Peri - WHAT?

Lately, I have become noticeably (and by noticeably, I mean mostly noticed by others!) more irritable and less patient, with a shorter fuse, and a short attention span.  Recently, I learned that these "personality changes" are a result of biochemical changes in my body (i.e. hormones), and not a sign of me morphing into a total bitch!  Do you know anyone who is going through something similar?  Well, hopefully this blog post will serve as a public service announcement for all women going through this bitch-inducing physiological change.  When you discuss these “symptoms” with a medical doctor, it’s shocking to me how quickly doctors want to prescribe tranquilizers or sleeping pills or anti-depressants.  What ever happened to the "do no harm" philosophy of medical practitioners, and looking at natural ways of alleviating these symptoms?  Well, I'm sure you're curious to know what causes these Frankenstein-like changes.  These are all symptoms caused by hormonal imbalances of...wait for it...perimenopause!  Peri - what?  

The Greek words (hmmmm...Greek!) have the following meanings: “men pausis” means “month to end” while “peri” means “near”.  So what is perimenopause?  Well, according to Wikipedia, perimenopause is the term used to describe the menopause transition years. In women, perimenopause describes the years before and after the final period.  As a medical convenience, perimenopause is technically defined as the time from which menses start to become irregular and FSH levels have increased, through until 12 months after the last menstrual bleed. However the hormonal changes are gradual, both in onset and in termination, therefore the various possible perimenopause effects often start before and continue after this neatly-defined time slot.  During perimenopause, the ovarian production of the estrogens and progesterone becomes more irregular, often with wide and unpredictable fluctuations in levels. During this period, fertility diminishes, but is not considered to reach zero until the official date of menopause. The official date is determined retroactively, once 12 months have passed after the last appearance of menstrual blood.  Signs and effects of the menopause transition can begin as early as age 35, although most women become aware of the transition in their mid to late 40s, often many years after the actual beginning of the perimenopausal window. The duration of perimenopause with noticeable bodily effects can be as brief as a few years, but it is not unusual for the duration to last ten or more years (ugh!).  During the perimenopause years, many women undergo noticeable and clinically observable physical changes resulting from hormonal fluctuations. The most well-known of these is the "hot flash" or "hot flush", a sudden temporary increase in body temperature. The "flash" sensation in a "hot flash" occurs as the body temperature soars upward, reaching a peak very rapidly. The "hot" sensation in a "hot flash" is not the initial temperature rise; instead, it is a reaction to the slowness of the body's return to a more normal temperature range.  Other symptoms include weight gain, food crazvins, headaches, depression, irritablility, lack of energy, loss of concentration, fuzzy thinking, menstrual cycle irregularities. 

When you are experiencing emotional and physical symptoms as I have, the key is recognizing the connection between symptoms and hormones.  You need to always remind yourself that you’re not going crazy (even if some people think that you are!).  Sometimes it feels like your body is out of control, and I guess it really is, well, the hormones are definitely out of control! 

I started to experience some symptoms in 2009 (I was 37) so in 2010, my family physician requested blood work to check my hormone levels. My result for FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) was 22, and my understanding of my doc’s explanation is that normally someone in their 30’s would have an FSH level between 2 and 5 while a woman who is full swing into menopause would have an FSH level of over 50 so basically, I’m halfway to menopause :(

Following the news that I’m getting old (that’s how it felt!), my doctor told me that I should focus on:

Good nutrition:  Because your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease increases during perimenopause, a healthy diet is more important than ever.  Adopt a low-fat, high-fiber diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Add calcium-rich foods or take a calcium supplement. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can trigger hot flashes (no red wine, really Doc?).

Regular exercise. Regular physical activity helps prevent weight gain, improves your sleep, strengthens your bones and elevates your mood. Try to exercise for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week (I’ll get right on that Doc!).

Stress reduction. Practiced regularly, stress reduction techniques, such as meditation or yoga, can promote relaxation and good health throughout your lifetime, but may be particularly helpful during the menopausal transition (I definitely need to get back to yoga-ing!). 

Yeah, thanks a lot Doc!  Just what I wanted to hear!!!  So basically, in order to alleviate the symptoms of perimenopause, I have to do exactly the same things I’ve needed to do to lose weight?  Since it worked so well in the past (not!), this should be a walk in the park (yeah, I guess I should start walking in the park!).  Well, I must be doing something right with this sugarless + juicing diet because I’ve already lost my “vacation 15”…YAY! (if you’re confused, you should read my blog post “Vacation 15”).  I definitely do not want to start taking meds to control the symptoms so I'm going to have to get serious about nutrition (I'm much better now without sugar!), reducing stress (I'm already pretty good at managing my stress) and exercise (this is going to be a challenge!). 

To help me get through this “transitional period”, I turned to Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman.  Dr. Ann Louise is someone who has gained my respect with her Fast Track Detox Diet and The Fat Flush Plan.  She is very knowledgeable about nutrition and supports a toxic-free diet (i.e. organic, no sugar, no wheat, no processed foods).  Recently, I purchased her book, Before the Change – Taking charge of your perimenopause, and I was hoping I’d have it read by the time I wrote this blog post but no such luck (sorry but I was busy shovelling…we got another 15 centimeters of snow last night!). 

What I’ve learned so far is that hormones are the chemical messengers of the body.  They influence everything we think, feel and do.  Well that explains a lot so I'm definitely going to have to get my hormones under control (this should be easy for a control freak, right?).  Also, I’ve learned that nutrition, stress reduction and exercise play a big part in controlling those hormones and alleviating the symptoms associated with perimenopause (geesh...everyone seems to be ganging up on me about needing to exercise!).

In her book, Dr. Ann Louise recommends the following as “peri zappers”:

High-lignan flaxseed oil and ground flaxseeds

As an all-around peri balancer – especially for skin conditions, depression and fatigue – nothing beats a daily tablespoonful of flaxseed oil that is high in lignans.  Swallow as is or use as a salad dressing or topping for grains and veggies and in no-eat recipes.

YES - I already add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil in my yogurt daily.  I also put it in my yummy quinoa beet salad (see recipe below) and on steamed broccoli. 

Black Currant Seed Oil

To relieve breast tenderness, mood changes, anxiety, irritability, headaches, and water retention, take two capsules (500 mg) of black currant seed oil twice daily after food. 

NO – I’ve never tried black current seed oil so I’ll do a little bit more research before I start popping a pill (as learned by BFF when she took niacin which resulted in a trip to the hospital with a niacin flush!). 

Multivitamins and magnesium

Many women’s perimenopause symptoms such as mood swings, insomnia, anxiety, tissue dryness, and water retention are alleviated by the following combination of supplements:

·         Vitamin B complex including 50 – 100 mg of vitamin B6

·         Vitamin C, 1000 mg three times a day

·         Vitamin E, 400 to 1200 international units

·         Magnesium, 500 to 1000 milligrams before sleeping

When you feel that your hormones are back in better balance, you may be able to cut back to 1000 mg a day of vitamin C and to 300 international units of vitamin E.

ALMOST – I’m currently taking 1000 mcg of vitamin B12, 1000 mg vitamin C daily, 150 mg of magnesium plus 20mg vitamin B6, and a multivitamin that includes 33.5 mg of vitamin E, 75 mg of vitamin C, 25 mg of vitamin B6, .  According to Dr. Ann Louise, I need to increase the dosage of all of my vitamin supplements but I need to do a little more research before I start popping more vitamins (I already take 5 vitamins a day!). 

Zinc

Zinc (15 to 50 mg/day) helps to lower estrogen and increase progesterone levels, build strong bones, and keep your immune system in tip-top shape to ward off viruses.  Zinc is a must for vegetarians, whose diet is often lacking in this vital mineral. 

ALMOST – I don’t take this supplement except what is in my multivitamin which includes 7.5 mg of zinc. 

Some of her other peri zappers include getting the sugar out of your diet (done!), getting wheat out of your diet, eating balanced meals (done!), reducing stress and exercising at least 30 minutes five days a week (ugh!).

I can’t help but wonder how much of the vitamins and minerals I'm already getting from my obsessive juicing!

There’s so much more to read including a section on soy, vaginal cream (sorry!), nutrition, estrogen, and treatments for alleviating specific symptoms (i.e. to eliminate fuzzy thinking, eliminate sugar from your diet).  I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the book so I can move through the inevitable perimenopause as pain-free as possible (for me and the people around me!). 

I seriously considered whether or not I wanted to write about perimenopause because it might scare some male readers away from my blog (not that they’re reading my blog today since it’s Super Bowl Sunday!) but the truth is that we all need to be educated so we can be more sympathetic/empathetic, and show compassion towards women who are perimenopausal or menopausal – it could be your wife, your girlfriend, your mother, your sister or your friend.  Always remember that bitchiness is a symptom of perimenopause and menopause; it’s not a character flaw!  DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT??? :P

If you’re looking for a great recipe (that statement has been debated by many but I stand by my favourite salad!) that has flaxseed oil as an ingredient, you should really try this yummy quinoa beet salad because it could alleviate your perimenopausal symptoms (I think it might also be capable of bringing peace to the Middle East!).  It also has lots of yummy beets which are so good for you, as is apple cider vinegar, and quinoa too (if you need a reminder about the nutritional value of quinoa, you should read my blog post "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's quinoa...superfood!")

Beety quinoa salad

2 cups of cooked quinoa

2 lbs of cooked beets, chopped into bite size pieces (I love lots of beets but you could use less)

6 or 7 dill pickles, chopped (my favourite dill pickles are Bubbies!)

6 or 7 green onions, chopped

Flaxseed oil (I’m not really sure the quantity…I just pour a little bit at a time until the flavour is just right!)

Apple cider vinegar (again, I’m not really sure the quantity…I just pour a little bit at a time until the flavour is just right!)

A bunch of parsley or cilantro, chopped

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and let sit for at least an hour before serving to make sure the ingredients have coalesced. 

ENJOY!!!



My yummy, beety quinoa salad