MENOPAUSE AND SLEEP

Symptoms you may have that are related to menopause include hot flashes and sweats, Anxiety, Depression, Lowered sex drive (libido), Dry skin, Dryness in the vagina, Bone thinning (osteoporosis) over some years, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, constipation, joint pain, thinning hair, loss of energy, just to name a few.

Replacing your hormones with plant based transdermal hormones is the way I recommend to completely get rid of menopausal symptoms. The alternative recommended by standard of care and mainstream medicine is to cut out coffee, tea and nicotine, keep your room cool – use a fan if necessary, spray your face with a cool water atomiser, wear several layers of light clothing that you can easily take off or put back on, wear natural fibres such as silk or cotton instead of man made fabrics, cut down on alcohol, sip cold or iced non alcoholic drinks, have a lukewarm shower or bath instead of a hot one, if you sweat a lot at night, put a towel on your bed so you can easily change if it gets we, if you are taking tamoxifen, you could try taking half the dose in the morning and half in the evening, or acupuncture. Personally speaking, these are ridiculous options and bandaids to a very serious issue of NOT HAVING HORMONES. While some may joke about a woman’s sudden feeling of warmth, hot flashes are no laughing matter. They can cause insomnia, distract you from work, and cause excessive sweating that makes getting through the day without a change of clothes impossible. Not to mention all the other symptoms listed above are not "in our head"!

Experts are still not completely in agreement about the cause of hot flashes during menopause. Most attribute it to the decrease in the production of estrogen, which occurs as women progress toward the menopause stage. As the Mayo Clinic points out, however, low estrogen alone does not cause hot flashes as patients of all ages with low estrogen don’t always have hot flashes. Somehow, it is the decrease in estrogen that accompanies menopause that is believed to be the cause.

For most women, this decrease is gradual, but many experts believe when estrogen falls, the hypothalamus is adversely affected. As the hypothalamus regulates your body temperature, the decrease in estrogen causes the brain to detect too much body heat. As a natural reaction to this, some theorize the brain releases hormones to help lower body heat, causing a patient’s heart rate to rise and blood vessels to dilate in order to allow more blood to flow through and dissipate the heat. The increased blood flow causes the body to produce its natural cooling method- sweat.

However, if you are replacing your hormones correctly and still find that you are not sleeping well or feeling anxious and tense, maybe you need Magnesium!

Magnesium is a mineral that is responsible for the correct metabolic function of over 350 enzymes in the body. Magnesium is found in leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and even dark chocolate. Spinach, pumpkin seeds and black beans are especially high in magnesium. However, many of us are deficient in magnesium … which might explain your chocolate cravings!

Just why do we call it a miracle mineral?


• Magnesium can help you sleep. Dr. Lipman recommends taking 1000mg before bed to help you fall and stay asleep through the night.

• Magnesium helps to balance the nervous system. Magnesium has a calming effect, which can help you relax and unwind.

• Magnesium helps to relax aching, tense muscles. Muscle soreness is a fairly common detox response when people are going through the first few days of the Cleanse program. We always recommend to drink lots of water, do gentle stretching and try taking some magnesium to help with the muscle aches, soreness or spasms.

• Magnesium can help with constipation. If you’re experiencing constipation, take 1000 mg of magnesium citrate at night, and that should get things moving by morning.

A mineral that helps you to calm down, sleep better and relieves constipation? Sounds like a miracle to me!

Another way to enjoy the benefits of magnesium is by treating yourself to an epsom salt bath. The magnesium in the salt and the hot, soothing water will help you relax and release tension. Better yet, take an epsom salt bath while nibbling some dark chocolate!