In this post, I am sharing with you a great article regarding menopause. I hope you enjoy this Menomyths Debunked post and find it useful. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Menomyths Debunked – Guest Post
In her new book, See Ya Later, Ovulator, Esther Blum draws from her 27+ years in nutritional counseling to provide them with the resources they need to manage their body’s response to menopause and learn the exact treatment plan they need to say goodbye to the pesky symptoms, dial into their needs, and start to feel like themselves again.
See Ya Later, Ovulator is available on Amazon and from your favorite bookseller.
Menomyths Debunked
by Esther Blum
With so much misinformation about menopause out there, knowing how to separate fact from fiction will be your superpower by Esther Blum, women’s health expert and author of See Ya Later, Ovulator!
Let’s crack open the conversations around menopause and empower you with the tools to think critically about how to support your body, and your treatment options, as you transition through the process. As you begin your healing journey, you can and should find a healer who not only listens but has the grace and compassion to be radically honest with you.
The current paradigm in medicine is that if you’re ten years out of menopause, you are no longer still a candidate for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). According to Dr. Suzanne Fenske at TaraMD, this comes down to a risk-benefit analysis. HRT started more than ten years out from menopause historically has a higher risk than benefit for increased risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clot, and dementia. There is solid clinical research that HRT protects the bones from osteoporosis, but there are lifestyle modifications and other medications you can use if HRT is not an option. There are medications that help support bone building, but they can come with some hefty side effects and cause GI distress.
I believe this may change in time, but for now, let’s think about other options.
I recommend you start taking 1 teaspoon of Peruvian Maca every day with food. Maca is a cruciferous vegetable (like broccoli and cauliflower) and an adaptogenic herb that can eliminate hot flashes by helping the body increase estrogen production. Though it’s not well understood how maca works, one of the main theories is that the plant sterols in maca stimulate changes in the action of the HPA axis and also the adrenal, ovarian, pineal, and thyroid glands–which can also support sleep. Just make sure you take it earlier in the day, as maca improves energy and stamina and could be overstimulating taken later in the day. Maca can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks to have an effect, but most people are able to stop hot flashes within 2-3 weeks. If you don’t see any benefits, you can increase to 2-3 teaspoons per day as needed.
Remember, if your blood levels for vitamin D are below 60ng/dL, take 10,000IU for three months and then get your blood levels re-checked. In the warmer months, expose as much of your body to the sun as possible without sunscreen or sunglasses (wearing a hat is fine). If you tend to burn easily, go as long as you can and then apply sunscreen. A good maintenance dose of vitamin D3 once your blood levels are between 60-80ng/dL is 5000IU per day and you should also pair this with Vitamin K for optimal absorption.
In terms of lifestyle, weight-bearing, and weightlifting exercises are a must. Make sure you’re eating a protein-rich diet and that your digestion is healthy so you can actually absorb your nutrients. Drink homemade bone broth rich in collagen to support the bone matrix. And of course, watch your consumption of booze and caffeine.
About Esther Blum
Esther Blum, MS, RD, CDN, CNS is an integrative dietitian, certified nutritionist, and menopause expert. She is the bestselling author of Cavewomen Don’t Get Fat, Eat, Drink and Be Gorgeous, Secrets of Gorgeous, and The Eat, Drink, and Be Gorgeous Project. Her upcoming book, See Ya Later, Ovulator!, will be released on October 4th. Widely respected as an industry expert, Esther was voted Best Nutritionist by Manhattan Magazine. She has appeared on Dr. Oz, the Today Show, Good Day NY, Fox News Live, and the goop podcast. She’s been quoted in E! Online, In Touch, TIME, The New York Post, The Los Angeles Times, In Style, Harper’s Bazaar, Self, Fitness, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and Well + Good. Follow Esther on Instagram or Facebook.
