40 TOPSANTÉ Facebook.com/ topsanteMagazine @ tops a nt eukin the last of our three-part series on
essential oils, we take a look at
how these powerful healers can
alleviate perimenopausal symptoms.
E
SSENTIAL OILS OFFER
a gentle alternative for
dealing with all sorts of
physical and emotional
issues. But perhaps less
talked about is how they
can help to enhance your hormonal
health. ‘Nature has given us these
potent, natural compounds that can
support your body in healing itself,’
says Dr Mariza Snyder, women’s
hormone practitioner and author of
The Essential Oils Hormone Solution
(£19.99, Rodale Press). ‘The
therapeutic properties of essential oils
can help to bring your hormonal
system into balance.’ Hormones arechemical messengers that control,
infl uence and regulate nearly all
bodily functions, including
temperature, heartbeat, blood sugar,
fertility, mood and sleep. The key sex
hormones for women are oestrogen,
progesterone and testosterone (small
quantities are produced by the ovaries
and adrenal glands). Others you’ll
have heard of include thyroid
hormones as well as cortisol and
insulin. ‘All of them are
interconnected, so any imbalance in
one will have a knock on effect on
your whole system,’ says Dr Snyder.
And these hormones, especially the
sex ones, fl uctuate throughout yourlife. ‘When your sex hormones are in
balance, you look and feel great,’ says
consultant gynaecologist, Dr Tania
Adib (themedicalchambers.com). ‘But
imbalances can cause menstrual
irregularities, mood swings and
severe PMS symptoms including
bloating, low mood, water retention,
tender breasts and headaches.’thE horMonE drop
As you get older, hormone levels start
to drop, especially in the run-up to
menopause, also called
perimenopause, which can last
anywhere from four to 10 years.
‘During the perimenopause,Meno
mattersin the last of our three-part series on
essential oils, we take a look at
how these powerful healers can
ESSENTIAL
OILS
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