Which foods are best avoided, and what you should be looking to incorporate into your diet? Discover Susie’s 10 top tips for how to control your menopause hunger and cravings.
Menopause sugar cravings can be incredibly powerful.
The stages of the menopause are full of ups and downs — quite literally for your hormones — and it’s common knowledge that this can leave us hankering for our next sugar fix.
So, to know what to do when the going gets tough, let’s establish a better understanding of what causes these sky-high menopause sugar cravings, as well as the challenges that you are likely to face.
In terms of blood sugar balance and sugar cravings, there are three key aspects of menopausal health which can be involved — fatigue, fraught emotions and weight gain.
One of the most common symptoms of the menopause is unexplained fatigue. One day you can feel your normal self, then the next you could wake feeling utterly exhausted — for no apparent reason.
As with many symptoms, this fatigue is caused by changing hormone levels in the menopause. Rather than pushing yourself it’s best, if you can, to just rest and take it easy. Give your body the time it needs to help adjust to these fluctuating hormone levels. Find a place of balance.
But how does this relate to sugar cravings? When tired, the body searches for energy; it is dietary carbohydrate and sugar which the body can readily convert into fuel. This is why, on days when you are feeling tired and depleted, sugar cravings might start to feel unmanageable.
These simple carbs provide a short-term boost to serotonin, but are soon followed by a ‘crash’ to a low serotonin state, leading to more cravings and starting the cycle again!
Sugary foods can deplete your levels of B vitamins, so a regular intake is particularly important during the perimenopause and menopause.
Consider supplementing — this supports energy-yielding metabolism and reduces tiredness and fatigue, as well as helping with normal psychological function and hormonal activity. Cleanmarine Menomin contains vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid and biotin for a carefully-curated daily supplement.
Even if you’re convinced that you’ll be able to breeze your way through the menopause, at some point your emotions are likely to get the better of you! It’s simply down to your hormones: fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone levels mean that there are days when you can feel quickly overwhelmed or short-fused, even in situations that you would usually handle with ease and grace.
Researchers have been exploring how changes in hormones impact on the neurotransmitters which influence our mood and emotions, such as serotonin and dopamine.
What’s been uncovered is that when oestrogen and serotonin levels are low — a typical hormone pattern associated with the perimenopause — cravings for carbohydrates may become heightened for some women. Stress-related cravings in particular can be associated with adrenal imbalance; exhaustion can create a hankering for a sugary serotonin pick-me-up.
So, whilst reaching for quick-fix carbohydrates is very tempting, all you’ll be doing is setting yourself up a sugar high — and the resulting low which always follows.
During the menopause, your body undergoes a hormonal transition that also tends to impact your metabolism. This means it’s not unusual to put on a few extra pounds. You may start to notice that maintaining your normal healthy body weight becomes much more challenging; days where you feel fatigued may mean you are less motivated to do regular exercise.
If menopausal weight gain has been getting you down and you feel inspired to take steps to shake off those extra pounds, then be mindful about the weight loss strategy that you choose.
Leaving long gaps in between meals, skipping meals, drastically reducing your calories or following dieting strategies that completely eliminate carbs can prove short-sighted and counterproductive. These all set you up for blood sugar lows — which are typically followed by increased sugar cravings.
Instead, slow and steady wins the race; aim to focus on a healthy lifestyle which helps you achieve your desired weight, in a sensible timescale.
So, what not to eat when going through the menopause? Say no to sugary treats, and rather than cutting out carbohydrates completely, take the time to incorporate complex carbs.
Swapping refined for whole grain is a wise choice — that’s white bread, pasta and rice out, and brown bread, whole grain pasta and brown rice in!
Achieving your goals and maintaining a healthy weight is so much easier without nagging cravings. Rather than cutting them out completely, make careful carb adjustments to avoid that yearning for a sugary treat.
Looking to step off the mood roller coaster and enjoy a smoother menopause? Try incorporating these simple lifestyle changes to curb those candy cravings.
These symptoms occur many years before you actually reach the menopause — these earlier stages being known as the perimenopause. During this time of change, but also during the menopause, women can experience bloating. It’s down to rapid hormonal changes within our bodies.
If you’re looking for information, help and advice, then you’re in the right place. Exactly what is menopausal water retention, how does it happen and what steps can I take to help manage fluid balance?
During the menopause, oestrogen and progesterone go through a transition. These hormones — crucial for sexual and reproductive development — stop following a monthly cycle and achieve a constant resting level. After this, menstruation ceases.
Oestrogen tends to have an impact on sodium and fluid retention, and progesterone helps to keep oestrogen’s fluid retention activity in check.
However, during stages of the menopause (particularly the earlier perimenopause stage), oestrogen and progesterone levels become unpredictable, fluctuating vastly from one day to the next.
These hormonal swings can create a disruption in the body’s ability to maintain normal fluid balance. As a result, tell-tale signs of water retention may start to be experienced.
The following symptoms can be crucial indicators of menopausal bloating.
Menopausal hormonal changes can cause our bodies to gain weight faster, as well as encouraging this extra fluff to be stored more readily around the belly. You could also be gaining weight because you’re aging, or due to lifestyle changes.
On the other hand, an increase in weight could also be predominantly because of retained water. Naturally, if you’re bloated, you’ll be carrying more water weight.
To distinguish bloating from menopause weight gain, keep an eye on your abdomen; if it protrudes and changes throughout the day, you’re most likely bloated — daily weight fluctuations between 1–3 pounds (0.45–1.3kg) can be a tell-tale indicator of bloating.
Usually, bloating will also be accompanied by pain and discomfort. It’s worth noting that bloating does also only tend to happen for shorter periods of time, particularly after eating or during hormone fluctuations.
Gas retention tends to be focused exclusively on the stomach, whereas water bloating can affect other body parts including hands, feet and ankles. A few top tips for avoiding gas bloating include avoiding fizzy drinks, chewing your food properly and having smaller meals.
So, you’ve ruled out weight gain and gas. How do I stop menopause water bloating? Consider incorporating some of the following changes into your lifestyle.
It’s one of the most fundamental but effective bloating remedies — taking action to eliminate anxiety and stress.
During times of prolonged stress, the adrenal glands secrete stress hormones. These hormones function to trip the nervous system into high-alert status, a very physiologically different state from the natural ‘rest and digest’ status.
Stress hormones are effective and quickly flip the muscles, lungs, heart, brain and eyes into a flight or fight standby mode.
The menopause, for some women, brings many challenges: heightened anxiety, poor sleep and fatigue. Hormonal changes can also make us feel more stressed than normal.
As one particular stress hormone — cortisol — increases, so too does the level of ADH (antidiuretic hormone). This encourages the body to retain water.
Therefore, find ways to manage stress levels. This could be through counselling, massage, exercise or just discussing and sharing your menopause experience. This will all help to settle these hormones and take the pressure off your water balance.
Salt provides an important flavour profile to food and when the body is low on minerals, cravings for salty foods may start to become more apparent. Salt is made up of crystals of sodium chloride — it’s the sodium part of the compound that is important.
If you are suffering from water retention or high blood pressure, then cutting back on sodium is a recommended guideline; too much of it encourages the body to hold on to water. Reducing sodium intake is a natural way to deal with swollen and puffy extremities.
In fact, the body requires no more than 2.4g of sodium per day — this can be found in as little as 6g of salt; that’s equal to just one teaspoon.
When it comes to the practical steps for reducing sodium, it’s important to get an understanding between sodium and salt values found on the nutrition information table on food packaging.
It can be confusing because some food products list the salt value, and some list the sodium value.
Foods that are high in salt and best avoided during times of water retention include:
Foods containing hidden salt include:
These foods don’t always taste salty, but you need to check the labels — you could be in for surprise at just how much salt they contain!
Nature always provides us with a tool to help restore balance. In the case of sodium, it’s another mineral called potassium which has an opposing influence on fluid balance.
Whereas sodium encourages the body to retain water, as an electrolyte, potassium contributes to fluid balance. It is involved with the normal functioning of the nervous system and the maintenance of normal blood pressure.
So, where do we find potassium in nature? The answer is fruits and vegetables, which is why getting your 5-a-day is so important.
The AI (Adequate Intake) for potassium is 3.5g a day, but it’s thought that most people don’t achieve this daily level.
Good sources of potassium include:
When you recognise that your body is retaining water, a natural first instinct may be to stop drinking as much. However, this could be counterproductive; when you’re dehydrated, your body is likely to cling onto fluids. Keeping hydrated becomes even more of a priority to help cope with fluid balance.
One way to support hydration and help your body deal with fluid retention is to focus on herbal teas such as nettle tea, fennel tea, dandelion tea and green tea — each of these have a mild diuretic effect.
Dealing with menopause water retention needs to be no more complicated than making a few simple adjustments to your lifestyle and diet.
Check in on your stress levels, make sure to exercise, watch your sodium intake and consider incorporating potassium and herbal fluids into your diet.
Needless to say, if you’re very concerned or your bloating is causing a huge amount of discomfort or pain, it’s always recommended to get in touch with a doctor for a professional medical take!
]]>We’re all braced to expect hot flushes, night sweats, fatigue, a loss of libido and changes to our periods. However, not as many women tend to share their experiences with how the menopause affects digestion.
You might have made it through life boasting a cast-iron stomach, with no food or drink causing so much as a single episode of indigestion or belly trouble. When our stomachs no longer seem so settled, it can become a cause for concern.
So, can the menopause cause stomach pain? The answer: yes — hormonal changes at the dawn of the menopause can give rise to gut and digestion discomfort.
Here’s how the menopause process causes trouble for our tummies, with some tips to help menopausal women say ‘see ya, sore stomach’.
When waking in the morning, many women approaching the menopause begin to report feelings of nausea, often reminiscent of morning sickness experienced when pregnant.
During the stages before the menopause — the perimenopause — hormone levels begin to alter. This can include changes to the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which regulates the function of the ovaries. The hormone changes in a similar way as during the initial stages of pregnancy, with this process associated with morning nausea.
In this way, the perimenopause period, which occurs 8–10 years before the menopause (the point at which we no longer have menstrual periods), can also be associated with digestive and stomach problems.
Declining oestrogen levels can cause cortisol to increase, raising blood pressure levels and reducing the production of essential stomach acids. The result is a rather upset stomach.
Thankfully, it’s possible to take action. Try setting your alarm clock 20 to 30 minutes earlier; this gives your morning hormone levels a little bit of extra time to settle; jumping out of bed to immediately rush your way through your morning routine is unlikely to help your tummy feel better.
Once you’re up and about, your breakfast can play a role in combating these pesky perimenopause digestive problems. A balanced breakfast stabilises your blood sugar levels, helping to resolve the nausea as well as get you fuelled up for the day. Needless to say, avoid junk and processed food as much as possible.
It’s not just what you eat, but how you eat it — make sure to chew slowly and thoroughly; this means your body has to work less hard to digest the food. Staying hydrated helps with nutrient transportation, so make sure a glass of water is on hand.
If, like many people, you find it hard to eat so soon after getting up, a breakfast smoothie might prove easier to stomach. A particularly delicious, beneficial recipe involves blending up include yoghurt, oats, frozen berries, chia seed and plant milk!
Naturally, you may think that your sex hormones are only active within your reproductive area. However, researchers have discovered that cells in the intestine lining also have receptor sites for oestrogen and progesterone.
What this means — the hormones normally regulating your menstrual cycle also have an impact on your digestion.
Oestrogen tends to stimulate the muscle that lines the length of the intestine; progesterone has a more relaxing effect. Working together, these hormones help to support the wave of rhythmic muscular activity within the gut. This activity helps food and the waste products from digestion to move through the gut with ease, and at the right speed.
During the menopause, our hormone levels change and oestrogen levels drop, disrupting this natural rhythm in the gut. The result: indigestion, bloating, wind, constipation and diarrhoea. This process means that the menopause and digestion problems often go hand-in-hand. For some women, this can become a more persistent and prominent health concern.
There’s an inextricable link between the gut and the brain, so if you’ve got a menopause upset stomach, it’s worth checking in on your tension levels.
Increased anxiety is a very common symptom of the menopause, as is a tendency to get flustered during stressful or high-pressure situations. You may get a sense or feeling that you just aren’t able to cope as well as you used to be able to.
Again, this is down to hormones. Oestrogen keeps the stress hormone cortisol in check; when this hormone runs low — as it does during the menopause — blood pressure rises and your digestion slows down. The calming effect of oestrogen can also cause adrenaline levels to rise, which switches off digestive functioning.
Naturally, this can leave your stomach feeling in knots. You probably don’t need us to remind you of those tell-tale signs of an unhappy belly: stomach pains, acid reflux, abdominal cramps, constipation, bloating and sluggish bowel.
Hot flushes, a quintessential menopausal symptom, can also sometimes feel quite overwhelming. For many women, these progress into panic attacks. The direct link between our mind and our tummy means that any worries, stress or anxiety are mirrored in your stomach, with muscles in the gut becoming tense.
Fortunately, there are always steps we can take to look after our mental health when life’s stressful situations threaten to get the better of us.
Consider exploring a course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), joining up with a local meditation group or treating yourself to regular relaxation massages — perhaps even all of these!
There are many tools at your disposal to help ease and release the stress and tension which naturally comes with the menopause. By taking time to still the mind throughout this stage in our lives, we can do our tummies a big favour.
All along the intestine, there’s a multitude of bacterial activity collectively known as the microbiome. Getting the right type of friendly bacteria in your microbiome supports gut function and the maintenance of bowel regularity, thereby playing a key role in keeping a menopause upset stomach at bay.
These friendly bacteria even produce B-vitamins which get absorbed into the body, contributing to a normal energy-yielding metabolism — required for all physiological functions and activities of the body, including exercise.
Importantly, some of the B-vitamins, such as B6 and B2, help to support hormone balance.
By getting these vital nutrients, you’ll be able to support your body as much as possible during the menopause.
]]>Women in business face many challenges when the menopause hits and symptoms of extreme fatigue, mood swings, insomnia, lack of drive and hot sweats could leave your boardroom performance less than average. Although women are talking much more openly about their menopause to partners and friends, the menopause is still very much a taboo subject in the workplace. It’s natural to want to hide your symptoms from your boss and colleagues so as not to be passed over for promotion or excluded from the next event. Surely, it’s time that workplaces had better strategies in place for supporting women through this hormonal transition.
Boardroom Dramas
One thing we know about the menopause is that the dramatic hormonal fluctuations often make it much harder for women to keep their cool in stressful situations. The pandemic has left many industries needing to make cutbacks, restructure their organisation and financially forecast for a predicted recession. Now is not the time to feel off your game or let escalating symptoms of the menopause perceive you as being hard to work with.
Some of your menopausal symptoms could rise when you feel under pressure regardless of how professional, prepared, qualified, experienced, quick thinking or capable you normally are. Instead of maintaining your composure you may now find that frustrating boardroom debates leave you flustered by hot flushes. You could unusually become overwhelmed and anxious when faced with losing valued members of your team or experience an outburst of outrage when having to justify every penny of your budget. Emotions and behaviours that you’ve been keeping under wraps for decades could now uncontrollably spill out into your corporate arena.
Taking steps to support your body through this hormonal transition could help soothe emotions and settle physical symptoms.
Menopausal tiredness and fatigue might mean that you experience more brain fog than mental agility, not great news if you need impress new clients or deliver impactful presentations. Omega 3 fats are phenomenally important for hormone balance and cognitive function. Increasing oily fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, trout), walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds and flax seeds into your daily diet helps top up on these healthy fats that are so important for the brain. But if eating oily fish 3-4 times a week isn’t to your taste, then it’s worth supplementing with Cleanmarine MenoMin which contains a highly absorbable form of omega 3 sourced from krill oil.
One common symptom of the menopause is anxiety and if you couple this with newfound bouts of menopausal insomnia it’s understandable that your ability to cope it certain situations is going to be altered. The mineral magnesium helps the nervous relax and unwind and eases some sleep issues. This mineral is found in green leafy vegetables but you could find that supplementing with this mineral in the day and before bedtime may help you feel able to stay cool, calm and composed during the most stressful boardroom debates.
The trick to easing stress in the workplace is to set a more realistic pace. Don’t over commit yourself to deadlines that you know are too tight to handle. Ditch the habit of running meetings back to back and learn to create space in your schedule so that you can work at a more realistic pace. These breathing spaces help accommodate for the times when you could be feeling less productive due to lack of sleep, headaches or days when menopausal fatigue is more prominent.
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One of the most shocking things about the menopause is the way that changing hormones quickly impact on your body composition. It can very quickly become glaringly obvious that you are starting to lose muscle mass and gain stored fat which is typically redistributed into hot spots around the body such as the waist, hips, thighs and face at an alarming rate.
Muscle tissue is highly metabolically active and very efficient at burning calories to generate energy, both of which contribute to helping you feel energised and maintaining a lean and trim figure. The drop in muscle mass during the menopause means that your body may become less efficient at burning calories and more efficient at storing calories and this massively contributes to your change in body shape and drop in metabolism.
Focusing on exercise that aims to maintain and build muscle mass helps to support menopausal metabolism, improve body conditioning, and help minimise menopausal weight gain. You might naturally think that to shift the weight you need to do more cardio but the smart move is to spend time rebuilding your muscle tone with a good weights programme. You could either sign up to a gym and use the weights machines and get advice from a personal trainer. Or if you don’t live near a gym then simply look on online as there are now a tremendous amount of online classes to choose from and beginner dumbbells are affordable and available from Amazon.
The body builds and repairs muscle fibres from amino acids which are the smallest units of protein found in food. By reducing the amount of starchy carbohydrates in your diet such as bread, pasta, rice and increasing the amount of protein rich foods in your diet – meat, fish, eggs, yoghurt, cottage cheese or from vegetarian sources such as nuts, seeds, pulses and plant protein powders you help provide your body with more of the amino acids required for maintaining and supporting muscle mass. Adding a scoop of protein powder to a pre or post workout smoothie is a great habit to get into. There are lots of good quality plant-based protein powders to choose from including pea, hemp, brown rice, quinoa or pumpkin seed.
There are two hormones which greatly encourage the body to store fat and for this extra fat to be directed to those body shape changing hot spots. These hormones are called cortisol and insulin. Cortisol is the hormone that drives your stress response and lowers your metabolism to help conserve energy, so the more stressed you are, the more this contributes to your menopausal weight gain. Simply going through the menopause is stressful enough so if you already have a high level of work, life or relationship stress going on before you hit the menopause then escalating cortisol levels could become a factor. Take some time to re-evaluate you work-life balance, lighten your social commitments and seek counselling for any unsettled relationships. Also, meditation, yoga and exercise may also help to dissipate stress.
The hormone insulin which enables sugar to travel from your blood stream into your cells may also be contributing to your menopausal weight gain and metabolism issues. On the days when menopausal tiredness and fatigue are at their most prominent it’s so easy to reach for sugary foods or drinks in an attempt to boost your energy. Sounds good, but if you consume more sugar than you need, or if your body produces too much insulin then this sugar gets quickly converted into fat and, you guessed it - it gets deposited into those hot spot areas contributing to a change in body shape. Swapping sugar foods for slow release carbs helps to build more stable energy levels and supplementing with B vitamins helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue and support metabolism.
]]>October is Menopause Awareness Month and this year we’ve seen a hive of activity on various media platforms hosting talks, podcasts and presentations with a wide range of medical, nutrition, mindfulness and wellness experts sharing their views and experiences about all things menopausal.
]]>Each October we get involved with Menopause Awareness Month and this year there we’ve seen a hive of activity on various media platforms hosting talks, podcasts and presentations with a wide range of medical, nutrition, mindfulness and wellness experts sharing their views and experiences about all things menopausal.
The International Menopause Society
This incredible event is organised by the International Menopause Society also known as the IMS, a charitable organisation based in the UK, that brings together the world’s leading experts to collaboratively study and share knowledge about all aspects of the menopause. The IMS advocates evidence-based treatment options that optimise mid-life women’s health and promotes best practice in women’s health care to women across the globe. The purpose of this annual event is to raise awareness of the menopause so that women can be encourage to talk more freely about their symptoms and discover what support options are available for improving their health and wellbeing as they go through this hormonal transition.
World Menopause Day - Premature Ovarian Insufficiency
World Menopause Day is held every year on the 18th October. This year the theme for World Menopause Day 2020 was Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) which occurs when a woman's ovaries start to shut down before the age of 40, initiating an early menopause. Whereas most women begin the menopause after the age of 50, a small percentage may experience an early onset menopause around the age of 45 years. However, it’s now estimated that POI occurs in approximately 3.7% of women but may differ between countries.
A recent global prevalence study of POI and early menopause revealed that PIO occurs in 1/1000 women under the age of 30 and 1/10,000 under the age of 20. The mechanisms as to why the ovaries shut down from such an early age remains unknown in approximately 70–90% of diagnosed cases making this a rather mysterious condition.
Supporting your future health
Suspected contributory factors include genetic abnormalities, autoimmune conditions, underlying infectious, metabolic irregularities, the presence of toxins and chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. Although it’s hard to predict or prevent PIO, what’s important is the realisation that this condition has far reaching impacts on mental, physical and emotional quality of life. All the risk factors that come with post-menopausal health in terms of bone health, preserving cognitive function, risks for heart disease and raised cholesterol are all very real and begin the moment the ovaries shut down.
A diet for hormone balance and weight management
Nutrition factors that support healthy weight management including a low sugar diet and swapping refined carbs for complex carbs is especially important for cardiovascular health. Increasing omega 3 fats from oily fish or supplementing with krill oil is also helpful for weight management, metabolism, hormone health and cognitive function.
Avoid a sedentary lifestyle
Being inactive is now considered to be as potentially damaging for long-term health as smoking in terms of weight management and cardiovascular health. If you do have a job that involves sitting at a desk all day and then sit on front of the TV in the evenings, then it’s time to take your activity levels to another level. Start by aiming to achieve the recommended activity levels of 5000 to 10000 steps a day to help support general health and wellbeing.
Where to go for more information on POI
For more information you can download a POI information leaflet - available in all European languages from IMS (International Menopause Society).
]]>No one can really prepare you for the extreme fatigue and tiredness that arises with no real reason on occasional days during the menopause. If you hit the menopause when you are juggling a full-time career, navigating a difficult relationship, have young children that need your time and attention or are coping with teenage mood swings, then these days of fatigue can be really impactful and hard-hitting. It’s totally understandable why some women keep the coffee machine on full throttle as a means to get through these days. However, studies show that women who drink coffee tend to have more frequent and more severe hot flushes, than women who don’t drink coffee. Turn off the coffee machine, keep hydrated with herbal teas and start taking a supplement such as Cleanmarine MenoMin which contains B vitamins that actively reduce tiredness and fatigue and help with hormone balance.
It’s a good idea to give your superwoman persona a bit of time off during the menopause. You have already proved your point – you’re amazing in so many ways. But if you don’t hang up that superhero cloak, you’ll likely drive yourself into a more testing menopause. It’s time to learn how to catnap, something you’ve probably sworn you’ll never do, and you’ll probably tell yourself that there’s no way you can sleep in the day. Well, why don’t you let your body decide if that’s true as sleeping for just 30 minutes in the afternoon is the best way to reset your hormones and recharge your batteries and smooth over the escalating menopausal symptoms. Sure, you probably won’t fall asleep the first couple of weeks that you do this, but sleep will come, eventually! Take yourself out of your schedule for 30 mins in the afternoon, find a quiet spot on the sofa or on your bed and allow your body and mind to unwind and relax. Teach yourself to catnap. The results are staggering.
Changes in hormones early on in the first few months of the perimenopause could have a huge impact on sexual desire and level of comfort and enjoyment during sex. There are so many changes to cope with both physically and emotionally that it could seem to have arrived so intensely and so quickly that you feel overwhelmed and start to withdraw from your partner as a coping mechanism to get acclimatised to the hormonal transition.
But, by not taking confident steps to talk to your partner about how your menopause is affecting your sex life, you risk setting a new normal for your relationship. Your partner may pick up on the signs of your lack of instigating sex or lack of enjoying sex or your making excuses to not have sex and misinterpret these signals to have a deeper meaning, which could create more distance between you and impact their sexual confidence with you.
First steps are to talk openly about the emotional and physical changes you are going through – explain that it may take longer to be aroused, that dryness creates pain and discomfort and that you may feel like you don’t quite understand your body as well as you used to. Sharing these comments is likely to fall on sympathetic ears. Together you can start to rekindle that flame of desire and experiment with different types of natural lubrication for intimate, fun, enjoyable and comfortable sex again.
Hitting the menopause is not the time to bury your head in the sand in terms of health screening. The changes in oestrogen and progesterone put menopausal women at far greater risk of cholesterol issues, heart disease, breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis, just to name drop a few of the big ones. So, if you get a letter from your surgery that it’s time to go in for a health screen, don’t just stick that letter straight in the recycling bin. Instead, pick up the phone and book your appointment. Picking up risk factors as early as possible gives you a fighting chance to make necessary dietary and lifestyle changes which could be paramount to your longevity.
]]>“I received the MenoMin very quickly and was a little apprehensive as it contained Krill oil. I really thought I was going to hate it as I‘m not fond of fish and thought I’d be able to taste it. I opened the packet and smelt inside but couldn’t smell a thing! The capsules were quite easy to swallow and I started taking them straight away.
I had been suffering for months from terrible sweats during the day and especially at night, where I’d wake absolutely dripping in sweat, which wasn’t nice at all. It was difficult to cope with, as I felt I was constantly getting changed and doing the laundry I was changing bedding so often!
I had a major lack of energy and strength, it took me ages to motivate myself to even get out of bed most days. I suffered daily headaches, brain fog and I really wasn’t sleeping well at all, spending most of the night awake and then dozing off through sheer exhaustion at around 6am when it was time to get up and start a new day! My work suffered as I struggled so much.
I wasn’t expecting changes from using MenoMin overnight, or for them to be so noticeable. But in reality, it only took around 10 days for me (and other members of my family) to start seeing a difference.
My brain started feeling less ‘stuffed up’ and the fog lifted a little. I wasn’t forgetting so much, or repeating questions I’d already asked according to my adult daughter.
I started to sleep a little better, just one or two nights at first which soon crept up to 5-6 nights which was fantastic for me. Sleeping for even 4-5 hours a night felt like a miracle. I felt like I had a bit more energy as the days went on and certainly felt more positive, which I think encouraged me to get up and try things. My enthusiasm to do things slowly returned and I did feel stronger in myself. I wasn’t lifting weights or anything like that, but I felt like I had a bit more strength within my arms and legs, which had been holding me back before, and also an inner strength within me. I started feeling a bit more confident too which was great.
But the best thing that happened was the sweats eased off quite a lot. I was able to go out and didn’t have that ‘dripping tap’ feeling attached to my head! I still perspired a bit, but felt I was glowing - and the bonus was that I didn’t have to keep dabbing at my sodden brow so often. That felt absolutely fantastic for me. The night sweats lessened and I was sleeping more, which helped with my energy as I was having restorative sleep.
All in all I’m really happy to have found MenoMin as it’s helped me a lot. As I said before, I wasn’t expecting such great results but overall I’m really pleased that I tried MenoMin as it really reduced a lot of my symptoms.
I would definitely give the product a 5 star rating. If anyone is wondering if they should try MenoMin, I’d say give it a go. You never know how it could help you if you’re suffering from symptoms of the menopause. I was surprised by the positive results, hopefully, others will be too.
Read more reviews:https://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/reviews
The rate & review scheme for 2020 is now closed but you can still sign up to receive a months supply of Cleanmarine, hurry don’t miss out on your chance to try it for free!
No matter what stage of the peri-menopause or menopause you are at, Cleanmarine & the Talk Health Partnership can help. Why not sign up to the programme today or of you are not ready yet simply check out the free resources on the Talk Health Partnership website and the Cleanmarine UK site.
Stay in touch & watch out for more great (free!) blogs, resources, help & advice from Cleanmarine Menomin
]]>Each capsule contains Omega 3, Biotin, Rosemary Oil and Soy Isoflavones along with a range of vitamins to provide nutritional support for this phase of life.
Cleanmarine MenoMin contains both Vitamin B2 and biotin that contribute to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes which line the vagina and other parts of the body including the mouth. Together Vitamin B2, B6, B12 and folate contribute to a reduction in tiredness and fatigue.Whilst Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity and along with vitamins B1 and B12 it also contributes to normal psychological function.
Similarly bone health is very important as we approach the menopause. Cleanmarine MenoMin contains Vitamin D3 which contributes to the maintenance of normal bones as well as the absorption and utilisation of calcium from the diet.
Think of Cleanmarine MenoMin as your all in one peri and menopausal daily supplement.
If you are thinking about trying Cleanmarine Menomin check out the Talk Health Partnership website where you can sign up to receive a months supply for free! As well as your freebie you can also sign up to the MyMenopause Support programme sponsored by Cleanmarine Menomin. It’s completely free & gives you access to help & support that you can access at your own pace.
Check out next weeks blog in which real women talk about their experiences of Talk Health & Cleanmarine Menomin.
]]>Menopause can be a difficult subject to broach, which makes navigating the journey even more challenging. Women often find themselves under-prepared approaching menopause not knowing where to turn for advice & support.
With this in mind Cleanmarine Menomin have teamed up with the Talk Health Partnership, one of the UK’s leading online health communities, to sponsor the ‘MyMenopause’ support programme providing free interactive support and resources for women going through menopause.
"Sign up, sit back, read, digest and act on the support and advice given. I was going nuts with menopause but this programme has supported my new ways of thinking, living, eating, sleeping and to some extent controlling nights sweats, hot flushes, sleepless nights etc. What you got to lose other than getting a good nights refreshing sleep." Liz (Aug 20)
Support & advice at the click of a button!
In February 2020 Cleanmarine Menomin and Talk Health launched an online clinic with leading women’s health experts Susie Debice and Dr Shahzadi Harper answering questions on issues related to the peri-menopause. The clinic is now closed but you can view the questions on the Talk Health website:
https://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/clinics/ask-expert-peri-menopause
As well as the clinic the programme offers a 12-week mymenopause support programme which is designed for anyone going through the menopause no matter what stage they are currently at, there is something for everyone. Each week participants are sent pdfs written by Talk Health and medical experts to download containing easy-to-digest, practical information.
The free resources cover everything from tips for chatting with your GP, HRT and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), diet and exercise, sleeping and hot flushes, patient stories and more.
Head over to the Talk Health Partnership website to browse through all the great resources available for free!
Check back next week to read about how you can manage the menopause naturally with Cleanmarine Menomin
https://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/support/menopause
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Oestrogen and insulin
Oestrogen and insulin have a pretty tight relationship which may become disrupted during the menopause leaving blood sugar levels mismanaged. So how does this female hormone influence blood sugar levels? Oestrogen plays a role in regulating insulin levels by supporting the activity of cells in the pancreas that produce insulin and helping regulate the mechanisms involved in protecting cells from insulin resistance. These are essential requirements for helping keep daily blood sugar levels stable, a contributing factor for weight management, metabolism, mood and energy production.
What is insulin resistance?
Prior to the menopause the body has an efficient system in place for managing optimal blood sugar levels. When you eat carbohydrate or sugary foods, cells in the pancreas realise the ideal amount of insulin to help transport sugar into cells. It’s thought that oestrogen also plays a role in helping cells respond to insulin by regulating the transport mechanisms that ferry sugar into the cells, ready to be used to fuel metabolism and energy production. Insulin resistance occurs when the cells no longer respond to insulin leaving sugar unable to hitch a ride into cells. When oestrogen levels are fluctuating insulin resistance could be more likely to occur.
Mitochondria and metabolism
The process of converting sugar into energy (units of ATP) takes place in a special part of the cell called the mitochondria. Scientific research has discovered that oestrogen modulates several mitochondria functions associated with energy production. Studies reveal that the falling levels of oestrogen associated with the menopause have far reaching effects including a potential downturn in mitochondria activity.
Without the support of oestrogen, energy producing pathways in the mitochondria slows down so less ATP is produced. There may also be an increase in harmful free radicals naturally produced as by-products of mitochondrial energy production. The overall effect of any reduced mitochondrial activity may result in a reduction in the metabolic rate, increased weight gain and increased fat around the abdominal area.
Moody menopause
During the early stages of the menopause, known as the perimenopause, oestrogen levels may fluctuate greatly from one day to the next. You could feel full of energy one day and the next day feel snappy, irritable, moody and experience extreme fatigue. These ups and downs are purely reflective of the likely disruption occurring in your insulin and blood sugar levels due to unpredictable changes in oestrogen levels. Other common signs of blood sugar imbalance include:
How to support blood sugar balance
You may not be able to quickly stabilise your oestrogen levels, but you are capable of making a few diet and lifestyle changes designed to help to support blood sugar balance.
By learning to better manage your blood sugar levels with these key dietary changes you could see noticeable differences in your mood and energy levels across the day, putting you one step closer to a smoother menopause.
]]>Not all types of cholesterol are bad for you. Scientific researchers have shown us that cholesterol is important for many aspects of our health. Food scientist and nutritional therapist Susie Debice explains that menopausal women need to keep an eye on levels of LDL cholesterol to be aware of their cardiovascular health.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance made in vast quantities by the liver and just 20% of the cholesterol in your body comes from food sources such as oily fish, meat, dairy products and eggs. So why does the body need cholesterol? The body uses cholesterol as a key component for producing sex hormones (oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone), stress hormones, vitamin D and bile (a substance needed to digest fats).
Cholesterol is also important for mind, memory and brain function. In fact, 25-30% of the total cholesterol in the body can be found in the brain. Cholesterol is an essential component of neurons, it contributes to brain function, nerve impulses and neuronal plasticity – how thoughts and feelings shape the way we react and learn.
What is the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty substance which needs to attach to a transport protein to hitch a ride through the bloodstream. These cholesterol transport molecules are called lipoproteins and they tend to influence how cholesterol impacts on cardiovascular health. Cholesterol is carried through the bloodstream in two forms called LDL and HDL cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol – joins to a low-density lipoprotein. This ‘bad’ form of cholesterol is more harmful to the cardiovascular system. LDL cholesterol gets easily deposited in blood vessel walls, creating plaques that clog up artery walls and contribute to high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes.
HDL cholesterol – joins to a high-density lipoprotein. This ‘good’ form of cholesterol is more helpful to the cardiovascular system. HDL cleverly collects up excess cholesterol and carries it to the liver where it’s processed and removed from the body, an essential step for managing cholesterol balance.
Is there a link between cholesterol and the menopause?
A large American study called SWAN (The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation) has revealed insight into a link between the menopause and a corresponding rise in cholesterol that many women experience. Researchers are further exploring if there is an association between this and heart disease for menopausal women.
As you go through the menopause oestrogen levels start to decline, cholesterol balance becomes disrupted and some women start to see a jump in the LDL cholesterol and a drop in HDL cholesterol, tipping the ratio of their total cholesterol levels in a way that puts them at risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. Having regular cholesterol checks is particularly important for women who experience an early menopause (under 50) and extremely important for post-menopausal health.
Does exercise during the menopause help balance cholesterol?
Studies indicate that regular exercise may help some of the risks associated with the drop in oestrogen levels. Low levels of oestrogen during the menopause tend to influence LDL cholesterol to rise and HDL cholesterol to fall. Regular exercise has been found to help offset this cholesterol conundrum by increasing HDL and lowering LDL cholesterol. Other positive benefits of regular exercise which may also be helpful during the menopause include stress reduction, better mood, muscle tone, weight management, bone density support, blood pressure management and cardiovascular support.
What about diet and supplements to help lower cholesterol?
Don’t be tempted to follow a fat-free diet, remember that only 20% of your total cholesterol levels come from food sources. Cut back on saturated fat and sugar rich foods as part of a healthy eating plan which helps with weight management and general health. But it’s fibre that’s really important since cholesterol needs to bind with fibre in the gut to hitch a ride out of the body. When it comes to supplements psyllium husks, garlic, niacin (vitamin B3) phytosterols, red rice extract and omega 3 (such as krill oil) may be helpful for supporting cholesterol balance.
Author – Susie Debice BSc Hons, Dip ION
Food Scientist and Nutritional Therapist
]]>Don’t go getting yourself all hot and bothered about your upcoming menopause. Food scientist and nutritional therapist Susie Debice provides six easy to achieve steps to follow that help support hormonal balance before, during and after the menopause…
]]>Over the last two decades there has been a plethora of research into the menopause highlighting the many common symptoms, causes and strategies. The results of these research studies and clinical trials have been utilised to confirm and consolidate what we already know to be effective, and to also shape and create trusted advice for women to follow as they navigate their way through this time of hormonal change.
A large American study known as the Women’s Health Initiative Dietary Modification involving over 17,000 post-menopausal women revealed that overweight women who lost at least 10lbs or 10% of their body weight through healthy eating guidelines, smaller portions and increased exercised were significantly more likely to rid themselves of hot flushes than women who lost less than 10lbs. Don’t be tempted to follow a fad or overly restrictive diet, these tend to be full of false promise and the rebound weight gain could leave you feeling frustrated and demotivated. Losing the magic 10lbs before, or as soon as your perimenopause begins, helps you in more ways than one.
Many women experience a dip in metabolism after the menopause due to the drop in hormones, which may make it harder to lose weight after the menopause. This menopausal metabolism slump is why so many women tend to experience weight gain after the menopause. This insight provides motivation for getting in shape before your menopause begins.
It’s hard to image that one of your treasured morning rituals could end up making your menopause more severe. However, there is compelling scientific evidence to show that women who consume caffeine – present in coffee, tea and cola – typically experience enhanced menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety, headaches, insomnia and palpitations. Simply swapping caffeinated drinks for herbal teas, water with a splash of fruit juice or simply drinking water could help you quickly feel more comfortable during your menopause.
Once you’ve got a healthy diet, lifestyle and exercise routine in place then you may want to add some supplements to further support hormone balance through the menopause. There are lots of options so it’s confusing and hard to know what will work for you. The most common natural supplements substantiated by good clinical studies include phytoestrogens, rosemary oil, vitamin D and E, B-vitamins, and omega 3 krill oil. For a truly personalised supplement programme a nutritional therapist can select the most appropriate supplements for the symptoms you are experiencing or Cleanmarine MenoMin is a great all rounder in terms of nutrition support during the menopause.
Studies indicate that genitourinary issues affect approximately 50% of menopausal and post-menopausal women with common issues including laughter leaks and incontinence, interstitial cystitis, prolapsed bladder, painful sex and vaginal atrophy. However, only 20% of these women seek help for these conditions which massively affects their quality of life. Hormonal changes during the menopause causes muscles that support the bladder and urethra to become more relaxed and the tissues and cells that line the bladder and vagina to weaken. This is why working your pelvic floor muscles before, during and after the menopause is incredibly important. So get squeezing ladies! There are lots of pelvic toning gadgets to help you focus on this much needed daily activity. Check out www.kegel8.co.uk for more information.
Stress comes in many guises from relationship stress, financial worries, difficulties at work, parenting troublesome teenagers to the physical stress of over-exercising. If your body is busy prioritising the production of stress hormones then this could disrupt female hormone balance and contribute towards ramping up menopausal symptoms. Schedule in some activities that help your body unwind from stress (yoga, meditation, walking, talking to friends) or sign up for some journey work, mindfulness coaching or counselling.
It’s becoming well-documented that smokers tend to have more frequent and more intense menopausal hot flushes compared to non-smokers. This may partly be due to the vasodilatory effect of nicotine. If giving up smoking is more challenging than you first though then seek help and aim to be nicotine free by the age of 45 or 50 at the latest. By the time you start experiencing hot flushes you’ll be thankful you decided to quit smoking before your menopause kicked in.
It’s never too early or too late to pick up these six steps and start to carve yourself a new, more comfortable pathway through the menopause. All it takes is a little bit of planning and dedication and you’ll soon be rewarded with the benefits of your efforts.
Author Susie Debice BSc HONS, Dip ION
Food Scientist and Nutritional Therapist
]]>New beginning
Living without the disruption of a menstrual period can certainly feel pretty liberating. Women who typically suffered from particularly heavy or prolonged periods may feel a new lease of energy and vitality since their iron levels now remain unchallenged by monthly bleeding. What will you do with all this new energy? Some women find they have a new lease of creativity and since the menopause tends to occur at a time when children are leaving the nest, then freedom from responsibility and routine generates a sense that anything is possible. Your time is now entirely yours, for the first time in a long while you can put yourself first. You can run with your ideas and explore many new possibilities of potential work or adventure, rekindle old friendships or pursue new connections.
Golden guidelines
Regardless of how fantastic you feel after the menopause there are definitely a few golden guidelines that could be wise to adhere to. Before the menopause hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone had a positive influence on skin health, heart health, bone health, mood and memory, weight management and metabolism. Once past the menopause these hormone levels hit an all time low and this has many health implications. Research shows that menopausal women are at greater risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, weight gain and some forms of cancer. You may also notice a change in your body shape, muscle tone, skin tone and you could start being a little forgetful! It’s essential for your long-term health that you take steps to look after yourself past the menopause. What does this mean? It means that you need to start considering your heart, skin, bone and mind health in respect to what you eat and the type of exercise that you do.
Body shape
Some women find it quite unsettling at how quickly their body shape and tone changes once through the menopause. It’s typical to notice that you may put on weight a lot quicker than you used to and that you may need to work harder to maintain your desired weight. Be wary of fad diets which promise quick results as you’ll more than likely see rebound weight gain. Instead opt for a more sensible and realistic approach to healthy weight management. Reduce your portion sizes at all meals, you may no longer need as many calories as you used to because it’s more than likely that your metabolism is now a little slower. Avoid in-between meal snacking and cut back on starchy and refined carbs. Switch to having your main meal at lunchtime and have a much lighter meal, salad or soup in the evening.
Bone strength
Focusing on foods that are rich in bone building nutrients such as calcium and magnesium found in nuts, seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and tahini paste) and green leafy vegetables is a positive dietary habit for this phase of your life. But the real important bone health strategy is to switch to bone bearing building exercise such as walking, climbing stairs, weights program and dancing. If you have bone density problems or osteoporosis in the family then it’s advisable to talk to your GP about a bone density scan.
Skin savvy
Now is the time to give your skin the love and attention that it so deserves. After the menopause without the support of skin nourishing oestrogen fine lines, wrinkles and skin tones could start to become an issue. Vitamin C is needed to help build collagen and protect collagen by neutralising harmful free radicals generated by oxidative stress. Berries, green leafy vegetables and parsley are all good sources of vitamin C and supplementing with vitamin C and collagen helps provide an extra layer of skin TLC.
]]>You may never have had problems with your legs before, but as soon as you hit the menopause you might find that you’re not as light on your feet as you used to be. Common leg problems to keep an eye out for include:
Having achy and tired legs after a workout or a long walk is completely normal but if your legs feel heavy and tired for no reason then this could be to do with your menopause. If you feel like you are walking through treacle or that your legs feel weighed down and that every step seems to take an incredible amount of effort and energy, then you could be suffering from heavy leg syndrome. Sometimes this is associated with varicose veins (which we’ll talk about in a minute) or it could be that fluctuating hormone levels associated with your menopause may have created a change in the circulation to your legs so the muscles and cells just aren’t getting the same amount or consistency of oxygen and fuel leaving the legs tired and heavy.
Being overweight doesn’t help, so embarking on a new healthy eating and increased activity plan is a good start. Sitting or standing for long periods of time may contribute to the problem. Set an hourly alarm on your watch or phone so that you can regularly take a 5-10 minute break for a switch in movement to help support blood circulation. Elevating your legs at the end of the day and even in the middle of the day helps to drain fluid from your legs and refresh the circulation helping release pressure that could be building up and creating a sensation of heaviness.
You might be feeling tired and exhausted, but your legs may be telling a different story. If you notice that you are moving your legs in an agitated way due to experiencing tingling or an uncomfortable throbbing, jittery, crawling or shaky sensation then you could be suffering from restless legs syndrome (RLS) brought on by your menopause. RLS is considered a disorder of the nervous system which impacts on the muscles in the legs. The mineral magnesium found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish and avocados, contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system and also supports normal muscle function so supplementing with the mineral may help settle your legs so you can feel more comfortable. Stress may enhance RLS so finding ways to relax such as meditation, massage and soaking in a warm bath may help you unwind and relax.
The arteries, veins and capillaries which carry blood around your body contain valves which ensure that the blood flows in the right direction. However, falling oestrogen levels during the menopause means that these valves and the walls of these blood vessels may not be as strong as they used to be. This causes blood to collect in certain areas, creating a rippled, misshapen, and discoloured effect under the skin known as varicose veins. Over time, these areas may become swollen, painful and enlarged. Surgery may be your only option to remove these veins but it’s worth focusing on foods rich in omega 3 (oily fish, flax oil, walnuts, chia seeds) and vitamin C (citrus fruits, berries, green leafy vegetables, parsley) which help to support the integrity of blood vessel walls and support normal circulation. If you don’t like the taste of fish, then you could supplement with Cleanmarine Krill Oil to help support omega 3 intake and also take a vitamin C supplement daily.
As you progress into the menopause, you may start to notice that your skin has that lumpy, bumpy, dimpled effect attributed to cellulite. Changes in oestrogen levels during the menopause are thought to be associated with a loss of collagen from connective tissue and a change in the way that fat and fluid become deposited under the skin. Supplementing with vitamin C and hydrolysed collagen peptides may help to support collagen renewal and replenishment. Dry skin brushing may also help to support lymphatic drainage and avoiding sitting for long periods of time may also be helpful for the circulation. Cleaning up your diet and lifestyle could be helpful – cutting back on sugar, alcohol, processed food and saturated fat. Drink plenty of water and make sure you hit your 5-a-day.
If you are finding that the menopause is impacting on your quality of life, then it’s best to get in touch with a nutritional therapist.
]]>Have you started the perimenopause? The 5-10 years leading up to the menopause may have you drawn to considering testing. Scientist and Nutritionist Susie Debice explains which tests are available…
]]>The problem for some women is that many of the first signs of the perimenopause such as low mood, anxiety, weight gain, tiredness and changes in periods could easily be associated with other factors. This is why it could take a while to register that the changes you are experiencing are actually an indication that your perimenopause has begun.
To confirm this, testing for levels of FSH (follicle stimulating hormones), LH (luteinising hormone), oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone provide the answers that you are looking for so that you can decide on lifestyle, diet and supplement strategies to best help support you during the time it takes for your fertility to unwind smoothly.
Home test kits
Visit a pharmacy and pick up a SELFCheck Menopause Test Kit which will cost you £20. This is a quick urine test, a bit like a pregnancy test kit, which checks levels of FSH and the results quickly appear as purple lines within 10 minutes. This test is a reliable estimate and if you get positive results then it’s worth going to your GP or healthcare practitioner for further investigation and a full hormone profile.
Testing with a nutritional therapist
Whereas GPs tend to look at your hormone profile from the perspective of the level of hormones that you have circulating in your bloodstream, nutritional therapists tend to work by assessing what’s available to your cells, what’s being utilised and how your hormones are being metabolised which some people consider to provide a more comprehensive way to interpret your hormone activity. These tests often include saliva and urine samples and may even include stress hormones too, providing an insight into why your hormones could be out of balance. Common Menopause Hormone Profiles are available from the Dutch Test and Genova Diagnostic Europe but you’ll be thankful of the expert opinion of a nutritional therapist to help you interpret the results and match you up with a diet, lifestyle and a supplement program so you can focus on hormone balance and support to help you with specific symptoms.
Medical testing with your GP
Ask your GP to arrange for a blood test for FSH, LH, oestradiol, progesterone, and testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) this is pretty standard information to collate and helps provide a good overview of your current hormonal picture. The toolbox that GPs have available to them for menopause support hopefully includes some sensible lifestyle advice and secondly as a prescription for medications to help better manage your symptoms. This could go one of two ways – either a prescription for synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which many women are now unsure of using due to uncertainty about perceived risks and possible side effects. These hormones have a slightly different shape to the natural shape of the hormones that your body naturally produces.
However, there is now an alternative option which a growing number of GPs that, when asked, are prepared to prescribe. In the last couple of years, two types of hormone support that fall into the category of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) have become available for doctors to prescribe on the NHS. So, rather than HRT you could enquire about the use of an oestrogen gel called Oestrogel and a progesterone tablet called Utrogestan. The hormones in these BHRT medications have the exact same shape and structure as the hormones that the body naturally produces.
Many European countries and America have been using BHRT for supporting hormone conditions like the menopause for years, but for some reason the UK has been slow to catch up with this forward-thinking style of medication. Up until now prescriptions for BHRT in the UK have been limited to some very expensive private health practices but thankfully now they’re available on the NHS it gives access to everyone who shows an interest.
You have officially hit the menopause when you have been free from periods for 12 months if you are 50+ years old and for 24 months if you are under 50 years old. Once you‘ve reached this landmark in your fertility levels of oestrogen and progesterone are likely to be at a pretty constant base-level which is low enough for your cycle to remain inactive, but still hitting a level for which menopausal symptoms are no longer experienced. It’s important that these two hormones remain in circulation after the menopause as they both impact on areas of health and vitality outside of the role of fertility. These hormones have a role to play in cardiovascular health, cholesterol balance, bone health, skin health, libido, memory, mood and metabolism.
]]>The menopause is the time it takes for your body to reach the end of your fertility phase of life. But when it comes to contraception – it’s not as black and white as some women would like it to be. You may think that as soon as you get your first sign of a hot flush or night sweat that you can toss your contraceptive pills and condoms to one side. However, this would be a mistake if you’re wanting to avoid any little fertility surprises in your late 40s or early 50s.
Late pregnancy risks
You see your fertility doesn’t end with the arrival of your first menopausal symptoms, in fact it can be several years – we’re talking 4-10 years – from the start of your menopausal symptoms to the actual end of your periods. This half to full decade is called the perimenopause and during this time you definitely need to keep on top of your contraception. Towards the end of your fertile years you are releasing the lowest quality and most aged eggs but that doesn’t mean that these eggs can’t get fertilised it just means that the genetic information they contain isn’t as pure or as high quality as the eggs that you released in your teens and 20s. This is why naturally conceived pregnancies in a woman’s 40s tend to have a much higher risk of complications for the mother and baby.
Unpredictable ovulation
As you progress through your perimenopause you are likely to go through phases where your periods are closer together and heavier than normal, or completely irregular, and finally they may become more spaced out or you skip a few and they may be much lighter than normal. These changes make it very hard to predict when you are ovulating, and changes in vaginal mucus which you may have previously used as an ovulation indication may also no longer be appropriate or accurate. So, the techniques used for avoiding pregnancy without the use of contraception are also becoming flawed.
Contraceptives and hormones
You may have come the end of a 5 or 10 year coil or implant and be questioning if there is any point in having a new one fitted if you are already showing signs of the perimenopause. This is a decision that you and your partner need to make together. Being hormone free leading up to the menopause has some advantages for some women for finding their own natural rhythm and embracing a more natural menopause. Or for other women carrying on with hormone-based contraception, be it a coil, implant or pill helps smooth over the symptoms they are experiencing. If you decide to come off your contraception then it is highly advisable to use a barrier method until the menopause is complete. If you choose to go the natural route then remember that if your symptoms start to escalate and the normal lifestyle, diet and supplement recommendation for the menopause doesn’t give you enough relief, then you can always choose to talk to your GP about starting BHRT (bioidentical hormone replacement therapy) or HRT (traditional hormone replacement therapy) to help you better manage your symptoms.
No contraception needed
I expect you are wondering when can you stop using contraception? Well, you are officially through the menopause once you are symptom free and your periods are ceased for 12 months (if you are over 50 years old) or 24 months (if you are younger than 50). It’s at this point you could be confident that your fertility has ended, and you would no longer need contraception. Unfortunately, some of the symptoms of the menopause include low libido, vaginal dryness and painful intercourse which may put a dampener on your love life. Talking about these things with your partner and using natural lubricants may help to keep your intimacy alive.
]]>According to the National Sleep Foundation as many as 61% of menopausal women experience issues with sleeping and insomnia and unlike many other symptoms of the menopause which settle down after, sleep issues tend to continue for some post-menopausal women. Menopausal night sweats could mean you wake frequently throughout the night and throw off the duvet to quickly cool down. Night sweats are the same as daytime hot flushes, it’s just that while you’re asleep you can’t peel off the layers to help stop the flush escalating, which is why night sweats seem much more severe as you tend to wake up dripping with sweat. There’s often no particular pattern to night sweats so it’s common to go through phases when night sweats seem more frequent followed by a run of nights where you sleep all the way through – bliss! Bedding made from 100% natural fibres and wearing cotton nightwear could help. Keeping a towel and a change of pyjamas by your bedside and a cool flannel is also a helpful tip. As your hormones start to settle down your night sweats start to fade away leaving you the chance to catch up on your beauty sleep. Some women find that supplementing with phyto-oestrogens to be helpful for hormone balance which may help relieve night sweats as well as daytime hot flushes.
If you’re mood has taken a tumble in the lead up to the menopause then you could be suffering from a serotonin imbalance. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which the body makes from a protein called tryptophan, which is responsible for generating happy, relaxed, calm feelings and mindset. Falling oestrogen levels, in some women, make it harder for receptor sites in the brain to detect serotonin and that may contribute to lower serotonin levels. The body uses serotonin to make a sleep hormone called melatonin which gets released at the end of the day helping settle the mind, relax the body so that drifting off to sleep is a breeze. Topping up on mood foods containing tryptophan such as avocados, cottage cheese, turkey, chicken, brown rice, nuts, fish, milk and eggs or supplementing with 5-HTP could be of benefit.
Oestrogen and progestogen have an influence on the muscle tone of the smooth muscles that line the bladder and urethra. As you go through the menopause, changes in these hormones may impact on bladder function which is why some menopausal women experience bouts of interstitial cystitis or increased frequency for urination. Waking throughout the night for trips to the loo could have become a contributing factor for your disturbed sleep. If this becomes a daily or weekly night-time activity, then all those nights of interrupted shut eye soon start to add up. Pelvic floor exercises are a must to help keep that smooth muscle nice and toned.
Without uninterrupted restorative sleep it becomes harder and harder to start the day feeling refreshed, positive and energised. You’re more likely to want to hit the snooze button for the rest of the day. Trying to override that morning fatigue with strong cups of coffee could just set you up for a stimulant, mood and energy rollercoaster for the rest of the day. Instead, start thinking about rehydrating with a large glass of water or large herbal tea. Keeping hydrated is important for brain function and mental focus so this is a good morning habit to stick to.
Studies have shown that vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12 all help to support energy-yielding metabolism, fight tiredness and fatigue and contribute to normal psychological function which score plus points for mood and energy levels. Foods containing B-vitamins include wholegrains, pulses and lentils so starting your day with an oat-based cereal or muesli is recommended. However, it’s also worth supplementing your diet with B-vitamins during the menopause and MenoMin by Cleanmarine contain a daily supply of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and B12.
]]>Daily walking
It’s important that we all follow the guidelines set out by our government and the World Health Organisation to stay home and stay safe, to help support our healthcare systems and contribute to protecting those more vulnerable. Current guidelines include the option to leave your home once a day for exercise. You may not currently be able to hit the gym, go swimming or take part in your normal exercise class. So unless you are showing signs of infection it’s really important to get outside, stretch your legs and enjoy a change of scenery. So put your trainers on and go for a brisk 30-minute walk, or even longer if you can manage it.
Step up the pace
If you have never been a keen runner before but feel like now could be a good time to start, then download the app ‘Couch to 5K’ or something similar, to help get you started. Following a system like this helps prevent injury, provides virtual coaching which helps keep you motivated and achieve pre-established goals in set timeframes. If weight management is a concern and if the reduced level of activity due to self-isolation is contributing to weight gain then stepping up the pace from a walk to a gentle run during your daily outdoor leg stretch could be a good strategy to help support your metabolism.
Weight bearing exercise
With gyms and fitness studios being strictly off-limits during the current COVID-19 lockdown many women are unable to continue with their weight bearing exercise programmes. You may not have access to weight machines at the gym BUT if you have a good rummage around at home you will more than likely be able to find dumbbell alternatives to use. Weight bearing exercise is important for menopausal women as it’s this type of exercise that is considered essential for helping support normal bone density. As oestrogen and progesterone levels start to fluctuate and fall during the menopause this affects the natural cellular processes for bone regeneration which is why menopausal women are at higher risk of thinning bones, bone fractures and osteoporosis.
Soak up the sunshine
Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin because skin cells produce vitamin D when exposed to the sun’s rays. During the summer months it’s important to be sun safe by using SPF sunscreens, staying out of the strongest midday sun and limiting number of hours spent in the sunshine. However, during the rest of the year just 20-30 minutes of daily sunshine is thought to help contribute to vitamin D levels. This vitamin helps contribute to normal immune function by supporting the action of key immune cells that help to fight infection. On another note, vitamin D contributes to the absorption and utilisation of calcium, helps oversee normal blood calcium levels and contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
Go digital
If you are finding it hard to self-motivate while you can’t get to classes then there’s an explosion of online fitness classes to sign up too. The whole nation is falling in love with Joe Wicks right now as he inspires us with his daily PE session for home-schooled kids during lockdown. If you go to his YouTube channel, then you can find classes for grown-ups too! Do a quick online or YouTube search and you’ll be hard pushed not to find what you’re looking for. Most have a free trial period and then you do a subscription when you find one that you really love. A few ideas to check out include: crunchlive.com, Gaiamtv.com and Physique57.com.
Time to get off the couch, put on your trainers and get moving!
]]>We can become so focused on the effects that oestrogen and progesterone have on the monthly cycle that it’s easy to overlook that fact that these hormones also have an impact on other areas of the body. Researchers have discovered receptors for oestrogen and progesterone on the cell membranes of cells found within the digestive tract. Oestrogen is known to have a contracting influence on smooth muscles (the type of muscle fibres found along the length of the intestine and in the stomach wall) and progesterone tends to have a relaxing influence. So you can understand how these two hormones work as a team to contribute to the rhythmic wave of peristalsis movement that keep the bowels regular and working smoothly.
However, the fluctuating hormone levels of the perimenopause and menopause could have a somewhat confusing and conflicting impact on gut muscle function that sends your bowel rhythm out of whack, which is why constipation, bowel irregularity and even IBS could become problematic during your menopause. Fibre and a healthy microbiome are also very important for normal bowel function so focusing on your 5-a-day everyday and considering supplementing your diet with a good quality probiotic could help offer up some bowel settling support.
Saliva is vitally important for healthy gums and teeth as is a good blood supply to the teeth roots. Adequate saliva helps maintain a good level of friendly bacteria in the mouth which is important for healthy teeth and gums. Falling oestrogen levels during the menopause has an impact on the amount of saliva produced, often leaving the mouth dryer than usual which contributes to a drop in oral health.
Collagen is also important for the maintenance of healthy gums and teeth and a decline in oestrogen is often mirrored by a loss of collagen which could impact on the structural support for teeth within the jaw and gum. Falling oestrogen levels also impact on the nervous system creating little electric shock sensations, tingling or a sort of feeling of pins and needles within the teeth.
Vitamin C is a key nutrient for collagen formation and healthy gums as are CoQ10 and hydrolysed collagen peptides so supplementing with these could be helpful. Vitamin B12 and omega 3 oils found in krill oil are also important for supporting the nervous system so it’s worth topping up on these nutrients too. Exercise is very important for circulation so finding ways to be more active helps the blood supply reach the body’s extremities such as the hands, feet and teeth.
Years of standing, walking, running and moving mean that our feet change as we age and by the time you hit the menopause your feet may have become wider, flatter and the arches may have dropped a little. The padding underneath the feet which protects the nerve endings and cushions the feet from hard surfaces may also become thinner. This is thought to be associated with changes in hormone levels which impact on skin tone, loss of collagen and connective tissues. Couple this with the typical weight gain that the menopause treats us too and the feet can really start to feel sore and uncomfortable, this extra pressure isn’t what you need when you are already feeling hot under the collar. This condition is known as plantar fasciitis and you may find that wearing a night splint, arch sleeves or devices that deliver high frequency pulses may offer some pain relief.
The good news is that these more unusual symptoms are likely to settle down once you’re through the menopause and your hormone levels settle, but if you have any concerns then do visit your GP.
By Susie Debice – Food Scientist and Nutrition Therapist
]]>The truth about caffeine and the menopause
The studies regarding caffeine consumption and menopausal symptoms have over the years been somewhat conflicting. Some studies reveal that caffeine beverages may be helpful for menopausal symptoms associated with mood, mind, focus and fatigue. Yet other studies indicate that women who drink lots of coffee tend to experience an increase in severity of symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats.
The key message here is that it’s the quantity of caffeine consumed (tea, coffee, energy drinks) that often takes you over a threshold for which symptoms may then become more pronounced. Since stress, exercise, smoking and level of fitness are also considered to be factors that impact on symptom severity, your caffeine threshold could also be influenced by these lifestyle factors. This is perhaps why some women can drink three cups of strong coffee a day and sail through the menopause and other women find that just one cup a day has them feeling more flushed and flustered than usual.
How does caffeine affect hot flushes?
A 2014 study by the Mayo Clinic, the results of which were published in the journal Menopause, confirmed an association between caffeine intake and increased severity of hot flushes and night sweats. This study was to date the largest study to investigate the relationship between caffeine and menopausal symptoms and confirms caffeine to be a factor.
Another study published in the journal for scientific research Health links the vasomotor response (basically the way caffeine influences blood vessels to dilate), to be the mechanism attributed to the increased severity of flushing for some menopausal women.
Let’s not also forget that tiredness, fatigue and insomnia are all common symptoms associated with the menopause and although a cup of tea or coffee may offer a quick energy burst, this is often not sustainable and may typically follow with an energy dip and a more enhanced feeling of tiredness and fatigue. Plus, too much caffeine is known to be over-stimulating for the nervous system which could contribute to menopausal insomnia.
Keeping hydrated with herbal infusions and tisanes
Swapping your percolated brew or builder’s brew for a caffeine free alternative could be a sensible swap to help you dampen down menopausal hot flushes and night sweats. Since caffeine is a natural diuretic, these herbal alternatives give you a head start when it comes to staying hydrated. Many people are unaware of the many health benefits of water and the importance of keeping hydrated. Drinking at least two litres of water a day contributes to the normal regulation of body temperature and the maintenance of physical and cognitive functions, which may be helpful for those menopausal symptoms that relate to mind, mood, lethargy and flushes! The water contained in a mug of herbal tea counts towards your two litre daily target.
Variety is the spice of life
There are so many flavours and brands to choose from when it comes to herbal teas and it’s all about the quality of the botanicals that the teas contain. Reputable brands include Tea Pigs, Pukka, Dr Stuart’s, Clipper, Qi, Heath & Heather, Yogi Tea and Dragonfly Tea. But what are the best options during the menopause? Well that all depends on the symptoms you are experiencing. Most of these tea companies have their own women’s health blend which typically contain ginseng, black cohosh, red clover, chasteberry and liquorice which may contribute to hormone balance.
You can also find various night-time blends which typically contain hops, lavender, camomile, lemon balm and valerian to help soothe and settle before you head to bed. Or if you are feeling a little flat and deflated then a peppermint or spearmint could help you feel refreshed. And if your day is proving a little too demanding then tulsi, camomile, ashwagandha or ginseng may help you get through your day.
By Susie Debice BSc Hons, Dip ION – Food Scientist and Nutritional Therapist
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Smooth menopause
I know it’s hard to believe but some women do sail through the menopause with ease and grace. This tends to be achieved if your hormones smoothly and gently unwind and settle at a stable baseline which sits comfortably above the threshold at which menopausal symptoms become triggered. However, it’s more typical with the stressful demands of a busy modern lifestyle that the hormones go through times of extreme fluctuations which typically means that menopausal symptoms flare up.
PMS is common in the UK
It’s not just during the menopause that factors such as stress, poor diet, lifestyle and level of exercise may influence hormone balance. According to the National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome it’s estimated that 30% of women in the UK suffer from moderate to severe PMS and 5-8% suffer the more extreme form of PMS called PMDD (Premenstrual dysphoric Disorder).
So, if you are one of many women who suffer from PMS, then is this really an indication that you’ll experience the same symptoms during your menopause? While there’s plenty of research indicating that women who suffer from monthly PMS are more likely to experience a menopause with more pronounced symptoms, that’s as far as the research takes us. There is no clinical evidence to suggest that individual symptoms experienced repeatedly in the 7-10 days leading up to menstruation, during the years leading up to ‘the change’, could continue during the perimenopause or menopause.
The reality is that yes, some women do experience some of their familiar symptoms of PMS well into the menopause but equally others experience a whole new set symptoms and some women experience some familiar symptoms and some new symptoms as they journey through the menopause and this entirely relates to the type of hormone imbalance present.
Changing hormone patterns
There are four types of hormone imbalance associated with the four different types of PMS (PMS-Anxiety, PMS-Depression, PMS-Cravings, PMS-Hydration), so each hormone pattern dictates a specific group of symptoms. As you approach the menopause, no matter which type of PMS hormone profile you have been experiencing, you start to go through the two hormonal transitions of the menopause. Firstly, you are likely to experience a stage of oestrogen dominance (lack of progesterone in comparison to oestrogen) and finally you’ll enter a stage where both progesterone and oestrogen are low which occurs so that your menstrual cycle comes to an end.
Oestrogen dominance
During the early stages of the perimenopause and menopause when oestrogen dominance could be a factor, common symptoms include: a shorter cycle, longer than usual periods, heavy bleeding, clots and spotting between periods. Anxiety, feeling swollen, weight gain, breast tenderness, fatigue, headaches and low mood are also typical signs of oestrogen dominance and symptoms that are typical for some types of PMS.
Low oestrogen and the menopause
Once oestrogen starts to decline periods become less frequent, lighter and eventually they stop all together. Fluctuating oestrogen levels and low oestrogen levels trigger common menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, low libido, vaginal dryness, poor skin condition and tone, thinning hair, inability to cope in stressful situations and depression. Some of these symptoms are not so familiar with PMS, unlike depression which is associated with PMS-D.
Act now!
It’s never too early to start planning for an easier menopause! If you do have PMS then this is a sign that your body already struggles to keep your hormones in balance, which is likely to mean that keeping your hormones balanced through the menopause is going to be equally, if not more of a challenge. Getting in shape by eating a healthy, balanced diet and stopping smoking, reducing caffeine, sugar and alcohol and stepping up exercise are all helpful strategies to lower your risk of menopause symptoms. Next is to add an extra layer of targeted nutrition support with a supplement that contains krill oil and nutrients that contribute to energy, mood, skin and hormone regulation such as vitamin D, soy isoflavones, biotin, folic acid and vitamins B1, B2 and B6 which can all be found in Cleanmarine MenoMin.
By Susie Debice BSc Hons, Dip ION – Food Scientist and Nutritional Therapist
]]>There is so much information out there about the menopause that it can be hard to know where to start, what to believe and how to cope with all the medical and scientific jargon. One of the most common words that you are going to hear in connection with the menopause is ‘oestrogen’. Getting oestrogen savvy, understanding how this hormone works and changes during the different stages of womanhood could help you feel more at ease during the menopause. So here goes…
It’s just a family of hormones!
Technically speaking the term oestrogen is the name given to a family of hormones. Scientists have discovered that women’s bodies make six different types of oestrogen – oestradiol, oestriol and oestrone are the three main forms of oestrogen that you’re likely to hear about. Each of these oestrogens have different jobs to do in the body and vary according to where they are produced, when they are produced (stage of life) and biological activity. Here’s a summary of their individual characteristics…
Oestradiol and the menstrual cycle
Oestradiol is the most common form of oestrogen produced by the ovaries during a woman’s reproductive years. This form of oestrogen oversees the ebb and flow of the monthly cycle by reaching a peak in the middle of the cycle when it stimulates ovulation, and then two weeks later oestradiol plummets to a low point which triggers menstruation.
Oestradiol is the strongest and most biologically active form of all the oestrogens. Oestradiol leaves the ovaries and reproductive area where is has a positive influence on bone health, joint health, skin health, muscle tone, memory, mood and metabolism. But the strong activity of this hormone is kept in check by progesterone – together they work as a dynamic team to support female health during the reproductive years of a woman’s life.
As you get older and approach the perimenopause the monthly rise and fall of oestrogen starts to level out which shuts down ovulation and triggers changes in the length and frequency of periods. Eventually oestradiol is maintained at a constant low level and this completes the transition of the menopause when a monthly cycle no longer occurs.
Oestrone for beyond the menopause
The oestrone form of oestrogen is produced by the ovaries, the adipose tissues (cells that store fat) and the adrenal glands (the glands that deal with stress). Oestrone has a much milder biological activity compared to oestradiol. During the menopause progesterone levels also drop leaving the action of oestradiol unharnessed. High levels of oestradiol without the protection of progesterone could be potentially harmful for body cells that are oestrogen receptive and could be an contributing factor for hormone related cancers such as breast cancer, uterus cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer and ovarian cancer.
Oestriol for a happy pregnancy
Oestriol is the least powerful of the three oestrogens and tends to be called upon during pregnancy when it can be made by the placenta. In non-pregnant women oestriol is produced in very small amounts. However, studies are revealing that the weakness of oestriol may in fact be its strength for the menopause. This form of oestrogen may become the new preferred form of oestrogen for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy since it’s milder action may be a safer form of hormone therapy when compared to oestradiol. (1-4)
Menopause symptoms associated with oestrogen
As oestrogen levels change from the years of monthly oestrogen highs and lows during the perimenopause and head towards the constant low level of the menopause, the adjustment can result in common symptoms such as hot flushes, vaginal dryness, anxiety, panic attacks, night sweats, fatigue, low mood, depression, tearfulness and weight gain. Eventually, as oestrogen levels stabilise towards the end of the menopause symptoms should lift. However, if oestrogen levels fall too low then symptoms could become too troublesome to cope with.
What about plant oestrogens and natural support?
Dietary changes, stress management, avoiding caffeine, reducing alcohol and focusing on exercise could all help support hormone balance during the menopause. Natural nutrition supplements such as phytoestrogens (phytoestrogens) and B-vitamins may also be of benefit to help support hormone balance. So if your menopause has left you feeling hot and bothered then do pop into your local independent pharmacy or health food store or book an appointment with a local nutritional therapist who can help recommend suitable supplements to help support oestrogen balance.
By Susie Debice
Food Scientist and Nutritional Therapist]]>You are officially postmenopausal when your symptoms have settled down and you have been free from periods for 12 months or longer. You might be about to breathe a sign of relief but before you go putting your feet up it’s time for a heads up that you could experience some uncomfortable changes within your vagina.
Oestrogen and vaginal health
Before the menopause the female hormone oestrogen kept a close eye on vaginal health. This hormone helps keep the cells of the vagina wall healthy and lubricated. However, as levels of oestrogen tend to plummet during and after the menopause cells in the vaginal wall become thinner, dryer and damaged which sets the scene for a collection of vaginal health concerns that have been grouped under the medical term ‘vaginal atrophy’.
Tell-tale signs
All these vaginal atrophy symptoms are far more common than you might first think. Common symptoms include:
The most common symptom is vaginal dryness which affects 50% of post-menopausal women between ages 51 and 60. So be prepared to discuss vaginal oestrogen creams with your doctor and shop for lubricants and natural water-based moisturisers for vaginal dryness. Wearing cotton underwear and avoiding irritants like soaps and chemical-based femfresh products is also advisable.
Vaginal microbiome
Just like the gut, the vagina has its own microbiome which contributes to overall vaginal health and wellbeing. Before the menopause the mucus secreted by cells in the cervix and vagina wall keeps the vagina clean, moist and fresh. This mucus also functions to keep the pH slightly acidic providing a perfect environment for a healthy vaginal microbiome to flourish. However, as vaginal cells become thinner during the menopause and as oestrogen falls less mucus is produced and the pH in the vagina changes meaning that vaginal infections, discharge and frequents UTIs could start to occur. There are some natural lubricants and vaginal pessaries that contain live bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus to help to re-balance the vaginal microbiome, soothe vaginal irritation and provide female freshness and comfort.
Uncomfortable sex
After the menopause you may notice changes that could influence your willingness for love-making. Up to 25% of postmenopausal women age 50-59 experience vaginal dryness during sex because it may have become more difficult for the vagina cells to produce the extra lubrication needed for smooth intercourse. For 16% of these women, sex could become incredibly painful and may even lead to slight bleeding and a burning sensation. This can understandably be hard to talk about with your partner. However, it’s important to let your partner know what you are experiencing and to explain that it’s just part of the menopause. You may discover that your partner has been worrying that these changes may be occurring because your feelings towards them have changed, so an open discussion can be very reassuring for both of you.
The CLOSER Study
A survey of 4100 postmenopausal women and their partners from the UK and other countries from Europe, Scandinavia, Canada and the US were asked to talk about how vaginal atrophy impacts on their intimate relationship. The study revealed that 28% of women hadn’t told their partners that they experienced vaginal discomfort due to embarrassment or thinking it was just part of getting old.
However, many of the men were more comfortable talking about vaginal atrophy than the women and 82% of males wanted their partner to share their experiences about this subject.
Don’t let vaginal atrophy put out the flame of intimacy in your relationship. Invest in some natural lubricants, talk to your partner and visit your GP to discuss ways to support postmenopausal vaginal health.
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Looking after your cardiovascular health becomes even more important once you hit the menopause. Nutritionist Susie Debice, BSc Hons, Dip ION, explains how changing hormone levels increases the risk of varicose veins for post-menopausal women and suggests some easy-to-follow nutrition and lifestyle tips to support the health, strength, flexibility and integrity of blood vessel walls for menopausal women concerned with varicose veins.
How does oestrogen support artery health?
Oestrogen is the main female hormone that overseas the menstrual cycle during a woman’s reproductive years from puberty all the way up to the menopause. However, this hormone isn’t just limited to its involvement in fertility and menstruation. Oestrogen has many other important roles to play outside of the womb and one of these roles is to help protect and support the function of the cardiovascular system. Blood vessel walls have been found to contain oestrogen receptor sites which enable this hormone to assist in the vasodilation and vasoconstriction processes that force blood to flow easily, quickly and smoothly through arteries, veins and capillaries delivering oxygen and vital nutrients to cells, tissues and organs around the body.
Oestrogen, vitamin C and collagen for artery wall strength
Oestrogen and vitamin C also play a key role in maintaining, renewing and replenishing collagen, a structural protein found in skin and artery walls, which provides strength, elasticity and flexibility to blood vessel walls. As you go through the menopause you may find that your skin isn’t as ‘plump’ as it used to be. This is because the falling levels of oestrogen result in diminished collagen levels leaving the skin showing the visible signs of ageing and feeling a little saggy and baggy. Well, the same loss of tone could also be happening within blood vessel walls. Less oestrogen tends to mean that the tone, flexibility and strength of blood vessel walls could also become baggy and saggy. This results in blood ‘pooling’ or collecting in areas of weakness and a bulging effect within affected blood vessels. This creates a bobbly uneven structure that’s darker in colour often associated with varicose veins. Most women just find these varicose veins an unsightly cosmetic problem but for some menopausal women they may progress into a dull ache, painful area or cause discomfort on standing or sitting for long periods of time.
Nutrition and lifestyle tips to help manage varicose veins
It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to reverse or eliminate a varicose vein once it’s formed, unless you choose to have them surgically removed. But you can make some diet and lifestyle changes to help minimise the risk of more varicose veins developing. Here’s what to focus on…
Your menopause could last for years so if you were burying your head in the sand in 2019 then now is the time to face facts about your hormonal transition. The start of a new year brings the opportunity to wipe the slate clean, get clued up and put into action five easy nutrition and lifestyle menopause busting tips so that you can sail through 2020 without a flush in sight! Start your New Year with a list of resolutions that can really make a difference to your health and wellbeing.
#01 Cut Caffeine
The caffeine debate continues to roll on – some experts advocate that drinking too much caffeine, coffee in particular, could draw the body pH away from the preferred alkaline state and tip it towards an undesirable acidic state. An alkaline-forming diet is certainly a popular and healthy diet to follow especially for those who suffer from joint pains, headaches and skin issues and it’s suggested that coffee is replaced with more alkalising forms of herbal teas. Other experts say that the caffeine in coffee contributes to metabolism, fat burning and helps to energise the body and focus the mind.
Since this debate has been going on for decades it worth noting what a sensible nutritionist is likely to say on the subject, which is that it’s about moderation and the other factors that are going on in your life. Research shows us that women who drink coffee have more frequent and more severe hot flushes. So if your menopause is making you hot under the collar then it’s time to make cutting caffeine your first New Year’s resolution. Stock up on herbal teas and be prepared for a couple of headaches as your body copes with the caffeine withdrawal.
#02 Down Time
Rushing around trying to prove to yourself and everyone that you’re a new kind of superhero does not align with the menopause. It’s called ‘pause’ for a reason! Rushing and an overbooked schedule creates stress and getting overwhelmed, and this tends not to sit well with hormone balance and the menopause. So grab a new 2020 diary and make sure that you schedule out some down time, when you can pause, relax, unwind and give your body and your hormones a chance to recalibrate. This a helpful way to better manage menopausal symptoms.
#03 Get Active
Putting on weight is common during the menopause because the falling hormones start to impact on metabolism and putting on weight over Christmas is common for many of us! Put the two together and it’s time to dust off those trainers, dig out your sportswear and get active. Sign up to a new exercise class and see if a friend wants to join you as you are far more likely to go together. The great thing about exercising is that it helps to encourage our happy brain hormone called serotonin.
#04 B-Vitamins
This family of vitamins have numerous health benefits including supporting metabolism, reducing tiredness and fatigue, contributing to hormone balance and supporting normal psychological function – so a positive impact on energy, mood and mind. In 2020 swap refined carbs (white bread, white pasta, white rice) for a wholegrain alternative which provides a source of dietary B-vitamins.
If your menopausal symptoms are becoming more problematic then it’s also worth supplementing with this family of vitamins.
#05 Skin Food
Collagen is an important structural protein found in the joints, ligaments, cartilage, intestine lining, bones and skin, but our levels of collagen decline as we age. Oestrogen plays a part in collagen renewal so as you go through the menopause you may notices changes in your skin tone and elasticity. Vitamin C also plays a key role in building new collagen. So for graceful ageing and youthful skin make sure you incorporate bone broths into your weekly diet as these are rich in collagen peptides. Topping up on purple berries, green leafy vegetables and citrus helps to bring in vitamin C. For an extra layer of skin food you could treat yourself to a good quality hydrolysed collagen peptide supplement and remember to accompany this with a supplement of vitamin C for ultimate collagen renewal support.
Wishing you a glowing 2020! From everyone at Inspired Health.
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Mood swings are a typical symptom of the menopause and if you also suffer from menopausal sleep issues or insomnia then those menopausal mood swings are going to be even more accentuated. You could find yourself feeling a lot snappier and rattier than normal. Things that you would normally ignore or let lie might start to get under your skin causing you to be a little more feisty than usual.
The last thing you need is to feel rejected or alienated from your current circle of friends. If your unpredictable bouts of lack of tolerance and absence of patience is upsetting and unsettling those around you, then it’s time to let them know what’s behind your mood swings. Honesty is always the best policy and once they know that you’re experiencing some menopausal moments they can adjust to being more sensitive and more understanding during the times when you’re clearly experiencing some hormone-related rising tension and anxiety.
Throughout the menopause it is perfectly normal to have days when your energy levels plummet for no apparent reason at all. This is typically linked to fluctuating levels of oestrogen and may be more debilitating than you thought it would be. It’s important that you don’t over-commit yourself to a packed diary schedule of work or social engagements, otherwise you could end up feeling even more depleted. This is a time when you need to be resting and gentle with yourself so that your body and energy systems can re-adjust to your new hormone levels. Make sure you don’t pack out your weeks and weekends with too many activities, keep your schedule lighter than normal. When you receive an invite explain to your friends that you have been experiencing menopausal energy dips and that you’ll need to decide on the day if you’ll be able to attend. Giving yourself this flexibility often helps to dissipate any stress and anxiety leading up to the event.
Friendships should be all about balance but often we tend to slip into familiar roles to create an easy forum in which to exchange thoughts, feelings and ideas. Having a knowledge of the role that you play in your different friendships could give you a clue as to how your friendships will fare as you make your way through the menopause. Some friendships are very equal and balanced whereas in other friendships you may tend to take a more supportive role, whereby you constantly listen to the other person’s problems and suggest solutions or give praise and encouragement with little time spent on exploring your own concerns. Up until now it has probably felt very easy to be so supportive, even enjoyable and life-affirming. However, it’s the friendships in which you provide the support that you may want to naturally shy away from as your menopause starts to heighten. So why is this the case?
Well, the hormone progesterone influences a woman’s ability to feel naturally supportive and caring. Progesterone helps us turn up that maternal nurturing factor of our personality. However, during the menopause progesterone levels plummet and this could leave you feeling like the last thing you want to do is listen to someone else’s problems! Time to assess and reflect on how you want this to play out. If you feel a sadness at losing a particular friend then it’s time to explain that you either need a bit of time apart to cope with the changes you are going through or could you see if there are a few simple ways that your friend could provide you with the support for a change? Often when given realistic pointers some friends jump at the opportunity to flip into being the one that delivers the support.
However, it’s equally as important to recognise that there may be some friendships that have just run their course and this is an opportunity for you to carve yourself a new social platform and surround yourself with more balanced, more inspiring and more understanding friendships to move forward with as the next chapter of your life unfolds.
Whether you have been happily married for decades or if you have recently found a new partner the menopause is likely to shake up your sex life in ways that you may not have expected. Finding ways to come to terms with your changing body shape, maintaining our flexibility and discovering how to be intimate as you both move into a more mature phase of life certainly needs to be discussed if you want to keep the sparks alight.
Body confidence
There are a few aspects of the menopause that may end up influencing the way you think and feel about having sex. It’s not unusual for women to put on weight during or after the menopause as fluctuating hormone levels tend to slow down the metabolism resulting in changes in body shape. These hormone changes may also impact skin and muscle tone so you might not feel as toned as you used to, meaning you could be less eager to undress. Other major symptoms of the menopause include tiredness, anxiety, headaches, being overwhelmed, low mood and sleep issues, so you could be more likely to be muttering the words – not tonight darling!
Falling hormone levels
There are many physical and chemical factors that work together to help build your libido. However, during the menopause the hormones oestrogen and testosterone which contribute to the feelings of sexual desire start to decline and this may explain why your libido could start to take a leave of absence. All relationships have their ups and downs and it’s often the times when you feel close to each other that spark more intimate moments. Looking back over your relationship you may realise that during the more emotionally distant, fractious or disputing times you may have been less sexually active.
Pillow talk
If you haven’t already discussed with your partner the ways in which the menopause is affecting your sex drive, then now’s a good a time to start talking. The last thing you need is for your partner to start making their own incorrect assumptions as to why you are no longer showing a keen interest in sex. By talking openly about what you are experiencing you may also learn that your partner is going through some similar changes too. By remaining silent your partner’s self-esteem, confidence and mood could become altered. This is a time when, as a couple, you need to start finding a new way to be together sexually that takes into consideration the physical changes that growing old gracefully brings.
Vaginal atrophy
Aside from changing hormone levels one of the main reasons why women shy away from having sex as they reach the menopause is vaginal atrophy, otherwise known as atrophic vaginitis or vulvovaginal atrophy. But what exactly is this and how do you know if it’s relevant to you? All these terms basically mean inflammation of the vagina experienced as vaginal dryness, itching, soreness, irritation, pain, burning and bleeding during sex or urination.
An interesting international study called the CLOSER Research in 2012 involving 3520 postmenopausal women aged 55-65 years living in Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway highlighted that 45% of menopausal women experience vaginal symptoms and 75% felt that vaginal atrophy had a negative impact on their quality of life. The study also showed that women from the UK lacked knowledge about the OTC medications and prescription hormone therapy available for vaginal atrophy resulting in most women suffering in silence.
Natural lubricants
Normally oestrogen keeps the cells in the vagina healthy and well lubricated but the drop in oestrogen that occurs in the menopause causes a thinning and shrinking of the vagina wall and a decrease in lubrication. All of which makes for a very uncomfortable or even painful sexual experience. In fact, a sub-survey of the CLOSER Research called The Partners Study revealed that it’s not just women who are affected. In the study 65% of the partners indicated they were concerned that sex would be painful for their partner and a third of couples had stopped having sex because of anxieties around discomfort. Going through the menopause doesn’t have to mean that your sex life comes to an end. There are now plenty of topical lubricants made from natural ingredients to help couples enjoy sex without discomfort. These lubricants are available from chemists, health food shops and online and may help to restore sexual comfort and confidence so you can maintain intimacy within your relationship well beyond the menopause.
]]>When it comes to the menopause and feeling fatigued it could be worth you while considering what your B-vitamin status is. This group of vitamins can be easily depleted by stress and a busy lifestyle and are essential for supporting energy, mind and mood…
Considering nearly all women go through the menopause it’s staggering just how many women are under prepared for this time of life! For most women the perimenopause (initial phase of the menopause) begins around the age of 50 but some women will start a little earlier at 45 and some much later at 55. Those who get clued-up and make the effort to get a few dietary and lifestyle changes in place during their 40’s may be more likely to experience a milder, shorter (4-year) and more manageable menopause. However, those women who burry their heads in the sand are likely to have a much longer (10-year) and more troublesome menopause that interferes with their day-to-day life.
Falling hormone levels
During the menopause the hormone production of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone start to become phased out. This shutting down phase tends could be a bit of a bumpy ride, there may be days when you feel fine followed by days when you may feel depleted, tired and exhausted. These low energy and low mood days are typical of the menopause and signal the times when hormone levels have fallen below the level at which you normally feel well, happy and energised.
Faulty thermostat
These days of fluctuating hormones may cause the hypothalamus gland to become a little confused. The hypothalamus gland is in charge of your internal thermostat and the stress caused by falling hormone levels creates disturbances in this internal thermostat causing the hypothalamus to believe that the body is over-heating and reacting by triggering hot flushes, sweats and night sweats in an attempt to cool the body down.
Feeling fatigued
These fluctuating hormone levels may also impact your metabolism, thyroid function and cellular energy systems often creating days of unexplained and extreme fatigue. You could find that there is not other logical reason for feeling so tired and it’s likely, that during the menopause, your fatigue is unresolved by rest or sleep. Even the smallest of tasks could start to seem overwhelming and exhausting. There are several dietary and lifestyle factors such as drinking lots of caffeine and alcohol and being inactive that could make these days of fatigue more pronounced. Swapping the coffee for herbal teas, cutting back on sugar and becoming more active are all steps in the right direction.
B-vitamins to the rescue
If there’s one group of vitamins that can help to support energy, mind and mood – it’s the B-vitamins! These vitamins act as co-factors in the enzyme reactions that convert carbohydrates from our food into units of energy called ATP which all our cells can use. The problem is that the body can’t store these vitamins as they are water soluble, so a good daily source is required. The B-vitamins are mainly found in complex carbohydrates so brown rice, brown bread, wholegrains and pulses. If you tend to opt for refined carbs such as white rice, white pasta, white bread, cakes, biscuits and pastries and sugary breakfast cereals then you might not be getting all the B-vitamins required during the menopause. Adding these foods to your weekly shopping list and switching white refined foods for wholegrain options is a good step. If you have a busy or demanding schedule then topping up with a nutrition supplement containing B-vitamins to help support energy, mood and hormone balance could be of great benefit at this phase of your life.
Susie Debice BSc Hons, Dip ION
Food Scientist and Nutritional Therapist
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You could notice that your muscle tone isn’t as strong as it used to be, and this could affect the urethra and pelvic floor muscles. Pregnancy, vaginal childbirth, nerve damage, increased body weight, smoking, alcohol and certain foods may increase the incidence of bladder issues.
The onset of bladder issues may be gradual and could begin in the perimenopause when hormones start to change. Common bladder problems seen in menopause include:
What you eat may impact bladder health and there are plenty of foods and nutrients that you can start to focus on.
This may help to keep the urine more alkaline which may help prevent unwanted bacteria from becoming a problem. Good alkaline-forming foods to choose from include fresh fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, avocados, super green powders like barleygrass or wheatgrass and blue green algae such as spirulina or chlorella. Keep an eye on processed foods, meat, eggs and dairy intake as these may have the opposite ‘acidifying’ effect.
To support the bowel and prevent straining which may impact on the pelvic floor muscles. Choose wholegrains such as oats, brown rice, buckwheat, nuts, seeds, pulses and lentils.
These are rich in beneficial gut bacteria. Include live yoghurt and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh and kombucha. The complex ecosystem of organisms found in the body, called the microbiome, aid in the health of the gut, vagina and urinary tract.
Avoid tea, coffee, alcohol and carbonated drinks as these may play a role. It can be tempting to reduce fluid intake if you are troubled with urine leakage but having a moderate intake of around 1.5 litres a day may be optimal. Staying hydrated with fresh water, herbal teas and coffee substitutes like chicory root coffee is important to encourage fluid to flow through the bladder.
Additional nutritional support may be gained through the use of specific supplements. The two most commonly recommended supplements for urinary tract health include cranberry extract and D-mannose. Research into these extracts indicates that they contain natural compounds that help prevent unwanted bacteria from being able to latch onto the bladder wall leaving the bacteria to be flushed out of the bladder.
A high-quality probiotic may also have some value and strains such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus show some promise. Herbal support may be found from uva ursi, also called bearberry. This herb has been used traditionally for urinary tract health and inflammation.
Exercise is important for many reasons during the menopause and spending particular attention on ways to help maintain core muscles by working your pelvic floor is a sensible strategy if you suffer from recurrent bladder issues. Regularly doing specific pelvic floor exercises, called Kegels, further strengthen the pelvic floor. Internal devices for toning the pelvic floor muscles ensure the correct muscles are being exercised and may further support the effectiveness of Kegel exercises.
Bladder retraining could also be incorporated and involves learning to wait longer between needing to urinate and passing urine. This is a gradual approach and may be useful under guidance.
To help give you more confidence and to lessen the worry of being caught out with an embarrassing moment absorbent pads may be worthwhile. Natural plastic free versions are available which also help minimise contact of synthetic chemicals close to the skin.
Although bladder issues may be common during the menopause, they are not inevitable. Making positive changes now may help to maintain a healthy bladder structure and function throughout the menopause and beyond.
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