Search Here

If you walk into any cute boutique, you're likely to find some napkin or tea towel with a joke about menopause. It'll say something about hot flashes as your body's way of showing everyone how "hot" you are, in a colloquial sense.

And while it's good to have a sense of humor about menopause, those towels or napkins won't give you any relief.

Want to learn some tips on how to prevent menopause from making you have those hot flashes in the first place? Read below.

1. Get Enough Sleep

We know, we know, it's a lot easier to say " get more sleep" than it actually is to get more sleep. Especially if you're experiencing menopause symptoms in the middle of the night.

However, the less sleep you get, whether it's from symptoms or not, the more symptoms you're going to have.

If you're already in the can't sleep because of symptoms, and it's making symptoms worse cycle, you'll need to use multiple tips from this list to get you out of it.

The easiest way to increase sleep? Go to bed an hour (or two!) earlier than you usually would. Studies show that those who go to sleep earlier than 11 pm get better quality sleep than those that go to bed after 11, even if those two people sleep the same number of hours.

If you're already doing that and just laying in bed not sleeping for the extra hour, try setting a screen and "wind-down" bedtime for yourself.

Need more information on how to do that? The book The Sleep Revolution by Ariana Huffington has some great tips.

Finally, if you haven't tried a melatonin supplement at bedtime, you should do so. It's possible to find a melatonin supplement with primrose oil, which you should be taking for menopausal symptoms anyways: one pill, two stones.

2. Eat Fewer Simple Carbs

We love carbs, don't get us wrong - especially cheese danish from a certain bakery around the corner. But while you're going through menopause, it's better to skip the white flour and sugar concoctions altogether (even though technically, the cheese danish does have protein).

Refined carbs have been found to increase the risk of depression in women both during and before menopause. Depression isn't fun for anyone, no matter what stage of life they're in, and it can make the eventual menopausal mood swings worse.

Even further, those simple carbs spike and then quickly drop your blood sugar, leaving you cranky, tired, and wanting more carbs.

We're not saying you have to go full keto (though you can research keto diets for menopause if you want) but stick to whole grains and complex carbs whenever possible.

3. Lose Weight

Yes, we know that this, too, is easier said than done. And that it's tiring to hear that losing weight will solve your menopause problems in each article about symptoms.

So we wouldn't recommend it if it wasn't true.

There are pretty convincing benefits to losing weight during menopause. A large-sample study found that women who lost 10 pounds or more during menopause eliminated or significantly reduced night sweats and hot flashes.

On an even more positive note, eating fewer simple carbs can help you lose weight, as can getting more sleep. Using menopause symptom-relief tips in tandem with each other makes a bigger difference than using one tip alone.

4. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

This tip is a little redundant, but it's worth saying twice.

Since you're eliminating (or greatly reducing) simple carbs from your diet, you want to replace them with fruits and vegetables. The fiber and vitamin content in fruits and veggies can not only help you lose weight (which we know helps symptoms), but it also lowers your risk of heart disease.

Not thrilled about this idea? Take a chance once morning and try sweet potato toast.

It's literally a thin slice of sweet potato that you put in your toaster (or toaster oven). Then top it with whatever you'd usually put on toast (but use a fork and knife to eat it).

The fiber from the sweet potato will keep you fuller for longer and won't spike your blood sugar as much as bread.

Does it take some getting used to? Yes - but most people learn to like it.

Not a big sweet potato fan? Replace your normal breakfast with high-quality oatmeal (no added sugars!) and organic fruit. It has the same filling effects, but it is easier to eat on the go or at work.

5. Get a New Mattress

Ok, so this tip doesn't come from a research study on reducing menopause symptoms, but that doesn't mean it won't help.

The mattress that you're sleeping on likely needs to be replaced. Mattresses would have a "life" of about ten years or maybe 15 if you bought it in the 21st century.

Need more motivation to buy a new mattress? They now make beds that are built to cool you while you sleep - an essential function when you're going through menopause.

Still not convinced? Check out this gross fact: mattresses gain about 10 pounds over their lifetime from all the dust and dead skin cells they absorb.

6. Take Some Glutathione Supplements

Glutathione, pronounced gluta (like gluten) thee (rhymes with sea) own, is an antioxidant found in the body. It's thought to reduce the risk of Parkinson's, cancer and prevent age-related eye problems like glaucoma.

Along with that, evidence is beginning to show that those that have adequate glutathione levels have fewer hot flashes and weight gain during menopause.

Don't want to take another pill? You can get it in patch form! Learn more at https://www.patchmd.com/glutathione-benefits.html

How to Prevent Menopause Symptoms from Making You Miserable

One of the most Googled terms related to this change in life is "how to prevent menopause". What those Googlers don't know (and will soon learn) is that there's no way to prevent this hormonal change in life.

There are, however, ways you can control and manage the symptoms.

We hope you found our tips helpful and that you get the relief you seek. For more health-related tips, browse our health tab above!