Many women ask this question.

Should I take natural supplements or try HRT?  

For some reason they think it must be one or the other.

A message I’m passionate about sharing is, it doesn’t have to be one or the other.

Lifestyle changes and natural supplements can be integrated with Hormone Replacement Therapy.

In my blog I want to share with you;

• How to discover the best options for you
• Why you should be making lifestyle changes regardless of whether you are taking HRT
• The truth about natural supplements

First up let’s just have a quick chat about what is happening to you during perimenopause.

During perimenopause your hormones are changing, and you are experiencing a decline in both oestrogen and progesterone. It is this change in hormones that causes some of the menopausal symptoms you might be experiencing, hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, heavy periods, the list goes on.

It can be a big shock for many women, as what they used to do in terms of diet and exercise isn’t having the same affect anymore. The reality is your bodies nervous system is changing and during perimenopause the goal is to manage these symptoms.

The changes your body is experiencing is a natural part of ageing BUT we want to try and control the severity of the symptoms that occur during this phase.

Some women will breeze through perimenopause and others will get every symptom and really struggle. This is where it is really important to start listening to your body.

Steps to discover what might help you during Perimenopause

First Step – Become aware and get to know your body. Start tracking symptoms

How often are you experiencing:

Hot Flushes, Mood Swings, Fatigue, weight gain, headaches, brain fog, sexual discomfort, joint soreness.

How are these symptoms affecting your life?

Keep a track of frequency of symptoms so when you visit your GP you can be armed with information and have the full picture.

Next Step – Start making lifestyle changes

Regardless of whether you go down the path of HRT or not making lifestyle changes should be one of your first steps. Making changes to your diet, daily movement, stress management and including more self care can have a big impact and is most probably one of the first steps you can take.

Third Step – Talk to a professional

Once you are armed with information about your symptoms it is worth speaking to a professional to discover the right choices FOR YOU! It might be a combination on natural supplements and lifestyle changes or it could be lifestyle changes and hormone replacement therapy.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to helping to manage your perimenopause symptoms. The goal is to have you feeling empowered to ask questions, discover the options and make an informed choice for yourself.

I personally didn’t have an option of taking HRT as I’ve had a hormone-based breast cancer. So, for me I’ve jumped headfirst into changing my lifestyle and discovering the ‘new normal’ for my body.

What I’ve learnt is;

• What I used to eat in my 20’s & 30’s doesn’t work for me anymore. I don’t need as much food and I need to include way more vegetables in my diet, I can’t eat late at night and too much sugar  and alcohol makes my symptoms worse.  I’m also trying to work with my circadium rhythm rather than force a set of rules.
• Movement is essential for my mindset and managing my symptoms, although it has to feel good. It’s not about pushing myself as hard as possible, it’s focussing on exercising for health.
• Stress is evil and can really put extra pressure on your nervous system. I’ve had to learn how to MANAGE stress and really put an emphasis on limiting the amount of stress in my life. I also love Magnesium. 
• Self-Care used to be something I thought about but now I put a priority on including activities that put me in a calm state and make me feel good.

Don’t underestimate the impact lifestyle changes can make. Yes, it might be hard at first as making any change is hard but I will promise you that they really do make a difference and ultimately you will be improving your overall health.

Some women might find that the lifestyle changes improve their symptoms by about 50% but they are still struggling. This is when you need to talk to your GP and discuss other options. There is no point suffering through perimenopause as it can last up to 10 years.

For me personally knowing the different the lifestyle changes make keeps me on track. For sure I have weeks where I go off track but I’m quickly reminded how much is worsens my symptoms and is all the motivation to get back on track. I think of it as forced healthiness 😂.

Natural Supplements

In terms of natural supplements and their impact on symptoms this can be quite a controversial topic. There are host of supplements out there promoted to help menopausal symptoms. Some women notice a difference and others don’t.

In terms of scientific evidence there is limited proof that many have a substantial impact although the placebo effect does seem to play a part and the fact that women feel like it is helping is sometimes enough to make them start feeling better.

I will write another blog delving more into natural supplements. Right now my main go to is magnesium.

Magnesium is a nutrient that is essential for healthy muscles, nerves, bones and blood sugar levels.

Magnesium is needed for the muscles and nerves to work properly and beneficial during perimenopause when your nervous system is experiencing so many changes.

It you don’t get enough magnesium it can lead to a greater risk of developing;

• Hight blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Migraines
• Many of the above are also increased when going through menopause as well!

I personally take a fair bit of magnesium as I have also always had a sluggish bowel and a side effect of magnesium can be a laxative effect. For me this is a benefit as it keeps things moving 😁.

Women need about 320mg a day of magnesium over the age of 31.

Just a reminder before taking any supplements check with your GP or Naturopath as you want to make sure it doesn’t contradict with any medicines you may be taking.

Biggest takeway from today!

There is no right or wrong when it comes to managing your perimenopause symptoms. Discover your body, track your symptoms and start making some lifestyle changes first. If that’s not enough then visit your GP and have a discussion about options and what that means for you.

There is help out there. It might be a journey but it’s worth it as no one should suffer through perimenopause.

If you need a hand jump on board my Midlife Makeover.

💗 Hilds