Perimenopausal Symptoms
1. Good diet that’s heavy on organic foods and low in saturated fats
2. Vitex, or chasteberry, to increase progesterone naturally and help balance excess estrogen
3. Black cohosh extract, like that found in Remifemin, to control hot flashes and night sweats
4. Blood sugar stability
20s, much less so in their 30s.” Part of the result is the attempt to reduce stress levels by eating high-fat and high-sugar comfort foods. Weight gain, blood sugar imbalances and sex hormone imbalances follow. “Excess blood sugar changes the way estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are metabolized,” Northrup explains. “PMS and other problems of the reproductive years often go away when you get your blood sugar balanced, but—here’s the rub—you won’t get it rebalanced unless you are addressing the very real stress- ors in your life.”
Due to the presence of xenoestro-
gens and Americans’ general fondness for processed comfort foods, women in their childbearing years are also increas-
5. Stress management, as well as adrenal support via an adrenal glandular supplement
6. Regular exercise
7. Bioidentical hormone replacement, if symptoms become too uncomfortable
Source: Creating and Maintaining Balance: A Woman’s Guide to Safe, Natural, Hormone Health, by Dr. Holly Lucille
ingly afflicted by polycystic ovary syn- drome (PCOS), a condition characterized by overproduction of testosterone and other male hormones. Insulite Laborato- ries, in Louisville, Colorado, reports that infertility and early onset Type 2 diabetes, another hormonal imbalance problem, are closely connected to PCOS. The first priority for every woman
at any age, counsels Northrup, is to get blood sugar (glucose) under control. “Get a glucometer. You don’t need a prescription. If your blood sugar level isn’t between 80 and 90 in the morn- ing, you need to look at your diet and lifestyle. Getting this under control will create hormonal balance in the vast majority of women. It’s so simple.”
Seven Steps to Address
Perimenopause The next hormonal shift overlaps with a woman’s reproductive years. Symp- toms of perimenopause, or the start of menopause and the end of childbearing years, typically show up between the early and late 30s. These range from hot flashes, night
sweats and insomnia to weight gain, fuzzy thinking and redistribution of hair on the body. Again, the presence of xenoestrogens and stress contribute.
Estrogen Dominance Foods to Reduce
d Cruciferous vegetables and green leafy vegetables with indole-3- carbinol to decrease xenoestrogens, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, celery and kale; two to three servings a day
d Any citrus fruits, which have d- limonene to promote estrogen detoxi- fication; one serving a day
d Insoluble fiber as an estrogen binder, such as oats, berries, dried beans and apples; two servings a day
d Lignans as estrogen binders, such as flaxseed, sesame seeds and flaxseed oil; two to three tablespoons a day
Source: From Belly Fat to Belly Flat, by Dr. C.W. Randolph, Jr., and Genie James
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