You Know?
It’s likely the hot surges you experience are the result of your brain trying to kick-start your ovaries into producing estrogen. Ovarian function does not decline in a straight line, which means that estrogen levels — and the severity of hot flashes — can fluctuate.
Headaches
Headaches and migraines are common during menopause and may be caused in part by changing body temperature, tiredness due to hot flashes, sleeplessness, or general stress and anxiety. Migraines can also be affected by falling estrogen levels and may either diminish or worsen during menopause.
Managing Headaches
• Practice relaxation techniques, like deep breathing.
• Exercise regularly. It helps increase blood flow to the brain, which may alleviate headaches.
• Headaches are sometimes caused by low blood sugar. Eating a wholesome snack before bed can help keep your blood sugar level balanced and prevent you from waking up with a headache.
• Try complementary therapies, such as massage and acupuncture.
• Practice tapping exercises (see page 147), an acupressure technique that can eliminate pain.
Painful Sex
Lack of estrogen causes a decrease in the mucus-producing cells in the lining of the vagina, making it thin and dry. As a result, sex can become uncomfortable, and in some cases painful. A decrease in muscle tone and a resulting reduction in the blood supply to the urogenital area may also be a factor. The good news is that this is reversible through diet, supplements, and other approaches.
Jump-Starting Your Sex Life
• Try Membrasin® SBA24® capsules (known as Omega 7 SBA24 in the UK) to help alleviate vaginal dryness and discomfort (see page 82).
• Try products like Membrasin® Vaginal Vitality Cream and other personal lubricants, which can make sex much more comfortable and pleasurable.
• Have regular sex. As counterintuitive as it sounds, it can help with vaginal lubrication. And spend plenty of time on foreplay!
• Do pelvic floor exercises (also known as Kegel exercises) to strengthen the muscles and increase blood flow. In addition to doing the simple exercise described below, look for Michele Kenway’s instructive videos on YouTube, which range from basic to more advanced pelvic floor exercises.
WORKING YOUR PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES
1. Sit with your eyes closed and think about the muscles you’d use to stop urine flow.
2. Contract those muscles as tightly as possible.
3. Hold for several seconds. It should feel like the muscles are lifting in and up.
4. Relax for several seconds, then repeat once. Do the exercise 10 to 15 times a day.
Mood Swings
Depression, irritability, and anxiety are common menopausal symptoms that are probably caused by the hormonal and physical changes you are going through (just as teenagers get moody when they experience the hormonal roller coaster of puberty). You may find yourself weeping for no obvious reason, being unable to make up your mind about the smallest things, or feeling panicky at the thought of tackling something you’d normally take in stride. It is important to realize that these feelings are normal and will pass, although it may take time. If you are experiencing deep depression and even suicidal thoughts, though, it’s important to check in with your medical team.
Evening Out Mood Swings
• Don’t keep your feelings bottled up — talk about them with a friend, a family member, or your partner.
• Follow a phytoestrogen-rich diet. (You’ll find a list of convenience foods that contain good doses of them on page 217.)
• Exercise regularly. There’s good evidence that being active elevates mood.
• Try doing a yoga session each day, maybe using online videos for guidance if you haven’t done yoga before. Yoga with Adriene, on YouTube, offers a free thirty-day course that is a great place to begin.
• Practice relaxation techniques like meditation, or try a using a guided meditation app.
• Keep a list of things you’re grateful for. Looking over it can lift your spirits and help you keep things in perspective.
• Watch a fun movie.
• Dance to your favorite music.
• Practice mindfulness and mindful breathing to keep yourself grounded and in the moment (see page 91).
Insomnia
A succession of sleepless nights can be severely debilitating, so it’s important to address insomnia as soon as you can. Common causes include night sweats, anxiety, and having to get up in the night to go to the bathroom. Poor or disturbed sleep can trigger many other symptoms, such as depression and irritability, so sleeping better may also help improve your mood.
Getting a Better Night’s Sleep
• Try relaxation techniques, especially right before bed (see page 90).
• Exercise regularly. It’s been shown to improve the quality of sleep.
• Have a cup of chamomile or valerian tea or warm soy milk before bed.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks completely, as the caffeine can act as a stimulant and keep you awake. These include, tea, coffee, cola drinks, and hot chocolate.
• Listen to soothing music. It can help you relax and sleep more soundly.
• Try not to take worries to bed with you. Jot down anything that’s bothering you to get it off your mind, and then consciously distance yourself from any troubles by focusing on something you find soothing.
• Avoid watching, reading, or listening to anything too stimulating in the evening, and avoid electronic screens (laptops, tablets, and smartphones) at least an hour before bed. Research shows that the blue light they emit can disrupt sleep.
• If you frequently wake during the night, taking the herb valerian can help you get back to sleep. If you find it hard to get to sleep, try taking valerian half an hour before you go to bed.
• Try the Pzizz Sleep app (see chapter 4).
Dry Skin
Many women start to notice their skin becoming drier around the time of menopause. You may also see an increase in wrinkles. Both are due to the effect of lowered estrogen levels on collagen, the structural protein in skin that keeps it firm and elastic. Keeping your skin well hydrated and eating plenty of foods rich in phytoestrogens can counteract dryness and fine lines.
Treating Dry Skin
• Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Look for plant-based products with no artificial chemicals. There are many lovely brands to choose from.
• Protect your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays by applying sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 — particularly on your face, neck, and hands.
• Drink at least eight glasses of water daily to hydrate skin from the inside out.
• Regularly exfoliate your skin to remove dead skin cells and help your moisturizer penetrate skin more readily.
• Eat plenty of oily fish rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs), such as salmon and sardines. These healthy fats help keep skin soft and smooth.
• Consider taking an omega-3 supplement.
• Try taking the natural supplement Equelle, containing