Here are a couple of funny quotes about menopause to start your day with a smile:

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we burned as many calories in a hot flash as we did doing a 5-mile run?

I swear, if my memory were any worse, I could plan my own surprise party.

Although it can be the subject of many jokes and even a hit musical comedy, for women who have gone though it or are currently going through it, it’s far from funny.

Let’s look at this life stage that most women will face somewhere between the ages of 40 and 58, and explore some very innovative, helpful ways to help feel like you’ve “turned back the clock!”

Menopause—more than “just a stage”

The technical definition of menopause is the stage of life when a woman’s ovaries stop functioning.  In other words, they stop releasing hormones and stop producing eggs.

Although that sounds pretty straight-forward, nothing could be farther from the truth.

The average age for the onset of menopause is 51, although it can come calling in women as young as 40 or even their late 30’s. 

The best way to predict when you might face it is to look at your Mom—menopause is strongly genetically linked, so you’re likely to fall within a few years either way of the age your mother was at onset.

It takes six to 12 months without a period to be officially diagnosed with menopause, but other symptoms can be rocking and rolling before that.  The period of time during which symptoms are seen but before your period ends is called perimenopause.

Note that women who have had their ovaries surgically removed (typically as part of a hysterectomy) are suddenly thrust into the world of menopause, many times far earlier than Nature intended.  It can also be triggered by chemotherapy.

Itty bitty hormones, GIGANTIC changes

When menopause hits, estrogen and progesterone production by the ovaries comes to a screeching halt.

When this happens, your pituitary gland senses something’s wrong and steps up its production of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) to try to jump start your pooped-out ovaries.

That’s why a blood test showing high levels of FSH is one of the ways menopause is diagnosed.

Estrogen is crucial for the functioning of many of your body’s cells, so menopausal symptoms can run the gamut and include:

• Hot flashes
• Headaches
• Vaginal dryness
• Frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Changes in mood and mental functioning
• Brain fog
• Rapid heart rate
• Dizziness
• Weight gain
• Thinning hair
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Joint pain

Beware—standard treatments can be downright dangerous!

The typical treatment options for menopause include synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and symptomatic treatment (antidepressants or sleeping pills).

But long-term use of synthetic HRT is associated with an increased risk of breast and uterine cancers. 

It can also raise your risk of gallstones and blood clots, and cause nausea, breast tenderness, liver disorders and fluid retention. 

And antidepressants and sleeping pills come with a plethora of serious side effects (including increased risk of suicide), plus you run the risk of dependence with sleep drugs.

Safe, natural ways to get relief

The good news is there are natural, very effective ways to help ease the symptoms of menopause!

Here are six very effective measures you can try:

1- Supplement with probiotics

The friendly flora in your gut metabolizes and recycles hormones, including estrogen, thyroid hormones and phytoestrogens from food sources, which can help offset symptoms of menopause, PMS and perimenopause.

So, if you’re approaching menopause, this is yet another great reason to support a healthy microbiome balance with Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula!

Plus, Super Shield can help support your immune function, which in turn can help fight UTIs –a common menopausal symptom.

2- Get sources of Vitamin E

Vitamin E can help by relieving vaginal dryness and itching. 

Vitamin E is available as an oil, cream, ointment or suppository.  Food sources include: Swiss chard, almonds, spinach, collard greens, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, blueberries, tomatoes and broccoli.

3- Get some exercise

It’s hard to beat exercise when it comes to relieving menopausal symptoms!

Exercise helps counteract menopause-related weight gain and encourage better sleep, plus it stimulates the release of endorphins which can help curb depression and mood swings.

Get your doctor’s OK and get going.

4- Try essential oils

Essential oils have been shown to be very helpful with menopausal symptoms. 

Sage and peppermint oils can help ease hot flashes, lavender oil can help improve sleep and citrus oil can help improve general well-being and mood.

Check out our line of pure Holistic Blends essential oils which includes the four varieties I mentioned above!   

Note: The best way to use essential oils is to either put them in a diffuser or apply to a cotton ball so you can smell them.

5- Get enough Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is crucial for proper nerve and brain function—and this is especially important with the mental functioning challenges and brain fog that accompany menopause. 

B12 is also essential for the production of acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter that allows the nerves and brain to communicate.  Healthy levels of acetylcholine can help you maintain clear-thinking abilities throughout your life.

Unfortunately, as we age, in addition to facing menopause, our stomach acid production decreases and that affects vitamin B12 absorption….so deficiencies are common.

But you can help ensure your body has what it needs by supplementing with a top-quality B12 spray like Hydroxaden 2.5.

6- Consider bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT)

Unlike synthetic HRT, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) works to help naturally reestablish the way your body sends messages to your tissues and organs to keep them healthy.

The body has an easier time assimilating bio-identical hormones because they are identical in molecular structure to the hormones naturally made in your body.

You’ll have to seek out a practitioner that does BHRT—and because it’s still more of a holistic therapy, many mainstream doctors are not familiar with it, but it is growing in popularity.

And if you happen to be in the NY Metropolitan area or the Fairfield, CT area, Dr. John Salerno of the Salerno Center for Complementary Medicine is one of the best.

Start feeling better!

If you are menopausal, see what a difference it can make in your symptoms to support your body through this life stage naturally!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia