As a woman, you have been taught menopause is the big ageing milestone of your life.  While you are in your thirties, you are still some way to go before menopause, but your hormones start to change. Hormonal balance becomes elusive and mood wings become normal. You do not need to fear it, but you can start to pay attention and take of yourself now.

What Happens When You Hit Mid-Thirties

Once you hit 35 and above, hormonal balance becomes more difficult to achieve as key hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, thyroid and insulin may go out of rhythm. Key muscle-building hormones, including growth hormone and testosterone, begin to decline as well. As a result, you may start losing muscle, which can slow your metabolism and lead to unexplained weight gain. You may not realise it but your body has gradually transited to a stage known as perimenopause.

What Exactly is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause can start around age 35 and lasts for the next ten years or more. Progesterone levels start to drop and you may experience a variety of symptoms such as anxiety, heavier and shortened periods, sleep disorder, bloating and night sweats. Estrogen levels gradually decline as well and you may notice your weight climbing, poor memory, vaginal dryness and achy joints. Testosterone levels also start to decline one to two percent per year, leading to a decreased in confidence, low or no sex drive, loss of muscle mass and small clitoral size.

What Are the Solutions to Manage Perimenopause?

The good news is your body does not have a set-in-stone destination age for perimenopause. In fact, you can delay perimenopause and manage the symptoms by taking care of yourself now.  

Redesign your lifestyle
Adopt a self-care routine that includes food and exercise. Eat cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussel sprouts and dark leafy vegetables to support liver health and your detoxification system. Eating flavonoid-rich food like apples, blueberries and grapes help to slow down weight gain over time. Exercise has a powerful effect on balancing, suppressing and increase hormones and bring them back into their natural balance. Exercises help to keep testosterone and progesterone levels optimal, which can keep you lean, build muscles and your weight in check. You can explore low impact exercises such as HIIT (high intensity interval training), yoga and weight training.

Pile on Protein and Build Bones

Research has shown that eating more protein especially between meals and after exercise can build muscle mass. Include healthy protein sources such as eggs and yoghurt to your daily breakfast and nuts to your snack time. Organic chicken, pork, red meat and fish are great, affordable sources of protein. As with everything else, take your meat in moderation. This is also the best time to protect the bone resource you have built in your twenties. In your thirties, your focus is on maintaining bone density and keep them strong for the future. Eat a variety of calcium rich food, and sip some tea A 2015 Australian study suggested that women who drank at least three cups of non-herbal tea per day may help to reduce bone loss. Supplement with organic calcium if your diet is not giving you enough calcium. Organic calcium is preferred over non-organic ones as they are more bioavailable and readily absorbed by your body.

Herbal Remedies

As huge believers of the healing powers of plants and food, we always recommend food as the first therapy before herbal and medicinal ones. Holy basil supports a healthy adrenal response and healthy hormonal balance. It also helps you to cope with anxiety better. Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce oxidative stress, improve low libido as it supports healthy testosterone production. Another adaptogen herbs you can try is cordyceps mushrooms, which may help ease hormone-related symptoms.

Natural Hormone Therapy

Women should consider replacing the hormones their bodies are missing if their quality of life is miserable. You can replace them with bioidentical or synthetic hormones. Bioidentical hormones are exact replicas of what your body makes and usually include estradiol and progesterone. While synthetic hormones have a different chemical structure from your body’s natural hormones and. We do not suggest either if you are only seeking to maintain your hormonal balance and are not suffering from any serious health issues that require hormone therapy. Why? Despite what the articles and product sellers say, it is fair to assume the risks of bioidentical hormone therapy are the same as synthetic ones until proven otherwise.

This is the key reason we recommend herbal alternatives such as Meditrina Ageless Herbal Cream, which support your body’s natural hormone production, achieving hormonal balance gradually and effectively. There are no side effects and can be used at all stages of your life.