Perimenopause
Some guidelines to help the change go smoother.
As seen on the Sonoran Living program.

Perimenopause can be the root of many unexplained symptoms, such as not being able to sleep well, migraines, memory problems, weight gain, irritability, dry skin, skin spots, backache, hysteria……..I can keep going, but you get the idea. If your periods continue to be regular, then having these symptoms may be PMS. If your periods are becoming irregular, then you could be experiencing perimenopause. It seems that women are starting to go through these hormonal changes earlier than before. I believe that it has a lot to do with our lifestyle. We are not eating as well as we could and our lives have a lot of stress. We are bombarded with pollutants (air pollution, pesticides in our food, vehicle exhaust, chemical cleaners, etc.) that it is putting an additional burden on our bodies which can lead to hormonal distress.

For many people, just cleaning up the diet/lifestyle a bit, finding ways to clean up what we can control in our environment, and getting the toxins reduced in our bodies will be all we need to get us back into balance and relieve many symptoms of discomfort.

To help you along with this venture, pick up the book Before The Change, by Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D. Ms. Gittleman takes a very practical approach that covers the important lifestyle basics and has written them in an easy to read book. She does not get into herbal protocols, for she is a nutritionist, not an herbalist, but you do not need to address any herbal protocols until you have exhausted the changes you can make in your diet/lifestyle and general nutritional intake. She has a funny-but-true comment written in her book that says that "A naturopathic doctor once remarked to me that using hormone replacement therapy for perimenopause symptoms that can be alleviated with nutrients and exercise is like using a crane to lift a teacup."

Here is a list of some important steps to take to help your body regain and maintain balance and health.

1. • Omega 3’s - Add to your diet in the form of flax seed oil or a good blend of oils such as my favorite, Udo’s Oil. These can be found best in a refrigerated area, for they can go bad quickly with heat. Do not cook with them, for they are too fragile for that. Instead, tart to blend them into your diet by drizzling it over veggies, toast, salads, oatmeal, etc. Blend it with butter, if you like the taste of butter better than the oil. Most of the oils have a good nutty flavor, but it can be a bit strong for some. You can always take it in capsules, but you will have to take quite a number of capsules to get enough – like at least 6 a day.
   
2. • Evening Primrose Oil - An oil that offers a lot of healing properties, it contains the fatty acid called GLA. You can find it in capsules. Take a couple capsules a day (about 500 milligrams). This is also helpful with dry skin and some rashes, like eczema.
   
3. • Multivitamin - choose a good WHOLE FOODS based vitamin. These will have more bulk in them, so they will require 3-6 capsules per day. The one a day variety is just not going to cut it! Look for a multivitamin that is formulated specifically for women and even better, one that is specifically for women over 40. I like New Chapter, but there are other good ones. Look for them at good health food stores.
   
4. • Magnesium, Vit. C, Vitamin E, B complex – take an some magnesium before bed to help you sleep. Take at least 1000 – 2000 mg of vitamin C. Vitamin E is a very helpful component – 400 – 1200 IU’s per day. Of course, the B vitamins are always helpful to combat stress, among other things.
   
5. • Exercise! - Yes, you need to shake it up and get it moving at least a little bit every day! Try to get at least 30 minutes of real activity (walking, gardening, swimming, dancing…) 5-7 times a week. Start small and work into more, eventually perhaps you can even do a little weight bearing exercise. Feeling strong also helps us feel less vulnerable and gives us a big emotional uplifting!
   
6. • Clean up your diet - OK, so you have heard it lots of times – eat your veggies, fruits and good proteins. Look for organic produce when possible and hormone free meats as well. Try to do at least a little of your shopping in the organic section of your store or go to Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Sunflower, etc. to find organic and hormone free options. Add soy to your diet (organic soy if at all possible). Try a few new recipes that have soy in them. Check out some books from the library that has soy recipes in them. I like The Whole Soy Cookbook, by Patricia Greenberg. I love edemame, boiled soy nuts. Ask for them next time you go into a fast Japanese restaurant (like Tokyo Express, Kyoto Bowl, etc.). They are inexpensive and tasty. You can also buy them frozen and cook them.
   
7. • Moderate caffeine, soda, diet soda, etc. Buy some delicious herbal teas and make them hot or iced. Drink water!!!!!! Lots of water!!!!!
   
8. • De-stress a bit. Learn to meditate, take a walk to appreciate nature, go to the park and watch little ones play (play yourself!), turn off the news and turn on nice music, take a bath....