Managing Perimenopause Symptoms

Knowledge is power, and becoming informed will give you the power to regain control over your body and regain control over your life. Reading, talking to others, and researching online will help you to learn as much as possible about your changing body.

Until recently, the information needed may have been difficult to find. Perimenopause was rarely identified as such, with the emphasis always placed being on menopause and the changes occurring afterwards. Two current and informative books that cover this topic are Dr. Judith Reichman's I'm Too Young to Get Old and Dr. Susan Love's Hormone Book. Love's book emphasizes lifestyle approaches and alternative therapies such as acupuncture and herbal remedies, as well as medications and surgery. For another perspective on this transitional time, Debra Waterhouse's Outsmarting the Midlife Fat Cell is both humorous and informative.

The following strategies can help you manage perimenopause:

Lifestyle Changes

Quite a few of the symptoms of perimenopause can be improved by following common sense rules of good health. Changes in your diet, exercise, stress reduction techniques are things to focus on. If you are a woman who is good shape, has the ability to handle mood changes and your stress levels are managed; the symptoms of perimenopause will have a much less pronounced effect on your life. Your body will be higher functioning and physical discomfort will be reduced.

Soy

Research on soy is growing rapidly. Some of the benefits of adding soy to your diet include cholesterol reduction, maintenance of bone density, and lower incidence of breast and prostate cancers. Soy can also be very helpful to perimenopausal women, as it is a phytoestrogen, or plant-based estrogen. This means that it has certain ‘estrogenic’, or estrogen-like qualities. These estrogenic qualities can provide some respite to women struggling with symptoms resulting from lower estrogen production.

Soy products have come a long way, both in taste and availability. Soy milk can replace cow’s milk many recipes. Soy milk comes in a box in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, and in a powdered form. Soy products such as Boca Burgers can be placed on a hamburger bun with all the fixings, and you will be surprised by how great it tastes. There are many new soy cookbooks coming out, but for starters, try replacing half of the regular milk in a recipe with soy milk. Just by doing this, you substantially increase your intake of soy and start reaping the benefits. Add soy to your diet whenever and wherever you can.

Exercise

Exercise has long been proven to be a stress reducer. Stress creates muscle tension and exercise helps to relax these muscles. Exercise also promotes the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural morphine-like chemicals that decrease pain and improve mood. Exercise can also increase your flexibility and increase bone density if you are engaged in weight-bearing exercises.

Perimenopause Information