Acupuncture and Other Natural Solutions for Menopausal Disorder

This may sound weird, but did you know that menopause is NOT a health problem?  

It's not only completely natural and expected, but in *TCM (*Traditional Chinese Medicine), we call it a woman's "Second Spring."  

"First Spring" is your first period.  When you think of Springtime, you think of growth, fertility, and abundance.  Which makes sense in this context.  

But how is Spring associated with the END of the period?

Well, it's not considered "the END."  It's a new beginning!  

It's the beginning of being able to focus on yourself.

And not the various stages of fertility, child-bearing, and raising children.

It's a time when you start giving less f*cks about what people think about you, and let me just say, that alone is FREAKING AWESOME.  

You give WAY less f*cks about the hetero male gaze.  (But let's be honest, we always care what the male gays think. 😉)

You rediscover who YOU really are.  What YOU are really into.  

You can give your knowledge, experience, and newfound time to others...if you want.  

We've been taught in our culture is that when a woman is no longer young and fertile, her value goes down.

Not true. 

Maybe it was when they burned "witches" at the stake, but they can't do that to us anymore!  🎉 🥂 👯‍♀️ 

It's the season of the White Tiger. 

In Chinese astrology, young women are associated with the Fire element.  You're burning with desires.  You are desired.  You have a lot on your plate.  Things move fast.  

As you age, your Fire transforms into Metal.  Metal is cool.  It's cutting.  It's precise.  It's a tool.  

Unfortunately, what most people associate with menopause is...

• hot flashes
• night sweats
• vaginal dryness
• joint pain
• irritability
• insomnia
• weight gain 
• heavy periods (excessive bleeding)
• not being attractive anymore 😢

Hey - don't worry.  None of this has to be your reality. 

What causes the above problems is when you haven't fully prepared your health to make the transformation. 

If you continue using the Fire operating system, you'll quite literally burn out.  

The transformation is from the most Yang element into a Yin element.  

What this means - you need to learn how to slow down.  

There is a stress element to it.  Are you overbooked?  Are you overwhelmed and maxxed out?  Your body will tell you with menopausal symptoms.  

3 signs of menopause are related to low estrogen:  vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and night sweats.  

In puberty, your hormones are all over the place. By menopause, hormones settle into a low baseline level.  Artificially keeping the hormones high is not only unnecessary, but potentially dangerous.  

Estrogen is made from progesterone.  And progesterone is made from cholesterol! 

Cholesterol is where it all starts.  Yes, we need it.  And yes, statin drugs (cholesterol-lowering medications) are a strain on your body, especially on the Liver.  

That being said, dietary fats are so important for hormone balance in this stage of life.  And you need more than just avocados.  

Here are some of my favorite fatty foods:

• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Fatty Meats like Bacon and Grass-fed Beef
• Eggs (with the Yolk, please!)
• Cheeses
• Heavy Cream
• Yogurt

I actually eat a fairly high-fat diet.  It just works for me.  

Yin Deficiency

In TCM, thousands of years ago, they didn't do blood analysis or use microscopes.  Instead, they relied on observation of nature and her cycles.  

Yin and Yang are opposites, but intricately connected.  You can't have one without the other.  Both exist and transform into each other.  Yin is similar in nature to Estrogen.  

Yin Deficiency signs are your stereotypical menopause symptoms:  hot flashes, night sweats, dryness, and even fatigue, trouble sleeping, and inflammation.  

Yin is cool where Yang is hot.  Yin is night; Yang is day.  Yin is feminine; Yang is masculine.  Yin is material (what you see); Yang is invisible (energy).  We all have both Yin and Yang.  

What feels like heat flashes are not actual heat, per se, but the absence of cooling energy.  And, no, ice will not give you more coolant.  Ice will damage your Spleen, which leads to more problems (different topic - Yang Deficiency due to Cold Damage).  

Yin is also connected with Blood.  The period is leaving.  The Blood is becoming scarce, and therefore, the Yin is changing.  We use a relaxing lifestyle, nourishing foods, and Blood/Yin tonifying herbs to keep the balance.  

Yang Deficiency signs can accompany the Yin Deficient signs.  Yang Deficiency symptoms include feeling cold easily, water retention, fatigue, poor digestion, weight gain, and painful joints.  It's easy for Yang Deficiency to lead to Dampness.

What underlies Yin and Yang Deficiencies?

Emotional Stress & Overwork

Worry, fear, and lack of rest weakens your adrenals ("Kidney" in TCM).  From the Western medical standpoint, instead of the body producing estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone, when you're under high stress, it produces more cortisol, the stress hormone.  

Switching back to a TCM perspective, the Liver is the "child" of the Kidney/Adrenal.  With too much stress, the "child" (Liver, where cortisone is produced) steals from the "mother" (Kidney/Adrenal).  

If you have hot flashes or night sweats, have you ever noticed that they happen when your stress is high?  High cortisol = heat in TCM.  The more heat you have, the more Yin you use up.  

Improper Diet

It's not so much like, "you can't eat (such-and-such)."  Rather, you need to tune into your body's needs as they change over time.  

I was vegetarian for 5 years.  Eventually, I noticed signs that this lifestyle no longer suited me.  Adding in quality animal protein helped get my energy and strength back.  

Another dietary concern is eating "non-foods."  Food chemicals and highly processed foods create Heat in your body.  Again, Heat uses up your Yin, which we're trying to preserve here.  

Xenoestrogens are estrogen-mimicking compounds that aren't produced in your body.  The most common sources of them are processed foods, medications, heavy metals, food chemicals/preservatives, personal care products, and pesticides. 

In Asian countries, menopausal symptoms are not as common because they generally follow a diet that nourishes Yin.  

You can do this as a vegetarian or vegan, but it will be more challenging.  

Foods that nourish Yin include slimy foods like tendons, bone broth, and mushrooms. 

To keep your Yin up, you have to hydrate. 

This means not only drinking enough water, but perhaps adding fruit to your water.  Lemon, lime, berries, and cucumber in the water help wtih electolytes and hydration.  I'm not a fan of the mostly sugar-filled electrolyte beverages on the market.  It's so much better for you (and your wallet) to just add a pinch of sea salt and some lemon to your water bottle.    

Foods that balance hormones:

• Protein (at least 4 ounces with each meal, especially if you want to lose weight or address fatigue)
• Cruciferous Vegetables (at least 1 cup each day, especially if you have signs of high estrogen)
• Seaweed (at least twice per week)
• A vegetable-based diet (but not necessarily vegetarian!)
• Water (Drink. More. Water.)
• Fats

Foods to eat LESS of to balance your hormones:

• Less sugar (sugar is considered a HOT food regardless of the actual temperature of the food eaten/drank.)
• Less alcohol (no more than 1 drink per day; alcohol is a HOT nautred food.)
• Avoid animal protein that isn't organic, free-range, and hormone-free
• Less coffee (too much is usually a sign you have adrenal fatigue; coffee is also considered a HOT natured food, even if you drink it iced.  And again, ice is also problematic.)
• No food chemicals, food coloring, and things you can't pronounce (read labels!)

Soy?  

There's so much confusion about this food.  Soy is full of phytoestrogens and could help reduce signs of estrogen deficiency.  This is NOT me saying go balls-to-the-wall with the soy milk ~

• Soy is often GMO, so only buy organic
• Unfermented soy (like the milk) is not absorbed well, so it's best avoided
• Fermented, organic soy (tofu/tempeh) is OK to eat a few times per week
• It's cooling/cold in nature so keep that in mind if you have Yang Def. or Dampness

Other Natural Solutions for Menopausal Disorder

Herbs are my go-to for treating hot flashes, night sweats, dry skin, insomnia, heavy periods, etc. 

Wild Yam

This is #1 on the list for a reason.  It's awesome. 

It can make you sleepy, so it's great to take at night. 

It's a source of phyto-estrogens that mimic natural body estrogen without causing toxicity.  That said, it's not great for folks with excess estrogen signs.  Also, it's a common weed in many areas of the country.  You may just have some growing in your backyard.  I do!

Schisandra

Schisandra is a Blood tonic.  It's is one of the only herbs that can rejuvinate Liver cells.  It's also great for dry eyes. 

It's an adaptogenic herb that's calming, neuroprotective, and can help stop excessive sweating.  

Rehmannia

Rehmannia's natural form is like a blob of black, gooey molasses.  

It's a nourishing "Blood tonic," so may not suit you if you have a lot of Dampness. 

It's great for anemia, fatigue, or hair loss associated with Blood Deficiency.  It helps prevent or treat inflammation, especially if your joints feel warm to the touch.  It's an adaptogenic herb as well, so can help with adrenal fatigue.  

Turmeric

You didn't think Turmeric was just for pain, right?  It's also a great way to help your Liver detox. 

It's an herb of circulation, so in some cases, it can help stop excessive bleeding and improve cognition and energy.  

Dong Gui

Dong Gui or Angelica Root is the #1 herb for menstruating women.  Any herb formula for menses will almost always contain at least some Dong Gui. 

It helps correct anemia (it's a Blood tonic) and painful, heavy periods.  It also moistens the bowels.  Not suitable in large quantities if you have a lot of Dampness.

Most herb formulas that address menopause disorder will include a few different herbs that balance your own constitution.  If you're not sure what exactly to take, ask a licensed herbalist!  🙋‍♀️    

You can download my free e-book on how to use herbs for stress-relief, hormone balance, and better sleep here.