Hot flashes occur during menopause which begins when a woman stops
menstruation and her ovaries stop producing as much estrogen and progesterone hormones.
The hormone estrogen is used by the body for: bones, smooth skin, body heat regulation,
artery health, and normal cell operations. The average age at which menopause occurs in
women is 50 years old and lasts for about five years. Symptoms may include
hot flashes,
night sweats, depression, mood swings, breast tenderness, skin dryness, burning
&
pain during sex, and sleeping problems. Eating less meat, dairy products,
caffeine, and sugar can help. Stop smoking and avoid alcohol. Drink at
least 5-6 glasses of water a day. A good multi-vitamin mineral supplement
and a female herbal supplement may also help.
Nutrient
/ Supplement |
Importance
( 1 - 10 ) |
Helpful
notes |
Multi-vitamin &
Mineral supplement |
10 |
contains vitamin E , vitamin B ,
magnesium, calcium, boron, zinc
and selenium all which may be helpful for both treatment of hot flashes and
other female problems of menopause. A daily supplement provides
nutrients needed for general good
health and well being. |
Black
Cohosh |
10 |
herb that has been long used for hot
flashes and related female health issues occurring with menopause |
vitamin B |
10 |
the B vitamin complex helps to improve blood circulation and also cell
operations. Vitamin B6 may help also in reducing water retention. |
Omega
fatty acids |
10 |
found in flax seed oil, borage seed oil,
and omegas in fish oil |
Pyridoxine |
9 |
vitamin B6 helps with water retention and
relieve symptoms |
Pantothenic
acid |
9 |
vitamin B5 is good for stress and required
for adrenal function |
Dong Quai |
10 |
herb that helps to reduce hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and
depression. Works well in a formula that also has both ginseng and
vitamin B6. |
Damiana |
9 |
herb that helps enhance sexual desire and
pleasure |
Licorice |
8 |
herb that helps with the female hormone estrogen and works well in a general
herbal formula for women |
vitamin E |
8 |
vitamin E helps to reduce hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. |
Boron |
8 |
the mineral boron can help improve calcium absorption in the body which is
normally a problem for women |
Zinc |
7 |
can help reduce bone loss and improve healing and the immune system
problems resulting from menopause. It works well in a good multi-vitamin
supplement with B vitamins and vitamin E. |
Selenium |
6 |
mineral that helps with hormonal balance |
Menopause, are often called or referred to as the "change of
life," the time when a woman stops ovulating and her menstruation cycles
cease. When a woman stops her ovulation, the ovaries will stop producing
both the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen is often thought of as
a sex hormone tied to reproduction, but estrogen also affects many of
the various organs in the body. Including cells in the: arteries, bladder,
bones, brain, breasts, heart, liver, skin, and vagina all contain estrogen
receptors, and need this hormone to stimulate the receptors for normal cell
operation. Estrogen is required to keep the skin both smooth and moist,
prevent arteries from clogging, and the body's internal thermostat
functioning correctly. It is also needed for good bone formation. Although
estrogen levels drop sharply after menopause, the hormone does not
completely go away.
Other organs take over from the ovaries and continue to
produce some estrogen and the other hormones. The organs known as
endocrine glands create hormones to maintain the body
functions. The menopausal period is often different for every
individual woman. Some women start early and some later, but the
average age of menopause is around 50 year old.. The woman's
phase of transition normally lasts up to five years.
A woman who
has had a hysterectomy
but keeps at least one of her ovaries stops menstruating
after surgery, but she will still go through menopause. If
both her ovaries are removed during hysterectomy, menopause
can happen suddenly, and its symptoms may be even more severe.
There are women go
through menopause with very few or no apparent symptoms. But,
most women experience short-term or acute symptoms such as hot
flashes, night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, dizziness,
headaches, anxiety,
depression,
poor libido,
bladder
problems, vaginal dryness and itching, burning and
discomfort during sexual intercourse, breast tenderness,
dryness and aging of the skin, shortness of breath, heart
palpitations, and insomnia. All of these symptoms are due to
either estrogen and progesterone deficiency. Over the long term, the
reduced supply of estrogen increases the risk of
cardiovascular
disease, osteoporosis, and
vaginal atrophy. Osteoporosis in particular is a major
health problem
for women after menopause.
An estimated 80% of the 250,000 hip
fractures that occur in the USA every year are caused by osteoporosis.
However, it is important to know that menopause is
not a disease. It is a natural occurring phase in a woman's life.
The outlook a woman has on this time of her life may have a lot to do with
how often and bad her symptoms are. If she views menopause as the end of youth and sexuality,
it will be
much more difficult than if it is viewed as the next and natural
cycle of her life. With a proper diet, nutritional supplements,
and exercise, many of the effects of menopause
can be minimized, if not eliminated completely.
Other Changes To Make
-
drink 6-8 glasses of steam distilled or
filtered water a day
-
eat 50% raw fruits and vegetables (organic is best)
-
nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good
-
juice is good (make your
own with a juice machine)
-
do not worry as much about calories as eating the right foods
-
carrot and celery sticks are good to use as a snack
-
a colon cleansing can be very helpful - (do several times each year)
-
do not drink coffee, alcohol, soda pop, other junk food drinks
-
do not eat processed foods white sugar, white flour, etc...
-
use stress relief like going for walks in the park
(or the 10/90 rule - see
Stress)
-
brown rice is good to eat
-
avoid red meat and animal fats
-
reduce dairy products cheese, milk, and others
-
fast a few days a month
-
get at least 8 hours of sleep
-
exercise light to moderate amounts
-
avoid artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and NutraSweet
-
do not smoke and avoid second hand smoke
-
do not skip meals - just eat better and not as much at each meal
-
do not chew gum - it can cause you to feel hungry
-
do not watch too much TV try reading a book or something else
|