Hot flashes...in this heat! Oye!

It feels like an all day hot flash, as we bathe in a sea of hot, humid weather here in Toronto.

I feel for all those women who have to contend with menopausal symptoms on a daily basis. Some women get them only a night, some get them throughout the day, others get severe mood changes and sweats. First thing you should know is...EVERY woman experiences perimenopause and menopause differently, it's a natural progression of the female life cycle.
It's not a disease to be treated, we're not sick.

What are some of the signs of perimenopause & menopause?

Hot Flashes

Sweats
Fatigue

Sleep disturbances
Acne
Fibroid, breast or uterus
Heart palpitations
Blood pressure fluctuations
Bloating & heartburn
Edema
Weight Gain
Incontinence
Yeast & urinary infections
Increased serum cholesterol

Here are some the dietary changes you can make to help you cope with this transition of life.

•Water, filtered 2L/day 

•Fresh lemon juice, helps support your liver and your GI system

•Soy - raw beans, milk, firm, silken tofu, phytoestrogens

•Dandelion greens and tea

•Fresh homemade juices, including the pulp

•Vit B & C rich foods

•Low Glycemic foods - berries, whole grains

•Gluten free grains, in moderation

•Agave nectar, organic unpasteurized honey, stevia

•Eggs

•Green tea

•Ground chia seeds and cinnamon, good for blood sugar regulators

•Dark green vegetables

•Flax seed, ground and oil, lignans- anticancer, phytoestrogen, antioxidants, protect cardiovascular system

•Calcium foods - dark greens over dairy

•Potassium rich foods help reduce blood pressure

•Magnesium rich foods help reduce nerve twitches, muscle cramps, and improves heart function 

•Oily fish, salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, anchovy 

•Good fats, monounsaturated & polyunsaturated 

•Good sat fat-coconut oil

Foods to limit or avoid 

•Excess salt

•Spicy foods, increase heartburn and hot flashes

•Caffeine, coffee, black tea, chocolate

•Alcohol (yeast based - wine, beer, sulphites)

•Processed fruit juices

•White sugar

•Deep fried fats

•Margarine

•Trans or saturated fats

•Fermented foods, watch for reactions

•Red meats, lunch meats (nitrates, nitrites, sulphites, salt)

•Nightshades (if inflammatory issues)

Here's some supplements that may help your discomfort: 

•Multi vitamin/mineral, general health maintenance

•Vit C&E for flushes of heat and blood pressure 

•Vit D and Iodine or Lugol’s solution for fibrocystic breasts

•Dong guai, hormone regulator

•CoQ10, great for heart, muscle and nerve function and has been shown to reduce blood pressure 

•Ginseng, supports adrenals

•Calcium / Magnesium, heart function, muscle pains and cramps

•Chasterberry (vitex), hormone regulator PMS

•Black Cohosh - better as a homeopathic, hormone regulator

•Licorice root, reduces blood pressure short term

•Vit B complex + B6 & B5 Energy and hormone regulation

•High EFA Fish Oil, inflammation

•Phytogreens, balance out acids, help liver detox

•Chlorella, binds & removes heavy metals like mercury and lead

•Chlorophyll, liver cleanse improves function and may reduce LDL

•GLAs Evening primrose oil, Borage oil, Prilla Oil, hormone regulator

•Chromium, level out blood sugar

Homeopathic medicines
Homeopathic medicines are as individual as each person who uses them, but here's some popular remedies that help women cope with the changes in their bodies.

Lachesis: If your flashes emanates from the top of your head, are worse just before sleep and immediately upon wakening and are accompanied by sweating, headaches, makes frequent mistakes in writing and speaking, chronic depression or manic behaviour needs to do everything quickly, anger, high blood pressure, palpitations, fainting and headaches.

  

Pulsatilla: If you flash less outdoors, flashes followed by intense chills, sour musty sweat, sweats on face and scalp, profuse sweat in morning,external heat is intolerable, headaches from rich foods (pastries, fats, ice cream), thirstlessness, changeable moods, craves affection, emotional cries easily, likes consolation.

Phosphorus: Cold clammy sweats, profuse at night in sleep, perspires on slight exertion, sweats exhaust, smell of sulphur, mostly sweats on head and feet, profuse bleeding of little wounds or profuse discharges, chilly alternating with heat wanting very cold drinks, aversion to warm foods and drinks.

Sulphur: If you feel the heat rising up from your waist to your face, profuse sweating especially the head with little exercise, sweat has sulphur odour, a person who doesn't do well with heat and seek cold drinks and compresses to cope, weak memory, very industrious or lazy, bored easily, unhealthy skin, breaks out easily, weak stomach 11am, dry skin with great thirst.

Sepia: Poor circulation, edema in extremities, cold sweats at night and are debilitating, sweats easily with offensive odour, reduced libido, dry skin from low estrogen, bearing down sensation in pelvic region-bladder, bowels or cramps, weak bladder, hot hands with cold feet, or visa-versa, palpitations, angry and sensitive, mentally and physically worn out, indifferent to loved ones

Mind spirit connection what can inhibit healthy body functions:
•Fear: money, being alone
•Unfulfilled expectations
•Stress
•Negative self-talk, even self-deprecating humour needs to stop
•Chatty-Cathy brain- preventing sleep, making lists
•Numbing out emotions; food, alcohol, smoking, recreation drugs and prescription drugs, coffee, become unplugged to yourself and your body

Become more connected to yourself, what makes you happier and strive to achieve what you desire•Find positive releases for tension and stress: exercise, yoga, laughing yoga, laughter, meditation, pilates
•Explore spirituality – Dr Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Eckhart Tolle
•Get back into your religion or explore other religions
•Find your passion, if it’s lost take 'the passion test' to see if your passion has evolved
•Journal, Positive thoughts and aspirations and stay away from fears and negative talk

Since every woman is different, so is their plan to help alleviate their discomfort and help them transition into a healthy post-menopausal life. For a free 15minute consult, contact me at homedica.ca.