Your doctor might have told you that hormone replacement therapy is the best way to get perimenopause help. What your doctor might not say, unless they have a more naturopathic philosophy, is that two exhausted adrenal glands are the real root behind your many perimenopausal symptoms. The adrenal glands are located above your kidney and are responsible for secreting hormones, including the stress hormone cortisol. In the United States, everyone loves having high levels of energy so they can stay busy and efficient all day. What this means in terms of your hormonal balance is that you live in a culture that depends on overworked adrenal glands. The key to relieving the symptoms of perimenopause is to ease up on the stress and try to lower your cortisol levels.
Cortisol and its effects on your hormones during perimenopause
Cortisol is the hormone responsible for the fight or flight instinct. It is usually released when the body encounters a stressful situation, whether it is physical or psychological. Chronic stress makes your adrenal glands work harder to produce cortisol, and high levels of cortisol in your blood create the need for more hormones like progesterone, insulin, and testosterone.
According to studies by Dr. David Zava, an expert on stress hormones, high amounts of cortisol that reach the brain through the bloodstream makes it resistant to the effects of estrogen. This is why many perimenopausal women experience the symptoms of estrogen deficiencies (e.g. hot flashes) even if they have normal amounts of estrogen. You may have enough estrogen to go around, but your brain doesn't believe it if you have too much cortisol in your system. So if this is the case and you try to treat your symptoms with hormone replacement therapy, you experience the symptoms of estrogen dominance like water retention, weight gain, and mood swings. That's why hormone therapy should not be the first solution to consider when treating perimenopause symptoms. If there's a lot of stress in your life, no amount of synthetic hormones can make the symptoms go away and help you achieve hormonal balance.
How to lower cortisol levels and heal the adrenal glands for perimenopause relief
The easiest and simplest way to heal your tired adrenal glands is to rest! If try to prop up your overworked adrenals with caffeine and synthetic hormones without taking time off, you'll end up feeling worse than ever. Here are a few things you can do to lower your cortisol levels.
Get a massage
What better way to reduce stress than to get away from it all, even if it's only for an hour? A full body massage at a spa will do wonders for your stress levels. The soothing strokes of the massage therapist will melt away the tension in your body and place your mind in a more relaxed state. For best results, get a massage at least once a week.
Get enough sleep
Staying up late will only aggravate your exhausted adrenals. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep every evening to feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to take on the next day's challenges. Have a hard time falling asleep? Take a natural supplement like melatonin to induce sleepiness into your overactive mind.
Find a creative outlet
Focusing your energies on a hobby or creative outlet will not only get your mind off the stress of everyday living. It will give you a higher sense of purpose and make you feel more accomplished! If there's a hobby you've always been meaning to take up, now is the best time to start.
Avoid caffeine and other stimulants
Caffeine and stimulant herbs like ephedra cause stress in the body and excite the adrenal glands into producing even more cortisol. Try limiting your coffee intake to a single 8 oz cup a day and avoid other caffeinated beverages like soda and energy drinks.
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