5 Ways To Deal With Hot Flashes Naturally

In menopause, hot flashes typically become less of a problem. After your estrogen evens out, despite its lower level, hot flashes usually decrease in intensity or stop completely. This means that the most challenging time for hot flashes is during the transition from higher levels of estrogen in your body to lower levels of estrogen that occur when we are postmenopausal. So what can you do to help aid this time of transition?

Anything that stimulates your sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight aspect of your nervous system) can stimulate a hot flash when your hormones are in transition. Studies2 show that as caffeine intake increases, so do hot flashes. Wean down your coffee or caffeinated tea and substitute with herbal teas. Brew yourself some herbal tea and make it iced for an even more cooling effect. You might even find that you have MORE energy once you cut down on caffeine.

Balance is important to all aspects of life and our health. When your hormones are transitioning, you often feel a huge sense of imbalance, which is why it's even more important to embrace behaviors that help create balance in the body during this time. This includes balancing your blood sugar. To do this, focus on getting a good source of protein (fish, chicken, beef, egg, nuts, beans, and legumes), healthy forms of fat (avocado, nuts and nut butters, olive oil, and animal protein with natural fats in them), and fiber at each meal. Have fat, fiber, and protein at every meal, and avoid simple refined carbohydrates and added sugar, and your blood sugar will stay more even throughout the day.

Paced, deep breathing activates your diaphragm and relaxation response and reduces the sympathetic nervous system activity in your body. Fifteen minutes of breathwork3 twice daily has been shown to cut the amount and intensity of hot flashes significantly. There are many great breathing and meditation apps out there to use, but a simple breathing exercise you can do on your own is to breathe in for a count of five, allowing your belly to soften and expand out, and then breathe out for a count of five. Do this for 15 minutes in the morning and evening, and watch your hot flashes diminish. Remember to call upon breathwork when a hot flash comes on. This will remind you to calm your sympathetic nervous system during the day.

Exercise like yoga releases stress, boosts endorphin levels, and helps the body release adrenaline. Because of this, exercise can greatly assist a woman's transition into menopause. Aim for 40 minutes of exercise every day. Getting outside in the morning can also help you sleep better at night. And of course, exercise is great for your overall health as well.

Black cohosh and rhubarb extract are some of my favorite herbs for helping decrease hot flashes. I also found acupuncture to be very helpful in decreasing my own hot flashes (and many of my patients report the same benefit). My acupuncturist explained that she was working on strengthening my yin and calming my yang; this helps cool your body and can help tremendously with all of the symptoms of perimenopause. I recommend acupuncture for many of my patients.

Want to know more about menopause? Here are 8 myths about this big life transformation we can stop believing right now.