insideKENT Magazine Issue 73 - April 2018 | Page 123

HEALTH+WELLNESS
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE
MENOPAUSE
DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MENOPAUSE HAS BECOME TABOO; AKIN TO TALKING ABOUT
SEX, OR MONEY, BOTH OF WHICH WE AS A NATION SEEM TO SQUIRM AT THE MERE
MENTION OF. IT’S TIME TO STOP THE SILENCE THOUGH – MENOPAUSE IS AN UNAVOIDABLE
PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESS THAT NORMALLY TAKES PLACE IN WOMEN AFTER THE AGE OF
40, BUT MORE USUALLY BETWEEN THE AGES OF 44 AND 55. SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE
HOT FLUSHES, NIGHT SWEATS, INSOMNIA, REDUCED LIBIDO, VAGINAL DRYNESS, HEADACHES,
LOW MOODS, PALPITATIONS AND ANXIETY; THE MENOPAUSE IS NOT FUN, BUT IT DOESN’T
HAVE TO BE INTOLERABLE.
Words by Dr. Marilyn Glenville, a nutritionist,
expert in the field of natural health solutions
and author of The Natural Health Bible for
Women and Natural Solutions to Menopause.
The menopause is a time of change and your
female hormones are going to be fluctuating
up and down as you go through this stage
until you come out the other side and into the
post-menopause, when your hormones will
stabilise. The more gradually you go through
the menopause, the less hormone fluctuations
you experience and the easier the transition
– not all women have a miserable time and
symptoms can vary. Some women sail
through, while others can get symptoms such
as hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness,
mood swings, declining libido, ageing skin,
lack of energy, joint pains, weight gain,
headaches and changes in hair quality.
What you eat can make the difference
between having a difficult or easy menopause
and there are a number of key points which
should be emphasised for menopausal
women:
• Stabilise blood sugar levels by reducing the
amount of sugar and refined foods in the
diet and eat little and often to reduce the toll
on the adrenal glands.
• Reduce or eliminate caffeinated drinks such
as tea and coffee, which contribute to blood
sugar problems but also act as diuretics
depriving the body of vital nutrients and
trace elements.
• Ensure a good intake of essential fatty acids
from oily fish, nuts and seeds which help
lubricate the joints, skin and vagina.
• Avoid fizzy drinks which contain high levels
of phosphorus and increase the risk of
osteoporosis by increasing urinary calcium
excretion.
• Include a good intake of phytoestrogens
in the diet from many sources and not
just soya.
Hot flushes and nigh t sweats are among the
most common and uncomfortable symptoms
and their frequency and severity can vary from
woman to woman. Certain foods and
situations can trigger hot flushes and these
can include spicy foods, caffeinated drinks,
alcohol and stressful situations.
Phytoestrogens can help alleviate menopausal
symptoms, so make sure you include plenty
in your diet. Phytoestrogens are found in
almost all fruit, vegetables and wholegrains
but they are most beneficial when they are
found in legumes, such as soya, lentil, peas
and chickpeas.
RECOMMENDED TO BOOST PHYTOESTROGENS…
Flavanon-4 from Quest Nutra Pharma
This supplement is packed with phytoestrogens, which have been shown to offer symptomatic relief
from menopausal hot flushes and can be used as a natural alternative to conventional hormone
replacement therapy (HRT). They may exert similar protective effects against oestrogen-related bone
loss and increased risk of heart disease for post-menopausal women.
(RRP £9.76, www.qnutrapharma.com)
There are a number of herbs that are helpful for the menopause including soya, sage, flaxseeds, hops
and red clover. Sage has been shown to decreased hot flushes by 50 per cent after four weeks and
by 64 per cent after eight weeks. It also helps with decreasing insomnia, irritability, anxiety, physical
and mental exhaustion by up to 47 per cent, which can all be symptoms around the menopause. Hops
have been shown to help with both hot flushes and night sweats. Red clover is one of the most
extensively studied herbs and research indicates that it significantly reduces vasomotor symptoms
compared to a placebo.
123