When discussing menopause, it is critical to remember that each individual is unique. There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach that will work effectively for everyone - or hardly anyone. You must also remember that, when looking at lab results, you should forget about "norms". The real issue is, "How do you feel?"
Contrary to the medical mindset, menopause is not a hormone deficiency disease. It is not a state of living decay. It will not leave you a shriveled shell of your former self. Left untreated, the symptoms will not destroy your personality or character, leaving you dull-minded or neurotic. That is a myth, created in the 1960s to promote Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). It is utter nonsense.
The truth is: Menopause is part of the natural progression of a woman's life, a normal adjustment, where she transitions away from child bearing, leaving her more open to other things in life. It is benign, not something to be cured. Problems associated with menopause are the result of industrialization and the chemicals (xeno-estrogens) in our environment, as well as an unhealthy lifestyle, including changes in our diet associated with modern life.
Most of the symptoms associated with menopause are the result of estrogen dominance. This imbalance of estrogen to progesterone can cause problems like decreased sex drive, irregular or abnormal periods, mood swings or depression, weight gain (since estrogen turns energy into fat) and osteoporosis (because progesterone is needed for osteoclast formation). This estrogen dominance is caused by a number of factors, primarily stress and toxicity issues.
Medically, the so-called answer to menopause is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The problem is: HRT is associated with a five-year risk of breast cancer of 40%, and a 10-year risk of 100%. Not only that, synthetic hormones (like those used in HRT) cannot be transported past cell membranes into the cell nuclei, where they are needed to perform their functions. To make things worse, these synthetics block natural hormones, making the problem even worse.
What is needed is a natural way to balance the hormones.
Medical myths about
menopause:
Contrary to medical lore, the ovaries do not shrivel and die at
menopause. While it is true that the outer layer of the ovaries thins,
the center of the ovaries actually "come to life" at menopause, producing vital
hormones that they never produced before.And, despite its inactivity in menopause, with regard to child bearing, the uterus produces hormones that it never produced before. Among these is prostacyclin, which is critical for heart health and strong bones.
The problem of xeno-estrogens and
hormonal balance:
There are cases of women as young as their mid-30s
entering menopause. This is a toxicity-induced condition. It's the other side
of the problem of young girls transitioning into womanhood, a common phenomena
today, and the result of xeno-estrogens in our environment.Xeno-estrogens are artificial, synthetic estrogens, or estrogen-like compounds, found everywhere in our industrialized world. They can be found in dairy products, chickens and meats, soy-based products and personal care products. They leach from plastics we store our foods in, the Teflon we cook in and even the cans processed foods come in. They are also plentiful in the chemicals we put on our lawns, those used in farming, which have contaminated our air, water and soil.
Avoiding these xeno-estrogens is, therefore, an important part of balancing hormones during menopause.
The four basic steps to balancing hormones are:
- Reduce stress
- Reduce toxicity from synthetic estrogens
- Increase progesterone levels
- Treat symptoms
Reduce Stress:
Chronic stress creates estrogen dominance by causing the conversion of progesterone into cortisol. There are a lot of issues related to excess cortisol, including weakened immunity, weight gain and the like. But, as cortisol levels rise, progesterone levels drop, leading to estrogen dominance and the symptoms associated with that.Chronic stress also leads to elevated levels of adrenaline in the bloodstream. Excess adrenaline blocks the cell receptor sites so that progesterone cannot be transported past the cell membrane into the cells, where it is needed. This means that, even if you have a balance of hormones, it won't feel like it, because they are functionally out-of-
Essential oils helpful in
reducing stress:
There are a number of essential oils that
are excellentat reducing stress. Rose and patchouli Mixing frankincense, bergamot
Using these oils should be done routinely.
Basil is another powerful oil for fighting stress. dōTERRA's basil is unique in that it is rich in linalol (like lavender). (Other basil oils contain more methylchavicol, and do not work as well for reducing stress.) This makes dōTERRA's basil oil very relaxing and calming. It also normalizes brain activity and neurotransmitter release.
The AromaTouchT Technique should also be part of your hormonal balancing routine. It should be done regularly, once a week or twice a month.
Reduce Toxicity:
Your body cleanses itself primarily through the liver. There are two phases of this detoxification:- Phase 1: Fat soluble toxins are converted to water soluble substances. If this is process is not adequately accomplished, it leads to free radical production in the body.
- Phase 2: Conjugation is the combining of water soluble substances with another compound to be released through the kidneys (as with chelation). This must be accomplished quickly, and requires adequate fuel: antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Essential oils that help with
detoxification:
Glutathione is an antioxidant compound that is especially
helpful for detoxification (it also "recycles" other antioxidants). Limonene is
a compound found in particularly high levels in citrus oils; and limonene
increases glutathione levels in the body, making citrus oils great detoxifiers,
especially for petrochemicals (which are loaded with xeno-estrogens).It has also been found that the aroma of citrus oils will balance hormones. Their fragrance has a direct effect on the endocrine system, especially the hypothalamus (which has a role in governing hormone balance).
So, besides the LifeLong Wellness Pack, you should make daily use of citrus oils. They can be applied topically or inhaled, but a great way to use them is to put 10-15 drops in a capsule for ingestion.
Besides detoxification, there are a number of oils that support the liver.
- Grapefruit oil is great for the liver (massaged topically over the liver or put into capsules for ingestion).
- Geranium is supportive of the liver and glands, especially the adrenal glands (which helps with stress reduction).
- Helichrysum and lemongrass are also very helpful. They can be applied topically together over the liver or put into capsules for ingestion. (Lemongrass also lowers cholesterol.)
- Rosemary oil decongests the liver, and can be use topically or ingested.
- DigestZenR also contains several oils that are supportive of the liver.
Elevate Progesterone Levels:
Again, the best things you can do to elevate progesterone levels are to eliminate the toxic insults on the body and reduce stress. And, since excess fat stimulates estrogen overload, it is advisable to get your weight down to its proper level. Beyond that, there are some natural ways to raise the level of progesterone in the body.One way to effectively elevate progesterone levels isnot to use synthetic progesterone. Synthetic hormones cannot be transported past cell membranes (which means they are useless) and actually block natural hormones (making them worse than useless). There are, however, some natural progesterone creams that can be helpful. Yams (as opposed to sweet potatoes) create progesterone.
But, the best way to elevate progesterone levels is to support your body's own ability to produce its ownprogesterone. It starts with eating right; but proper supplementation can be an enormous help. For this, nothing competes with dōTERRA's LifeLong Wellness Pack:
- MicroPlex VM supplies the co-factors needed for progesterone production: B-complex vitamins, especially vitamin B6, vitamins A, C and E, as well as zinc.
- Alpha CRS contains turmeric, which supports progesterone production.
- EOMega contain thyme oil. Thyme, as well as oregano oil, supports progesterone production.
Managing Symptoms:
Symptom management is also important for menopause. Three main symptoms are hot flashes, fatigue and lowered libido. For each of these, essential oils can be quite helpful.- For hot flashes, peppermint oil can be massaged into the bottom of the feet or the back of the neck. You can also mix it with water and spritz with it. Other oils to consider are geranium, citrus oils, likewild orange, grapefruit and lemon, as well as clary sage. The BalanceT blend can also help.
- For fatigue, apply ginger oil over the liver and adrenals. Peppermint and whit
e fir oils are also helpful, as well as the LifeLong Wellness Pack. - To improve libido, try ylang ylang, ginger,peppermint, clar
y sage and the blend ElevationT. Some have reported that WhisperT is really helpful, as well.
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