Lately I have been seeing many women who are suffering from menopausal complaints such as insomnia, hot flushes and irritability. These women have often suffered with these symptoms for several years and have been on and off herbal formulas with very little results.

 When these women come in to see me one of the most important things I recommend if stress reduction, exercise and dietary changes. Acupuncture and a personalized Chinese Herbal Formula are also very helpful to balance the body, but what really counts is what you do when you leave my office. I do not believe that acupuncture alone  for one hour per week is enough to stop the negative symptoms of menopause, they may get a little less and not as severe but to see the most benefits one must change their lifestyle and diet.

 Menopausal symptoms are the worst in women who are the most out of balance. Often this stems from a lifetime of high stress, overwork, poor diet, caffeine and alcohol use. I suggest meditation and relaxation to be done on a daily basis, eliminating spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol, daily exercise such as yin style yoga is also very beneficial. For most of these women it is very hard for them to relax and sit down at all during the day- these are the people that need to do it the most!

Once women are willing to commit to slowing down the pace of their life, making healthy choices in their diet and including daily exercise and relaxation amazing results can be seen.

 The best time to prepare for menopause is before it starts, listen to your body now. What are you periods like? Do you suffer from headaches or insomnia before or during the menstrual cycle? Do you have menstrual cramps that are getting worse? All these are clues that your body is out of balance and menopause is often the hardest for these women.

 It is not too early to start preparing.

POSTED November 13th, 2008 By Michelle Hughes