Do you suffer from hot flashes, night sweats, depressive feelings, weight gain (especially around your waist), skin aging, fatigue, forgetfulness, dry skin, aching joints?
Then there's a good chance you're going through menopause. Menopause can even make you sleep poorly and feel unfit. These complaints arise because the production and ratio of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone change. This process slowly starts from a woman's 35th year onwards.
From then on, the ovaries produce less estrogen and progesterone, which reduces fertility.
The 10-15 years before menopause, you are in perimenopause. This perimenopause can cause many complaints. The average age for actual menopause is 53 years. You have only truly reached menopause when you have not ovulated and therefore not menstruated for a year.
Not normal
But do you know that it is not at all normal to have severe menopausal symptoms?
In countries along the Mediterranean, women, on average, go through menopause differently. How is this possible?
According to research, eating a lot of vegetables has a positive effect, and these are eaten more in those areas. The use of olive oil instead of unhealthy fats is also very normal there. Also, a lot more seafood is eaten in that region, so women get more omega-3.
Research also shows that eating a lot of leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, etc.) leads to fewer symptoms.
Alcohol and caffeine, on the other hand, both have a negative effect, as their use increases the chance of hot flashes and waking up at night.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle has a major impact on whether or not you experience menopausal symptoms.
The production and breakdown of hormones is very precise. As soon as a hormone is no longer needed, the liver breaks it down. It may be that the liver is quite busy dealing with toxins and removing waste products. This does not always go well due to, among other things, chronic stress, improper nutrition, sugar consumption, and foreign substances such as alcohol, medicines, or heavy metals that you have ingested. Together, this can therefore cause you to have more menopausal symptoms. It is never one cause but a combination of several risk factors.
So you can greatly influence your hormone balance with Brain food, supplements, and a healthy lifestyle.
Exercise is also super important. Due to the changed hormone balance, you may be more susceptible to osteoporosis. So you need to keep 'stressing' your bones to continue stimulating bone formation. You do this by exercising vigorously, such as walking, jumping rope, and strength training.
What can you do yourself about menopausal symptoms?
- Optimize your nutrition. Eat lots of vegetables (at least 500 grams per day), healthy fats, and proteins
- Move more and more often
- Reduce stress by relaxing more
- Take specific supplements to support you.
*Claim awaiting approval.
