Evening Primrose Oil - While some women report that EPO really helps their hot flashes, I would not use this as a stand alone treatment; meaning, don’t just rely on this.
Vitamin B 6 - Your Adrenals and hormones love to use up B6 and when you’re going through the menopausal transition, the adrenal glands will need to be supported as they will be taking over for the ovaries in hormone production.
Phyto-Estrogens - These are plant derived steroidal structures that your body can use to BALANCE out your estrogen. Phyto-estrogens also contain isoflavones and lignans the can bind to estrogen receptor sites throughout the body which can be useful for vaginal changes and hot flashes.
Hydration - As always: ½ your body weight in ounce + 8 ounces of water added per 4 ounces of caffeine you drink in a day
Avoid foods that trigger the symptoms - Alcohol, caffeine, hot and spicy foods are just a few common items that can increase hot flashes. Food sensitivities or foods that can trigger inflammation are based on the individual but can also increase hot flash frequency and severity.
Check in on your hormones - A drop in estrogen is usually the main cause for hot flashes but testing all your hormones can give insight to where your imbalances are and how severe they are. If you’re consider HRT, a complete hormone panel is usually done. If you do need Estrogen, make sure it’s always given with progesterone.
Fresh Sage in Water - Sage has a cooling affect and is great for the cases of severe sweating. Chop 6 Fresh Sage Leaves and soak overnight in lemon water. Do this for at least 10 days before seeing improvement.
Embrace It - This is your body’s way of detoxing. The heating up can burn up toxins and the sweating helps to excrete these toxins. You’re basically carrying around a natural sauna treatment. Perhaps this can be seen as a surge of creativity or enlightenment. The increased blood flow can make someone feel alive.
Stress management - Stress can aggravate just about any health condition and managing it can take years of practice. By the time a woman reaches this phase in life, we would hope that her life experiences have taught her to “let go and let God” or trust that the universe will provide. BREATH... Do some yoga… and RELAX
Get Moving - Research shows that women who exercise have improved symptoms and less severe hot flashes than those who are sedentary.
Resources: Women, Hormones, and the Menstrual Cycle, Second Edition, Ruth Trickey, Copyright 1998, 2003; Emerson Ecologics Practitioner Resources.