Relief From Anxiety and Stress During Menopause

A woman can be overwhelmed by stress when entering menopause.

Reaching the point in your life when your body changes significantly is bound to elicit many emotions, especially when your body changes as drastically as it does during menopause. Feelings of sadness and lack of motivation coupled with physical ailments such as hot flashes and hair loss are enough to put anyone under a lot of stress, and this stress can lead to bouts with anxiety. There is a lot of literature that offers helps in dealing with these issues. Let's review some and talk about the different ways to find relief from stress and anxiety during menopause.

There is a long list of menopause symptoms to consider when trying to find relief.

You may suffer from some of the following ailments associated with menopause.
• Irregular periods with shorter or longer cycles
• Forgetfulness
• Decreased sex drive
• Night sweats or cold flashes
• Hot flashes and flushing
• Sudden changes in mood or sudden tears
• Overwhelming fatigue
• General sleeplessness or insomnia
• Heart palpitation or irregular heartbeat
• Weight gain
• Muscle tension
• Inability to concentrate or pay attention to the task at hand

There are many more symptoms that some women experience and medical professionals have attributed them to the change in hormones that trigger the onset of menopause in women around their late forties or early fifties.

What can be done to manage the symptoms of menopause and the stress and anxiety associated with them?

It's true that the answer to this question is not a simple one, but there are certainly plenty of things that can be done using pharmaceuticals, natural supplements or simple changes in behavior. Relieving the symptoms can take you a long way towards handling the stress and anxiety associated with such an important turning point in a woman's life. Taking a close look at the symptoms you are experiencing will help you determine which symptom relief tactics you can employ on a regular basis to help you also control your stress and anxiety.

Here is a list of pharmaceuticals that a doctor may prescribe to aid a woman during menopause.

Hormone Replacement Therapy is the main pharmaceutical response to menopause and its symptoms and there are several ways for a woman to receive HRT.
• HRT Pills - this involves ingesting a pill that offers the right combination of manmade hormones to replace those that your body has stopped producing on a regular basis. These hormones include estrogen and progestin and there are several brands to choose from.
• Vaginal Ring - this involves inserting a ring into the vagina and the device will help your body maintain even levels of estrogen, thereby helping manage the symptoms of menopause caused by loss or fluctuating levels of estrogen in your body.
• Transdermal Patch - this is a miniature patch that is worn on the skin and it helps your body regulate the hormones that cause menopause, helping to relieve the symptoms.

There are also natural supplements you can take to manage stress and anxiety associated with menopause.

The thought here is that is you can successfully relieve yourself of the stress and anxiety you're feeling, you can better manage your menopause symptoms without using pharmaceuticals. Here are a few things to consider:
• Aromatherapy - there are certain essential oils that are available to help relieve stress and anxiety like lavender, roman chamomile, geranium, and clary sage.
• Herbs - ginseng has well known for its power to reduce stress levels. As a bonus, it contains fatty acids which could help you if you are experiencing hot flashes as a symptom of menopause.
• Natural Supplements - taking things like B Complex Vitamins and St. John's Wart will also help you manage stress and anxiety, leaving you free to tackle the symptoms associated with menopause.

By managing symptoms one by one, you can ultimately find relief to your stress and anxiety as well as your menopause symptoms.
And there are also other ideas which you could consider. These are things like exercise which many times is the answer to relief from many more ailments than those associated with menopause. In addition, acupressure and acupuncture are other natural ways to offer relief from stress and anxiety and the symptoms of menopause that cause them.

Post Menopause Symptoms (How to Find Natural Relief)

Experiencing post menopause symptoms after going through the inconvenience and grief of menopause may strike any woman as being a bit unfair. After all, menopause has earned the stigma of being a negative phase that all females must go through; so much so that plenty of them think post menopause should bring a semblance of relief.

With the right frame of mind and natural methods to address post menopause symptoms, this is actually possible. Natural remedies are tried-and-tested methods to treat the most common post-menopausal symptoms mentioned below. It is encouraged to consider them before going for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which can have harmful side effects that include certain types of cancer.

Vaginal dryness and itchiness are only some of the most annoying post menopause symptoms a woman can experience. Taking into consideration that, technically, a woman is post menopausal for the rest of her life once she enters this stage, an itchy or dry vagina can really set anyone on edge all the time and put one's sex life on indefinite hold.

The walls of the vagina get thinner with age and provide less lubricant than before menopause set in. The best natural solution would be to buy a water-based, non-irritating lubricant for sexual intercourse. Homeopathics also recommend using organic ingredients to combat post menopause symptoms of vaginal itchiness and dryness.

For instance, essence of belladonna is said to instantly relieve a painfully dry and oversensitive vagina. A sitz bath infused with comfrey root done for 5-10 minutes several times a week can help keep vaginal tissues strong and flexible. Comfrey in ointment form can also be used as lubricant for sexual intercourse. It's also advisable to drink plenty of water and avoid caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and soda. Other things you should cut down on or avoid altogether: refined food, white sugar, steroids, and stress as these can exacerbate both the drying and itchiness. A smart thing to do is to take a specially prepared herbal supplement designed specifically to relieve post menopause symptoms.

Bladder problems, especially incontinence, can also rear their ugly heads as post menopause symptoms. Commonplace things can trigger it: a sneezing fit, laughter, coughing, lifting heavy objects, and even stress. Incontinence is understandably embarrassing. People joke about springing a leak at inconvenient times, but it really is no laughing matter once it happens to you. Stress incontinence is usually the result of weakened pelvic muscles. In this light, certain pelvic exercises such as Kegel can aid women and help control incontinence. Kegel exercises done regularly (anywhere at any time) can tone up voluntary vaginal muscles to improve stress incontinence. Certain yoga postures that require deep breathing and doing pelvic floor muscle squeezes also help.

Perhaps one of the most serious post menopause symptoms that needs to be addressed right away is high blood pressure. Hypertension among post-menopausal women is directly caused by reduced estrogen levels in the body. Blood flow slows down because of thinning blood vessels. Because of this, post-menopausal women can feel dizzy, drowsy, nauseous, and have palpitations. High blood pressure is dangerous because it puts a strain on the heart and can give way to heart diseases.

Before getting prescriptions for hypertension medication or going for HRT, take a good and thorough look at your lifestyle first. Are you still actively smoking? Do you eat healthy? Do you drink regularly alcoholic beverages? If yes, it is high time to quit. One of the most effective methods in battling post menopause symptoms is to give up harmful vices and take up healthy and sound habits like eating high fiber foods and exercising daily. These aren't too hard to accomplish. Adding fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals, and grains to your diet and doing 20-30 minute walks a day should already do wonders in normalizing your blood pressure.

Menopause and Alcoholism

Alcohol Abuse During Menopause

Menopause, especially perimenopause, causes massive hormonal imbalances in a woman's body and drastic changes to her lifestyle. The imbalance of hormone levels in addition to other stressed brought on by everyday life such as empty nest syndrome, changes at work or changes in marital status can bring on alcohol abuse in women who have never had such problems before.

Hormonal Changes and Alcohol Use

In the years prior to menopause, typically when a women is in her 40s and 50s, her body stops producing as much estrogen and the adrenal glands pick up the slack. In this transition period, estrogen levels skyrocket and plummet erratically, inducing a variety of effects such as memory loss or moodiness. The onset of menopausal symptoms can be bewildering and cause and increase in alcohol intake to ease the pain a woman feels.

Menopause normally begins when a women is in between the ages of 45 to 55. Premature menopause can be triggered by lifestyle choices like poor nutrition, heavy smoking, long term physical stress and heavy drinking. Excessive drinking has been known to cause menopause to happen up to 5 years earlier than normal.

What Happen When a Menopausal Woman Drinks Too Much

When a woman enters full on menopause, the estrogen production in her body has dropped almost entirely and menopause's symptoms will be evident. Fatigue, hot flashes, drop in libido and sleeplessness are all signs that menopause has arrived. Alcohol consumption at this point in a woman's life can worsen all these symptoms. Researchers have shown that menopausal women who drive excessively are at a much higher risk for cancer, particularly post menopausal breast cancer. One drink of alcohol per day increases risk by 7%. If three drinks are consumed everyday, the level of risk jumps by 51%. Alcohol also causes and increase in the amount of calcium excreted in urine, which leads to osteoporosis. In addition, alcohol affects the liver, pancreas and stomach lining.

What to do if Drinking becomes a problem.

Every stage of menopause (perimenopause, menopause and post menopause) are high risk years for women how drink too much. If a women finds her alcohol consumption to have risen dramatically during her menopausal years, it is important to think of the effect of hormone balances on her change of alcohol use. There are many programs out their who's aim is to treat alcohol abuse in the long term.

What Is The Best Diet During Menopause - The Answers Are Here

What is the best diet during menopause? Many of the answers are related to phytoestrogens and menopause symptom relief. It may all seem a bit redundant, but I wanted to provide as much information as I could in an easy to understand format. There are so many factors to consider when designing a diet for menopause. The truth of the matter is that this is a health diet that can be used in the years leading up to menopause, follows the recommendations of the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society and can be easily followed for life.

What is the best diet during menopause to prevent osteoporosis?

Low fat sources of calcium, include milk, yogurt and cheese, but can also be found in non-dairy foods, such as fish, spinach, broccoli, kale, some legumes and soybean products. Whenever the subject of phytoestrogens and menopause comes up, you will usually see references to soy isoflavones, which brings us to the next question.

What is the best diet during menopause to relieve hot flashes?

Hot flashes are related to decreasing levels of estrogen. Some plants have compounds that have estrogen-like effects on the body. These compounds are called phytoestrogens. It is believed that the effectiveness of black cohosh for relieving hot flashes is related to the phytoestrogens in the plant. It is known that soy isoflavones are phytoestrogens and menopause symptoms like hot flashes may be relieved by increasing or adding soy into a woman's diet.

What is the best diet during menopause to prevent weight gain?

Low in fat, rich in complex carbohydrates like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low in simple carbs like sugar, white bread, white rice, etc...

What is the best diet during menopause to improve sleep?

Soy (again) comes out close to the top for its high tryptophan content. Tryptophan is an amino acid that aids the body in the absorption of protein and the production of serotonin. Serotonin transmits signals among nerve endings in the brain and body and is important in regulating sleep cycles. Increasing foods in the diet that contain tryptophan can improve the quality of your sleep. Other than soy, the best dietary sources of tryptophan are chicken breast, yellow fin tuna, beef tenderloin, lamb loin, turkey breast, halibut, shrimp, salmon and snapper. However, beef tenderloin and lamb loin are high in fat and both the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association recommend that you avoid red meat. Studies have shown that carbohydrates increase serotonin levels, as well, which may be why women crave simple carbs during PMS.

What is the best diet during menopause to increase energy?

We need carbohydrates for energy. Although most of the recent research has focused on the effectiveness of phytoestrogens and menopause relief and many of the popular diets are "low-carb", if you do not get enough complex carbohydrates in your diet, then you will be tired. When you are tired, you are more likely to grab something sweet. This will backfire and you will end up even more tired. The whole thing becomes a vicious cycle. It is also important to make sure that you get enough B-complex vitamins in your diet. Broccoli, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables are good sources of B vitamins. Cottage cheese is another good choice.

What is the best diet during menopause to improve mood?

This question leads back to tryptophan, carbohydrates and possibly phytoestrogens. Anything that increases levels of serotonin improves mood. It is not only important in regulating sleep cycles, but mood, as well. Studies have shown that it also affects appetite and may help women avoid gaining weight during and after menopause.

What is the best diet during menopause, overall?

Expert opinions do not always agree when it comes to phytoestrogens and menopause and research is on-going. At this time, all of the research indicates that dietary sources of phytoestrogens are safe and effective. Experts do agree that for overall good health during menopause and throughout life, the best diet is low in fat and rich in "nutrient dense" foods, which are foods that contain lots of vitamins and minerals, but not a lot of calories. The best food selections are soy (found in meat-less burgers, tofu and many other items, including flour), chicken breast, turkey breast, tuna, shrimp, salmon and other fish, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale and other fruits and vegetables of all kinds. Oatmeal and other whole grains, wild rice, nuts and seeds.

Go easy on the salt. Limit your caffeine. A recent study showed that women who drink four or more caramel colored sodas (coke, pepsi, etc) per week have more osteoporosis than women who don't. Don't smoke, limit alcohol and watch the spicy foods. Alcohol, caffeine, salt and spicy foods can all trigger hot flashes and worsen their intensity. For the answers to more questions about diet, vitamin supplements, phytoestrogens and menopause, please visit the Menopause and PMS guide.

Instant Relief From Menopause, Early Menopause Symptoms And Heart Palpitations

Do you know menopause symptoms and heart palpitations go hand in glove? Although Menopause isn't a disease, it can complicate your health if you are careless or do not know menopause. It can cause a health problem known as heart palpitation or rapid heart beat.

If you haven't experienced it then you won't be able to imagine what it feels like for your heart to skip a beat as one of early menopause symptoms.

A major problem precipitated by menopause is a prolapsed heart. When you become menopausal it is advisable to regularly consult with your physician to check for a partial deformity of your heart valve. Know that this heart condition causes prolapsed heart during menopause.

Heart palpitation is one of early menopause symptoms in which the heart races repeatedly as if it will not stop. This condition is extremely uncomfortable and frightening. It is brought about by the heart experiencing premature contractions which make it beat twice as quickly, pumping more blood to the heart. You have to know menopause in order to be able to control it.

The moment you begin to feel early menopause symptoms, you should avoid stress, and the anxiety that comes from irregular menstruation. It is one of the early menopause symptoms.

Other symptoms, are tinnitus or ringing in the ear, sleeplessness or insomnia, depression and panic attacks from ordinary household noises. Like the yelling by children. Hot flashes, night sweats and dry vagina are also early menopause symptoms. If you know menopause you will be able to handle most of these problems without suffering unduly.

Know that relaxation, exercise and sleep are good for you during early menopause symptoms and menopause proper. These will help keep your hormones from going wild, especially your cortisol. It can go up twenty fold when you are stressed.
A raised cortisol level is dangerous for your heart. It makes it beat faster. This action overworks your heart and causes you discomfort. It is one of the early menopause symptoms.

Research has also shown that increased cortisol hastens both diabetes and high blood pressure in menopausal women. To know all these is to know menopause.

The bottom line for you, therefore, is to know how to rearrange your lifestyle as soon as or even before early menopause symptoms appear.

You must also appreciate nutrition. It is crucial at middle age because it will help your body to produce more hormones to augment your depleting hormone levels. Hormone depletion is the cause of early menopause symptoms and menopause proper.

Exercise will also help you burn calories and strengthen your bones to keep osteoporosis at bay. Osteoporosis is a result of thinning and spongy bones due to calcium deficiency.

Well written guides on how to get instant relief from early menopause symptoms are available online in ebook forms. They will teach you to know that Menopause is a manageable middle age crisis, and how to control it.

Menopause does not, in 90% of cases, last all through the remainder of your life. Most women graduate from menopause at age 51 or there about. How much you suffer from early menopause symptoms and the duration of your menopause will also greatly depend on your knowledge and lifestyle.

Just prepare yourself to know menopause and you will go through it without undue suffering.

Possible Side Effects of Black Cohosh

What is Black Cohosh? It is a natural herb found in the United States and was something that the Native Americans used to treat women's illnesses. They would brew it into a tea and drink it for relief from the common side effects of menopause. This has continued to be a treatment today for the relief of menopause symptoms and is found in pill form.

There are some possible side effects of black cohosh just as there are with any other medication. However, they are not very common. Most women use black cohosh without any side effects at all. Some of these include an upset stomach, headache and weight gain. The degree to which you will experience side effects will depend on the amount that you are taking.

Your general all around health will also have some impact on the degree of frequency or severity of the side effects of black cohosh. Dizziness is also a possible side effect of black cohosh, so you will need to be careful depending on your daily routine.

If you are pregnant you should not use this herbal treatment as it has been found to increase your risk of miscarriage. You should also not use this herbal treatment while you are breast-feeding. If you are not pregnant or breast-feeding and your health is otherwise in good condition, you are safe to use this medication. For the most part, if you are perimenopausal or menopausal, black cohosh is a safe, very effective herbal medication.

The results you will have with this herbal remedy will vary, as is the case with any medication. We are all different and that means that we will all react differently to the medications we take. The side effects of black cohosh will vary and you may gain more weight than the next person or not gain any at all.

It is also recommended that you keep track of what you are taking, how much of it you are taking and how often you are taking it. This information should be shared with your doctor to help prevent drug interaction risks with other medications.

Stress Relief - The Power of Good Nutrition

Nutrition In times of stress, food becomes the automatic go-to source for natural stress relief for many. Indeed, certain foods induce a calm and relaxed state as well as a greater sense of personal control during stressful situations. It seems that when stress levels rise, the willpower to avoid comfort foods falls by the wayside. In short, eating can make us feel good when we're feeling bad! It's no surprise our body tells to us to go for the mac n' cheese and bread and sweets, etc.

Traditional comfort foods can be useful for managing stress to a degree as long as they're eaten in moderation. However, when eaten too often or in indulgent amounts, these nutritionally deficient foods can actually exacerbate the effect of stress on the body. Good nutrition is a much better (and of course, healthier) way to combat stress. When the body and mind are fed correctly, you're much more resilient to the daily challenges of life.

Periods of intense stress trigger the production of adrenaline. This is good in the short term because you get a burst of energy to handle a crisis. When the danger passes, however, blood sugar drops and wholesome food is required for replenishment. Unhealthy foods and liquids stress out the body by complicating digestion, exacerbating low blood sugar or by failing to provide essential nutrients to the brain. Stress can trigger bad digestion as well. Good eating can mitigate the effects of stress, while increasing your physical and emotional stamina and protecting your health.

Your refrigerator is probably full of tasty, stress fighting foods! Let's take a look. You'll get stress fighting benefits from: tofu and other soy products, milk and cheese, fish and shellfish, poultry, lamb, beef, fruits, spinach, dark, leafy green vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, beans and legumes, eggs, avocado, bananas, whole grains. With a little thought, all of these foods (and other wholesome choices) can be whipped up either alone or with other ingredients to create tasty and healthful menu options.

Some other things to consider as you embark on a more healthful eating lifestyle:

1) Breakfast is the most important meal of the day in my opinion - so eat it daily. If you're usually not hungry at breakfast, eat a piece of fruit to start. Make a fruit smoothie with some of your favorite fruit, a high quality protein powder and sneak some veggies like spinach and cabbage in for extra nutrition. You won't be able to taste them - promise! Also, (real) whole wheat toast with all natural peanut butter is a great way to start the day.

2) Nutritious AM eating will help control cravings and hunger later in the day so you'll make more healthier choices with ease and eat less food.

3) To maintain energy levels in between meals, snack! Always carry healthy food with you (be prepared!) and when you get hungry - eat! Apples, nuts, nut butters, avocado and whole grain crackers are good choices. Ignoring your hunger is another stressor on the body and as this former extreme dieter can attest, it can mess with your mind. So eat until you feel satisfied. Neither overeating or undereating is encouraged! Both stress the body out - listen to its hunger signals and get fed up!

4) Caffeine. Caffeine is not your friend when it comes to stress relief! Besides increasing stress hormones like cortisol, it's dehydrating and disruptive to sleep, neither of which is helpful for effective stress management. Do your best to go de-caf. Herbal teas are a good option and decaffeinated coffee (after a brief transitional period) works for me too!

5) Sugar. Don't eat it! The brain requires glucose for proper functioning, but foods that are quick sources of sugar including white flour and juice can trigger a blood level surge followed by a precipitous drop. Sleepiness and lethargy ensue followed by a sweet craving by the body to increase blood sugar and a vicious cycle is born. Avoid sugar and white flour as best you can.

6) Cravings. Cravings often occur a few hours after lunch and during stressful situations and hormonal fluxes. To curb your cravings, it's best in my opinion to feed the body with healthy foods rather than totally surrender to the craving. Over time, the body will crave the healthier foods even during times of stress. That is my personal experience. Eat the healthy food (that tastes good to you) to the point of satiety. Your body will be less stressed and you'll be more clear minded to handle the situation at hand.

Hopefully, I've impressed on you the importance of eating well as a foundation for natural stress relief. Relieving stress with food doesn't have to be hard or boring and with some diligence, the body will have strong cravings for healthy food to the point that you'll never miss cookies and cake again. Honest.