Originally published May 20 2013
Natural strategies to minimize hot flashes
by Dr. David Jockers
(NaturalNews) Many women experience uncomfortable hot flashes during their menopausal years. These can range from brief periods of intense heat to prolonged periods of excessive heat and sweating. Here are a few natural strategies to minimize night to minimize the effects of hot flashes.
Hot flashes are defined by the Mayo Clinic as sudden feelings of warmth, which are usually most intense over the face, neck and chest. The individuals' skin may redden as if they were blushing. Hot flashes can also lead to excessive sweating and may leave an individual chilled. Hot flashes that occur during the night are referred to as night sweats.
These hot flashes during menopause are thought to be due to falling estrogen and progesterone levels. This process leads to rapid changes in blood vessels. These vessels dilate and suddenly blood rushes into the skin regions and heats up the body.
Reduce stress on the adrenals:
Menopausal symptoms are typically at their worst during times of high stress on the body. Elevated stress increases cortisol and other stress hormones which steal the major precursors the body needs to produce progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. This leads to altered sex hormone production and abnormal ratios of these hormones which is the major cause of hot flashes.
Maximize your mindset and sleep well:
It is especially important for women to develop healthy relaxation techniques to reduce stress and bring peace of mind. This will allow the adrenals to reset and the body to recover and produce the right ratio of sex hormones. Look to go to sleep early (before 11 p.m.) and get eight to nine hours of high quality rest each night during this important time of life.
Identify any major triggers:
Certain foods and chemicals trigger the body into an abnormal stress response and for those who are susceptible to hot flashes. The triggers could be anything but some of the major ones include alcohol, nicotine, spicy foods, caffeine, peanuts, processed foods, pasteurized dairy and chocolate.
If you are not aware of what factors are triggering the hot flashes try keeping a journal. Write down everything you eat or drink and your lifestyle stressors for the day. Then try to back track and see if there are any commonalities between your hot flash patterns.
Burst training:
Women who engage in burst training activities along with adequate rest periods have significantly fewer menopausal symptoms. Burst training involves very intense exercise intervals for short periods of time. Typical workouts are between 10 and 20 minutes. Long training sessions increase stress on the body and elevate stress hormones which has a negative effect on hormone function.
Take a cold shower:
Many women have found that relief from hot flashes by taking cold showers or intermittent showers in which they switch between warm and cold water. This process releases endorphins and helps improve circulation throughout the body. Also, be sure to dress cool and keep your bedroom cool at night by using a fan or turning on air conditioning.
Improve gut function:
A dysbiotic gut that is full of contaminated waste and parasites is especially challenging on the body. This process completely throws off normal sex hormone production and leads to major menopausal issues.
Intermittent fasting strategies that limit food intake to four- to eight-hour periods each day. During the fasting phase drink lots of water and fermented beverages and organic bone and vegetable broths. During the eating periods consume fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, amasai and raw fermented cheese from grass-fed cows. Also, be sure to use a high quality probiotic with 100 billion CFU to rebuild the gut.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.drybabe.com
http://health.howstuffworks.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/029720_hormones_health.html
About the author:
Dr David Jockers is a Maximized Living doctor and owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Georgia where he specializes in functional nutrition, functional medicine and corrective chiropractic care to get to the underlying cause of major health problems.
His website features great articles on natural health and incredible recipes. He is the author of the best-selling book SuperCharge Your Brain - the complete guide to radically improve your mood, memory and mindset. He has over 50,000 active followers on his social media and email newsletter and is a big influencer in the Primal Health movement.
Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance consultations and health coaching to help you beat disease and reach your health goals. For more information got to www.drjockers.com
Dr David Jockers is a Maximized Living doctor and owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Georgia where he specializes in functional nutrition, functional medicine and corrective chiropractic care to get to the underlying cause of major health problems.
His website features great articles on natural health and incredible recipes. He is the author of the best-selling book SuperCharge Your Brain - the complete guide to radically improve your mood, memory and mindset. He has over 50,000 active followers on his social media and email newsletter and is a big influencer in the Primal Health movement.
Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance consultations and health coaching to help you beat disease and reach your health goals. For more information got to www.drjockers.com
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml