Consider These Lifestyle Changes…
Eat soy protein. Soy isoflavones have been the subject of numerous studies and the subject of more than 1,000 articles in medical and scientific journals in the past decade. Researchers have found that soy phytoestrogens (plant estrogens that act like natural estrogens when ingested) help prevent bone loss in menopausal women, and that they lessen hot flashes, night sweats, and breast tenderness. It’s no wonder the average woman in Japan, who eats four to six servings of soy every day (100-200 mg soy isoflavones) experiences one third the menopausal symptoms and a far lower death rate from breast cancer than women who live in the West.
Exercise! It lowers stress hormones, boosts your energy, builds bone mass, and increases immunity. Choose an activity that you like (walking, dancing, yoga, tennis) and do it several times a week.
Cut down on caffeine and soft drinks. As little as 300 mg of caffeine can cause a considerable loss of calcium from the body. Caffeine also elevates the stress hormone cortisol, which can set you up for a host of health problems including poor sleep, impaired immunity, and age-related deterioration. Also, carbonated beverages have been found to leach calcium from your bones.
Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Water is the key to life. It clears out toxins, lowers your levels of histamines—which trigger allergic reactions— promotes clear, moist skin, and maintains overall health. Without enough water, dehydration in the body creates an imbalance in minerals, which can throw your hormones out of whack.
Eat whole, organic, unprocessed foods. Eliminate dairy foods that come from cows fed hormones that increases milk production. There’s no telling how they may affect your hormones, so why take the risk?
Get outside! A little sunlight everyday will enhance your body’s natural rhythms and provide you with vitamin D—essential for healthy bones.
…and Take These Herbs and Supplements
TransMist Natural Progesterone Spray or Natural Progesterone Cream — increase your progesterone levels and decrease excess estrogen levels.
Chasteberry (Vitex agnus) – appears to increase secretions of LH (luteinizing hormone) and decrease FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), which means progesterone levels are increased and estrogen levels are decreased. This herb is especially helpful in treating PMS symptoms, heavy menstrual bleeding, and perimenopausal symptoms.
Black Cohosh – Phytochemicals in black cohosh decrease LH, shifting the estrogen/progesterone ratio towards estrogens—just the opposite of what chasteberry does. This herb is especially useful as an aid for depression, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness at the time of menopause.
Don Quai (Angelica sinensis) – One of the most respected herbs in Chinese traditional medicine, this herb is used as a women’s tonic to treat PMS and menstrual cramps. It acts as an estrogen modulator, which means that if estrogen levels are low, the herb’s phytoestrogens increase estrogen levels by filling unoccupied receptor sites. When estrogen levels are too high, the phytoestrogens block some of the estrogen by occupying the same receptor sites.
Licorice – contains natural estrogenic compounds. Its active ingredient, glycyrrhizin—like the isoflavones in soy—appears to act as an estrogen modulator like in don quai, reducing estrogen levels in women when they’re too high and increasing the levels when they’re too low.
Panax Ginseng – has been traditionally used in Asia for a wide variety of menstrual cycle disorders, as well as an anti-aging supplement; it is especially helpful for relieving vaginal dryness and pain.
Magnesium – Relieves mood swings, and stress; enhances energy; supports normal sleep patterns.
Vitamin B complex – Boosts immunity; protects against nervous disorders; alleviates fatigue; plays an important role in hormone balance.
Multi-vitamin/mineral supplement for overall health.
Calcium/magnesium/vitamin D supplement for bone health.
Iron – if you have heavy bleeding.