Menopause is a time in a woman's life in which she has not had a menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months. This is a natural part of the aging process and it marks the official end of fertility. Along with menopause comes a lot of emotional and physical changes that take place due to unbalanced hormones. Symptoms include hot flashes, fatigue, mood swings, night sweats and irregular periods. There are several ways menopause can be dealt with by taking a natural approach.
Avoidance
Hot flashes are one of the main symptoms seen with menopause. Wear your clothes in layers and pay strict attention to what you eat and how your body reacts to certain situations. Some common triggers that can cause hot flashes to flare up include being in warm rooms, spicy foods, alcohol, hot weather and hot beverages.
Yoga
Yoga is a form of mind and body exercise that improves your posture, your flexibility, and it can also reduce your stress levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Preliminary studies show that yoga --- an exercise regimen that involves controlled breathing, posing and meditation --- may be effective at decreasing the amount of hot flashes in perimenopausal women." Attend classes at local community houses, look at your local gyms or get DVDs to use at home.
Sleep
Avoid caffeine late in the day or evening as this can make it harder to get to sleep, especially if you are already waking up with hot flashes through the night. Use some meditative techniques such as muscle relaxation, deep breathing and guided imagery to help you relax.
Nutrition
What you eat can also have an impact on how you feel. Avoid high amounts of sugars, oils and saturated fats. Instead, make your diet consist mostly of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Also according to the Mayo Clinic, "aim for 1200 to 1500mg of calcium and 800 international units of Vitamin D a day." Talk to your doctor about getting these in a natural supplement form.
Exercise
Exercise can offer a number of benefits to you. It can reduce your risk factors for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, and it can also help keep your weight under control and reduce your stress levels. Get 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week. Examples include running, biking, swimming, rowing, stepping and walking.
Another exercise you can do to help control urinary incontinence is Kegel exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor. To understand how to contract your pelvic floor muscles, stop urinating in mid-stream. Do these exercises several times during the day. Hold the contraction for 5 to 10 seconds, then release.
Herbal Formulas
There are several different alternative herbal remedies you can use to treat menopausal symptoms. Examples of these include black cohosh, vitamin E, dong quai, licorice and chasteberry. If you choose to use these, be on guard for any side effects you might experience being that there has been little research done in clinical trials.
