 days of your period (if it is still regular) to give you the space for this.
Once the bleed passes, then you are at a sweet spot in your cycle. It's a good time to push it!
What to Eat During Your Follicular Phase
Aiming for a wide variety of nutrients on any given day is a good idea. But here are specific nutrients you may want to focus on during your follicular phase specifically.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).4 High FSH levels can have complications relating to your menstrual cycle and can be used to diagnose polycystic ovarian syndrome. EG; fatty fish, seaweed, flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseed oil, free-range eggs, nut butter, and edamame.
Magnesium - There is a fluctuation of certain minerals during the menstrual cycle, and magnesium levels are lowest in the follicular phase
Cruciferous Vegetables - excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, plus help the body to detox better. Eg; broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, Bokchoy, Kale, Collard Greens, Rocket.
Exercise In Your Follicular Phase
Once the bleed stops, this is the time of your cycle to push it!
Do high-intensity exercise during the first half of your cycle. Your metabolism is naturally slower during the first half of your cycle and high-intensity exercise will speed it up. This will help you lose weight and gain muscle.
Phase 2 — The Ovulatory Phase
Ovulation is the time when you can become pregnant. The body is primed and at it's most fertile! An egg gets released from its follicle in your ovary and will survive for 12-24 hours.
Phase 3 — The Luteal Phase
The first 2 to 3 days of this phase will feel a lot like the ovulatory phase. That changes when estrogen and testosterone decline and your body starts producing progesterone.
As we mentioned earlier, progesterone is a calming hormone, that can also turn into a stress hormone - cortisol. In order to keep balanced, you should slow intensity right down for this part of your cycle.
What to Eat During Your Luteal Phase
In the luteal phase, your metabolism speeds up, and your resting cortisol levels are higher. You must eat more calories daily to maintain stable blood sugar, which helps balance insulin. Meals should be higher in protein and fiber, and low in carbs and sugar. Insulin-supporting superfoods should be used here as well to offset sugar cravings.
Magnesium rich foods - Enriching the body with magnesium can help lower anxiety, water retention, cramping, promote sleep, and reduce chocolate cravings.
Calcium-Rich Foods - Some options include bone broth, bone in fish, sunflower seeds, beans, lentils, chia seeds, edamame, and yogurt.
Up your protein - lean meats, fish, tofu, eggs, leafy greens, beans, lentils, and chickpeas. Aim for 1.5 grams per kg bodyweight.
Go Brocolli! Continue to emphasise cruciferous vegetables during this phase and add in some complex carbohydrates like those found in sweet potatoes,
Up your fiber - Fiber slows down food transit, allowing your body to absorb nutrients better, it feeds the gut bacteria, and can even bind toxins. Foods: pears, strawberries, avocado, apples, root vegetables, legumes (lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans), quinoa, oats, nuts, chia seeds, dark chocolate.
Helpful Supplements In Your Luteal Phase
(For educational purposes only. Consult your health care practitioner before changing your health routine)
Magnesium - Most people benefit from supplementing about 400 mg magnesium a day. This can also be absorbed through the skin transdermally with a magnesium chloride oil.
Blood sugars - Cinnamon helps with insulin resistance and can be added to your diet. It is also used in many blood sugar supplements along with Gymnema, and Chromium.
Vitamin C - Helps to boost progesterone, and can lengthen a short luteal phase. Study dose of 750 mg/d.
Chaste Tree - helps boost low progesterone - taken throughout the cycle in most cases.
Iodine and Your Hormones
Iodine’s anti-estrogen effect makes it effective to treat estrogen dominance. Iodine helps remedy this problem because it is an aromatase inhibitor as well as estrogen cell receptor desensitiser.
It also helps to maintain the estrogen balance in favor of estriol - the healthy and protective estrogen.
When taken correctly with the right amount of nutritional co-factors, iodine reduces nodules, fibroids, and cysts. It can help with ovulation pain, premenstrual mood changes, and breast pain.
Iodine can even make it easier to tolerate HRT and reduce the risk of breast cancer mortality by 9% [study]
Exercise In Your Luteal Phase
Research suggests that women in the luteal phase (the second half of the 28-day cycle) fatigue faster during workouts and need more time to recover. [study]
Opt for gentler movement, like Pilates and other non-cardio strength training.
How much PMS you have is totally in your control and directly related to how much or how little you support your rhythm during this phase
Menopause No period for 12 months and 1 day
Diet for menopause and post menopause
Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet similar to a Mediterranean-style diet.
Check you are meeting calcium needs, along with all the co-factors for bone health. (1200mg a day)
Use phytoestrogen-rich foods and herbs in the diet - eg. organic non-GM soy products, flax, red clover, alfalfa, black cohosh, and red clove.
Support digestion and liver function with a clean diet. Use digestive aids such as bitters or enzymes if needed.
Enjoy a diverse diet with balanced macros for weight management.
Invest in a good antioxidant supplement along with foods rich in antioxidants.
Helpful Supplements In Menopause
(For educational purposes only. Consult your health care practitioner before changing your health routine)
K2 and D3 - The typical diet is too low in K2, and too high in calcium and D3 to actually be balanced for bone health. Supplementation may be required.
Calcium - be wary! Check out my blog all about the risks of most calcium supplements HERE.
Herbal Medicine - rehmannia, black cohosh, Asiatic cornelia cherry, Chinese yam, zizyphus, tree peony, poria, water plantain and anemarrhena,.
Withania - Helps to boost DHEA - essential precursor to estrogen and testosterone.
Iodine - for thyroid and glandular health, and to boost immune health.
Magnesium - has been shown to significantly decrease serum cortisol levels within hours of sleep initiation initiating deeper, more replenishing sleep.
Exercise In Menopause
Drops in hormones can affect motivation and energy, particularly thyroid and adrenal hormones. To boost these hormones, exercise will actually help!
Exercise benefits women during menopause in several ways including:
Improve sleep and reduction in disturbances experienced
Improved mood
Improved weight control
Increased/maintained bone density and strength
Reduced incidence of chronic disease (i.e. type 2 diabetes and heart disease)
Improved quality of life
Reduced stress
Improved balance and falls prevention
To gain these amazing benefits, you should participate in a variety of aerobic, strength, balance, and flexibility exercises.
To help keep bones strong, weight resistance training is essential. Aim for 2 sessions a week.
Ideally, aim for 30 minutes of activity five days per week. That’s a total of 150 minutes per week to meet the National Physical Activity Guidelines for Australian Adults.
Libido In Menopause
Low estrogen and testosterone drive a low libido.
Support these hormones by loving your adrenals. In menopause, our adrenals take over the responsibilty of providing us with estrogen and testosterone.
Dial in your nocturnal/diurnal habits and ensure your sleep is great. If your sleep is hit and miss, do my Overcome Insomnia course, or book an appointment.
Use adrenal supporting herbs as appropriate for you.
When your libido dips, you know you have stressed your adrenals and need to rest, recharge, and rebuild your adrenal health.
Hot Flush Triggers In Menopause
Hot flushes are made worse by the following things. Try the east swaps, and you'll get some relief!
Foods that are to be avoided
Even if you are following a healthy diet and the steps I have outlined for you in this blog, you can still undo all your hard work if you eat too many toxic foods. Try to avoid these as much as possible - maybe allowing a treat once or twice a week.
Highly processed foods
Refined carbohydrates
Alcohol
Caffeine - acts as a vasomotor and increase menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes
Industrial seed oils
Junk foods and fast foods
Who are you now? Have You Lost Yourself?
All hormonal junctures push us into an identity change.
Holding onto the past version of ourselves can create pain, depression, anxiety, and even a breakdown.
I see menopause as a time for reinventing a new you. Most women cling to a young version of themselves, but this causes stress. But I'm not saying to just give it up and succumb to getting old! No - it's time to reinvent yourself!
Life is meant to be lived and not just navigated!
This transition time is a natural push into a more empowered identity - embrace it, flow with it, and bring conscious awareness into what you are becoming.
Many women go through a breakdown to find their breakthrough. Alternatively you can process your baggage now, and uncover your amazing, evolved, wise woman self!
Inspirations for an empowered change
Connect with women who inspire you.
Find a coach who can hold you to a higher purpose.
Work with a practitioner who can support your physical body with herbs and supplements to balance your hormone fluctuations.
Nourish your body correctly.
Exercise and move your beautiful body!
Let go of limiting beliefs and replace them with new, positive beliefs.
Choose your environment and nourish your mind.
Some things to ponder
We can flow with our hormonal changes with easy diet, lifestyle, and exercise changes.
There are 4 stages of menopause - which are you in?
What will your identity be in the next season of your life? Will you move into it kicking and screaming, or ease in with intention and self-reflection?
Do you want an expert who can guide you on this journey and help ease the ebbs and flows with a natural and safer approach?
Would you benefit from having a hormone-savvy health expert in your black book of medical experts?
Book a free 15-minute discovery consult and receive a bonus meal plan suited to your hormones! Just mention this blog when we talk.
Thank you for reading my blog, I hope it has brought some insight into your hormones. Would you like to stay in touch? I run a very active Facebook Group - come join the fun! Click the image below to go there!
Stay healthy, be inspired, and live your amazing life!
In service and gratitude,
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