Five Ways to Manage Perimenopause Before It Even Starts
March 24th, 2022
Menopause
is a natural part of any woman’s life.
Perimenopause is the transitional period before menopause. During perimenopause, levels of estrogen, a key female hormone, start to decrease. You may begin having menopause-like symptoms, such as hot flashes, irregular periods or weight gain. Perimenopause can last for years. The symptoms associated with the hormonal changes that take place during this time can be uncomfortable and unpleasant. Fortunately, there are a variety of dietary, herbal, and lifestyle modifications that can naturally support the body through this transition and help minimize symptoms.
There are also different nutrition and lifestyle modifications you can make to be one step ahead of the game before even entering into perimenopause. The quicker you adopt these modifications, the easier this transitional period will be.
Think of it this way, start building your strong foundation both with your lifestyle and nutrition so the symptoms associated with the hormonal changes are less intense or unpleasant— or even at all! If you are already in perimenopause, it’s never too late to start. The sooner you tackle these symptoms, the sooner you can improve your overall quality of life.
Top 5 Suggestions
Before Entering Perimenopause
Be mindful of weight. Being a healthier weight will not only support hormonal balance, but it will also support maintaining lean muscle mass and bone health. As female hormones decline there can also be a decline in lean muscle tissue and bone density. Weight loss and/or improving body composition are one of the top ways to alleviate perimenopause symptoms.
Eat well and balanced. Eating healthy foods and balancing every meal and snack can help with promoting good blood sugar balance. Since blood sugar can affect the levels of insulin, cortisol, female and male sex hormones, growth hormone, and hunger and satiety hormones, good blood sugar control can be helpful with mitigating some of the symptoms associated with perimenopause. Read my blood sugar balance blog “What is Metabolic Efficiency Training?” to learn more about the benefits of optimizing blood sugars.
Manage stress. Chronic stress can result in a decrease or downregulation of female and male sex hormones. As women, we want to do everything in our power to keep our sex hormones at a good balance. Depleting them due to stress can only drive us into perimenopause sooner. Read “How To Manage Stress Overload” for some powerful tips on managing stress.
Limit exposure to toxic chemicals. Products we use every day may contain toxic chemicals linked to women’s health problems. Things such as using non-toxic cleaners, avoiding fragrance, finding safer personal care products, going BPA-free, choosing alternatives to plastics, or just something as simple as taking off your shoes before entering your house can make a world of difference in reducing your exposure to harmful chemicals.
Prioritize high-quality sleep. Prioritizing sleep is a big one for me personally. Good sleep can make all the difference in your day— better mood, stable appetite, good performance, better focus and concentration, no cravings…to name a few. Not to mention, something we can’t quite “feel”, better hormone balance. Poor sleep can increase insulin and cortisol resulting in a larger appetite, cravings and even body fat gain. Chronic poor sleep can deplete our free cortisol, leaving our bodies tapped out and constantly fatigued. This can play a large role with how our sex hormone balance is affected, by causing them to slowly start to decrease. More on sleep management in an upcoming blog.
Just remember, there are no magical solutions that will work for everyone. As always, bio-individuality applies, and results may vary. I work with my clients to experiment specific recommendations that feel right to them.
I have a program that provides these specific recommendations called the Fit & Strong Female Program.
This program provides customized nutrition and exercise strategies to a woman’s unique physiology and age-related changes in order to:
lose weight and/or improve body composition
maintain or improve bone and muscular strength
improve hormone balance
mitigate PMS and menopause symptoms
increase sustainable energy
improve cognitive function to include focus and concentration
Learn more about my Fit & Strong Female Program that includes the DUTCH hormone test analysis and recommendations, blood work analysis, customized meal planning, weekly check-ins for accountability, and more.
Become the best version of yourself for not only now, but for the next transition in your life!