Menopause is a special interest of mine, given that I am at this stage of my life as well. Many of my clients suffer debilitating symptoms. Herbal medicine can be of great help. It is not a disease that needs to be cured but a natural part of every woman’s life. Menopause officially means the end of periods. You will no longer have periods which means no more pregnancy concerns but it can come with it’s own set of problems. It is a time to embrace change and seek help to balance your hormones, and get you over the bump in the road. Then you can look forward to the next stage of your life.
Hormones levels drop during menopause and peri-menopause – especially estrogen and progesterone, but DHEA and testosterone can also play a role. This can happen in your 50’s, 40’s or late 30’s.
Estrogen at the right level plays an important role in the bodies of both men and women. Some of the conditions estrogen protects us against are diabetes, heart disease, regulation of appetite and energy expenditure in the brain.
We can accumulate too much estrogen from our environment called xeno-estrgogens. These can contribute to estrogen dominance which increases our risk factor of female cancers and weight gain. Men also get affected by xeno-estrogens which increases their risk of prostate and breast cancer.
During menopause hormonal imbalance can contribute to uncomfortable symptoms such as hot flushes, anxiety, loss of libido, vaginal dryness, drying of the urethra leading to recurring Urinary tract infections and the list goes on.
How can we increase estrogen metabolism?
- Reduce body fat to lower inappropriate estrogen storage
- Gain muscle to improve the estrogen metabolism process
- Limit chemicals that mimic estrogen
- pesticides, fungicide
- animal growth hormone
- BPA – plastic drink bottles and lining of aluminium cans
- Personal care products -shampoos, makeup, perfumes
- Household cleaning products – bleaches, disinfectants,
- Detox your liver to improve estrogen metabolism with a supervised detox by Naturopath Nutritionist Kerri Abbott
- Avoid sugar and reduce carbohydrates
I have developed a special Weight Loss for Menopause 12 week reset plan. This program teaches you the correct way to eat to nourish your hormones not fight against them. It’s not all about exercising like a mad woman and eating lettuce leaves. It is a plan to improve menopause symptoms, lose weight and stay healthy into the future.