Coping with menopause can be a challenge for many aspects of a women's well being, mental, physical, and spiritual. While this transition is a natural phase in a woman’s life, the negative symptoms that accompany it don't have to be. This transition from childbearing years to a time when ovulating or menstruation end can be a time of growth, creativity, and self discovery. However when the negative symptoms of hormone imbalance make the menopausal women miserable, it is difficult to see the positive side. Bioidentical hormone doctors can help balance out the fluctuating and declining hormones that cause these negative symptoms. With bioidentical hormones, Arizona patients can expect increased energy, decreased hot flashes and overall improved well being. Couple the hormone replacement with some real therapeutic lifestyle changes and you have a great recipe for anti-aging and longevity.  

Coping with Menopause Using Diet 

One of the keys to creating health and happiness during menopause is to approach it from a holistic point of view. In addition to the bioidentical hormones, there are diet choices that will help combat the effects of menopause.  For instance, soy proteins can be helpful in easing fluctuating hormone levels for menopausal women. Soy and soy products contain isoflavones which are estrogen like molecules. They can help ease hot flashes and mood swings during menopause. The isoflavones do this through modulation and balancing estrogen levels. As a result of the estrogenic properties, it may help increase bone density and improve cholesterol levels. These isoflavones have a much more subtle and mild balancing effect compared to bioidentical hormones, however. There is debate over the health benefits of soy but for women going through menopause it is generally thought to be safe and helpful in moderate amounts.

Sometimes removing foods from your diet may be beneficial too. Substances like alcohol, caffeine, and foods high in saturated fat and salt can exacerbate menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. Women who have enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner, only to have their face flare up with red blotches and heat patches shortly after, understand how alcohol can trigger hot flashes. The same is true for caffeine and spicy foods. Limiting sodium and saturated fat will improve heart health and prevent weight gain, both important health factors as a woman ages. 

A commonly confused aspect of food and menopause is that yams contain trace amounts of estrogen and progesterone. Some believe eating them is a viable alternative to taking estrogen or progesterone hormones. The confusion comes because yams are a common source for creating progesterone. However there is no actual progesterone in yams. The yams have to be manipulated in a laboratory setting to get progesterone out of them. For this reason, body creams made with yams typically don't offer any relief from the hot flashes or other symptoms associated with menopause.

Coping with Menopause through Exercise

In addition to diet adjustments, women coping with menopause should consider adding exercise to your daily schedule.  Physical activity is one of the best known remedies for depression and anxiety that are known to accompany menopause. Fatigue and weight gain are also common and can be addressed with exercise as well. If you have struggled with weight and fitness for years, menopause is an excellent time to incorporate fitness into your lifestyle. 

There are also herbal remedies that can help with the side effects of menopause. herbs like red clover, black cohosh, and dong quai can be used in conjunction with or in place of bioidentical hormones. Some herbal menopausal treatments have their effect n relieving the symptoms only while other actually help balance the fluctuating hormones. We always like to point out that natural does not necessarily mean there are no side effects so patients should rely on the expertise of a trained professional when using these and other herbal therapies. 

Achieving a healthy balance in the body during menopause should be your number one goal. When the body is hormonally balanced, it can function at its optimal level allowing the woman to see the positive side of this transition. The bioidentical hormone doctors at Southwest Integrative Medicine can make coping with menopause easy with bioidentical hormones Arizona and other practical health tips.