Why Natural Remedies For Hot Flashes Are SO Important
I vividly remember a client who came to see me about 10 years ago.
She wanted to deal with her hot flashes naturally, but she almost had an anxiety attack in my office just talking about them because...
But her hot flashes were so severe that she almost had an anxiety attack just talking about them.
You see... Every time she had a hot flash it came with so much anxiety, panic, and such a feeling of not being able to think or function... She was afraid to turn on the stove or drive, and she didn't feel safe taking care of her kids.
And she was having at least 10 hot flashes a day.
"I made my 14-year-old son cry." "I can't sleep for more than an hour at a time." "I drove my car through the garage door. " These are things I hear from my menopausal clients - this is what menopause can feel like - and this is what my client was feeling.
I worked with this client using herbal remedies and did some acupuncture, and here's what happened.
Twelve weeks later she came for her appointment and I asked - as I always did - "How many hot flashes are you having per day?" And she LAUGHED and said "Oh I still have a couple but they are mild, and they don't bother me." And she was completely relaxed. They truly didn't bother her. I mean...
Do Natural Remedies For Hot Flashes Work?
A recent study done on hundreds of women with severe menopausal symptoms showed a 92% success rate in getting significant relief from menopause symptoms with herbal remedies alone.
And
In her article in The Huffington Post Blog June 11, 2011, Cathy Margolin says:
"The truth is the majority of Asian women never experience the enormous amount of discomfort that American women seem to universally suffer during the menopausal years.
The difference between the way American women and Asian women deal with menopause is like night and day. It is natural foods and herbs versus artificial hormones and drugs.
The question that women really want answered is, "How do I get back to normal?" In other words, no more hot flashes, no more night sweats, no moodiness and no foggy thinking.
Traditionally, Asian cultures seem to have an inherent understanding that food and herbs can be added to the daily diet to help manage these changes when they first appear. They don't look to artificial hormone remedies known as HRT (hormone replacement therapy) as American women do. They nourish their bodies with natural plant-based foods, including herbs, just as their culture has done for thousands of years. Asian women use this approach thoughtfully and purposefully because they understand that the principals of nourishment work effectively and are all that is needed"
start now
How To Get Started with Natural Remedies for Hot Flashes Today
step one
a basic hormone-friendly diet & lifestyle
How to:
This sets the stage for hormonal balance, reducing menopause symptoms, and healthy aging.
If you miss this completely, it'll be hard to feel really well BUT IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING...
Get started right now
Let's Get Started Right Now on using natural remedies for hot flashes.
Dr Mariza Snyder recommends eating 12-15 servings of fruits and veggies a day for optimal hormonal health. Dr. Sara Gottfried recommends 10 servings of vegetables a day...
And I agree. Because vegetables (and some fruit) create a cool, alkaline, anti-inflammatory environment in the body - making it MUCH easier to stay cool.
But - IT'S REALLY HARD to get in this many servings without smoothies or juicing. So - start having ONE GREEN SMOOTHIE every day. Pack it full of veggies, put it some fruit, a little liquid - and you're there.
Here is an easy smoothie recipe - this recipe is VERY FLEXIBLE. If you can substitute any fruit and lots of different veggies. Let me know how you like this blend and what your favorite variation is.
Free masterclass
Three Steps to Easing Menopause Symptoms with Natural Remedies
Get back to enjoying life THIS year!
step two
Take Your Hot Flash Relief To The Next Level With Herbal Remedies
Once you the basics of the right diet for your hormones - eating enough fruits & veggies + healthy fats (like in the smoothie above...)
To see the biggest changes in your hot flashes as quickly as possible, and to get to the underlying cause of the hot flashes...
Your most powerful tool can be customized herbal remedies (especially those based in Chinese Herbal Medicine - we're talking so much more than just black cohosh and maca here.)
But herbal remedies for hot flashes aren't one-size-fits-all.
Teaching you how to find the right, customized combination of herbs is something I can help with.
- Reducing even severe menopause symptoms including hot flashes
- Preventing MANY future menopause symptoms and prevent hot flashes that last for decades
- Significantly slow down signs of aging - in terms of how you LOOK, how you FEEL, and the diseases you encounter in your 70s, 80s, and 90s!
Thank you so much for visiting me here on the blog. I would LOVE to hear from you in the comments below. What is your question about menopause??
And if you have a friend, relative, or followers you think would enjoy this article, please share
Hi, Dana,
What a GREAT website!!! Thank you so much for bringing all of this very helpful information together.
I’m 54 and have been experiencing many symptoms of perimenopause since I was in my early 40s, but while still having a regular period. 4 months ago my period stopped and the hot flashes got much more frequent and severe.
I’ve been taking Estroven for the black cohash and natural progesterone cream, with GREAT results. The hot flashes decreased dramatically. However, instructions on the cream say to take it only 3 weeks out of every month. Is it safe to take it without breaks?
Also, I’m vegetarian and eat a lot of tofu. I’ve read such differing opinions about tofu and wonder if you think it’s ok to be eating it regularly. Some people tell me that tofu consumption is why Asian women have fewer symptoms of perimenopause, while other people tell me to avoid it because of potential thyroid side effects.
Many thanks in advance for your insights.
Cheers, Andrea
Hi Andrea – I’m so glad you’re enjoying the site!! I would follow the instructions on the cream or – even better – work with a hormone-balancing expert with functional medicine training if you want to customize & fine tune your use of any hormones. Tofu is a bit controversial – many are allergic to it or find it hard to digest – and it can have some negative side effects… I recommend organic and fermented soy if possible – but if you tolerate tofu really well and eat organic soy only – it might be OK for you! you can learn more about my views on it in this blog Estrogen-Rich Foods Done Right Thanks so much for your comment!! The reason tofu is said to help with with symptoms is that it has a lot of plant estrogens in it – and you can get these from other foods as well – possibly that way you could eat slightly less tofu and balance it out with other foods more:)
Hi Andrea, Thanks so much for your comment, I’m so glad you enjoyed the article, and I’m THRILLED you’ve gotten such great relief using natural methods! It makes sense that your symptoms got more extreme when your period stopped.. and the hormones changed even more then!
It is recommended to take a break from the progesterone cream about every 21-25 days – so I would follow the instructions on that and go ahead and take the breaks.
re tofu.. here’s my take on soy – it is one of the best sources of phytoestrogens – however, it’s also one of the most common GMO and highly pesticized foods – plus it’s very hard to digest and is a very common allergen.
so.. if you’re not allergic to it – it can be useful but be very strict about using only non GMO & organic soy – and by far the easiest soy to digest is fermented soy – so non gmo, organic natto, miso, and tempeh are the best – and non gmo organic tofu is next best – maybe you could substitute tempeh for some of you tofu and include more fermented soy in general. Let me know how that works and how that feels for you!
Again – great to hear from you – if you run into anything tough to handle as you progress through menopause – just let me know!
Peace & Wellness
Dana
Man, I must have gotten off easy. Besides having an early menopause (yay for the end of horrible cycles), but I was easily able to control the symptoms with herbal supplements–and they didn’t last long. Perhaps it was to make up for what came before.
Many of my friends are just getting to this stage or not quite there yet, so I will definitely be sharing this with them.
HI Marie – there are plenty of women out there having an “easy menopause” it’s how our bodies were meant to handle it – a few mild symptoms then rebalancing in a new place. But I’m hoping to help the women who’se bodies, for various reasons, are having trouble doing this gracefully! Thanks so much for your comment!!
I am delighted to say that I am beyond the hot flash stage. Although there was a time when I could almost set my clock by them.
Congrats on making it past the heat!
Luckily I don’t have them, however, haven’t hit the change of life yet. I am ALWAYS cold and as I am sitting here in my shorts, socks, long sleeve T and fingerless gloves typing this in our 75 degree house, I am told… it will drastically change… can I say, I am not unhappy about this… I’m tired of being cold!
I know women who say menopause was the first time they ever felt “not cold” and it was really nice! Feeling cold or hot is usually an imbalance between the amount of fire energy and water energy you have in your body.. if you would like to chat about the possibility of some herbs to stoke your internal fire to warm you up a bit.. i have free discovery calls available, and there are herbs that are just fantastic for this!
Guess I was lucky going thru menopause as it hardly bothered me. I make a green smoothie daily just for energy & health. Curious what future blogs will cover.
Hi Roslyn – so happy you were one of those women with an Easy Menopause! I look forward to seeing you in future blogs.. I work with women on hormonal balancing at all ages, and because the Tonic Herbalism I Practice is a Taoist tradition – it’s all about wellness, longevity, and anti-aging – so that will be in there too.
I’ve found that essential oils like clary sage and thyme have helped my menopause symptoms tremendously. And, of course, peppermint when experiencing a hot flash.
Yes! Peppermint diluted in a spray bottle with water is really handy – cooling. Clary Sage, Lavender, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Fennel, Carrot Seed, Palmarosa, and Vitex are all wonderfully for helping your body find hormonal balance and harmony!
Here is a great video showing you exactly how to make a basic green smoothie – shows all the best basic options! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MErSW-RNUqc
I learned with my thyroid the major role nutrition plays in our hormones. Good to know the practices I’ve put into place now apply to other areas as well! Useful information for sure!
Thyroid hormones work so closely with Estrogen and Progesterone that having one of them in good balance makes it MUCH MUCH MUCH easier for your body to balance the others. So getting your thyroid in good balance naturally with food will definitely help your estrogen, progesterone (and cortisol) stay in good balance as well. In fact – regulating cortisol with good stress management is another GREAT way to help out your thyroid!
This doesn’t apply to me yet but it’s coming 🙁 . Great ideas! Shared on Twitter!
HI Alissa – thank so much!! The best time to start is actually before you hit peri!! You’ll find some tips in these other blogs on preparing for an easier peri!! how and why and what’s up with that! preparing for an easier menopause AND Why you dont want an early menopause and how to prevent one!
Great article, Dana. I’m sharing this with my wife. I used to be oblivious to hot flashes until my wife started experiencing them. Now I recognize the signs all over the place. Fanning a stranger experiencing a hot flash is a great icebreaker. First they look at you puzzled, then I just say “it’s OK, my wife taught me what how to help.” That always gets a smile.
Cheers
Rob
What a great story – I would love to see that live!