What does detoxification have to do with menopause? Turns out quite a bit. Today I want to connect the dots between toxicity in our environment, our diet and our nervous system and how that can show up in menopause symptoms and what we can do to buffer ourselves in that transition.
Why do some women sail through menopause without a single hot flash and others feel like the wicked witch of the west melting into a puddle? Why do so many women, even fit and active women suddenly feel their pelvic floor dropping out from under them?
There’s a rumor that European women or women outside of the US for example don't really experience PMS symptoms and menopause symptoms the way we do here in the US. I don’t think that’s actually. The statistics on menopause symptoms experienced by women in other countries don’t really support that rumor. What is true is that symptoms between individual women anywhere vary wildly. And this might be the string we need to pull on to unravel some of the mysteries around this transition. And while we’re at it, find the leverage to shape a healthier menopause transition.
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Detox For a flash free menopause
Environment + diet + nervous system
What does detoxification have to do with menopause? Turns out quite a bit. Today I want to connect the dots between toxicity in our environment, our diet and our nervous system and how that can show up in menopause symptoms and what we can do to buffer ourselves in that transition.
Why do some women sail through menopause without a single hot flash and others feel like the wicked witch of the west melting into a puddle? Why do so many women, even fit and active women suddenly feel their pelvic floor dropping out from under them?
There’s a rumor that European women or women outside of the US for example don't really experience PMS symptoms and menopause symptoms the way we do here in the US. I don’t think that’s actually. The statistics on menopause symptoms experienced by women in other countries don’t really support that rumor. What is true is that symptoms between individual women anywhere vary wildly. And this might be the string we need to pull on to unravel some of the mysteries around this transition. And while we’re at it, find the leverage to shape a healthier menopause transition.
Like we discussed last week there are 3 transformative phases in a woman’s life where the portal is open so to speak to regeneration into something new and better. Menopause is the 3rd and pinnacle of the 3. And it can be what you make it.
Let’s start with the allopathic medical definition.
Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation resulting in the loss of ovarian follicle development. Menopause is actually diagnosed after 12 months without a period. Basically after the fact. So most of the time when we talk about menopause and those pesky symptoms, we actually mean perimenopause. That transition can take up to 10 years give or take.
Symptoms of aging and menopause are inextricably linked. Age is the number 1 non modifiable factor in peri and menopause, race, height. But everything else we can influence.
The body is a network of systems and the reproductive system, the autonomic nervous system, the immune system, the digestive system, cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary system, the central nervous system, etc. are all linked through hormones and neurotransmitters. They all kind of depend on each other to do their job.
But just like a team on the field when one team member goes down, other players have to step up to do more than one job. And they can do it but maybe not quite as well as the first string.
This is kind of what happens during perimenopause. As our major players (the ovaries) slow down, hormone levels, which had a natural cycle of highs and lows, start to fluctuate even more. Every other system is affected by changing levels of not only estrogen, but also testosterone and progesterone.
After menopause estrogen still exists in its weaker form called estrone and can be converted by the adrenals into estrogen for other purposes in the body. This is really important to note. Because this is the reason that we would want to make it as easy as possible for every system in our body to do its job in the most efficient way.
We still need it for other things besides making babies. Estrogen affects the reproductive tract, the urinary tract, the heart and blood vessels, bones, breasts, skin, hair, mucous membranes, pelvic muscles. As well as many organ systems, including the musculoskeletal like our joints and cardiovascular system as well as the brain are affected by estrogen.
It’s no wonder menopause symptoms are so wide ranging.
What we want to know about it…
There are factors that affect estrogen levels according to an article in Medical News Today. A long list actually but I just picked the modifiable ones.
Bodyweight
Diet
Exercise
High blood pressure
Insulin resistance
(And I suspect) Our overall stress response through the ovarian HPA axis for all my nervous system nerds out there)
All of these factors can either add to the stress on our network or relieve it.
As we’ve discussed many times before on this podcast, stress can come from any source external like environmental toxins, toxic relationships, stressful job situations AND inside the body like food or alcohol, drugs or even prescription medication can be a stressor.
With menopause you add in the sweeping hormone changes associated with perimenopause and you get a wicked cocktail of stress for almost every system in the body.
The body’s natural response to any physical injury, pressure or stress is inflammation.
That brings me to the topic of detoxification and menopause.
What if we were to approach this transition without any judgment for our previous life choices, and all the things we had to do to survive to reach this moment in time, and made changes with the intention to lower the inflammation and reduce stress on our body's systems.
Because here’s the thing if you want to harness the power of menopause as a regenerative transformation we need to stop exposing ourselves to sources of toxicity.
Easier said than done, I know. But when inflammation gets out of hand it’s like chinese water torture for the nervous system. Drip, drip, dripping threat onto your nervous system. And that in turn can make your menopause transition feel more like a crucible than recreation.
There are 3 areas to start detoxing for a metamorphosis in menopause.
The first is diet
Typically when it comes to healthy lifestyle changes I recommend people simply adding on more and more healthy things until there’s just no more room for the crap. But there are a couple things that need to be cut out immediately if you want to see real relief in menopause. Because they can be triggers for some of our worst symptoms. I bet you can guess what they are…
Sugar - All processed sugar and anything that triggers an unnatural insulin response. I’m talking about artificial sugars like zero calorie soft drinks and other franken foods. Here’s why. Insulin sensitivity plays a major role in overall hormone balance. This includes all the big players like cortisol, dopamine, serotonin, as well as the glymphatic system in the brain and melatonin levels during sleep.
Insulin is released anytime you eat anything, no matter what it is. But excessive amounts of sugar turn your blood to syrup and stress the small blood vessels like the ones in your brain and liver. And cutting them can lift the stress on your system.
Alcohol - There’s nothing positive about alcohol. That thing about red wine and resveratrol is BS. you have to drink 4 bottles to get enough. And on the way you’re stressing an already stressed detoxification system. Why not give it a break for a while.
Personally as I went into perimenopause I noticed my reaction to alcohol changed. It lost the buzz, and started to feel more poisonous. It definitely raises my heart rate for hours after and it takes me longer to recover. Also it disrupts my sleep which I’m no longer willing to tolerate.
The next detox bucket is muscle strength
Overall exercise should shift focus to weight bearing strength building bone building activity. Pick up things heavier than your purse. Choose exercise that stabilizes the joints. Practice balance. Loss of estrogen really destabilizes joints and makes it harder to build muscle. Muscle is muscle no matter the age.So rise to the challenge.
Urogenital atrophy - muscle is muscle. What causes atrophy? Not using those muscles. That goes for the pelvic floor too. We talked recently on this podcast about the pelvic floor. The key to strengthening the pelvic floor is the vagina. Using a Jade egg practice like the one Kim Anami teaches, yoni massage or daily self pleasure can and will reverse atrophy in those muscles. If you want to go the allopathic western medicine route you can find a pelvic floor therapist. They are all the rage these days. But I’m telling you, Orgasms are good for you and your stress level. So go get some ladies.
Then finally detox #3 is your environment
This could be chemical and metal exposure first. The big ones are glyphosate and heavy metals like lead. An easy way to start is to filter your water and make sure you’re getting enough water every day to support your natural detoxification through the kidneys and liver.
Choose as much whole food as possible and the organics that you can afford.
As part of your environment, take a look at your personal and professional boundaries and see if there are ways you can lower stress and create a buffer that gives you a little more space. Or perhaps bring in some mindfulness or meditation practices to build resilience to everyday chronic life stresses.
All 3 of these categories can help lower the overall stress on your systems and lower inflammation. Making it easier for your body to transition through menopause. It doesn’t do us any good to add in healthy things if we’re still exposing ourselves to toxins on every front.
You don’t have to do it all at once. Pick one or two small things to start with and notice how they change your symptom equation. You have time. And it’s totally worth it.
I hope this has been helpful! You can find links to all the references episode in the show notes.
Metamorphosis is ready! This is a menopause makeover workshop ( because who really has time for a big online course). It’s a 3 hour hybrid event on November 4th 2023 from 9 AM EST - noon. I’ll be teaching this live in studio so if you’re local, you’re welcome to come in person. But if you’re not you can still join us live online. We’re going to discuss natural ways to balance hormones, ease anxiety and depression, demystify the pelvic floor, and re-sanctify sensuality.
Best part about this is that it will be recorded for everyone. So if you want to go back and review you’ll have access to the replay.
Metamorphosis is open for enrollment now and you can go to the show notes and click the menopause makeover button to reserve your spot. That’s at savagegracecoaching.com/theworkin or the website.
Thanks for listening! I’ll see you next time on The Work IN.
3 types of estrogen https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277177#function
Estrone
This type of estrogen is present in the body after menopause. It is a weaker form of estrogen and one that the body can convert to other forms of estrogen, as necessary.
Estradiol
Both males and females produce estradiol, and it is the most common type of estrogen in females during their reproductive years.
Too much estradiol may result in acne, loss of sex drive, osteoporosis, and depression. Very high levels can increase the risk of uterine and breast cancer. However, low levels can result in weight gain and cardiovascular disease.
Estriol
Levels of estriol rise during pregnancy, as it helps the uterus grow and prepares the body for delivery. Estriol levels peak just before birth.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/estrogens-effects-on-the-female-body
The woman's ovaries make most estrogen hormones, although the adrenal glands and fat cells also make small amounts of the hormones.
In addition to regulating the menstrual cycle, estrogen affects the reproductive tract, the urinary tract, the heart and blood vessels, bones, breasts, skin, hair, mucous membranes, pelvic muscles, and the brain. Secondary sexual characteristics, such as pubic and armpit hair, also start to grow when estrogen levels rise. Many organ systems, including the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, and the brain are affected by estrogen.