Women who reach menopause often experience various symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings or irregular menstruation. Sooner or later all women of the modern world go through this period in their lives so it is very important to understand what exactly happens in our body. In today’s post we are going to discuss which natural practices could be helpful in order to reduce or even eliminate the symptoms of menopause so we can truly enjoy this new phase of our femininity.
Is menopause a natural process?
Among those women who live close to nature, the symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes are unknown. So how is it possible that most women in Western civilizations have so many complaints when entering the age of menopause? The answer is the environment.
We created these symptoms for ourselves by leading a way of life far from the laws of nature. We eat synthetic and processed foods, forget about exercise, take medications, use cosmetics that are full of chemicals and experience high degrees of stress on a daily basis due to our accelerated routine.
What happens to the female body when it reaches menopause?
Menopause means the period in a woman’s life when menstruation ceases (men: month, pausis: pause). Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55.
The process of menopause is triggered by the changes within the endocrine system. At first the production of progesterone, which is the yellow hormone-secreting body in the female reproductive system, stops. Since progesterone is the hormone that balances out estrogen (the other female hormone), a state of estrogen dominance is created. During this phase women still have their menstruation, but menstrual cycles tend to get shorter. This can last for many years before the level of estrogen also starts decreasing. At this point the body tries to stimulate the ovaries for one last time in order to produce more estrogen. If this is not successful, only then the estrogen levels will drop inevitably.
This desperate „battle” of the hormones is the cause of all symptoms that occur during menopause:
hot flashes, night sweats, irregular menstruation, depression, mood swings, irritability, sleeplessness, weight gain, low libido and hair loss.
The intensity of these symptoms depends on the level of hormonal fluctuations.
Practices to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of menopause
Luckily nature provided us with a wide choice of remedies such as herbs, vegetables and seeds which are worth trying. Since we are all different something that might have worked for your friend, won’t necessarily work for you. Keep trying, be consistent and I’m sure you will find the options that are most effective for you.
1. Foods and herbs
Yam
Phytotherapeutic research showed that the roots of wild yam contain diosgenin. Diosgenin is a phytoestrogen, or plant-based estrogen, that can be chemically converted into progesterone.
Foods high in phytoestrogens
There are many nutritious foods that contain phytoestrogens and we should integrate them into our diet as much as we can. These foods are beans, lentils, green peas, chickpeas, plums, melons, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, nuts, flex seed, sunflower seed, rye and alfalfa sprouts.
Herbs
The consumption of certain herbs such as yarrow, alchemilla, shepherd’s purse, sage, motherwort, hops, St. John’s wort and cimicifuga can also ease the symptoms of menopause.
2. Regular exercise
Women often experience weight gain during menopause which is due to the reduced estrogen levels and reductions in metabolism and muscle mass. This is why it is important to introduce (if haven’t done any yet) some kind of exercise into our routine. This new phase of a woman’s life can be perceived as an opportunity to try out new forms of exercise such as the AVIVA Method, dance or gentle hikes in nature. Regular exercise not only helps us with losing weight but also shapes our body and tones our muscles.
Femininity doesn’t change with age
The AVIVA Method exercises help women with facing the hormonal changes during menopause by restoring hormone balance within the body. Those women who do the exercises regularly experience fewer symptoms or even have them eliminated completely. Their quality of life is improved and their concentration levels are restored. The exercises are also beneficial in case of cysts, uterine fibroids, low libido and vaginal dryness and regular workout reduces the risk of osteoporosis. In case of early menopause the AVIVA exercises can bring back menstruation, restore regularity and reduce heavy bleeding.
If you are looking for a natural solution to reduce the symptoms of menopause, feel free to contact me at info@avivamethodgreece.com.
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