Alternative treatments for menopausal irritability
Dietary Changes to treat irritability
When you suffer from hormone changes, the first thing you need to do is check your diet. Menopause puts a huge stress on your body and it is important to make sure you are doing everything you can to relieve some of that stress. Many people benefit greatly by using healthy carbohydrates to increase their serotonin levels. The higher the serotonin level in your body, the happier you are and less irritable. Healthy carbohydrates come from whole grains, such as oatmeal, brown rice, and whole grain bread. You should choose grains that have minimal to no white flour. Refined flours and sugars cause a rise in blood sugar, which can raise your blood pressure and make you more irritable. Yeast breads should also be consumed minimally, as yeast will continue to grow in your body and can affect your mood. Many people who have an overgrowth of candida yeast are depressed and irritable.
What you drink is just as important as what eat. This is because what you take into your body, regardless of liquid or solid, will affect your mood. Caffeinated beverages are just as bad as alcoholic beverages in causing irritability. Sugar, caffeine and alcohol can cause a crash effect, which will then increase the severity of the mood swing you experience. Alcohol is already a depressant and lowers your serotonin levels. A drink that is good for you is carrot juice. Carrot juice contains natural insulin and can stabilize your pancreas. Some studies have shown that your pancreas is an organ directly involved in keeping your moods stable.
Daily Lifestyle Changes in irritability treatment
If you have suffered from any type of stress and sleep deprivation, you will notice that your irritability is much higher. Irritability is directly affected by hunger, stress, exhaustion, and lack of exercise. Lowering your stress levels is the fastest way to regulate your irritability and mood swings. Try taking yoga and learning breathing exercises to use when you feel your stress level rising. Other techniques many women find successful during menopause are relaxation exercises, massage, hypnosis, and visualization techniques.
For any relaxation technique to work, however, you need to make sure you are getting a full night's sleep. By eliminating caffeine from your diet, you already have taken out a stimulus that can prevent you from sleeping. It is also important to turn the TV off at the same time every night, keep the same routine, and try to eliminate snoring by sleeping on your side. While suffering from menopause, it is a good idea to sleep eight hours every night.
Exercise is another way to raise your serotonin levels by releasing endorphins. The endorphins reduce cortisol and remove stress from your body. Simply getting some physical exercise for 20-30 minutes a day, three to four days a week, will help stabilize your mood and make you happier. Exercise can also help you sleep better at night because you are not as anxious.
Finally, if you are struggling with menopause irritability, you should seek assistance from a support group. You are not the only one going through the hormonal changes of menopause, and not the only one suffering from irritability. Friends, family members, therapists, and support groups are great ways to release your fears and stresses in a safe environment. There are many natural and healthy ways to treat menopause irritability, HRT should not be among your arsenal of methods.
