What is Menopause?

Women have always known to have great intuition, especially when it comes to their body reacting to certain conditions - emotionally, mentally or physically.

These “feelings” tend to get “out of control” during specific phases of our life, the kind that we see in movies but have not explicitly discussed before it happens.

We start to sense a shift in the way our body works; drastic mood swings with frequent tears or outbursts.

The worst part?

The way people start reacting to this outburst, responding likethey think we’re going crazy.

Honestly, we are not going crazy… it's just menopause!

Menopause is a transitional period when our bodies start to wind down on our reproductive abilities.

And it’s no fun ride. All the mood swings, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, joint pains, and thenever-ending list of problems. Feels like we have a lot to deal with, by ourselves.

But...

Understanding and accepting these symptoms can help us  simplify the process of solving them (as promised, as easy as 1, 2, 3)! 

Let us start with understanding the 3 stages of Menopause: 

1. Perimenopause or Premenopause
2. Menopause
3. Postmenopause

The 3 Stages of Menopause

Perimenopause

Perimenopause or Premenopause can begin  several years before menopause. This could last between a few months to about 10 years. However, on average it lasts about  4 years.

What happens? 

Menopause

The official menopause stage begins 12 months after the last menstrual period (bleeding).

What happens?

Significant physical changes.

The concept of “a minute on your lip, a lifetime on your hip” comes to reality. Eating one slice of cake for dinner could increase weight around our waist and abdominal region, with a reduction in our metabolic rate."

It is also common to notice our hair and skin becoming drier and thinner; no amount of conditioner and lotion seem to absolutely solve this problem.

Say goodbye to unwanted weight gains due to menopause.

Postmenopause

Yes, the troubles don’t end right at menopause. It is the stage where most of the severe menopausal symptoms decrease but it comes with additional side effects.

What happens? 

Now we have identified the 3 stages of Menopause.

Understanding the 3 most common symptoms amongst women is vital, allowing us to solve or reduce these problems. 

1. Hot Flashes & Night Sweats
2. Bloating & Weight Gain
3. Joint Pains & Anxiety/Depression

We might have come across various methods to solve specific menopause symptoms. This includes our doctors recommending hormonal therapies or birth control pills to help our ovaries continue producing estrogen; or medications such as antidepressants to reduce our mood swings and other allopathic medication for joint pains and bloating.

However, instead of concentrating on medication thatalters our hormone levels, there are natural ways to reduce these symptoms with no side effects in the long run.

Here are 3 natural ways to reduce our menopausal symptoms:

1. Adopting A Healthier Lifestyle
   
   
   
   It is easier to reduce menopausal symptoms and potential health conditions by having a healthier lifestyle. This would include:
   
   (i) exercising regularly
   (ii) avoiding stimulants like smoking*, caffeine*, alcohol* and excess sugar or salt.
   (iii) emphasizing on a balanced diet* which would involve consuming tons of whole grains, cold-pressed oils, leafy vegetables and nuts while avoiding junk food (especially ones with excess sugar and salt).
   
   *Avoiding caffeine, smoking, alcohol and consuming a balanced diet significantly reduces hot flashes and night sweats. (1, 2, 3, 4)
   
   
2. Including Natural Herbs In Our Diet
   
   
   
   
   There are 3 popular and common herbs such as Turmeric, Moringa and Curry Leaves which help decrease various menopausal symptoms (as discussed below):
   
   (i)Turmeric & Curcumin
   
   Turmeric - a herb and spice commonly used to make our curry yellow. It consists of a miraculous ingredient called ‘Curcumin’ which has various benefits like:
   
   (a) anti-inflammatory benefits (5) which naturally reduce joint pains and osteoporosis in the long run
   (b) fighting common age-related chronic diseases (6) like diabetes and cholesterol
   (c) boosting brain-derived neurotrophic factors which help improve conditions like memory loss. (6)
   
   However, Curcumin content in Turmeric is not high (approximately 3% by weight). Additionally, Curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream.
   
   Therefore, to maximize the full effects of curcumin, it helps to consume ‘Black Pepper’ with it to enhance the absorption by 2000%. (6)
   
   (ii) Moringa
   
   Moringa is a plant that has been renowned for its health benefits for thousands of years. It has various properties that could reduce common menopause symptoms like:
   
   (a) It contains multiple micronutrients and calcium which makes the bones stronger (7)
   (b) Potentially helps with diabetes management in the long run. (8)
   (c) Combats weight loss, mood swings, anxiety and depression. (9, 10)
   (d) Reduces joint pain as it has strong anti-inflammatory properties that also may also helps to reduce inflammation-associated arthritis. (11)
   
   (iii) Curry Leaves
   
   Curry leaves are commonly used as herbs or seasonings in Indian cuisine which has amazing health benefits.
   
   (a) It helps with weight management and weight loss. (12)
   (b) It helps with digestion of food avoiding symptoms like bloating. (13)
   (c) It regulates cholesterol and diabetes as well. (14)
   
   Eliminate Menopause Symptoms Naturally
   
   
   
   
   
3. Increase Vitamin & Mineral Intakes
   
   
   
   
   There are 3 vital types of vitamins that help reduce common menopause and postmenopause symptoms - Vitamin D, A & E; along with Calcium.
   
   (i) Vitamin A & Calcium, as mentioned before reduces joint pains during postmenopause. (15)
   (ii) Vitamin D supports calcium by making your bones stronger. (16)
   (iii)Vitamin E helps to ease stress (including oxidative stress), which reduces the risk of depression. (17, 18)

Going through menopause by yourself is hard! Especially because it affects our daily life! Symptoms like reduction in metabolic rates and estrogen levels that cause weight gain and increase the size of our abdomen; night sweats and flashes, joint pains that make us feel 30 years older...are just to name a few. 

Therefore, we have broken down understanding and solving menopause in 3 easy steps; which can make this journey a little less frustrating!

We hope you can see that menopause does not have to be difficult and solving it can be as easy as 1, 2, 3!

We at Better Body Co have a mission to help women around the world have an easier menopausal transition... 

Solving Menopause Symptoms Is Easy As 1, 2, 3 with Provitalize. 

References

1. Caffeine and menopausal symptoms: what is the association?
   (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25051286)
2. Cigarette Smoking, Androgen Levels, and Hot Flushes in Midlife Women (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2673540/)
3. Risk factors for menopausal hot flashes. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8008318)
4. Risk factors for menopausal hot flashes. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8008318)
5. Curcumin: A Review of Its’ Effects on Human Health (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/)
6. Curcumin: A Review of Its’ Effects on Human Health (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/)
7. Effect of Moringa Oleifera on Bone Density in Post-Menopausal Women (https://www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.678.21)
8. Effect of some Indian vegetables on the glucose and insulin response in diabetic subjects (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09637489309017439)
9. Moringa oleifera Leaf Petroleum Ether Extract Inhibits Lipogenesis by Activating the AMPK Signaling Pathway. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30618744)
10. Evaluation of the antidepressant activity ofMoringa oleifera alone and in combination with fluoxetine (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4719488/)
11. Bioactive Extract fromMoringa oleifera Inhibits the Pro-inflammatory Mediators in Lipopolysaccharide Stimulated Macrophages (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4787088/）
12. Antiobesity and lipid lowering effects of Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng leaves extracts and mahanimbine on high fat diet induced obese rats. （https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20655993）
13. Pharmacognostic evaluation of simple effective healthcare traditions usingmurraya koenigii (l.) spreng for digestion and digestive disorders (http://ijpjournal.com/bft-article/pharmacognostic-evaluation-of-simple-effective-healthcare-traditions-using-murraya-koenigii-l-spreng-for-digestion-and-digestive-disorders-2/?view=fulltext)
14. Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii Spreng.) reduces blood cholesterol and glucose levels in ob/ob mice. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16552838)
15. Anti-inflammatory effect of all-trans-retinoic acid in inflammatory arthritis. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16412693）
16. Calcium and Vitamin D: Important at Every Age(https://www.bones.nih.gov/health-info/bone/bone-health/nutrition/calcium-and-vitamin-d-important-every-age)
17. Low plasma vitamin E levels in major depression: diet or disease? (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15508016)

Vitamin E, oxidative stress, and inflammation. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16011463)

Disclaimer

*THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

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