Are you struggling with menopause or perimenopause symptoms? If so, I’ve got great news! There are many things you can do to naturally reduce these symptoms.
What Causes Menopause or Perimenopause Symptoms?
During this stage of life, the ovaries are “handing the baton” back to the adrenals. Moving forward, it’s the job of the adrenals to produce the necessary hormones that the ovaries used to make. When the adrenals are out of balance (very common these days!), then all sorts of negative symptoms can pop up.
Common Negative Symptoms of Menopause or Perimenopause:
Hot flashes
Chills
Night sweats
Sleep problems
Anxiety
Weight gain (especially around the mid-section)
Dry skin
Afternoon energy slumps
Brain Fog
Blood sugar imbalance
Thinning of the hair or hair loss
Difficulty concentrating
Headaches
Dry skin, mouth and eyes
Reduced libido
The Adrenal’s role in Menopause and Perimenopause:
The adrenal glands are the body’s emergency system. When the body is under chronic stress, the adrenals will send out cortisol into the bloodstream. Over time, chronic cortisol output will weaken the endocrine system, liver, digestive system, immune system, and brain, and it can also cause thyroid issues.
Before menopause, the adrenal glands are a secondary source of sex hormone production such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. After menopause they become the primary source of sex hormones. If a woman has been under chronic stress over a period of time, this is when symptoms will pop up.
For example, the adrenals need progesterone to produce cortisol, cortisol is a primary stress hormone. High cortisol levels can deplete progesterone. So, you could be experiencing low progesterone because your cortisol (aka stress) is elevated.
Here is a short list of stressors that can cause adrenal imbalance which can lead to negative menopause or perimenopause symptoms:
Mental stress
Physical stress (working out too much is a huge stressor on the body)
Not eating enough food
Processed foods
Synthetic chemicals in your bodycare, skincare, house cleaning products, etc.
Excessive radiation exposure from sources like wifi, cell phones, computers, etc.
Too little sleep
Overdoing yourself on a daily basis
Not taking time to rest
These are just some examples, but hopefully you can see the various different ways the body can become overburdened.
11 Steps You Can Take to Reduce Menopause Symptoms Naturally
1. Eat within an hour of waking and eat three meals a day – I know this sounds so trivial, but intermittent fasting or simply skipping meals can place a strain on the adrenals and can also cause blood sugar imbalance which can increase menopausal or perimenopausal symptoms.
Side note – I’m not totally against intermittent fasting, but if you’re experiencing menopause symptoms, have thyroid imbalance, adrenal imbalance or other hormonal imbalance, I don’t recommend it as it can place additional stress on an already stressed system.
2. As soon as you wake up, drink a glass of water with 1/4 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt –Then, have a pinch of sea salt with each glass of water throughout the day and also use it to season your food. Daily total consumption of about 2 teaspoons of Celtic sea salt is a good place to start. The 80+ minerals in the salt will help nourish the adrenals and endocrine system.
3. Make sleep a priority – I recommend aiming for at least 8-9 hours of sleep each night because sleep is one of the best ways to balance your adrenals and reduce your symptoms. If sleep is an issue for you right now, read these tips.
4. Eliminate all caffeine and alcohol – I know this can be a difficult step to take, but unfortunately caffeine and alcohol are like liquid stress to the body and will only make your symptoms worse. Here’s an article about how I kicked the coffee habit (without all the crazy withdraw symptoms).
5. Take an epsom salt bath a few times a week (or each evening, if you can) – When you’re stressed, the first mineral your body burns through is magnesium (this is why so many people are magnesium deficient!). Soaking in a bath with 1 cup of epsom salts and a few drops of your favorite essential oil will help you relax and replenish your magnesium stores.
6. Put a castor oil pack over your liver 2-3x a week – This treatment is especially helpful if you’re experiencing night sweats, headaches, blood sugar imbalance or hormone imbalance.
7. Sit down to eat each meal and eat slowly – Don’t eat on-the-go, when you’re stressed, driving, etc. Here’s an entire article to help you understand the importance of eating in a slow and relaxed state.
8. Only do low-impact exercise like walking, pilates, gentle yoga or stretching – High impact exercise puts strain on the adrenals, especially when the adrenals are already fatigued. If you’re having trouble losing weight, I know this can seem counter-productive, but I’ve seen clients lose weight by resting and following the steps I’m listing here.
9. Consider supplementation to help support your adrenals. Here are a few of the ones I use in my practice:
- Drenamin – This is my go-to for adrenal support. It contains vitamin C, B6, choline as well as many other nutrients, and helps address the nutritional deficiencies that the adrenals may be experiencing and supports them at a foundational level.
- Cataplex C – This is a great source of antioxidant vitamin C. Cataplex C helps the adrenals because they have one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C in the body.
- Cataplex B – B vitamins are very helpful to support your adrenal glands’ cortisol response to stress. Cataplex B is my go-to and is an excellent source of thiamin, niacin, and vitamin B6. They also have a gluten-free option.
- Cod Liver Oil – Did you know that adrenal cortical hormones are generated from cholesterol? The adrenals use cholesterol to make pregnenolone, which is used to produce estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and other hormones. In fact, all sex hormones are derived from cholesterol. Cod liver oil is a great way to supplement with healthy cholesterol along with vitamins A and D. I find it a fantastic addition to other adrenal supplementation.
10. Drink plenty of filtered water each day – Drinking half of your weight in ounces is a good goal — a 160-pound person should drink about 80 ounces of water per day. Hydration is really important for the endocrine system and hormone balance. Without the right amount of water, the body can’t transport the necessary nutrients and hormones to the cells properly. So, make sure you’re getting enough water.
11 Find ways to slowly reduce your stress – I recommend making a list of the things that are stressful for you right now, or ways you are overdoing yourself. Then, pick one thing to start working on.
12. Get some natural sunlight in the eyes for 2-3 minutes –This is an easy and natural way to set your circadian clock. It’s recommended to do this between the hours of 7-9am each day.
13. Avoid keto or low carb diets right now. While a low carbohydrate diet can be very helpful for many health issues, I don’t recommend it when there is adrenal imbalance because it can create additional stress on the body which can lead to increased symptoms. Here’s more info on this topic.
14. Avoid processed foods and eat a nutrient dense diet. In general, eat protein, fats and healthy carbs at each meal for good balance and to fuel the body well. A nutrient dense diet is more about what we’re putting on our plates as opposed to what we need to keep off our plates. The goal is to fill our plates with foods that nourish us from the inside out. Here’s more info about what a nutrient-dense diet looks like.
14. Take one day of rest each week – While it’s popular to “hustle,” that kind of daily mentality can lead to all sorts of health issues, can strain the adrenals which can then cause or contribute to menopausal or perimenopausal symptoms. Take a day each week to rest. Turn off your phone, get outside, or just sleep all day if that’s what your body needs. It’s ok. God set the example by taking a day to rest, so I order my week that way, too
If you’d like more education about adrenal balance and are looking for a proven protocol to follow, I recommend checking out my Adrenal Balance Program.
Note: The purpose of this post is to give an overview of some common root causes of menopause and perimenopausal symptoms from a holistic perspective. Due to biochemical individuality there can be many various reasons for the root causes of negative menopause symptoms. This information is not intended to take the place of your doctor’s advice.
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