written by: Elysia Arseneau, staff writer
Hot summer days can be glorious for some people, but disastrous for others. Women experiencing hot flashes fall in the second group! Over 70 percent of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women have hot flashes, which can cause excessive sweating, flushing and chills.
While sitting in front of a fan 24 hours a day might seem like the only solution for your uncomfortable hot flashes, there is actually plenty that you can do to reduce the number of hot flashes.
Here are some tips to help reduce your hot flashes
Soy Isoflavones - These naturally-occuring plant chemicals have numerous health benefits including diminishing the incidence of hot flashes in menopause! Hot flashes are usually related to an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone. Soy isoflavones are able to mimic the benefits of estrogen in the human body and consequently relieve a multitude of hormone related complaints.
Sage - This perennial evergreen shrub is native to the mediterranean region and was once known as the "cure-all" plant. We now know that one of sage's greatest benefits is to reduce hot flashes! Sage is safe to take on a daily basis but can accumulate in the body, so it is recommended to take a week off every month.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet - There are many foods that increase inflammation in the body. The more inflammation a person has, the more likely she is to experience hot flashes. Eliminating common inflammatory foods such as dairy, gluten, corn, tomatoes, peppers and white potatoes may help reduce the incidence of hot flashes a person experiences.
To see if the Anti-Inflammatory Diet is right for you, book a Nutrition Consultation with one of NutriChem's Registered Holistic Nutritionists.
BioIdentical Hormones - These hormones mimic the hormones of the human body and if done right, can completely get rid of many menopausal symptoms including hot flashes. A prescription for BioIdentical Hormones is needed from a medical practitioner: he or she will test your hormone levels and prescribe accordingly. NutriChem has recently expanded its hormone management program. We have clinicians who can see if bioidentical hormones are right for you.
[A version of this article appeared in our August 2014 newsletter. It has been updated for clarity.]
Have you had success in reducing hot flashes? Let us know in the comments below!
