Menopause is a natural stage of life that every woman will come to experience, typically around the age of 50. It is the natural process that occurs when a woman no longer needs to reproduce and her ovaries stop producing the sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. Unfortunately for many women, this process is not as harmonious as it could be. Why is that?

"Of the over 3,500 females who responded, 86% had moderate to severe hormone health concerns."

During my nationwide tour earlier this year, ‘What’s Your Health Story?’, we asked all attendees to complete a general health questionnaire. Of the over 3,500 females who responded, 86% had moderate to severe hormone health concerns. Which is a big problem!

"Menopause is a natural process that occurs when a woman no longer needs to reproduce and her ovaries stop producing the sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone."

Off the back of these results, I have just launched my next nationwide tour ‘The Hormone Secret’. This includes my latest groundbreaking research into female hormone health which is bringing to light information I personally feel every woman should know. I highly recommend you come along and bring any other important ladies in your life along with you.  

One very important part of hormone health is the journey to menopause. In this blog, I’m going to talk through this hormonal transition period, explaining how and why it happens and what you can do to help support your body and ease the symptoms.

What is menopause?

The female body produces oestrogen and progesterone in order to fulfil the biological need for our species to reproduce. Females are born with their eggs and around the age of 50, you will have depleted your stores of viable eggs. The body knows this and adjusts by lowering levels of oestrogen and progesterone in the body.

Without high levels of these hormones, ovulation cannot occur. Without ovulation, there is no need for the monthly build up of endometrial lining and no monthly bleeding. Menopause is signalled when a year has passed without a menstrual cycle – meaning it can only be diagnosed retrospectively.

So, what’s perimenopause?

The period leading up to menopause is called perimenopause. Perimenopause is a transitional stage in a woman's reproductive life that begins about 4-5 years (and sometimes longer!) before menopause. Some lucky women cruise through perimenopause and barely notice a thing, however the majority of women will experience a variety of symptoms.

"Perimenopause is a transitional stage in a woman's reproductive life that begins about 4-5 years (and sometimes longer!) before menopause."

Some of the most common ones include; irregular periods, hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, weight gain, mood changes, breast pain, joint pain, headaches. These symptoms are attributed to fluctuating oestrogen levels.

From the onset of perimenopause the overall trend of oestrogen hormone levels is downward, however it is not a direct line and has many micro-fluctuations along the way. Try thinking about this as a plane gradually landing in a turbulent storm.

I talk a lot about oestrogen dominance and that’s because, at the BePure Havelock North and Auckland Clinics, the majority of our female clients are struggling with this hormonal imbalance.  Entering menopause from a state of oestrogen dominance is like landing a plane from 35,000ft.... There’s going to be some serious turbulence on the way down! In my other blog post this week, I cover some of the best ways to prepare for perimenopause.

How to identify when your body is in perimenopause

It can often be difficult to know when your body has entered perimenopause as its symptoms have plenty of crossover with PMS symptoms. For example, menstrual migraines are associated with a drop in oestrogen levels and, as discussed above, this certainly happens in menopause. 

At the time, you may confuse your perimenopause symptoms with PMS and you’ll only realise retrospectively that it was perimenopause. For most women, the main indicator that it's perimenopause will be irregular periods, however every woman is different and will have a different experience.

What to expect after menopause

After menopause has occurred, you will no longer have monthly menses. Oestrogen is the hormone responsible for our libido, energy levels, and mood and this natural decrease in oestrogen can cause menopausal women to experience varying degrees of these symptoms. Even though oestrogen isn't required for reproduction, post-menopausal women still need a small amount of oestrogen and progesterone to keep our mood and testosterone in balance.

"There is more research coming out that shows pre-menopausal behaviours and lifestyle can impact the severity of menopausal symptoms."

Symptoms of low oestrogen include decreased libido, fat storage will shift from your hips to around your belly, vaginal dryness, an increased risk of osteoporosis. The drop in oestrogen also means that relatively within your body you will have an increased proportion of testosterone which can be associated with masculinising effects.

While these symptoms are not the most pleasant there is more research coming out that shows pre-menopausal behaviours and lifestyle can impact the severity of menopausal symptoms. For example, women that were anxious over worked and sleep deprived experienced more regular hot flushes during menopause. 

There are many ways you can support your body and improve your health during this hormonal transition phase.   

How to improve your menopause symptoms

1. Boost your essential nutrient levels. We know that both vitamin B6 and magnesium can help with the common menopausal symptoms. Increasing calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E will help with declining oestrogen levels. You can find high levels of all these key nutrients in our BePure One.

2. Take a herbal remedy. Vitex is a lovely herb for hormone regulation. Combine with adrenal adaptogens withania and rhodiola for a lovely hormone balancing and nourishing formula. Take a look at some of our other herbal remedies.

3. Consume a diet high in phytoestrogens to help increase oestrogen levels. These are plant-based oestrogens such as soy products (tempeh), flaxseed, sesame, oats and barley. Most premenopausal women are battling against too much oestrogen and I for them I'd recommend reducing soy, however moving through menopause these phytoestrogens can provide us with beneficial additional oestrogens which can help with mood, libido and bone density. Research has shown that phytoestrogens can have a positive effect on hot flashes and symptoms associated with vaginal dryness.

4. Balance your parasympathetic nervous system. Hot flushes and other symptoms of menopause can be worse when women are stressed, overworked and sleep deprived. While it can be difficult for many women to reduce their daily stressors, you can help balance your stress by spending time calming your parasympathetic nervous system. Learn how to do this with these tips to help you slow down.

5. Develop a relaxing sleep routine. This takes time and will be unique to you but putting this in place will help you get to sleep better and stay asleep for longer. Insomnia is another symptom of perimenopause and we believe that a soothing end to the day can help

6. Focus on self-care. Attending to troubling personal or work relationships, perhaps by seeking professional advice, will also help to reduce stress, improve sleep and enable you to live a happier life.

7. Add organ meat to your diet. This is an incredibly nutrient dense food source with high bioavailability. Liver in particular, is great for adrenal support. While not the most delicious cut of meat, it is easily added to meals like shepherd's pie, lasagna and meatloaf.