By Dr.Tamara Weinstein, Director of Sales and Continued Education for Health & Nutrition
Many women accept menstrual complaints, weight gain, low interest in sex, hot flashes, and brain fog as “normal”. All these things are common, but none of them are normal.
Women expect and even accept that as we age, we may experience physical and emotional changes. Stubborn belly fat stops responding to diet changes and exercise. It takes longer to recover from workouts. Energy levels decrease. Sleep patterns suffer. Women complain of being exhausted. Some experience mood swings.
Estrogen Dominance is a common hormone imbalance. Things like excess weight, insulin resistance, and stress all contribute to the severity of estrogen dominance. It is not simply higher levels of estrogen, it is an imbalanced ratio of estrogen and progesterone. This imbalance, even only a small change, is the reason for PMS symptoms. These symptoms may include bloating, irritability, cramping, head discomfort, cravings, and weight gain. Many of the signs of hormone loss go by without much attention and are considered the “natural part of aging.”
The number one presenting issue in females is Pre-Menstrual-Syndrome (PMS). Experts estimate, that at least 85% of menstruating women present on history with at least one PMS symptom. Proper nutrition plays a positive role in helping to reduce some of the problems and may help maintain normal hormone balance. Vitamins B6 and E encourage the release of progesterone into the bloodstream and potentially raise progesterone levels. An increase in progesterone has a relaxing effect and may help reduce stress. Deficiencies in B vitamins and magnesium are common in women complaining of PMS.
Progesterone influences healthy aging in women. Hormone production and bioavailability decline gradually, resulting in changes. Progesterone decline may start as early as a woman’s 30s. Low progesterone, and only later estrogen, accounts for many women’s experience with PMS.
Symptoms of menopause may include difficulty sleeping, often attributed to night sweats and hot flashes; mood swings due to the significant shift in hormone levels; some increased vaginal dryness. Both physical and mental emotional changes make sex more difficult. Often women say this concern started decades before the onset of menopause.
Women’s health and hormone needs should be addressed throughout a woman’s life, NOT just when she reaches menopause. Vitamins, minerals, and botanicals have been useful for women to help counteract mild effects of PMS and to help alleviate mild symptoms commonly associated with menopause Exercise helps increase both blood flow and endorphin production, which can reduce the amount of discomfort that one experiences.
A few basic guidelines for exercise for women:
- In the first half of your cycle, do more high-intensity training; Slower metabolism and increased estrogen levels = more endurance and energy.
- In the second half of your cycle do basic strength training; Metabolism speeds up so skip the Cardio.
Additional Tips:
- Cut back on alcohol
- Clean up your diet
- Detoxification is not negotiable
- Work on nutrition and gut health
- Consider supplementation
- Get some SLEEP
- Go for strength and resistance training (for osteoporosis)
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product(s) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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