Boost Your Energy Levels During and After Menopause
If you are going through menopause or are post-menopausal, you may feel chronically tired. You are not alone. Many women experience menopause crashing fatigue as their bodies change. There are many reasons why you feel crashing fatigue during perimenopause — fortunately there are several solutions that boost energy levels and enhance vitality.
Why am I so Tired All of the Time?
There are many reasons you may be experiencing perimenopause and exhaustion:
- Your body is changing; that takes energy.
- You may be kept up at night due to hot flashes. If you can’t get a good night’s sleep, you will be tired.
- Women in their forties, fifties, and sixties cope with a vast array of stressors. You may be experiencing increased stress at your job as you move to the top of your career. In these financially difficult times, worries about job security or finding a new job may add to your worries.
- Perhaps you are worried that you haven’t saved enough money for retirement. Are you paying for your kid’s college education?
- Have your children left home? Are you adapting to having an empty nest or have children who moved out come back home to live?
- Women are often caregivers for parents. Sometimes we must care for our grandchildren as well. Being a caregiver is exhausting. We simply do not have the energy that we had at age thirty.
- You may be concerned about intimate relationships. Are you happy in your relationship? Have you broken off a long term relationship? Have you lost a partner due to illness? Do you still believe that you are a desirable woman? Are you alone and trying to figure out how to being dating?
- Are you a young woman who is going through menopause early as a result of a health issue? Have you had your ovaries removed? Did you go through chemotherapy which put your body into early menopause? Medically induced menopause is a shock to the body and emotions. Are you scared for the future?
- Could you be depressed? Have you developed palpitations or anxiety with menopause? Are you concerned about the physical impacts that menopause has on your heart and bones? Do you have to write things down that you used to remember? All of these concerns sap your energy.
- Do you eat well? Have you put on a few extra pounds? Are you getting enough exercise? Is taking care of you a priority? Do you regularly take time to just be? What are you doing for fun? Self-care is even more important than caring for others. If you don’t’ take care of you, you won’t have the strength or stamina to look out for others.
Why am I so Tired All of the Time?
It is likely that you are experiencing perimenopause fatigue for a variety of reasons. The solutions for your fatigue depend upon what is causing it. If your tiredness is interfering with your quality of life; consult with your health care provider just to be sure that your fatigue is not a symptom of an illness.
Energy Boosting 101
Regardless of what is causing your crashing fatigue, there are some basic actions which you can take that will enhance your energy level. Eat well, take time out for you, get some regular exercise, and spend time with people who are nurturing. Limit your interaction with people who drain your energy. Set limits, delegate, prioritize, and take a multivitamin each day.
Foods Which Boost Energy Levels During Menopause
A predominantly plant based diet, rich in colorful fruits and vegetables can help you feel lighter and energized. Eat lean protein each day. Avoid heavy, fatty, fried dishes and foods which contain lots of processed sugars. While sugar may initially give you a burst of energy; it ultimately causes blood sugar levels to fall and results in a crash of energy. Just as some foods may make you feel tired; there are foods which may increase your energy level.
Seaweed may be eaten as a food or applied as a condiment to other dishes instead of salt. Seaweed supports the health of the thyroid gland. Many women have slightly sluggish thyroid function which is does not require pharmaceutical treatment yet results in fatigue. Seaweed offers a wide array of other health benefits. It decreases hot flashes, prevents vaginal dryness, and enhances bone health Seaweed reduces the risk of cardiovascular illness by decreasing blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Plants rich in phytoestrogens may reduce hot flashes and night sweats which drain your energy. They protect your body from cardiovascular disease and help your bones to stay strong. Try adding a couple of spoonfuls of freshly ground flax seed to Greek yogurt each day. You may use flax oil as a supplement or in salad dressings. Soy foods, such as edamame, tempeh, soy milk, and tofu are excellent sources of phytoestrogens too.
Herbal Remedies for Fatigue
Several herbs may help improve your energy levels. They remedy different causes of fatigue. Herbs are most effective if they are taken consistently. They can initially seem slow to work; but over time they correct and normalize imbalances. Most herbs are outstanding sources of antioxidants which prevent aging. They contain trace minerals and vitamins as well.
Herbal Remedies for Fatigue
Suma is an herb from the rainforest of the Amazon in South America. It is classified as an herbal adaptogen. Adaptogens normalize the functions of the entire body. They restore and rejuvenate. Suma enhances the health of the heart and blood vessels. It improves oxygenation of all of the bodily tissues. Enhanced oxygenation prevents aging, increases vitality, and enhances memory. Suma is an interesting herb in that is relaxing and energizing simultaneously. Suma may boost your libido, as it increases levels of healthy estrogen. Herbalists suggest that one gram of suma root taken three times daily is effective for relieving fatigue
Sage is an inexpensive, easy to obtain, herb which is outstanding for the treatment of hot flashes and night sweats. If you are up all night from night sweats, you will be dragging the next day. Sage is effective fairly quickly. You may see immediate results or it may take up to two weeks for improvement to begin.
If you have an herb garden, simply eat one leaf of sage each day. Otherwise, make a tea by covering three teaspoonsful of dried sage with one liter of boiling water. Cover the container. After twenty minutes, strain out the herbs. Drink the sage tea throughout the day. It is best consumed at room temperature. If you do not like the taste of the tea; you may purchase capsules, or extracts. Follow the instruction on product labels.
Bio-Identical Hormones Boost Energy Levels
Bio-identical hormones are derived from plants. They mimic estrogen and progesterone. Bio-identical hormones have fewer side effects than pharmaceutical hormone replacement medications. They have been used for decades to relieve menopausal problems. Bio-identical hormones relieve hot flashes and night sweats; allowing you to sleep better. They decrease irritability and anxiety. Bio-identical hormones may elevate your mood. All of these actions serve to increase your energy levels.
Bio-identical hormones offer several other benefits. They enhance bone and cardiac health, reduce thinning of vaginal walls, and support the health of your adrenal glands. The adrenals may be depleted during menopause, causing exhaustion.
Talk to your health care provider if you are interested in learning more about the benefits of bio-identical hormones. Your hormone levels will be measured via samples of blood, urine, or saliva. Based upon your laboratory results; an individualized bio-identical hormone prescription will be provided for you.
You Can Be Energetic Again
Look at your daily life. What nourishes you? What is draining your energy? Practice self-care as faithfully as you care for others. Eat well. Use herbs and supplements which boost your energy levels. Consider the use of bio- identical hormones. These are just a few of the many paths which can boost your energy, enhance your health, and lead to a vibrant life during and after menopause.