Tips to Improve Women’s Health
Women’s health is an integral part of a healthy society, that's why we have an ongoing commitment towards improving women's health through education, awareness, and healthy habits.
Women's Health positively affects the overall health of the population. However, they are affected more than men with many chronic diseases and conditions, some of them imposed by biological factors such as pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, osteoporosis, and let's not forget, mental health like anxiety, depression and eating disorders. Women are also prone to heart disease, obesity and hormonal issues.
It is important that women understand their bodies and are aware of the risks associated with poor health as there are ways to promote women's health, reduce the risk of developing these conditions and learn how to manage others.
In a woman’s body, hormonal imbalance can wreak havoc.
Hormone levels alter dramatically during the life stages of women, such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause when the body experiences great change. For these bodily functions to happen smoothly, the hormones present in a woman’s body, oestrogen, progesterone and to a lesser extent, testosterone need to be in a delicate balance. Sometimes, this balance can become disrupted which can cause troublesome symptoms and continual health problems.
Unusually high levels of stress, medications, bad diet, poor sleep patterns, thyroid issues and environmental pollutants may cause hormones to become unbalanced.
Back in the “old days” women were told to grin and bear it, with symptoms explained away as “womens problems”. We now know that there is a lot that can be done to encourage hormones back into their natural balance.
Herbs, specific for the female reproductive system, can work wonders to rebalance hormones. A Naturopath/Herbalist can be your best mate when it comes to finding the right herb or mix of herbs for you.
Naturopath, Peter Balogh, shares 5 potent herbs for female hormonal balance.
Vitex - Vitex agnus-castus
Vitex strengths lie in supporting a healthy menstrual cycle. Vitex can help to reduce painful periods, relieve mood swings, and help to regulate an irregular menstrual cycle. It is also beneficial for women who are experiencing symptoms of menopause such as night sweats and moodiness.
White Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)
White Peony, used in traditional Chinese medicine to help support female hormonal balance. By positively influencing female hormones, White Peony is a valuable herb for regulating the menstrual cycle and relieving painful periods.
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
The symptoms of menopause are many, night sweats and hot flushes often associated with menopause can be alleviated using Sage. Symptoms like impaired memory recall and poor concentration can be helped using Sage by supporting mental clarity and improving memory recall.
Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa or Actaea racemosa)
Black Cohosh is highly regarded for its vast array of benefits including supporting female hormones during menopause and perimenopause.
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)
Shatavari promotes a healthy reproductive system and is traditionally used as a rejuvenative tonic to help women gracefully transition through various phases of life, including sexual development, fertility, reproduction, menopause and beyond.
5 Lifestyle tips for Women’s Health
Diet and exercise play an enormous part in every area of health. Naturopath, Peter Balogh, suggests tips to tweak your diet and lifestyle that will improve your health and hormones:
- Include healthier fats into your diet to support a healthy balance of hormones and fight inflammation. Include avocado, fatty fish such as salmon, seeds like linseeds and nuts to your diet list along with beneficial oils such as flaxseed oil.
- Avoid bad fats such as those in fried or processed foods, this type of fat can promote inflammation and poor health all round. You don’t need it in your life.
- Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates, these truly aren’t good for anybody! Choose whole foods like brown rice, quinoa, beans, and legumes, if you love your bread, make it wholegrain. These foods will regulate your blood sugar levels, keeping your energy levels up and your mood stable.
- Physical activity is beneficial for everybody, find what works for you and be consistent. Regular exercise keeps bones strong and muscles supple, as well as supporting heart health and weight management.
- Manage your stress. Extreme or chronic stress may cause menstrual cycles to become irregular and trigger mood swings.
