Menopause Discussion > Alternative Therapies
A different approach perhaps
ancient runner:
Great - I eat all of those. I'd be interested in knowing more about why it is said that Japanese women don't appear to suffer menopausal symptoms as many Western women do - is it high levels of soy in the diet? Has any research been done on it??
Also
Did anyone spot that story a couple of weeks ago which suggested that women doing reasonably vigorous exercise did not seem to have particularly severe flushes? I have noticed, I think, that if I'm running (shuffling??) regularly I have less of a problem. Wonder if getting hot and sweaty regularly for a reason helps your body not get too frantic about fluctuations in temperature?
Dorothy:
I've certainly found that diet changes can even out symptoms so they are not so extreme. Also, 'listening' to my body regarding what to eat, what to do.
I'd be interested to know how this lady would advise avoiding/treating VA, but perhaps this is what she means when she says: "While I believe that HRT using bio-identical hormones and other medications may be extremely useful for women whose lives are deeply disrupted by menopausal symptoms or PMS, I have found that taking an Ayurvedic approach aimed at restoring balance in the whole body eliminates, or at least greatly reduces, the need for a pharmaceutical approach." Maybe VA is what she means by deeply disrupting symptoms? I found all my other symptoms were eased in some way by diet, herbal treatments, lifestyle changes etc but Ovestin was the only thing that gave relief 'below'.
Autumn:
Good article - and where she says that we need to 'listen' to our bodies is so right. Also, look at what you are craving as it's you body's way of letting you know what it needs - with chocolate it's not just fat and sugar as there are often trace minerals that it's trying to get - or energy.
Diet is very important and I know that coffee always made me have a hot flush - within 20 seconds of my first sip! So I'd make sure I was in a t shirt before I drank my one a day! ;D
I've read that Japanese women don't have such a problem with menopause (and breast cancer) because they don't have a lot of meat and dairy in their diets and eat lots of fish and tofu.
Thanks for sharing.xx
BrightLight:
My approach is definately holistic. I've said it before that this doesn't always mean avoiding medical treatment or only using 'natural' remedies. For me, it means looking at the whole person, the whole lifestyle. When natural health articles or practitioners use a sweeping statement like 'balances hormones' I think it is confusing - what I think natural therapies and lifestyle adjustments can do is help the body adjust and cope with the hormonal imbalance. So perhaps it can lessen the imbalance somewhat but ultimately this process in our lives is about diminishing hormones - the aim, for me, is to ride this out with the least discomfort as possible.
There really is so much at play in our bodies at this time and there are literally hundreds of variables that are at play. By that I mean, you may well not have enough vitamin d which results in x,y or z and the next week you might get some water retention due to, who knows what. So this advise to look at general diet and lifestyle changes that are known to improve health and wellbeing in general are great.
The more we can stay healthy, I believe the less symptomatic we will be with menopausal changes. It's my experience that some of the things I am experiencing are things I have always had 'trouble' with, only they are worse, so perhaps we all just have a tendancy towards things ? Then there are the researched effects of lower hormonal levels on things like joints and there are lifestyle changes for those. What I am trying to say, is that if we use a holistic approach to menopause I really think we need to see it as general changes to lifestyle to use more natural things full stop, not just the odd cup of green tea or some soya ;)
It really has to be consistent in my opinion. I have accupunture every month and I know that it helps me in all sorts of ways to manage the ups, downs and changes I am experiencing.
As for particular remedies for things, sometimes we need to look at other body systems, not just the hormonal ones. For instance, hot flashes can sometimes be related to gut health and histamine response; gut health is related to hormonal levels..........so sometimes a good probiotic and changes in diet will help some women. It's the same for bloating and VA I believe. The internal balance of acid/alkaline and all sorts of other things is changing as hormone levels fluctuate and decline. The adrenal system is effected too. Both these things can be addressed with relaxation, keeping up a good diet, excercise and staying hydrated.
To be honest it's a complicated business but I think the main thing if you choose not to take HRT is to ease your body through these changes, be kind and know that you are adjusting in a major way ;)
Autumn:
--- Quote from: BrightLight on November 16, 2015, 06:47:19 PM ---My approach is definately holistic. I've said it before that this doesn't always mean avoiding medical treatment or only using 'natural' remedies. For me, it means looking at the whole person, the whole lifestyle. When natural health articles or practitioners use a sweeping statement like 'balances hormones' I think it is confusing - what I think natural therapies and lifestyle adjustments can do is help the body adjust and cope with the hormonal imbalance. So perhaps it can lessen the imbalance somewhat but ultimately this process in our lives is about diminishing hormones - the aim, for me, is to ride this out with the least discomfort as possible.
There really is so much at play in our bodies at this time and there are literally hundreds of variables that are at play. By that I mean, you may well not have enough vitamin d which results in x,y or z and the next week you might get some water retention due to, who knows what. So this advise to look at general diet and lifestyle changes that are known to improve health and wellbeing in general are great.
The more we can stay healthy, I believe the less symptomatic we will be with menopausal changes. It's my experience that some of the things I am experiencing are things I have always had 'trouble' with, only they are worse, so perhaps we all just have a tendancy towards things ? Then there are the researched effects of lower hormonal levels on things like joints and there are lifestyle changes for those. What I am trying to say, is that if we use a holistic approach to menopause I really think we need to see it as general changes to lifestyle to use more natural things full stop, not just the odd cup of green tea or some soya ;)
It really has to be consistent in my opinion. I have accupunture every month and I know that it helps me in all sorts of ways to manage the ups, downs and changes I am experiencing.
As for particular remedies for things, sometimes we need to look at other body systems, not just the hormonal ones. For instance, hot flashes can sometimes be related to gut health and histamine response; gut health is related to hormonal levels..........so sometimes a good probiotic and changes in diet will help some women. It's the same for bloating and VA I believe. The internal balance of acid/alkaline and all sorts of other things is changing as hormone levels fluctuate and decline. The adrenal system is effected too. Both these things can be addressed with relaxation, keeping up a good diet, excercise and staying hydrated.
To be honest it's a complicated business but I think the main thing if you choose not to take HRT is to ease your body through these changes, be kind and know that you are adjusting in a major way ;)
--- End quote ---
Absolutely!! :)
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