Often referred to as “the change of life”, menopause is an important transition period that happens to every woman during middle age. It is a natural occurrence, as her body signals that it has run out of viable eggs, and is no longer able to become pregnant. For most women, menopause occurs between ages 45 and 55, and is signaled by no longer having menstrual periods. It is said to have officially occurred after 12 months without a menstrual period.
Leading up to the point of actual menopause, there is a period that can last 8-10 years called perimenopause, during which her body slowly begins making less progesterone and estrogen, where the menstrual cycle will occasionally lack ovulation. A menstrual cycle without ovulation will prevent the ovaries from making the usual high quantities of progesterone to support a potential pregnancy during the luteal phase (the last 10-14 days) of the menstrual cycle, which can result in symptoms of low progesterone. These low progesterone symptoms can be the first signs of perimenopause, and the eventual transition to menopause.
The 8-10 years of perimenopause and about 5 years surrounding menopause itself is when the woman’s body reclaims the energy it had been using every single month to support a potential pregnancy. Her body begins reallocating its resources to conserve energy and increase efficiency, once her childbearing years are officially complete. This is a profound time of recalibration, and can have a strong effect on a woman, not just physically, but also emotionally and spiritually.
For many modern women, especially in the Western world, the time surrounding menopause can be difficult, uncomfortable and emotional. Symptoms of moodiness, anxiety, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, low libido, insomnia, urinary urgency or incontinence, weight gain, hair loss, and cognitive difficulties can occur.
In many other countries of the world, such as France (known as “the land that menopause forgot”), women report experiencing a mostly seamless transition with little to no symptoms. In Japan, they don’t even have a name for “hot flashes”. Many indigenous cultures do not even acknowledge the shift, and if they do, it’s that the woman is transcending into an elder wise woman, and is respected and revered even more than before.
Why does the menopause transition seem so much worse for Westerners? It may be partially related to the fast paced hustle culture we all live in, which puts most of us in a state of chronically elevated cortisol (and eventually depleted, flatlined cortisol once the adrenals overproduce for long enough), which lowers the sex hormones progesterone, estrogen and testosterone.
The turning point of menopause may bring to the surface and amplify all the imbalances in our lifestyle over the years. If we are excessively busy and just can’t slow down, pushing ourselves too hard without finding healthy ways to de-stress and regulate our own energy in a sustainable way, then we may feel the consequences of our habits once we no longer have the natural stress buffer of our high reproductive hormone levels.
We need to have compassion for ourselves, and consider the context of our lives, with the surrounding cultural influences. We can gently cultivate habits over time that regulate cortisol, and since cortisol that’s active in our bodies displaces sex hormones, finding ways to relax and de-stress will naturally support our sex hormones, no matter what phase of life we’re in.
Middle age is also a time when we can shift gears from focusing predominantly on everyone else’s needs, to shifting more focus to our own needs. This can happen naturally as our children grow up and become self-sufficient in leading their own lives, and we can finally slow down and reallocate a lot of the energy that was previously used by the reproductive cycle and intensively caring for others, to essential inner work, spirituality and creative expression.
Healthy sexual activity will naturally raise hormone levels and boost circulation to the sex organs, increasing libido and improving lubrication. Even as women age, nourishing sexual experiences can be a wonderful way to keep cortisol levels down and quickly raise our “feel good” hormones. This can also improve sleep and mood, lower anxiety, and improve cognitive function, as well as simply making us feel good about ourselves and our bodies.
There is also a significant nutritional component to our hormone health, which is great news. This means that we can utilize nutritional strategies to reduce many of the common symptoms of menopause. Whether or not you choose to utilize bioidentical hormones to support your menopausal transition, it’s still important to address nutritional and lifestyle components that strongly affect hormone regulation. Often, supplemental hormones will not work effectively without supportive nutrition and lifestyle practices.
Addressing common menopausal symptoms naturally
In perimenopause, progesterone is usually the first hormone that begins to decrease, as some menstrual cycles will lack ovulation. This can cause a state of relative estrogen dominance, even if the woman doesn’t necessarily have high estrogen levels to begin with, because it’s important for estrogen and progesterone to be in a balanced ratio with each other. If progesterone is suddenly too low, that means estrogen is too high in comparison. Low progesterone levels can cause a variety of symptoms, including shorter and irregular menstrual cycles, insomnia and anxiety.
There are ways to raise progesterone naturally, even when your ovaries begin producing less from a lack of ovulation during some cycles. Vitamin C is a well known way to increase progesterone, and one study showed that women who supplemented with 750 milligrams of vitamin C daily produced 77% more progesterone. Other nutrients that are necessary for progesterone production include magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6. Healthy dietary fat is also essential for hormone production, as cholesterol is responsible for the production of both thyroid hormone and pregnenolone, the “master hormone” that produces all of the body’s sex hormones.
At some point during perimenopause, estrogen levels will begin to gradually lower, as well. In the 1-2 years before menopause occurs, estrogen will drop even more quickly, and that’s when many women begin to experience symptoms of low estrogen, including hot flashes, weight gain, vaginal dryness and low libido.
After menopause, women are considered to be at higher risk of various diseases, all thought to be mainly caused by lower hormone levels, although many people believe that dietary and lifestyle factors are just as vital of a contributor. Lower estrogen may result in bone loss, which many older women have partially counteracted with excellent bone-building nutrition and regular weight-bearing exercise. The increased risk of coronary heart disease could be lowered by consuming more antioxidant, polyphenol and flavonoid-rich fruits and vegetables, fiber, and partaking in regular exercise. Reducing toxic exposures, especially sources of xenoestrogens from plastics and environmental chemicals, will improve hormone health at all ages. Some ways of doing this include purifying your drinking water with high quality water filtration, using an air filtration unit, eating organically grown (and beyond organic) food, and spending time in nature.
The foods and herbs we source at Shen Blossom are of extraordinarily high quality and nutrient rich, and we highly recommend specific products for assisting in a more comfortable and seamless menopausal transition, whether or not you also choose to utilize bioidentical hormones. We have foods that contain the nutrients you need for proper hormone production, bone density and heart health, as well as adaptogenic herbal formulas that naturally regulate cortisol and increase sex hormone production.
Our Miso is an amazing food for supporting the liver, improving digestion and detoxifying xenoestrogens, and it also provides highly digestible protein, good bacteria, magnesium, B vitamins and fiber. Unlike most soy products that are highly processed and unfermented, the phytoestrogens in miso are gentle and support overall hormone balance.
Our He Shou Wu Formula is a powerful kidney yin tonic, which nourishes the blood and kidneys, improving hormone production and relieving vaginal dryness and hot flashes.
Medicinal mushrooms and adaptogenic herbs, together in our Adapt Medicinal Mushroom Formula, provide full spectrum adaptogenic hormone support, as well as immune system and full body support. Adaptogens like cordyceps, chaga and reishi mushroom, as well as astragalus and ginseng, help the body regulate cortisol naturally, supporting sex hormone production at any age.
To support optimal vitamin C levels from highly assimilable whole food sources, our Potent-C Collagen Vitamin C Formula is an excellent choice. It contains seaweed-sourced collagen, which synergizes with the vitamin C-rich plants to improve the body’s collagen structure, minimizing dryness and skin sagging commonly associated with menopause, as well as increasing progesterone levels.
Fire/Water is an herbal formula that supports the kidney and heart organ systems, addressing many aspects of menopause, including adequate and balanced hormone production, enhanced circulation, strong bones, mental clarity, and overall feelings of well being.
If you need specific assistance with androgen (testosterone) production, which affects both men and women and can result in lowered sex drive, muscle strength and bone density, our Arise Male Potency Formula can be used. A woman would use half the dose recommended for men. Arise is a gentle yet effective full spectrum formula that addresses the body as a whole.
Beauty Jing is an herbal formula for both internal and external use, and is for far more than just improving your appearance. The herbs in this formula regulate the endocrine system and support hormone balance, including the kidneys, adrenals and liver. This formula supports beauty that’s not just skin deep, but radiates vitality outward from your well nourished organ systems.
Midnight Minerals is a wonderful herbal formula for encouraging deep, restful sleep. By utilizing the Shen supportive herbs that nourish the spirit and gently guide the energy from the fast paced mind and back into the peacefulness of the heart, the result is a calming, cooling and balancing effect on the emotions and body.
To nourish the body with high levels of nutrients that support hormone balance and overall health and well being, we recommend Biocean Marine Plasma Minerals as a full spectrum mineral supplement (especially magnesium), as well as our Rice Sprouts for amino acids, vitamin E and B complex. Our Bamboo Chlorophyll is loaded with essential minerals and amino acids, and has an overall cooling effect that nourishes the blood and regulates hormones.
Our Sesame Butters are a delicious progesterone booster, as sesame seeds are a rich natural source of zinc, as well as lignans that help metabolize excess estrogen. Research shows that sesame seeds are beneficial for postmenopausal women by improving blood lipids, antioxidants, and sex hormones.
As an overall food category, seaweeds are some of the most mineral rich and best foods for the thyroid and overall healthy aging. Asian women are known for having high iodine concentrations in their bodies from all of the seaweed in their diets. We source a variety of high quality and delicious seaweed products to enrich the flavor and nutrient density of your diet.
We believe that if self-care is prioritized, the change of life that every woman goes through can be a shift into a new and deeply fulfilling phase of life, where our reproductive energy is liberated to be used for higher pursuits.