Opinion / Blogs
3 steps to reduce the symptoms of menopause without medication
11 Apr 2011 at 23:26hrs | Views
No.1 TREAT MENOPAUSE THE NATURAL WAY
Herbal remedies like black cohosh, St. John's Wort, and vitex are natural and affordable ways to relieve menopausal symptoms. By stimulating the feel-good chemicals dopamine and serotonin in the brain or increasing progesterone, herbs can limit the likeliness of mood swings, hot flashes, irritability, fatigue, and night sweats.
If you want to try herbal supplements, first consult your health care provider about which treatment is best for you. Then, shop only at a reliable source, like a natural food store. And as you are browsing products, look specifically for those with the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)-verified mark on their product labels. Herbs that lack this label may not have been tested for safety and quality.
No2 SWEAT YOUR SYMPTOMS AWAY
Experts say exercise relaxes the body, thus reducing mood swings, depression and insomnia (plus, exercise can also strengthen your bones and fight off weight gain associated with menopause). In fact, the North American Menopause Society suggests that exercise may cause the same magnitude of change as estrogen therapy does. And because the average adult loses up to seven pounds of muscle and gains up to 20 pounds of fat each decade, there is no time like now to start a workout routine.
So get healthy and stave off those menopause symptoms by hitting the gym, going for a walk or jog, gardening, or swimming.
No.3 A DECENT DIET DOES THE TRICK, TOO
Sometimes, reducing the symptoms of menopause comes down to what you eat. You can easily trick your body into thinking it has more hormones by munching on greens and grains that have estrogen-mimicking nutrients like yams, broccoli, cauliflower, oats, tofu, miso and flaxseed.
Meanwhile, snacking on soy products, calcium supplements, dark leafy greens and low-fat diary products will boost bone density, especially in the first ten years after menopause when lower estrogen levels may lead to rapid bone loss. Decreasing caffeine and limiting alcohol intake also helps to manage menopause symptoms.
Herbal remedies like black cohosh, St. John's Wort, and vitex are natural and affordable ways to relieve menopausal symptoms. By stimulating the feel-good chemicals dopamine and serotonin in the brain or increasing progesterone, herbs can limit the likeliness of mood swings, hot flashes, irritability, fatigue, and night sweats.
If you want to try herbal supplements, first consult your health care provider about which treatment is best for you. Then, shop only at a reliable source, like a natural food store. And as you are browsing products, look specifically for those with the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)-verified mark on their product labels. Herbs that lack this label may not have been tested for safety and quality.
No2 SWEAT YOUR SYMPTOMS AWAY
Experts say exercise relaxes the body, thus reducing mood swings, depression and insomnia (plus, exercise can also strengthen your bones and fight off weight gain associated with menopause). In fact, the North American Menopause Society suggests that exercise may cause the same magnitude of change as estrogen therapy does. And because the average adult loses up to seven pounds of muscle and gains up to 20 pounds of fat each decade, there is no time like now to start a workout routine.
No.3 A DECENT DIET DOES THE TRICK, TOO
Sometimes, reducing the symptoms of menopause comes down to what you eat. You can easily trick your body into thinking it has more hormones by munching on greens and grains that have estrogen-mimicking nutrients like yams, broccoli, cauliflower, oats, tofu, miso and flaxseed.
Meanwhile, snacking on soy products, calcium supplements, dark leafy greens and low-fat diary products will boost bone density, especially in the first ten years after menopause when lower estrogen levels may lead to rapid bone loss. Decreasing caffeine and limiting alcohol intake also helps to manage menopause symptoms.
Source - She Knows
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