Natural Remedies for Hot Flashes

Not only are we going to give you some natural remedies for hot flashes, but we are also going to deal with the other unpleasant symptoms surrounding menopause.

Pause a moment and consider that menopause is such a natural progression in a woman's life, so why on earth should it not be treated just as naturally?

What is Menopause?

Wikipedia says that "Menopause literally means the end of monthly cycles".

Effectively it means, that when a woman stops manufacturing estrogen naturally she enters into the Menopause. 

There is a fountain of information available to us on the internet regarding this process in a woman's life, but at Home Remedies Haven, as always, we will keep this as simple and as real to your life as possible.

There are two reasons for menopause to occur.

• The first one been when a hysterectomy has been performed and the ovaries have been removed.  This procedure can also be performed as a vaginal hysterectomy where only the uterus is removed.
  
  
•  Menopause will begin abruptly because the body will be deprived of estrogen and all the difficulties and discomforts of "change of life" will accompany this procedure.
  
  
• The second reason for menopause to occur is the natural one, the body will slowly but surely reduce the amount of hormones it produces until it will stop altogether. 
   
  
•  Some women can pinpoint to the day their very first hot flush and the immediate stopping of their periods, and other women will stop and start for months.
  
  
  

Symptoms of Menopause

• Hot Flashes
  
  
• Night Sweats
  
  
• Vaginal Dryness
  
  
• Sleep Disorders
  
  
• Mood Swings
  
  
• Depression
  
  
  

Dangers of Menopause

• As a result of hormonal fluctuations and imbalances, the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis also increase.
  
  
• Osteoporosis  results in brittle bones that fracture easily.
  
  
• Many women put on weight during the menopause and excessive weight gain can lead to higher blood cholesterol levels which increase the risk of heart disease.
  
  
  

What can I do?

You can consider Hormone Replacement Therapy, which is a decision you have to take in conjunction with your medical practitioner and because of our dedication to giving you as much simple information as we can,  we will be doing a special page on this touchy and difficult topic in the very near future.

Our goal, however, at this point, and as part of natural remedies for hot flashes is to see how we can address this now and as naturally as possible.

What is a Natural Remedy for Hot Flashes?

Phytoestrogens are the "thingies" found in some plants which mimic human oestrogen and can help reduce the severity of night sweats and serve as natural remedies for hot flashes.

• Pomegranate seed oil, it is believed, contains more estrogen than any plant source and some beliefs are that it also contains testosterone, a hormone which is important for continuing sexual desire. 
  
  
• Try pomegranates in your salad you will make a name for yourself, not only for its complimentary taste in a green salad, but also when you tell your postmenopausal friends about the testosterone!!!
  
  
• Concentrates of phytoestrogens are also found in soya beans that are also believed to contain hormones that protect breast cells from cancer.
  
  
• Flaxseeds and alfalfa sprouts are also on this list of foods containing phytoestrogens.
  
  
• Licorice, too..... it also contains phytoestrogens which enhances the effects of estrogen a woman normally produces and is very helpful as another of one our natural remedies for hot flashes as well as  helping with the problem of mood swings.
  
  
• Rhubarb contains a plant estrogen  that may help balance the BIG hormonal swings that occur during menopause.
  
  
  (Psst... Husband,  if you care enough to be reading this, then bring home a Rhubarb Pie for her.)
  
  
  

What Foods help Hot Flashes?

According to recent studies it is suggested that foods rich in boron are believed to boost estrogen levels in post menopausal women as much as taking HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) does.

Boron seems to work by boosting steroid hormones in the blood.

And here is the list of yummy boron rich foods:

• apples
  
  
• pears
  
  
• grapes
  
  
• dates
  
  
• raisins
  
  
• peaches
  
  
• soya beans (double wammy)
  
  
• almonds
  
  
• peanuts
  
  
• hazelnuts
  
  
• Honey

By eating two apples and 100 grams of peanuts a daily you will get the body's required daily dosage of boron.

Potassium

You must replace the potassium lost through perspiration during hot flashes. 

Potassium also helps protect the nervous system and encourages a regular heart beat - check out what a potassium deficiency can do and what you can do to help prevent it.

Selenium

Selenium is such an important trace mineral linked to a normal hormonal balance.  Check it out.

Alcohol

Now this is one for the books, when they say alcohol is actually good for you, but remember in moderation 3 to 6 glasses per WEEK.

Alcohol can boost estrogen levels and some of this estrogenic activity stems from the natural hormones found in grains, hops and other plants used to make alcoholic beverages.

Herbs for Menopause

Sage

And for the final word in natural remedies for hot flashes, try some Black Cohash.

Scientists have not determined why this works and nobody can actually say what it's medicinal properties are, but what they can say is that through the ages it has been successful for helping with hot flashes.

And then for the absolutely final word, you could also try some Red Clover and sage which have also been widely used as a herb for helping with menopausal symptoms.

This article was printed from JillsMusic.com

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