There is little doubt that menopause is a taxing time both physically and emotionally. For busy women trying to live normal, active and fulfilling lives, it can be extremely frustrating to deal with the many symptoms of menopause, all of which can be exhausting, upsetting and sometimes unpleasant. Nevertheless, similar to menstruation and pregnancy, women are expected to solider on and keep smiling! And by and large that is precisely what the vast majority of women do when they go through menopause they just keep on smiling and go on working and living with grace and good humor. That said, there are ways of managing the symptoms of menopause to minimise their intrusion on your lifestyle.

If you are going through menopause the old adage forewarned is forearmed is one of the best pieces of advice you can get. Knowing about the sorts of things you might feel during menopause allows you to be mentally prepared. And since there are so many symptoms of menopause, you need to be ready for almost anything, not least of all heart rate irregularities, migraines, weight gain, sleep problems, mood swings, depression, muscular and joint pains. There are lesser known symptoms as well.

Ask any menopausal woman though and she will tell you that one of the more unsettling symptoms of menopause are hot flashes. While they are not life-threatening or dangerous, hot flashes can be unexpected, uncomfortable and distracting. And when you have never experienced them before, hot flashes can even be frightening!

Actually, there are both hot and cold flashes, and they are quite simple to explain. Hot and cold flashes are simply changes to your internal thermal stability that can be traced back to your hypothalamus. Just imagine your body has an internal thermostat. This internal thermostat is regulated mostly by your hypothalamus, which is an area situated at the base of your brain, just above your pituitary gland. Certain functions of the hypothalamus are affected by changes to the level of estrogen being produced in the body. Since womens ovaries naturally begin to produce less estrogen during menopause, these hormonal fluctuations upset the hypothalamus causing it to quickly alter the body temperature in response. The result? A hot or cold flash!

Although hot or cold flashes can be unpleasant, the good news is that there are some strategies you can adopt to lessen their impact. The first option you may wish to explore is estrogen replacement therapy, a potential course of action you will need to discuss with your physician. There are plenty of diet and lifetsyle changes you can implement as well however that are simple and cost you next to nothing. For example, avoid caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods as well as sugary drinks, since these are all known to be trigger foods that cause flashes. Other no-nos to rule out are highly-processed foods, like white rice, breads and flours, as well as sweets, cakes and cookies, which tend to use white sugar, white flours and corn syrup. Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and include plenty of fruit, vegetables and legumes in your diet, especially those that contain high levels of phytoestrogens, such as apples, carrots, beans, green leafy vegetables and seaweed. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant-based estrogens that connect with estrogen receptors in your body. Not only will that help you combat hot and cold flashes, but by consuming phytoestrogens you will also help reduce the impact of other menopause symptoms.

As far as lifestyle is concerned, many women say that doing regular exercise and relaxation practices such as yoga, meditation or Tai Chi helps them to deal with flashes because they have a better overall frame of mind. Alternative health remedies such as acupuncture and herbal supplements are also worth exploring as they offer a natural method for bringing your symptoms under control.

Dont let hot and cold flashes get in the way of a normal, happy life. By knowing the reasons behind them you can see they are a normal response to the hormonal changes in your body. And by implementing dietary and lifestyle changes, you can start to take control again!