WOMEN’S HEALTH
AT ALL AGES
EMBRACING MATURITY:
MENOPAUSE AND BEYOND
Dr. Christi Hartman
WHO IS THIS TALKING?
 Naturopathic Doctor
• Four years post-graduate studies at Canadian College of
Naturopathic Medicine
• Bachelor of Science from UBC Okanagan
 Additional training
• Acupuncture
• Prescribing authority
TODAY’S DISCUSSION
 What is menopause
 Common concerns during this time of life
 Natural support for the menopausal transition
 Questions & discussion
WHAT IS MENOPAUSE?
 Cessation of the menstrual cycle
 Officially menopausal when no menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive
months
 Average age is 50-52 years (ranges 40-58 years)
 Due to decreased activity of the ovaries and the cessation of
ovulation
PERIMENOPAUSE
 The time leading up to menopause including the 12 months after
the last menstrual cycle
 Lasts an average of 4 years
 Typically characterized by shortening of the menstrual cycle, then
by skipped cycles
A NATURAL TRANSITION
 Menopause:
• is a normal, natural stage of life
• is often a time of increased opportunities and options
• may comprise as much as half of a woman’s lifetime, the time when
she has the greatest knowledge and opportunity for creativity,
spirituality, and personal growth
 In Traditional Chinese Medicine, menopause is seen as a time
when women shift from a predominantly “yin” (passive, cool, moist,
still, substance, dark, still) to predominantly “yang” (dominant, hot,
dry, active, upward seeking, restless, productive) nature.
 Often a time when women become more assertive, set boundaries,
and pursue personal, academic and career goals
CELEBRATE!
 Menses & PMS free
 Sex without pregnancy concerns
 Fibroids shrink
COMMON CONCERNS
 75 – 90% of women have symptoms during the menopausal
transition
 For most women, the symptomatic period lasts from 4-7 years and
symptoms resolve without treatment
 10 – 25% of women have concerns that persist beyond this time
COMMON CONCERNS
 Reduced fertility
 Irregular bleeding
 Hot flashes/night sweats
 Disturbed sleep
 Bladder difficulties
COMMON CONCERNS
 Vaginal discomfort (dryness, irritation, painful intercourse, infection)
 Headaches
 Mood swings, depression, anxiety
 Memory changes
 Altered sex drive & function
 Heart health, bone health
PREVENTION
 Bone density drops significantly in the 7 years after menopause
 Particularly important time to maintain physical activity, ensure
adequate dietary calcium, vitamin K, and sunlight (or Vitamin D
supplementation)
 Also entering a time of increased cardiovascular risk.
 Smoking cessation, blood pressure and cholesterol, and body
weight must be addressed
UNDERLYING FACTORS
 Women who are depleted when they enter menopause tend to
experience more symptoms
 This can be the body’s last call for change – if you have been
neglecting your health up to this point, menopausal symptoms can be
seen as a prompt to make changes
 A time of life when “I’ll be healthy later” is no longer an option –
it’s time to be healthy now!
UNDERLYING FACTORS
 What does “depleted” mean anyway?
 Let’s talk about hormones for a minute
HORMONES
 Many people think menopausal symptoms are due to estrogen
deficiency
 In fact, it more often due to lower levels of progesterone and an
imbalance in the amount of estrogen relative to progesterone
 Both of these hormones are produced by the ovaries and adrenal
glands during the reproductive years
 During and after menopause, production of these hormones is largely
from the adrenal glands
ADRENAL HORMONES
CORTISOL
 Cortisol is the adrenal hormone released in response to stress
 If you are constantly producing cortisol, it is at the expense of the
other hormones, and they become deficient
 This contributes to many of the symptoms experienced during the
menopausal transition
 Identifying and reducing stressors is the first (and most important!)
step in restoring hormone balance
EMOTIONAL STRESSORS
 Worry
 Lack of fun activities and
 Guilt
experiences
 Anger
 Anxiety
 Fear
 Depression
ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS
 Pollution
 Chemicals (pesticides, food additives, fragrances, preservatives)
 Allergies
 Little sunlight
 Temperature extremes
 Light-cycle disruption (eg., shift work)
PHYSICAL STRESSORS
 Excessive exercise
 Poor diet, nutrient deficiencies
 Refined carbohydrates & sugars
 Overwork (mental and physical)
 Surgery, trauma, injury, chronic illness or pain
 Irregular/inadequate sleep
STRATEGIES
 A holistic approach to wellness is the most effective and beneficial
way to transition through menopause
 We will also discuss some specific strategies for some of the more
common concerns
EMOTIONAL HEALTH
 Change how you perceive the world
 Many of us can’t make stressors go away, but we CAN change
what we focus on and how those stressors affect us
 Heart focus exercise
•
•
•
•
Increases DHEA by 100%
Decreases anxiety and burnout
Increases ability to care and sense of vigor
Helps heal patterns of emotional stressors
EMOTIONAL HEALTH
 Ensure you have hobbies that your enjoy
 Develop and maintain close personal relationships
 Learn something new – lifelong learning builds confidence, opens
new opportunities, and improves cognitive function
RELAXATION
 Hot bath with lavender essential oil and epsom salts
 Bedtime ritual – favorite book, herbal tea, music
 Deep breathing exercises – reduce hot flashes, irritability, anxiety
 Meditation
 Laughter!
NUTRITION
 Highs and lows in blood sugar can aggravate and/or trigger many
of the symptoms associated with menopause
 Following a low-glycemic diet helps regulate blood sugar and can
provide significant relief from hot flashes, irritability, depression, low
energy, insomnia, and much more
 A varied, whole-foods diet with adequate protein and healthy fat is
essential to good health as we age
EXERCISE
 Exercise:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reduces depression, anxiety, and irritability
Improves blood sugar control and body weight
Reduces hot flashes
Maintains bone density and strength, and reduces fracture risk
Strengthens your heart and blood vessels
Improves energy, vitality, sense of well-being, and immune function
Reduces stress hormones
EXERCISE
 Walking
 Yoga
 Swimming
 Pilates
 Cycling
 Qi Gong
 Paddling
 Weight training
 Hiking
 Snow shoeing
 Dancing
 Cross country skiing
The Mature Years
SPECIFIC CONCERNS
HOT FLASHES
 Loose breathable clothing, layers
 Avoid caffeine, sugar, alcohol, hot and spicy foods, white flour
 Sage tea, red clover tea, flaxseed, soy
 Deep breathing & meditation
 Vitamin C with flavonoids, B-Vitamins, Vitamin E
 Herbal support: Black cohosh, Dong quai, Kudzu, Motherwort
VAGINAL IRRITATION
 Use it or lose it
 Vitamin E suppositories
 Lubricants
 Wild yam cream
 Kudzu, Black Cohosh
 Hormone replacement creams
INSOMNIA
 Consistent bedtime and waking time
 Avoid caffeine and alcohol
 Relaxing bedtime routine
 Calcium, Magnesium, Theanine, 5-HTP, Melatonin
 Calming herbs: Passionflower, Hops, Chamomile, Valerian,
Lemonbalm, Motherwort
MOOD
 Address unresolved emotional stressors
 Eat regularly
 Focus on low glycemic foods and ensure you have enough healthy
fats in your diet (low carb low fat diets will make mood worse)
 Herbal support: Black cohosh, Kava kava, St. Johns Wort,
Motherwort, Relora, Ashwagandha
ADRENAL SUPPORT
 Blood sugar stability
 Vitamin C
 B Vitamins
 Magnesium
 Adaptogens: Eleutherococcus (Siberian Ginseng), Rhodiola,
Schisandra, Licorice, Ashwagandha
SUMMARY
 Menopause can be a time of great change in emotional, physical,
social, and spiritual identity
 An opportunity to improve health on all levels
 Many menopausal concerns can be addressed naturally
QUESTIONS?
Thank you for your time!