If you are aged 38 to 49 and experiencing a hormonal shift, please read on!
The female body is extraordinary. With the incredible ability to develop, nurture, restore, and balance throughout every beautiful stage of life. Menopause is an unavoidable stage which occurs on average, at the age of 51.
Before we dig into details, let us review some important terms.
Hormone 101:
What is a Hormone?
A messenger that sends instructions throughout the body
What is Estrogen?
Hormones released from the ovaries
Regulates our menstrual cycles
Regulates body temperature
Balances energy levels
Balances mood, cognition, and memory
Regulates serotonin (our happy hormone)
Facilitates bone building
Balances the effects of progesterone
What is Progesterone?
A hormone released from the ovaries
Regulates our menstrual cycles and flow of menses
Supports pregnancy
Regulates body temperature
Supports mental wellbeing by providing a calming effect
Balances mood, cognition, and memory
Balances the effects of estrogen
It is important to know these hormones as we progress through perimenopause because as we age, our ovaries naturally stop the production of estrogen and progesterone.
Biology 101:
What are the Adrenal glands?
Also known as “stress glands”
Produces stress hormones (cortisol) in times of stress
Produces estrogen and progesterone when ovaries stop (if the body is not producing excess cortisol)
Helps to regulate blood pressure
It is also important to understand the adrenal glands (stress glands) because they naturally take over to support these hormonal changes. This is why the connection between stress and perimenopause is so important to understand. The busier our lives are and the more stress we are under, the harder our adrenal glands (stress glands) must work to keep up. When they are unable to keep up, we suffer unwanted symptoms.
Menopause is defined as no longer having a period over 12 months. As we age, our hormones naturally change leading to menopause. At this time, the adrenal glands (stress glands) will take over the production of estrogen and progesterone.
Perimenopause is the transitional phase between our regular hormonal patterns and menopause.
During this time, hormones can fluctuate as the ovaries produce estrogen and progesterone in varying amounts. These fluctuations can look like irregular periods in occurrence, duration, and flow. The natural shift in hormones occurring at this time can also lead to fatigue, brain fog, irritability, insomnia, low libido, vaginal dryness, tender breasts, and joint pain. However, this is by no means an exhaustive list…
These symptoms will differ among every one of us and can range in severity and duration.
Although these symptoms are common, they are not normal. You do not need to suffer through this stage of life. We are designed to transition into menopause with reserves in place such as the stress glands, providing adequate hormones. When we are in stress overload, our body communicates this through an increase in symptoms and severity. Therefore, a reduction in stress results in a reduction in symptoms. Do NOT ignore these symptoms as they may lead to further complications and suffering.
Perimenopause is commonly experienced between the ages of 43-47. Some statistics show that one in four women will experience severe perimenopausal symptoms. The following information could drastically improve your life. If you are in this age range, please pay attention, as suffering for 4-8 years in this natural transition is not normal.
5 Symptoms You Can’t Ignore
Fatigue. Are you struggling to get out of bed in the morning? Need a strong cup of coffee (or 2) to get you going? Exhausted all day, but unable to sleep at night?
Do not ignore this symptom, intense fatigue signals that our hormones are deeply imbalanced and our stress load is way too high
Balancing your lifestyle and managing your stress are key factors in resolving this
Depression or moodiness. Have you noticed a change in your mood, or find yourself more reactive than usual? Are your mood swings more intense?
Do not ignore these symptoms, they show that we are under a lot of stress which is directly influencing our mood
Our stress hormone (cortisol) has an inverse relationship with our positive mood hormones (serotonin); when stress/cortisol is high, serotonin levels are low
Therefore reducing stress is critical to boosting mood and relieving depression
Cognitive decline, forgetfulness, brain fog. Are you struggling to find the right words, or just not feeling as quick as usual?
Do not ignore these symptoms, although they are often related to the natural hormone imbalance that occurs during perimenopause, they are worsened by high-stress situations
This occurs because a constant production of stress hormones (cortisol) leads to a buildup of toxins causing brain fog, memory issues, and cognitive decline
Reducing stress is a key component in regaining a clear mind and improving cognitive function
Migraines/headaches. Are you experiencing migraines more often? Maybe it is just a dull headache that you cannot shake?
Do not ignore these symptoms, they show that the fluctuations of hormones are impacting the flow of blood to our brains, resulting in headaches or migraines
Hot flashes. Do you feel a quick rise in temperature, like a flushing of your skin? Sweating more than usual? Commonly occurs in the head, neck, chest, and back.
Do not ignore this symptom, this tells us that the hormonal imbalance is upsetting the body’s natural thermostat resulting in unpredictable temperature changes
What now?
It is really important to know that we do not have to suffer from these symptoms. There is a way out! These symptoms are common because we live in a fast-paced Western culture, but they are not normal. Our bodies are designed in such a way that we have a reserve, or backup, to support our body’s needs throughout this transition. This backup is our adrenal glands (stress glands). When we offer support to our adrenals (stress glands), we can allow our bodies to transition through this phase of life as naturally intended.
If we continue to race through our busy lives overwhelmed with stress, this exacerbates perimenopausal symptoms because our backup system is too busy putting out those stressful fires to support what should be a beautiful phase in our lives.
In Summary
Our bodies are naturally designed to reduce hormone production as we age
Our bodies are naturally designed with a backup system (adrenal glands/stress glands) to provide what our bodies require during this phase of life
High-stress lifestyles burden this backup system (adrenal glands/stress glands), so they are unable to provide the reserves required to support this phase of life
These unwanted symptoms are common but not normal
These common unwanted symptoms are exacerbated by high-stress lifestyles
The good news is that we have a solution
Managing your stress will be the biggest factor in your healing journey.
Some tips to get you started:
Identify your sources of stress and reduce or eliminate them
Exercise, walking, stretching
Sit in silence: breathe, meditate, pray
Laugh
Healthy diet
Many changes are happening within the body, so it is critical to support and build your emotional and physical health to prepare yourself for the stages to come.
Join Stacey in a 90 minute intimate conversation, taking a deep dive into perimenopause.
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