Manage Your Menopause Naturally. Maryon Stewart
years old. I felt forgetful, overweight, irritable, nervous, bloated to the point of looking six months pregnant, and my skin was uncharacteristically dry.
I didn’t have high hopes, as I had tried most things to feel better, but I followed Maryon’s tailor-made recommendations completely, as I was so desperate. I thoroughly enjoyed the diet she suggested, took a number of supplements that she thought would help me, and made time for exercise and formal relaxation. Amazingly, within weeks I had no bloating, and my husband’s bloating is greatly reduced too, as he’s been following my new way of eating.
Even after a month my dry vagina is wet again, and both my husband and I are delighted to say that sex is back on the menu. The hot flashes and night sweats are already greatly reduced, and unbelievably, 80 percent of the joint pain that I have lived with practically my whole life has gone! I’m sleeping better and no longer need a sleeping pill, and if I do wake in the night, I get straight back to sleep now. I’ve lost weight, I’m able to concentrate and listen, and I am no longer forgetful. This program has truly been a life changer for me.
Hot flashes are thought to be partly caused by the brain’s response to fluctuating hormones. An Italian study suggests that supplementing the diet with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can significantly reduce the number of hot flashes. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial found that these supplements led to a significant decrease in severe hot flashes in twenty-nine women over twenty-four weeks. EFAs may help attenuate hormonal ups and downs by acting on nerve membranes and neurotransmitters.
Omega-3 EFAs also have a positive effect on blood triglycerides and HDL, the “good” cholesterol, according to Australian researchers who conducted a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial on fifty-three perimenopausal women who took 1 gram per day of omega-3 EFAs.
Another Italian study of 66,500 women attending menopause clinics showed that those suffering severe hot flashes and night sweats were less active than other participants.
Data from the Melbourne Women’s Midlife Health Project traced thirty-five women over eight years. Daily exercisers were less likely to be bothered with hot flashes.
I’m happier, sleeping well, and more contented. I don’t lose my memory anymore, I’m very on the ball and young again in my mind.
— Sharyn McLaughlin
Several studies show that isoflavones — naturally occurring estrogen-like substances found in soy and some other plants — help reduce hot flashes and night sweats, improve cognitive function and memory, and lessen the appearance of wrinkles.
Researchers in Turkey studying a group of 303 women found that higher vitamin D levels are associated with fewer menopausal symptoms and better sexual function. They therefore recommend that vitamin D status should be evaluated in all menopausal women.
Following a healthy lifestyle and finding time to relax also seems to help with hot flashes and night sweats. Consuming a diet rich in isoflavones (see page 60) and omega-3 and omega-6 oils, getting regular exercise, cutting down on alcohol, and taking time to relax can all help alleviate these symptoms.
The table below offers a quick guide to remedies for troubling menopause symptoms. You can use it now to get a flying start on your personal Six-Week Natural Menopause Solution, but don’t stop here! The following chapters offer in-depth explanations of how these approaches, used in combination, can help you eliminate your symptoms in the long term and feel better than ever.
Since many symptoms can be relieved by simple dietary changes, I suggest you also refer to the list of nutritional content of foods (page 222) and the meal plans in chapter 11 to identify nutritious foods and easy ways to incorporate them into your diet.
| Symptoms | Possible Causes | How To Feel Better |
| Hot flashes and night sweats | Deficiencies of estrogen, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D | Eat plenty of foods that contain naturally occurring phytoestrogens, such as soy-based products and flaxseed.Take red clover supplements.Consider taking magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D supplements.Avoid hot drinks, spicy foods, alcohol, and caffeine, which can increase your body temperature and trigger these symptoms. |
| Headaches and migraines | Deficiencies of vitamin E, B vitamins, and magnesium | Eat regular, wholesome meals and snacks to keep blood sugar in check.Avoid caffeine.Take a multivitamin and a magnesium supplement.Try incorporating ginger into your diet; it is a known relaxant and has anti-inflammatory properties that can ease headaches. |
| Vaginal dryness and loss of libido | Deficiencies of estrogen, essential fatty acids, vitamins D and E, zinc, and magnesium | Eat plant-based foods that contain phytoestrogens.Consider taking sea buckthorn oil, vitamins D and E, zinc, and magnesium supplements. |
| Mood swings and depression | Deficiencies of vitamins B1, B3, B6, B12, C, and D; folate; biotin; and possibly essential fatty acids | Avoid processed foods, which are low in nutrients.Include plenty of greens, nuts, seeds, and berries in your diet.Exercise regularly.Consider taking supplements of vitamin B complex, vitamins C and D, and fish oils. |
| Insomnia | Deficiency of B vitamins (in particular vitamin B12), magnesium, and calcium | Avoid caffeine.Eat lean meat and seafood, which contain B vitamins.Avoid going hungry, to keep blood sugar from dropping.Take B vitamins, calcium, and magnesium supplements. |
| Panic attacks and palpitations | Deficiencies of potassium, magnesium, and iron | Avoid caffeine.Eat potassium-rich foods, like bananas.Consider taking iron and magnesium supplements, as well as herbs including maca, valerian, or St. John’s wort. |
| Joint and muscle aches | Deficiencies of magnesium, potassium, sodium, vitamin B1, and vitamin D | Consume 2–3 servings of omega-3-rich fish per week.Eat bananas.Consider taking vitamin D and omega-3 supplements. |
| Fatigue | Deficiencies of protein, iron, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, and vitamins C and D | Eat unprocessed foods.Include nuts, seeds, omega-3-rich fish, and fresh fruit and vegetables in your regular diet.Consume plenty of protein.Consider taking a multivitamin and supplementing with vitamins C and D and magnesium. |
| Memory loss and poor concentration | Deficiencies of iron, vitamins B1, B12, and D, folate, and possibly essential fatty acids | Eat wholesome foods that include soy.Consider taking multivitamins and supplements containing minerals, vitamin D, and fish oils. |
| Thinning hair | Deficiencies of estrogen, iron, and vitamin C | Eat a phytoestrogen-rich diet.Get your iron levels checked and take a supplement if necessary.Consider taking a multivitamin and additional vitamin C. |
| Restless legs | Deficiencies of iron and folate | Avoid caffeine.Get your iron and folate levels checked and take supplements if necessary. |
So far, looking at what’s happening in the body at midlife, we’ve seen that many symptoms can be explained by the natural drop in our estrogen levels. However, that’s not usually the whole story: there may be other underlying causes. Diet and lifestyle play an important part in the experience of menopause as well as in our general health and well-being. You’ve probably heard the adage “You are what you eat,” and to a large degree it’s true. Mother Nature has provided us with many sources of goodies: we just have to