What Can You Replace Estrogen and Progesterone With?
What Do Estrogen & Progesterone Do?
I just need to get my new varifocals on (came with an official "congratulations, you've turned into your mother" certificate) to read through the long, long list of peri menopause symptoms: erratic periods, night sweats, insomnia, anxiety, tinnitus, dry eyes, yada yada. But what's actually going on inside?
Usually (but not always this way round) your estrogen levels start to rise, then drop erratically. They can do this for about 5 to 10 years.
You can easily see, from the hormone details below, why it's a problem for us when both estrogen and progesterone start to go bonkers and then finally flatline. (Testosterone is also part of the equation but not for today.) God is definitely not a woman.
In the good 'ole days women didn't live much past 60 so going through the menopause was the least of their problems. They were more interested in not getting tangled up in a loom or being murdered by Bill Sikes. Seeing as those dangers are long gone, what's the deal?
What can you do about it?
Replace lost hormones with HRT. This is an individual decision each woman needs to make. For me, I was doing "all the things": the exercise, the nutrition, the adaptogens, the monthly howling to the moon, and I still needed to go on HRT to be able to sleep (along with a toilet roll-long list of other symptoms). For me, the small risk has definitely been worth the increase in quality of life.
Adaptogens
Use adaptogens to help 'plug' the gap. Adaptogens are botanical supplements (plant compounds). They've been quite heavily researched in the last 10 years especially, notably, by the American Menopause Society. They've have been shown to have several benefits in helping reduce anxiety, brain fog, vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes), they're anti-inflammatory and regulate adrenal and thyroid function. (NB adaptogens are not good for women on thyroid medication.) More on adaptogens
Exercise
Replace the hormone effects with stress on the body which illicits the same biological response to adapt. This means you use Resistance Training to force the body into building muscle.
Using HIIT (top end intense for short periods) to force the body into better use of stored carbs (glycogen) and increased insulin sensitivity.
Plyometrics (or multi-directional sports like tennis, squash, but note NOT running) for improved bone density but also tensile strength.
Estrogen
Critical for lean mass (muscle) development
Plays a big part in how strongly your muscles contract
Promotes fluid retention & inflammation
Heavy influence on bone development & density
Moderates insulin sensitivity and appetite hormones
Mobilises fuel for the body to use (free fatty acid release)
Progesterone
Inhibits muscle protein synthesis (dampens the body's ability to make muscle)
Modulates brain's response to pain - increases pain tolerance
Acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory steroid
Helps to increase bone density (reduces calcium excretion & decreases the rate of bone resorption)
Ramps up your sympathetic nervous system (increased heart rate, etc) & core temperature