Are you going through the perimenopause? Maybe you’re experiencing symptoms that you suspect may be caused by shifting hormones, but you’re not sure. Either way, let’s take a dive into the perimenopause, what it means, what happens during perimenopause and how you can naturally support your journey through this phase of life.
The perimenopause is the phase leading up to the menopause when your monthly periods cease. It is marked by fluctuations in the normal cyclical levels of female hormones. Some women don’t experience any symptoms during this phase of life; others have significant symptoms. For some, the perimenopause can last for as long as ten years.
The experience of perimenopause is extremely varied between women. It often brings symptoms associated with PMS. These might include bloating and water retention, weight gain, breast tenderness, spot and acne, difficulties sleeping, mood swings, headaches, and digestive disturbances. The hallmark of the perimenopause, however, is these symptoms get worse or more erratic, or you’ll begin to experience symptoms new for you. Periods may become lighter or heavier than usual, irregular, or less frequent. You might start having hot flushes, or experience heightened anxiety.
Hormones begin to fluctuate and because your ovaries are approaching the end of their reproductive lives, you may not ovulate every month. Therefore, they won’t produce progesterone post-ovulation, while oestrogen levels remain elevated or swing from high to low. Unbalanced hormones have wide-ranging effects on health.
For example, if oestrogen declines, you might experience symptoms like low libido, sagging skin and vaginal dryness. Others, like short cycles, heavy periods, fibroids, ovarian cysts, and even hormone-dependent cancers are associated with overly high oestrogen levels.
Low progesterone is common during perimenopause, often accompanied by elevated oestrogen. Your adrenal glands are designed to take over the job of progesterone production in the absence of ovulation, but this function isn’t as efficient if you are under stress. This is because the adrenals prioritise making stress hormones rather than progesterone. There you have a huge clue about the negative effect of stress on hormonal health.
A situation of overly high oestrogen accompanied by low progesterone is called oestrogen dominance, and it’s very common, especially during perimenopause. Oestrogen levels may rise further if it’s not removed efficiently from your body by your liver and digestive system. Meanwhile, some metabolites of oestrogen produced in the body are stronger than others, and therefore more closely linked with adverse symptoms.
Finally, chemicals in the environment can be a significant source of oestrogens. These compounds, called endocrine disruptors, stimulate oestrogen receptors in the body. However, they are far stronger than your body’s own hormones, pushing up oestrogen levels. These substances are present in pesticides and herbicides, chemicals emitted by industry, paint, food additives, and most plastics. They’re found in cosmetics and face creams, household cleaning products, and shampoos, too.
It’s simple to assess hormone balance by looking at levels in the urine. Tests like the DUTCH Test use a simple urine sample to distinguish between active and inactive hormones. In addition, they reveal how your body is metabolising oestrogen, and whether stress is impacting your hormone balance.
Foods like miso, tempeh, flax and sesame seeds, nuts, chickpeas, peas, beans, lentils, and alfalfa all contain phytoestrogens. These plant substances naturally help balance female hormones.
Choose your preferred method of dialling down your stress response, be it breathing exercises, mindfulness, yoga, or gentle exercise. Don’t forget to prioritise sleep, too.
It makes sense to avoid alcohol and processed foods, as they need to be dealt with by your liver. Give it a helping hand by enjoying cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, along with onions and garlic. They all contain substances helping the liver to function better.
A healthy balanced gut microbiome is important for many reasons, but certain types of bacteria within it help regulate oestrogen levels. Meanwhile, if you’re constipated, excess oestrogen is easily reabsorbed back into your bloodstream, adding to your body’s load.
Nurture your microbiome by consuming plenty of unprocessed plant foods. They’re rich in fibre to support and feed the types of bacteria you want to be living there. You can create a favourable environment for your gut bugs by consuming fermented foods like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi. Sugar, processed foods, and alcohol are enemies of healthy gut bacteria.
Reduce your intake of hormone disrupting chemicals by eating organic where possible, avoiding plastic food and drink containers, and choosing natural personal care and household cleaning products.
Functional Medicine addresses the root causes of your symptoms and treats you as an individual with a unique hormonal journey.
Perimenopause is a massive shift in a woman’s life, but you don’t need to simply put up with troublesome symptoms. This is an ideal opportunity to naturally balance your hormones. Start here with a FREE 15-minute Discovery Call.
If you want natural support for Perimenopause, then why not book a FREE Discovery Call to see how Functional Medicine can help?
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