First of all, let?s define Menopause. Then we?ll take a look at some natural ways to make this one of the best times in your life!
Defined, Menopause means ?the cessation of menses?, or in common terms, when a woman stops having her menstrual cycles. Most women enter this stage of their life between the ages of 40 and 58.
Perimenopause is the period directly preceding premenopause and is the transitional time between normal menstrual periods, and no periods at all. The time range of perimenopause can be anywhere from 5 to 15 years, during which estrogen and progesterone production by the ovaries starts to fluctuate, causing many menopausal symptoms.
Premenopause is the period directly preceding menopause, and some women begin to experience menopausal symptoms such as PMS, but most women still have regular menstrual cycles during this time.
As the progesterone production of the ovaries fluctuates and eventually bottoms out as ovulation stops completely, your body can easily slip into a state known as ?estrogen dominance?, which causes many unpleasant side effects. These include, but are not limited to:
? Fibroid tumors
? Tender breasts
? PMS
? Sudden weight gain
? Fatigue
? Irritability
? Depression
? Foggy thinking
? Memory loss
? Migraine headaches
? Irregular timing and flow of menstrual cycles
? Bleeding in between periods
? Cold hands and feet
? Hot flashes
In addition to your body?s natural tendency to slip into ?estrogen dominance?, men and women alike can be exposed to excessive amounts of estrogen as a result of toxins in our environment such as pesticides, plastics, industrial waste products, car exhaust, meat, soaps, and many other things that we encounter in our day to day life.
Females can slip further into an estrogen dominated state as the result of being overweight. Fat cells produce estrogen, so the more overweight you are, the more excess estrogen there will be in your body.
In addition, even if your estrogen levels are normal, if your progesterone levels are below normal, you are still subject to the many acute and chronic conditions that are a result of estrogen dominance, including: breast and uterine cancer, acceleration of the aging process, increased risk of stroke and heart disease, allergy symptoms, depression, anxiety, weight gain (particularly in the abdominal region, hips, and thighs), fatigue, hair loss, osteoporosis, uterine fibroids, and more.
Also, as a woman travels through the menopausal time in her life, her body?s ability to absorb nutrients diminishes, although her need for those nutrients increases.
Fortunately, it is possible to utilize a progesterone supplement to alleviate or eliminate many of the acute and chronic conditions associated with the menopausal years. Remember, it is the balance of estrogen and progesterone that your body needs in order to ensure a quality of life free from the many unpleasant and even fatal side effects of estrogen dominance.
As you now know, menopause can be a particularly unpleasant and even dangerous time for a woman. However, through a quality nutrition program, the use of an all-natural progesterone product, and a high quality vitamin and mineral supplementation program, a woman can take control of her menopausal years and look forward to the next healthy and fulfilling stage of her life!
Copyright 2005 Aaron Potts
