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In Grihalakshmi Health Podcast, host Vijaya talked to functional medicine expert Dr. Preeti Nanda Sibal on menopause in women and its symptoms.

Friends, even today in India, menopause (cease of periods forever) is considered just a physical change, but no woman is aware of the terrible hormonal storm hidden behind it. When the life driving hormones like estrogen and progesterone suddenly start decreasing in the body, women face serious problems like irritability, difficulty in decision making and bone weakness. To find a permanent solution to these scary symptoms, in this special episode of Grihalakshmi Health Podcast, host Vijaya had a special conversation with India’s leading functional medicine expert and holistic health coach, Dr. Preeti Nanda Sibal.

Dr. Preeti Nanda said that menopause is not a disease that can be suppressed with medicines, rather it can be cured without any side-effects with a root-cause approach through functional medicine. Let us know the 7 main secrets of this entire discussion with Dr. Preeti Nanda Sibal. 7 Functional Medicine Secrets to Beat Menopause Side-Effects

1. Age of menopause and greater risk of toxic environment

In the podcast, when Vijaya asked Dr. Preeti Nanda at what age menopause occurs, the doctor told that normally it should be between 45 to 55 years. But in today’s time, due to excessive pollution, use of plastic (BPA phthalates) and contaminated environment, the ‘gut’ (digestive system) of women is getting inflamed. This is the reason that today many young women are experiencing menopause only at the age of 32 to 33 years, whereas the symptoms of peri-menopause start appearing after crossing 30 years.

2. Those hidden symptoms of menopause which women ignore

According to Dr. Preeti Nanda Sibal, apart from hot flashes, there are many mental symptoms of menopause which women are unable to understand. These include sudden crying, severe anger, slowing down of decision making ability and not feeling like looking at oneself in the mirror. When the level of hormones falls drastically, the kick from within or the fun of living goes away and the society without thinking gives them the tag of ‘Cranky Woman’.

3. Reversal of sleep cycles: morning fatigue and night activity

Giving an interesting example of a patient, the doctor explained that during menopause, the cortisol (stress hormone) level of women becomes very low in the morning and very high in the evening. This turns their entire sleep cycle upside down – they feel fresh till 1-2 am at night and as soon as they wake up in the morning, they feel tired as if they have worked for four days.

Secret Therapy: Dr. Preeti advised that instead of looking at the phone as soon as you wake up in the morning, look at natural sunlight for 2 minutes so that melatonin (sleep hormone) reduces and the body gets a kick-start. At the same time, 2 hours before sleeping at night, completely stay away from the ‘blue light’ of TV and mobile or use blue blocking glasses.

4. Deep connection between menopause and thyroid: Will I have to take medicine for life?

During the podcast, on a question from Vijaya, the doctor told that estrogen hormone keeps our thyroid in balance. As estrogen decreases during menopause, the risk of subclinical hypothyroidism (thyroid) increases in women, which causes fat to accumulate all over the body, face and arms. Dr. Preeti Nanda broke a big myth and said that if we correct the patient’s stress, nutrition and lifestyle for the first 6 weeks through functional medicine, then there is no need to take thyroid medicine for the whole life, it can be reversed.

5. The real truth behind terrible sweet cravings in peri-menopause

Many women suddenly feel like eating too much sweets during this phase. Giving the scientific reason for this, Dr. Preeti said that if there is more fungus or bad bacteria in your gut, then they ask for sweets from your brain. In reality, you are feeding sweets not to yourself but to the fungus which makes you more ill.

Preventive measures: When you have a strong craving for sweets, drink cinnamon water or chew a piece of cinnamon, it prevents the sugar spike. Apart from this, eat dates mixed with desi ghee, due to mixing with fat, sugar gets released slowly and obesity does not increase.

6. Why is heavy workout prohibited during menopause? Know the correct exercise rules

When Vijaya asked whether one cannot exercise more during menopause? Dr. Preeti Nanda gave a very accurate answer. In this phase, women should stop just casual ‘strolling’ (in which friends gossip), because it is of no use. Instead of jogging, do a ‘brisk walk’ or hit training that will get you out of breath. The most important thing is that bones are weak at this age, so focus on strengthening the muscles. There is no need to go to the gym for this, do squats and planks without weights at home. It is mandatory to do 20 minutes cardio, 20 minutes strength training and 20 minutes breathing exercise 5 days a week.

7. Magical Kitchen Herbs and 5 Essential Base Supplements

Functional medicine expert Dr. Preeti Nanda Sibal advised to include some very powerful things present in the kitchen-

Seed: Eat 2 to 4 teaspoons of flax seeds and two teaspoons of sesame seeds daily, these are excellent sources of phyto-estrogen.

Chocolate Recipe: Eat two cubes of 80′ pure dark chocolate between 5 to 6 pm, it stabilizes the mood and induces good sleep. Drink chamomile tea or boiled celery-fennel water at night.

Must Supplements: The doctor told that after getting the test done, every menopausal woman must take vegan ‘Liquid Omega-3’ which is free from zinc, magnesium, vitamin D, B12 and heavy metals. Dr. Preeti Nanda Sibal says that do not be afraid of menopause, but make this phase the most beautiful and healthy of your life with proper nutrition, stress management and expert guidance.