Highly effective Natural ways to reduce the symptoms of Menopause
What is menopause?
Menopause is the process through which a woman ceases to be fertile or menstruate.It is a normal part of life and is not considered a disease. Despite being a natural process in the body of any woman menopause can cause drastic changes that trigger severe symptoms.
Symptoms of Menopause:
Irregular periods-Some woman may experience a period every 2 to 3 weeks others will not menstruate for months at a time.
Dryness and itching in vagina
Hot flashes- It is a sudden sensation of heat in the body. It may start in the face,neck or chest and progress upward or downward, occurs during the first year after a woman's final period.
UTI-Woman tend to be more susceptible to UTI(urinary tract infection)
Emotional Changes- Woman can experience depression and low mood during menopause. As a result of these emotional changes woman may experience low sex drive.
Headache
Loss of bone density
Hair loss
Breast shrinkage
A build up of fat in the abdomen.
Complications:
Cardiovascular disease
Osteoporosis
Urinary incontinence
Breast cancer
There is no way to prevent menopause but its symptoms and effects can be managed.
Diagnosis: Test for FSH(follicle stimulating hormone) is carried out as menopause causes FSH levels to rise.
Another procedure is to take a pap like smear from the vaginal walls and check for any thinning and drying out of the vagina.
Home remedies:
Home remedies are natural ways to relieve menopause symptoms. They do not involve medications, just changes in lifestyle habits or environments.
For the Hot Flashes:Try to avoid hot places during summer.
Say yes to Soya products since soya is rich in isoflavones,substances that are thought to have effects similar to estrogen supplements. You can take soya milk,tofu etc.Eat 200 to 250 gm of tofu everyday.
Do not wear tight clothes.
Stop smoking due to nicotine's stimulating effect.
Drink and foods that contain caffeine may aggravate hot flashes. So avoid coffee or try to limit 1 cup in a day.
To avoid weight gain, do exercise.Exercising daily will help relieve stress and keep your body healthy and balanced.You should do exercise for at least 30 minutes a day(5 days a week).
For the urinary incontinence do kegal exercise to improve several forms of urinary incontinence.
For the emotional changes, take time for yourself: Do the things that you want to do,whether it be gardening or cooking etc.This will keep you calm and stabilize your thoughts, which can in turn help stabilize your hormones.
Lose a few pounds: Because excess fat traps heat, making you sweat more to cool off your body.
Get enough sleep: Tip for having a good night's sleep during menopause is to write down a list of things you need to do in the next day before going to bed.
Taking a tepid bath(with lukewarm water) in the morning for 20 minutes prevents hot flashes all day long.
For the UTI: Drink more water.
Diet in Menopause:
In fruits you can take papaya,apples,kiwis,guavas etc
In vegetables you can take carrots,tomatoes,bell pepper,beetroot,broccoli,spinach etc.
In cereals you can take oats, millets etc.
Soy,legumes,beans are very beneficial in Menopause.
Avoid coffee, tea,sugar as they make blood acidic.
Use of Probiotics such as yogurt,kimchi salad are very beneficial.
According to Ayurveda:
Avoid excessive intake of salt, spicy food, pickles etc.
Avoid junk food and carbonated drinks.
Use spices such as fennel and cumin in your daily meal.
Avoid saturated fats,sugar and oils.
Avoid refined carbs like white pasta,white rice etc.
Eat oats,broccoli.
Eat more non dairy calcium including foods, like salmon fish, brown rice,pumpkin seeds.
Flax seeds: You can add flax seeds to your daily diet in order to relieve a variety of menopause symptoms.
Very important point:Check your D3 level.If needed take supplements of D3.Supplements of Vitamin E and vitamin B also help in relieving the symptoms( Before taking any supplements please consult with your family doctor)
Recipes which help to relieve symptoms during menopause:
Apple Soyamilk Shake:
Ingredients:
Apple(Chopped) - 1 whole apple
soya milk - 250 ml
cinnamon powder- 1 pinch
honey - 1 tsp
Blend all the things in mixer and drink it immediately.
For the flavour you can add 1/2 tsp of grounded fennel.
Rice Pulao:
Ingredients:
Boiled Brown rice -1 cup
Grounded flax seeds - 1 tbs
Blanched broccoli-1/4 cup
Tofu - 1/4 cup
raw carrots - 1/4 cup
bell pepper - 1/4 cup
Olive oil 1 tbs
salt as per taste
black pepper powder as per taste
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
curry patta - 5 to 10 leaves
Chopped green coriander - 1/2 cup
Method:
Heat the oil in a pan, Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds, After crackling add curry patta.Saute all the vegetables and tofu. After sauting add all the spices and boiled rice. Mix it. After mixing add grounded flax seeds and green coriander. Your nutritious pulao is ready now.
Dr.Suman Setia BAMS(MDU) DNHE PGDHHM
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