Beat The Winter Blues By Taking Charge Of Your Menopause Symptoms

Amongst all the fun festivities, winter can be tough on our menopausal bodies. The dry, cold air and shorter dark days can mean that we can show increased appetite, decreased moods and as a result want to curl up and hibernate until the summer again. This, in addition to our fluctuating moods brought on by changing hormones due to the menopause can certainly make this season seem unbearable.

The top 5 most common menopause symptoms include hot flushes, poor sleeping, night sweats, mood swings and anxiety, here we share our top tips on how to manage these at this time of year!

Top tips to take charge of your symptoms this winter:

1. Dress to impress, not to drench: Winter can be unbearable when experiencing the hot flushes. Going from the cold outdoors into the heat of the fire-roaring or heat induced buildings can be a trigger for flushes, resulting in the sweats. Throughout the day ensure you layer. Top tip… choose base layers made of fabrics made for hikers, as not only do they breathe but they are waterproof showing no signs of sweat patches. For hot flushes and night sweats keep a Promensil Cooling Spray nearby. This topical cooling spray works to instantly withdraw heat away from the skin using rapid evaporation technology, so you can keep cool and comfortable whether your indoors or out and about.

2. Relax and keep calm: December usually entails a blocked diary of events hosting and attending parties, in addition to rushing around getting last minute presents for everyone. Remember to take at least 10 minutes out each day to focus on yourself and relax. Whether that’s reading, listening to music or taking a bath, do something for YOU. In order to get a good night’s sleep we recommend drinking chamomile tea and not looking at screens for at least one hour prior to going to bed.

3. Keep moving: It can be difficult to motivate ourselves to go outdoors when it is miserable and rainy. But who said that exercise can’t be done indoors? Doing simple indoor activities such as hoovering, or even a yoga DVD can raise our heart rates as well as endorphins, making us feel much better in ourselves. Studies have shown that regular exercise can help with managing menopause symptoms.

4. Supplement your diet: Studies have shown that plant oestrogens or phytoestrogens (isoflavones), which mimic the natural oestrogen in your body, can help manage menopausal symptoms. But consuming the quantities needed in your daily diet may be a challenge for most. Opt for a supplement that has a history of evidence based science and high quality active ingredients. Promensil Double Strength is specifically formulated with the highest levels of natural, standardised red clover isoflavones on the market (80mg). This simple, one-a-day formulation is more effective than lower dose products and often recommended by specialist menopause nurses, gynaecologists and GPs because it is backed by over 15 years of published scientific research.

5. Eat sensibly: We understand that winter is always the best time to start a diet and December certainly isn’t the month to go ‘cold-turkey’ on all bad food. However, sugary foods, alcohol in addition to overly hot foods can onset a hot flush. Here are some alternatives to help you this festive season:

• Glass of mulled wine- Why not opt for a seasonal spiced chia tea or seasonal ‘mocktail’ to lower your alcohol intake?
• Hot soup – switch to making a salad topped with warm vegetables such as sweet potato, roasted peppers and green beans so your body temperatures don’t raise as high.
• Mince Pie- Instead, try stewing some cooking apples and berries, add ½ tsp of cinnamon and mixed spice so that you get a sweet kick without the calories! Enjoy.