5 Ways To Conquer Your Perimenopause Symptoms Naturally
What is perimenopause, why you need to know about it even in your 30s, and how a holistic, natural approach can help you feel more energised and in control of your health.
Have you noticed a shift in your body? Are you struggling to think clearly, or perhaps you catch yourself feeling hot and sweaty all of a sudden, even though you’re at work and your office is airconditioned? Or maybe your periods are suddenly more irregular or really heavy?
If you are in your mid 30s or older, this post is for you.
What you’ll learn:
What the difference between perimenopause and menopause is
Why you need to start thinking about perimenopause earlier than you expect
How to tell if you’re in perimenopause
And 5 key areas to help you survive and thrive in perimenopause, naturally
Even if you are not yet in perimenopause, getting to know your hormones and what you can expect during this transition is incredibly useful.
I firmly believe that we are never too young to be informed, because being informed means being empowered. It means you can advocate for yourself and be in charge of your own wellbeing.
So lets dive in.
What exactly is perimenopause and how is it different to menopause?
Even though these two terms are often used interchangeably, they in fact signify different stages in a woman’s reproductive cycle.
Perimenopause is a time of highly fluctuating and eventually declining female hormones, where your cycles (and ovulation) become less predictable, and eventually less frequent. Many women experience symptoms during the perimenopause transition, such as hot flushes, weight gain, sleep issues or mood changes.
The period of perimenopause can last anywhere between 2 to 10 years and varies person to person.
You reach menopause 12 months after your menstrual bleeds have stopped.
If it occurs naturally, menopause is associated with a loss of ovarian follicles and ovulation, and postmenopausally, the ovaries are making very little oestrogen and progesterone.
I’m only 35, why should I worry about perimenopause?
Studies have shown that it is most common for a woman to enter menopause any time between 45 and 55 years of age (but can happen earlier) (Xiaolon et al., 2020).
And given that perimenopause can begin anywhere 2 to 10 years before menopause, the first symptoms of perimenopause can actually begin in your mid to late 30s. So, it helps to know what you might expect!
How do I know if I’m in perimenopause? Is there a test for perimenopause?
Unfortunately, there is no one definitive test for perimenopause.
The best way to tell when you are entering this transitional phase is to
Be in tune with your body and your menstrual cycles
Know the most common symptoms of perimenopause
Rule out other causes of your symptoms (such as thyroid issues)
Keep in mind that everyone is unique so there is no set of exact symptoms, but one of the first signs of perimenopause are changes to your periods (menstruation). This can include irregular cycles, shorter or longer cycles, and commonly more heavy menstrual bleeds.
Other common symptoms of perimenopause include:
Hot flushes and night sweats
Mood changes
Sleep problems
Anxiety
Fatigue
Difficulty concentrating
Joint and muscle aches
Migraines
Vaginal dryness
Hair loss
Weight gain (especially around the middle)
You may also experience some less common perimenopause symptoms, such as dry eyes, nausea and new allergies or food sensitivities.
It’s important to note that having one or more of those symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean that you are in perimenopause. Other hormone imbalances are common, for example, an underactive thyroid. This is why it’s important to see a qualified health professional who can complete a comprehensive assessment and further testing as needed. If you would like to know about the symptoms of some of the most common hormone imbalances in women, head over to my blog post here.
5 Key ways to manage your perimenopause naturally
If you’re wondering, what can I do about this? Is hormone replacement therapy the only option? There is a lot you can do to support your body through perimenopause using nutrition and lifestyle strategies.
Below are 5 key strategies to thrive in perimenopause naturally:
1. Learn to manage your stress
Managing stress becomes even more important in perimenopause. Ongoing stress increases our cortisol levels (cortisol is our stress hormone), which contributes to sleep problems, digestive issues, anxiety, weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease and more.
Since stress is a part of daily life and something we cannot completely eliminate, finding ways to calm your nervous system is key.
Some activities which help regulate the nervous system and reduce our stress response include having enough rest and sleep, yoga, meditation, spending time in nature, massage or going for a gentle walk – see if you can add any of these to your weekly routine.
2. Move your body daily
Movement is essential to managing your perimenopause symptoms, because it helps balance your blood sugar levels and helps with metabolic flexibility. It also helps reduce stress and cortisol levels (as long as the exercise isn’t too intense).
A combination of aerobic and resistance exercise are beneficial and recommended in perimenopause and postmenopause to help cardiometabolic health, bone health, moods and prevent weight gain (Marlatt et al., 2022)
Loss of oestrogen contributes to loss of muscle mass in perimenopause, so strength training is important as it helps maintain muscle (Ko & Park, 2021)
Aerobic exercise helps to reduce insulin resistance and supports mood. Yoga, Pilates and stretching all help improve flexibility and lower your stress hormone, cortisol.
Always get advice from a qualified health professional before doing heavy weight training
Tip: avoid over exercising – this can increase your stress hormone cortisol, which has a number of adverse effects, including weight gain
3. Focus on your sleep
Now is not the time for late nights or binge watching Netflix – sleep is more important than ever.
Studies have shown that those individuals who get less sleep are more likely to have insulin resistance and have higher cortisol hormone spikes, both which add to weight gain and anxiety (Mesarwi et al., 2013).
A lack of sleep makes it harder to lose body fat, increases hunger levels and cravings for sugar and carbohydrates (thanks to gherlin, your hunger hormone) and increases inflammation in the body (Schmid et al, 2008).
You know what feels best for you, but aim for at least 7 hours per night. If you are noticing your sleep becoming more disrupted, it may be time to review what might be causing your sleep troubles.
Having a good night time routine can make a huge difference to your ability to get to sleep and stay asleep.
Tip: avoid screens at least 1 hour before bed time as they emit blue light, which affects your body’s production of melatonin, your sleep hormone.
4. Good nutrition is key
Improving your diet can not only improve your overall wellbeing but can also improve your perimenopause symptoms.
For example, focusing on balancing your blood glucose levels will be helpful for stabilising your moods and limiting weight gain.
This is because researchers have found that women are more likely to become insulin resistant in perimenopause compared to earlier in life. This is thought to be due to changes in metabolism due to hormonal fluctuations (for example, oestrogen).
Insulin resistance contributes to inflammation, hot flushes, PMS symptoms, weight gain and increases risk of diabetes and heart disease
Here are a couple of ways to support blood glucose balance and reduce insulin resistance:
Limit refined carbohydrates and sugary foods
Increase your intake of dietary fibre
Ensure you are getting enough protein
There are many other strategies to improve your perimenopause symptoms and overall physical and mental health during this time.
Using nutrition, through specific foods and nutrients can also support your sleep quality and duration, moods, gut and liver health, bone density and energy levels.
5. Seek support from a qualified health professional
If you are struggling with perimenopause symptoms, or trying to figure out where to start with your health, consulting with a qualified health professional is recommended. It is also important to rule out any underlying health conditions, such as thyroid dysfunction and low iron levels, which could also be contributing to your symptoms.
Management requires a comprehensive assessment to assess your current health, medications, organise pathology testing as appropriate and to formulate an individualised treatment plan.
If this is something you would like support with, I can help.
I offer a free (no obligation) 10 minute chat which is an opportunity for you to ask me any questions you might have, share your health goals and for us to get to know each other.
You can book your free chat here.
About Marina
Marina is a degree qualified Clinical Nutritionist specialising in women’s and children’s health. She is passionate about empowering and supporting women to improve their health and wellbeing with a holistic and science based approach, using nutrition and lifestyle medicine. She is based in Adelaide, South Australia and offers 1:1 online consults, Australia and world wide.
References
Ko, J., & Park, Y. M. (2021). Menopause and the Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass in Women. Iranian journal of public health, 50(2), 413–414. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v50i2.5362
Mesarwi, O., Polak, J., Jun, J., & Polotsky, V. Y. (2013). Sleep disorders and the development of insulin resistance and obesity. Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America, 42(3), 617–634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecl.2013.05.001
Schmid, S. M., Hallschmid, M., Jauch-Chara, K., Born, J., & Schultes, B. (2008). A single night of sleep deprivation increases ghrelin levels and feelings of hunger in normal-weight healthy men. Journal of sleep research, 17(3), 331–334. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00662.x
Silva, T. R., Oppermann, K., Reis, F. M., & Spritzer, P. M. (2021). Nutrition in Menopausal Women: A Narrative Review. Nutrients, 13(7), 2149. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072149
Xiaolin Xu, Mark Jones, Gita D Mishra, Age at natural menopause and development of chronic conditions and multimorbidity: results from an Australian prospective cohort, Human Reproduction, Volume 35, Issue 1, January 2020, Pages 203–211, https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dez259