Don’t let perimenopause leave you feeling drained. Fatigue is not an inevitable part of the process. Find out how you can feel healthy and energetic as you transition through perimenopause.
You may think that feeling wiped out and living with your body’s thermostat raging out of control is an inevitable part of the transition to menopause. But the truth is that some women don’t get perimenopause symptoms. So what’s the difference between these two groups of women?
It comes down to 3 major factors: stress, rest and attitude. When you are constantly under stress, the hormone cortisol disrupts your hormone balance leading to perimenopause symptoms. Even after the stress in your life dissipates, your hormones can remain imbalanced.
Dr. Marina Rose, of Los Altos, CA, works with women in perimenopause to overcome the effects of stress and bring their hormones back into balance. One of her favorite tools for solving the fatigue issue is doing an Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) test that shows exactly how your cortisol is functioning.
You may assume that if your stress is high then your cortisol must be high. But that’s not always the case. Dr. Rose finds that many women with fatigue have LOW cortisol, sometimes as a direct result of years of elevated cortisol.
The results that Dr. Rose sees in her practice are rapid and dramatic.
Linda, a 50 year old accountant in the San Francisco area, had foggy thinking, hot flashes and fatigue to the point that she only had energy to get through the day. She had not been out with friends socially in years and couldn’t find the energy to exercise. Within three weeks of starting her nutrition she had so much energy she was going to yoga classes in the evening and going out with friends several times a week.
The second factor, rest, may seem like an obvious answer for fatigue, but with the insomnia and night sweats that come with perimenopause, it isn’t always so easy. Find out how you can get better sleep during perimenopause.
Resolving stress and getting enough sleep are essential steps to getting your energy back, but your attitude toward perimenopause can make a significant difference, as Dr. Mark Hyman agrees. In fact, embracing the new perspective on life that perimenopause brings might have a significant impact in taking the edge off of your stress and helping you sleep at night.
When you need natural solutions for perimenopause symptoms, click here to find out how Functional Nutrition can help you.
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Image provided courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net.
It sounds like cortisol is more of a problem than I’ve ever heard before. Thank you for sharing!
I love this blog Marina! Stress can cause us to loose sleep and that can lead to a decline in our attitude – it’s a downward spiral! So glad you’re helping women with these important health issues!
All the Best – Cynthia
Thanks Cynthia. Yes, having specific test results to deal with stress on a chemical level makes a huge difference.
It was such a revelation to me that I had high cortisol. I knew that I wasn’t functioning as well as I had in the past but just thought it must be a normal response to aging. I didn’t really have any symptoms that I could point to, just feeling “off”. Thank you for showing me that there is help and that I didn’t have to just accept foggy brain!
Wouldn’t we all want more energy and less stress in our life! It’s amazing how our moods affect our quality of life and the help available to change things for the better.
Yes, and isn’t it great to know that you don’t just have to “fake it till you make it” with your mood? You can actually change your mood with specific foods and supplements based on test results.
Dr Marina,
Thanks for the great insights into stress and it’s impacts on the body. Managing our lifestyle choices and having a skilled practitioner’s support is ideal in creating hormonal balance.
warm regards,
christel arcucci
http://www.christelarcucci.com
who says a woman can’t cultivate her superpowers in a dress?!
Thanks for the comment Christel. Keep cultivating those superpowers!
You keep speaking to me Marina. These are great insights on what happens with menopause. The good news is that you have solutions for us. I thought I just had to live with these symptoms. I look forward to reading more info and tips.
Thank you!
Great, I’m glad you find it helpful. What symptoms bother your the most?
I used to have so much energy and never had to worry about weight. Now I am like another person. I think my thyroid is out of balance. The tests come out on the low end of the scale and my chiropractor has muscle tested me and said my thyroid is low. Is there a way to fix this so energy and weight is not such an issue?
Thanks