What is Menopause, how can Functional Medicine and Nutrition help?
Menopause is a midlife metamorphosis and is an opportunity for a woman to reclaim her power and discover what is important to her in her life. Menopause should not be such a challenging time, but sadly, in our modern western world, with sub-optimal diet, toxins and chronic stress, over 75% of women have some symptoms which can affect their lives dramatically.
How does menopause affect the body?
Biologically, menopause occurs when a women’s fertility naturally starts to decline in her 40’s or 50’s. The ovaries slow down, with the decline of egg follicles, and eventually stop producing oestrogen and progesterone. Symptoms can start early, as ovarian function changes over a period of 6 – 12 years, and the transition is different for every woman. This is called peri-menopause, and it is important to start to manage these changes early on. Equally, for some women, premature menopause can occur in their 30’s due to genetics, hysterectomy, cancer treatment or ovarian insufficiency.
Whilst peri-menopause can last for a few years, menopause occurs exactly one year after your last period. After which, you are in post-menopause. Although the ovaries stop functioning at this point, your body still produces lower amounts of oestrogen and progesterone via the adrenal glands and other tissues. And the body adapts to survive on these lower hormone levels. During the transition, hormones fluctuate, particularly the ratio between oestrogen and progesterone, which causes the symptoms that we associate with menopause.
You may experience a range of symptoms, including:
Mood swings, anxiety & depression
Hot flushes
Night sweats
Urinary complications
Poor memory & concentration
Abdominal fat accumulation
Headaches
Vaginal dryness & pain during sex
Loss of libido
How does Functional Medicine and Nutrition address the symptoms of menopause?
Oestrogen is not the only hormone produced by the ovaries, so are Testosterone and Progesterone. A healthy menopause depends on adequate levels of all these hormones.
Additionally, other hormones such as thyroid and adrenal hormones are also important, and this requires a systems biology approach to balance all the hormones in the body. So, the best way to address menopause symptoms is with a functional medicine approach, looking at the whole body. With particular focus on balancing blood sugar, healing the gut and optimising liver function. This can be done with nutrition and a food first approach, as well as some targeted supplements to support the body through the transition. Whole foods, which include good levels of sulphur vegetables (broccoli, kale, asparagus etc), are especially important for good liver function. Fibre is often neglected and is necessary to feed the microbiome and encourage healthy bowel elimination. Fibre also balances blood sugar, as it is digested slowly, preventing blood sugar spikes. A dietary approach is best, with supplements being useful for a targeted short-term approach to getting back into balance.
Can Functional Medicine help with the prevention or delay of Menopause symptoms?
Absolutely, and I always recommend that women start to manage their transition into menopause as early as possible, so that symptoms are well managed and kept to a minimum. Many women struggle with hormone imbalances throughout their reproductive years and if this is not addressed early, then it becomes more difficult to balance hormones during the menopause when they are naturally starting to decline.
Think of it as a process during which you will create the healthy body to last until the end of your life. It’s a great time to focus on preventing health issues that often start later in life, such as Osteoporosis and Dementia, which is more prevalent in women than men. There are many factors associated with each woman’s journey through the menopause. Cultural expectations, self-esteem, genetics and diet all play a role and can influence a different experience. Many women enter menopause with emotional or nutritional depletion which affects optimal adrenal function. So, supporting the adrenal glands before and during this transition time is vitally important.
Are there specific diagnostic tests used in Functional Medicine to assess Menopause?
Functional medicine takes the individual into account, so deciding on which diagnostic tests are best, depends on the individual symptoms and health profile. Testing all the thyroid markers is important, as low thyroid can slow everything down, and affect hormone balance. How we personally deal with stress has an impact on adrenal output, causing chronically high or low cortisol levels. Sex hormones compete with cortisol, so become depleted when stress is high, and this exacerbates menopausal symptoms. Testing cortisol levels at specific times of the day, can give an indication of the stress response and circadian rhythm, which also impacts how well we sleep, and our energy levels during the day.
My ‘go to’ test for overall hormone balance, utilises urine samples to test not only hormone production and ratios, but also how the liver metabolises oestrogen. This test is important to assess whether you are metabolising oestrogen efficiently, or whether you are at risk of developing a hormonal cancer.
Although diagnostic testing can be expensive, it does take the guess work out of the process and facilitates a more targeted approach to supporting your symptoms with a personalised nutrition and lifestyle protocol. Nevertheless, by adopting the functional medicine matrix and questionnaires, it is also possible to assess the areas that require support without testing, although this can take a bit longer to get to the bottom of your symptoms.
What are some lifestyle modifications or complementary therapies recommended by Functional Medicine for individuals experiencing Menopause?
To fully bring the body back into balance, addressing lifestyle factors is vitally important. Managing stress and improving sleep are key lifestyle factors for balancing hormones. If these are not addressed too, then following the best diet in the world may not be enough to prevent the symptoms from occurring. Therapies that might help your symptoms include acupuncture and massage, as both have an effect of moving lymph and energy around the body and help with re-balancing and relaxation.
Some useful tips for lifestyle modifications include:
Stress management
Stress is a modern epidemic and affects us in so many ways, predominantly by shutting down other vital processes such as digestion and hormone production. By becoming aware of how stress affects you, you can put measures in place to manage it better, such as walks in nature, meditation and rest. Find a stress relieving ritual that you can do when you feel stressed. Go for a walk or try taking a bath with Epsom salts and lavender oil.
Focus on Sleep
Sleep is often disrupted during menopause, due to hormonal fluctuations and night sweats. Yet, it is vital for our bodies – it is the foundation of our health, particularly for our adrenal glands and circadian rhythm, our day/night clock which follows the natural laws of nature. By adopting some sleep hygiene practices such as regular bedtime, removing tech from the bedroom and not eating for 2 hrs before bed, you can start to improve your sleep patterns.
Exercise and movement
The idea of doing exercise can be daunting if you are over-weight or not used to regular exercise. Focus on moving your body every few hours, take the stairs instead of the lift, make a commitment to walk outside for 20-30 minutes every day. Regular movement will help with digestion, weight loss, better sleep and it reduces stress. A win-win situation.
What are some success stories or testimonials of individuals who have used Functional Medicine for managing Menopause symptoms?
Many women seek help during menopause, as they are reluctant to take HRT / Hormone Replacement Therapy, or want to reduce their reliance on synthetic hormones.
Changing a lifetime of eating habits and social pressure is not easy. It’s extremely satisfying when a client commits to making the dietary and lifestyle changes necessary for a healthy menopause. She soon starts to see the benefit of losing weight, exercising more, sleeping better and feeling more energised during the day. The fogginess and sweats diminish and she is able to stand in the power of her maturity and wisdom during this important time of change in a woman’s life.
A recent client was experiencing some difficulty in her romantic life, with a new partner, later on in her life. Her libido was rock bottom, with extreme vaginal dryness and low energy. By adopting a functional medicine approach to make targeted changes to her diet and lifestyle and with the addition of some nourishing herbs and supplements, she was able to tap into her sexual energy once again and enjoy this new phase of her life.
Do you think you could be struggling with Perimenopause or Menopause?
Book a FREE discovery call with us at the Surrey Centre for Nutrition to opt for a natural and holistic approach to your condition. We integrate Nutritional Therapy with Functional Medicine to ensure that you have a treatment plan completely suited to you and your needs.
Written by Kate, Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist
It is important to note that Functional Medicine and Nutrition are complementary to conventional medical treatments. If you are experiencing Menopause issues or related health concerns, it is advisable to work with a qualified healthcare professional who can provide guidance, monitor your progress, and collaborate with you to develop an individualised treatment plan.