When it comes to the menopause, HRT is well known as a potential remedy for women struggling with the side-effects.
But, says Medical Herbalist Hannah Charman, there are many other options for the third of women who feel uncomfortable with the idea of HRT.
Hannah specialises in helping busy professional women through the menopause with herbal medicine and health coaching programmes. She was one of the expert speakers at our sold-out Menopause in the Workplace e-clinic back in 2021, and she’s written this brilliant guest blog with some great tips about natural ways to ease hot flushes and other symptoms:
“Menopause is a natural process and there are lots of ways to help yourself sail through without HRT.
By the time we reach perimenopause (the lead up to menopause), often we’ve spent decades
putting ourselves at the bottom of the list of priorities. A chronically overstressed, overtired,
undernourished body will inevitably struggle to make a smooth transition through menopause.
Menopause also gives us a narrow window to get our health in order for the rest of our lives, so it’s a
perfect opportunity to prioritise self-care.
Here are a few ideas:
- Wind down at night with a regular bedtime routine, and aim for 8 hours of refreshing sleep.
- Balance your blood sugar by eating all of your meals within an 8-hour window.
- Eat little and often, making sure that each meal contains ¼ protein, and some healthy carbohydrates.
- Include some probiotic foods and foods containing phyto-oestrogens in your diet every day.
- Manage your stress levels with regular breaks, deep relaxation, outdoor exercise and creative hobbies.
Need more help?
Herbal medicine is perfect for helping to smooth out any bumps in your menopause journey. Some
women do well simply with supplements they’ve bought online or on the high street. Others waste
a lot of time and money, and sadly get nowhere. If you can, it’s best to get yourself properly
assessed by a Medical Herbalist who will take into account any other medical conditions you may
have, and any other medication you’re taking. They will make a personalised medicine especially for
you, depending on your needs at the time, and offer you plenty of moral support alongside.
Menopause is the only condition where NICE guidelines allow doctors to recommend herbs. Herbal
medicine was the original way that women got through menopause, and it’s still very effective
today!
Over the years, my patients have come to realise just what a wonderful alternative it is. One
said it saved her life, and another, who’d battled with fibromyalgia for years before menopause, said
it literally saved her husband’s life too! This lady’s energy levels had almost completely recovered by
the time her husband had a heart attack. She said that she wouldn’t have been able to keep going
with CPR long enough if it hadn’t been for her herbal medicine!”
Thanks Hannah!
You can visit https://www.physichealth.uk/ to find out more about Hannah and her role as a Medical Herbalist. Thanks to Hannah for those fantastic tips on natural ways to reduce menopause symptoms! We hope it can help to support our Policyholders and readers 😊
For more useful top tips covering various health and wellbeing topics, head to our Paycare Blog 🧡