How to age mindfully?

Whether you eagerly anticipate the end of your monthly cycles or are less enthusiastic about them, most women know that menopause marks the end of their fertility. This major life transition typically occurs in the early fifties and is characterized by a year without periods. But menopause doesn't happen overnight. It appears following a potentially long and winding path leading to this significant stage in a woman's life, which can last for years, and it can be a wild ride!

Predictably Unpredictable Perimenopause

After an average of 30 years of regularity since your first period, perimenopause symptoms can make you question everything you thought you knew about your body. No two months, or even two days, are the same. Sudden fluctuations in estrogen can cause hot flashes or night sweats. Mood swings, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and easy tears become the new normal.

Meanwhile, your ovaries are doing a cha-cha; some months, your ovaries release two eggs. Other months, no eggs are released. Menstrual cycles can seem minutes apart or so far apart that you think, "This is it, this must be it," and then your period unexpectedly returns on a day you are completely unprepared. For some women, symptoms only last a year. Others may experience perimenopausal symptoms for a decade or more. Fortunately, you can take control and help alleviate your own transition.

The Lifestyle Map

A smooth transition involves focusing on promoting healthy estrogen production and reducing harmful estrogens. We can do this in two ways. First, we need to avoid exposure to estrogen-like chemicals found outside our bodies, called xenoestrogens (Xeno means false.) The molecular structure of these hormonal disruptors is similar enough to estrogen that they can bind to estrogen receptor sites in the body and cause harmful consequences. Some of the most studied xenoestrogenic chemicals are BPA (bisphenol A), phthalates, and parabens.

Common sources of xenoestrogens include body care products and cosmetics, household cleaning products, gardening products, and home decor (paint, candles, air fresheners) as well as charred meats. Choose organic foods and products to limit your exposure.

But endocrine disruptors are not the only concern. Medical research has revealed that women's lifetime exposure to natural estrogens is a probable cause of estrogen-associated cancers, particularly breast and endometrial cancers. Our bodies can counteract this process through natural detoxification processes in the liver. The problem, of course, is that the liver is so busy cleaning up pollution, xenoestrogens, medications, chemicals in food, alcohol, and other toxins that it can be overworked. As a partner, mother and grandmother, aunt, daughter, sister, volunteer, friend, entrepreneur, or employee, you can probably understand what your liver might think of this workload!

Love Your Liver

Lighten the burden on your natural detoxification processes with a few simple dietary and lifestyle changes. Limit or avoid caffeine, alcoholic beverages, and charred meats, and choose organic foods whenever possible. Improve your gut function with a varied diet of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, as constipation can lead to the reabsorption of estrogen after it has been processed by the liver.

You should definitely include cruciferous vegetables, including bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and turnips. These vegetables are rich sources of sulfur compounds called glucosinolates. After breaking down in the stomach, glucosinolates produce indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which then transforms into various compounds, including 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM). I3C and DIM are involved in the metabolism and elimination of many xenobiotics, including medications and estrogens, and studies suggest that these compounds promote the health of breast, cervical, and endometrial tissues. Broccoli sprouts, in particular, are rich in sulforaphane, a phytochemical that stimulates the production of detoxification enzymes that eliminate environmental estrogens.

Relieve Your Symptoms

If you consider liver detoxification a lifelong journey, you can think of supportive nutrients as comfort breaks along the way. Herbs that soothe perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms include black cohosh for hot flashes and to improve sleep. Chasteberry (vitex) has been shown to be helpful for mood, excessive worries, cravings, and sleep. Sage and Dong quai can also reduce hot flashes and sweating (night sweats). Along with I3C and DIM, these herbs are available as supplements for easy relief – and a journey to a more comfortable menopause to age consciously.

Selected References:

Jiang, K., Jin,Y., Huang, L., Feng, S., Hou, X., Du, B., Zheng, J., & Li, L. (2015.) Black cohosh improves objective sleep in postmenopausal women with sleep disturbance, Climacteric, 18:4, 559-567, DOI: 10.3109/13697137.2015.1042450

Johnson, A., Roberts, L., & Elkins, G. (2019). Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Menopause. Journal of evidence-based integrative medicine, 24, 2515690X19829380. doi:10.1177/2515690X19829380

Kargozar, R., Azizi, H., & Salari, R. (2017). A review of effective herbal medicines in controlling menopausal symptoms. Electronic physician, 9(11), 5826–5833. doi:10.19082/5826

Niroumand, M. C., Heydarpour, F., & Farzaei, M. H. (2018). Pharmacological and Therapeutic Effects of Vitex agnus-castus L.: A Review. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 12(23), 103–114.

Sanlier N, Guler Saban M (2018) The Benefits of Brassica Vegetables on Human Health. Journal of Human Health Research, 1: 104, 1-13 http://article.scholarena.co/The-Benefits-of-Brassica-Vegetables-on-Human-Health.pdf

Santoro N. (2016). Perimenopause: From Research to Practice. Journal of women’s health (2002), 25(4), 332–339. doi:10.1089/jwh.2015.5556

Bio

Lisa Petty, PhD candidate, is a women's wellness expert