Feeling Overwhelmed by Perimenopause Symptoms? You’re Not Alone.

Many women who go through perimenopause often feel lost, battling a wide range of confusing symptoms. If you’ve been experiencing irregular periods, hot flashes, mood swings, or unexpected weight gain, it’s easy to feel like your body is out of control. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to face this alone, and there are effective strategies to help you regain control and thrive during this transformative phase.

 

As a dietician, nutritionist, and food relationship coach who has worked closely with over 800 women journeying through this phase, I have developed a deep understanding of the symptoms they face.

 

I’m devoted to supporting women struggling with the symptoms and life shifts that menopause can bring. Our practice, Fabulous Healing Nutrition & Wellness, located in the heart of Portland, Oregon, has brewed a distinctive approach to women’s health over the years. Fueled by compassion, empathy, and professional expertise, we offer effective strategies and comforting guidance to those traversing the complex maze of menopause.

Unlocking the Enigma of Menopause

Menopause is a monumental shift in a woman’s journey, serving as the closing chapter of her menstruation phase. It’s typically confirmed after 12 months of absent periods, predominantly appearing between the fourth and fifth decade of life, with the average age being 51 in the United States. While menopause is a natural stage in the biological process, its ripple effects can create physical symptoms like hot flashes and emotional changes that can disrupt sleep, vitality, or confidence. However, none of this if a sentence you have to live with. There’s a spectrum of great remedies within reach, starting from lifestyle changes to dietary adjustments.

Unveiling the Symptoms

During menopause, it’s not uncommon for women to experience symptoms like irregular periods, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, chills, night sweats, sleep issues, mood changes, weight gain coupled with a slowed metabolism, thinning hair and dry skin, and diminished breast fullness. The first sign of this journey, which is called perimenopause, is often a change in the menstrual cycle before it eventually withdraws altogether. And, a word to the wise – if you do happen to miss a period, a pregnancy test might be in order to eliminate any lingering uncertainties.

Seeking Medical Advice

Maintaining a regular cadence of health check-ins is vital during and following menopause, serving as a form of preventive care and a means to address any medical queries. As a piece of your preventive health, you might find yourself recommended for health screening procedures such as colonoscopies, mammography, pap, or triglyceride screenings. Your personal medical narrative might prompt your healthcare provider to suggest additional evaluations, like testing your thyroid or conducting breast and pelvic examinations.

A crucial point to remember – if you experience any form of vaginal bleeding following the cessation of your periods, reach out for medical counsel promptly.

Understanding the Causes

Menopause can stem from:

Natural Decline in Reproductive Hormones: As women approach their late 30s, their ovaries start producing less estrogen and progesterone — the hormones that regulate menstruation, leading to a decrease in fertility.

Surgical Removal of Ovaries (Oophorectomy): Ovaries produce hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle. Surgery to remove your ovaries results in immediate menopause, with potential onset of menopausal symptoms like hot flashes.

Cancer Treatments: Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can induce menopause, causing symptoms such as hot flashes during or shortly after treatment.

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: About 1% of women experience menopause before age 40 due to the failure of the ovaries to produce normal levels of reproductive hormones, which could potentially be due to genetic factors or autoimmune diseases.

Identifying Potential Complications

After menopause, the risk of certain medical conditions increases. These include:

Cardiovascular Disease: Declining estrogen levels raise your risk of heart disease, emphasizing the importance of heart-pumping exercise, a menopause-specific diet, and weight management.

Osteoporosis: This condition makes bones brittle and weak, leading to an increased risk of fractures. Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis are particularly susceptible to fractures of the spine, hips, and wrists.

Urinary Incontinence: Loss of elasticity in your vagina and urethra may lead to frequent, sudden, strong urges to urinate or involuntary loss of urine.

Sexual Function: Decreased vaginal moisture production and loss of elasticity can cause discomfort and slight bleeding during sexual intercourse. Decreased sensation may also reduce your sexual desire.

Weight Gain: Many women gain weight during perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause as their metabolism slows down. If you’re thinking of limiting calories or reducing the amount of food you eat to counter this, hit the brakes! Traditional methods such as these might backfire, slowing your metabolism to a crawl and piling on even more pounds. Pills and supplements will also not provide a long-term solution in this case.  Instead, in our practice, we use dietary techniques to manipulate your metabolism artfully, forcing your body to lose weight in a sustainable manner.

Treating Menopause with Diet, Life Style Changes, and Coaching

Drawing from my insights as an experienced dietitian, nutritionist, and food relationship coach, I’ve found the influential role that diet and lifestyle modifications have in managing menopause symptoms. Yet, since every woman is unique, the solution that works wonders for one might not resonate with another. Therefore, the golden ticket to managing your menopause symptoms lies in a personal consultation, meticulously tailored to match your individual health objectives and needs.

Starting with a Personalized Meal Plan

A well-structured meal plan, tailored to your specific nutritional, physical, and lifestyle needs and preferences, can significantly contribute to managing menopause symptoms. Food has the power to affect your hormone balance, mood, energy levels, and confidence. With the right nutrients, we can address common menopause concerns such as weight gain, belly fat, fatigue, hot flashes, and mood changes. I work closely with my clients to create personalized plans that are not only nutritious but also enjoyable and easy while maintaining a healthy relationship with food.

Optimizing Gut Health

Luckily for us, science is steadily revealing the crucial impact of gut health on our mental and physical health. The balance within your digestive system influences everything from your immune responses to your emotional state. During our time together, we’ll delve into strategies to boost your gut’s health via dietary changes, potentially weaving in the benefits of medicinal herbs, probiotics, foods abundant in fiber, and other healthful constituents. This step is key to navigating menopause while feeling your best self.

Balancing Hormones

Hormonal imbalance lies at the heart of many menopause symptoms. By implementing specific dietary strategies and lifestyle modifications, we can work towards restoring this balance. Certain foods can help mitigate hormonal fluctuations, while others can exacerbate them. Together, we’ll chart a dietary course that supports your hormonal health.

Promoting Radiant Skin

Menopause can bring changes to your skin, leading to dryness or loss of elasticity. Through nutrition and lifestyle modifications, we can combat these changes, promoting healthier, glowing, and more radiant skin. Hydration, vitamin-rich foods, and certain lifestyle choices all play a part in maintaining your skin health.

The Role Of Testing

During the menopause journey, comprehensive testing becomes a vital part of understanding what’s happening in your body. This is not just about managing symptoms – it’s about getting to the root cause of what might be triggering your specific symptoms. These tests can range from hormone panels, food sensitivity to gut microbiome analyses, and can give us invaluable insights into your health status. By leveraging this information, we can create a plan that is not just generic advice, but tailored specifically to your body’s unique data. This way, we’re not just guessing – we’re making informed decisions for your health based on solid evidence. You’re not a one-size-fits-all, and your health plan shouldn’t be either.

Building a Healthy Relationship with Food

Food is not just about nourishment; it’s also about pleasure, culture, and connection. A healthy relationship with food is the heart of any successful and sustainable change, especially during transitional periods like menopause. My coaching is about more than just nutrition – it’s about fostering an approach to food that is positive, balanced, and sustainable.

Each woman’s journey through menopause is unique, and I believe the support you receive should be as well. Whether you need help with meal planning, lifestyle changes, gut health, enhancing your metabolism, hormone balance, skincare, or fostering a healthier relationship with food, I’m here to guide you every step of the way. We can navigate this journey together with personalized consultation, empowering you to live your healthiest, happiest life during menopause and beyond.

 

Ready to take control of your perimenopause symptoms? Check out the Perimenopause Relief Secrets, an 8-week personalized program designed to help you overcome this phase with confidence and ease. Contact me today for any questions!