150 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
be taken with great success. When a woman has not experienced a period
for one year, this means that the ovaries are not producing eggs and have
greatly slowed down production of estrogen. Progesterone is no longer
secreted, and the uterine lining does not develop. Since there is no
endometrial lining to shed, there are no more periods.
During postmenopause, there is a slow, gradual decline in the sex
hormone levels, eventually reaching a very low and stable level. If the
adrenal glands are healthy, they will take over estrogen and progesterone
production at a low rate. But exhausted adrenals exacerbate a different set
of changes in the body, which tend to be more long-term. The adrenal
glands are supposed to secrete a certain quota of hormones throughout
the day, but tired and exhausted ones will not do so. Vaginal dryness and
incontinence are two of most distressing symptoms of this problem, but
the risk of heart disease, blood sugar disturbances, and osteoporosis are of
course to be considered. Therefore, of great help to support the adrenal
glands at this time are herbs like Siberian ginseng, licorice, and rosemary,
which will directly feed and help replenish the adrenals. But very often,
adrenal exhaustion can be largely avoided just by supplying the already
mentioned hormone herb support.
Hot fl ashes and sweats are caused when the nerve centers are affected
by blood fl ow, which triggers a hot, prickly feeling as the body searches
for estrogen. During the perimenopausal stage, periods will become less
frequent and scantier. Occasionally the opposite is true, sometimes
resulting in fl ooding, as the body attempts to galvanize the ovaries into
activity and overproduces estrogen in the short term. Caucasian Western
women are eight times more likely to suffer calcium loss than other
women worldwide; therefore care must be taken to obtain enough calcium
and magnesium. (See “The Urinary System” in chapter 9 and the food
and nutrition advice in chapter 4.) Other symptoms experienced can be as
diverse as heart palpitations, depression, more frequent vaginal infections,
chronic night sweats, nervousness and anxiety, irritability, anger, fatigue,
insomnia, aching joints, headaches, weight gain, and mood swings.
nutrition
A good diet will go a long way toward stabilizing hot fl ashes and other
symptoms. Cut out or considerably reduce the amount of coffee, tea,
alcohol, sugar, and chocolate consumed, as well as foods with chemical
and steroid additives.
Weight gain or loss is often associated with menopause. Thinner women
will not be as able to produce estrogen as plumper women. Body fat helps
to produce estrogen; therefore eat well and keep to a healthy weight.
Increase your intake of whole grains, including rice, millet, oats, barley,
life stages 150