Proactive Actions for Perimenopause

So, you’re female and you’re approaching your early forties (give or take). Your brain, emotions and body are randomly doing weird things. You chalk it up to not enough sleep and exercise and too much stress and sugar. For sure these are contributing, but likely through their effects on your changing and evolving sex hormones. It’s time to get physically and mentally prepared for perimenopause.

There are three stages in a female’s life when hormones make some drastic changes to the homeostasis of one’s body: puberty, pregnancy (times however many kids you birthed, if any) and perimenopause. The peri/meno/ post-menopausal transition occurs when you are nearing the end of your reproductive life and entering your wise, sage years. As estrogen and progesterone levels decline, it’s like your whole body gets a makeover. Sometimes in a reno there are some discomforts while the kitchen is being ripped out, but when it’s all done you can end up with an amazing updated model. Same with us.

Technically, menopause itself is the one day when it’s been exactly twelve months since your last period. Perimenopause is the time before this date when your hormones have started to change and decline as your physiology reprioritizes away from reproduction. The average age a Canadian female reaches menopause is 51, but perimenopausal symptoms can start anywhere up to eight years earlier. Post menopause is technically every day after that menopausal milestone, though you may still have symptoms related to your adjusting hormones for years after.

Just like puberty or pregnancy, perimenopause is a time of major shifts in the roles and priorities of the brain and hormones. So, if we know this reno is coming, how can we support our changing systems to transition with smoother sailing? Any one of these topics warrant a whole weekend workshop, but just to plant some seeds…

Menstrual cycle

While you are still menstruating, work on regulating your cycle so hormone shifts later are not so extreme. Use a tracking app to find your current pattern (or lack thereof) and note when changes start. Use seed cycling and take fish/krill/algae oil and evening primrose oil to provide the specific fatty acids and other nutrients that help with regulating your cycle.

Chronic stress

Cholesterol is the base molecule that gets converted into the estrogens, progesterone and all the other sex hormones, but it also becomes the hormone cortisol in the amount required to process our daily stress load (real or perceived). The less need for cortisol, the more cholesterol is available for producing sex hormones. Prioritize you, take mini breaks/full vacations, delegate and give up unrealistic expectations. Taking magnesium and a vitamin B complex can be very helpful.

Exercise

As estrogen declines, its ability to fulfill its roles in building and strengthening the musculoskeletal system decreases. Use weight-bearing exercise to slightly overload muscles and bones, keeping them in anabolic growth mode. Cardio is still important to help support your heart (also another estrogen duty), and yoga or stretching helps with the stiffness and inflammation that also go up with a decrease in estrogen. Exercise also makes your thyroid hormone receptors more receptive, helping with energy, mood and metabolism.

Diet

You may benefit from eating a bit more protein for the building of muscles, bones and collagen. Plus, protein helps to balance blood sugar levels, which also may be taking a hit. Including more healthy fats will also help with this, as well as with the remodeling that is occurring in your brain. Include lots of cruciferous veggies (particularly broccoli sprouts) to help the liver remove spent hormones, plus phytoestrogencontaining foods like flax seeds (ground, soaked or sprouted) and non-GMO fermented soy (tamari, tempeh, natto, miso).

Sleep

With the potential for insomnia and night sweats, work on your sleep hygiene now. Build a sleep routine that eliminates electronics, alcohol, caffeine or food a few hours before bedtime. Aim to be asleep in a very dark, cool room, close to 10 pm or even earlier, to help maximize your natural melatonin production. Your darkness hormone, melatonin, is a powerful antioxidant that also helps to balance estrogen swings.

Toxins

Avoid exposure to xenoestrogens and other damaging chemicals that can add to your body’s hormone confusion. Invest in a good water filter. Ingest fewer chemicals by focusing on eating local/seasonal/ organic/wild/free range/grass fed foods from small producers. Keep food and beverages out of plastic containers and decrease use of chemical-laden personal care and cleaning products.

This may seem like a lot of self-care to fit into your bandwidth. Any bit helps. Start with tracking—what are you currently doing and how is it affecting your body and brain? Overlap your cycle with your sleep, diet, exercise and liquids. What cause and effect can you see? If you eat too close to bedtime, do you wake up at 3 am? Or if you eat too much sugar in week two or three of your cycle, are there more PMS symptoms the week pre-menstruation? Determine your baseline now, so when niggles and symptoms start grabbing your attention you know to link them to perimenopause. And then do some serious visualization on the no-bull wise, intuitive woman you will be out the other side!

(P.S. If you are already well into your remodeling, it’s not too late to start with any of these recommendations. You might even be more motivated if your current symptoms are decreasing your quality of life. Now’s the time!)

| WELLNESS WISDOM |

Estrogen’s Many Responsibilities

ESTROGEN INCREASES

• Muscle mass and strength
• Bone mineral density
• Collagen production
• Metabolism
• Healthy blood vessels and skin
• HDL cholesterol levels
• Lung function
• Vaginal lubrication and vaginal wall thickness
• Sex drive
• Verbal memory (finding words, etc.)
• Mood and mental wellness

ESTROGEN DECREASES

• Stiffness of tendons and ligaments
• Inflammation – in muscles, heart, brain, etc.
• Abdominal fat deposits and overall obesity
• LDL cholesterol levels
• Compulsions and OCD-like behaviours
• Binge eating

+ PLUS

• Proper blood clotting
• Fluid and electrolyte balance
• Neuroprotection of the brain
• Immune function (increases rates of autoimmune issues, decreases rates of cancer)