Hot flashes or Hotflushes are defined as one of the most aggravating symptoms that women endure during Menopause. A more scientific description is when the body's internal thermometer drops a few degrees, the part of the brain that regulates the body's heat then sends an erroneous message that the body needs to be warmed up. That message goes to the blood vessels which releases excess heat particularly near the skin, neck, face and chest. Once the blood vessels return to its regular size you feel cooled again.
Even though every Women's experience is different, there are many commonalities in hot
flashes, such as;
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o They tend to last between 30 seconds and 6 minutes
o You could experience hot flashes once a day or once every hour of the day
o The upper body is more likely to heat up
o You may experience nightsweats in addition to the daytime hot flashes
o They occur more during the warmer seasons and in the evenings
PHYTOESTROGEN
The next portion of this article is to explain what help is available to anyone who is willing to be proactive. Studies show that there are Women in various countries that do not experience Menopause or Hot flashes. The common thread is their diet. Their diet contains a large percent of Phytoestrogens. What are Phytoestrogens? They are plant substances that reacts similarly in the body like Estrogen.
Foods which are rich in Phytoestrogens are:
o Omega 3 which is found in-(Flaxseeds);
o Fruits and Vegetables-Apples, cherries, olives, plums, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, egg plant, tomatoes, garlic, onions, potatoes, alfalfa sprouts, peppers, chili, carrots, yams;
o Herbs and seasonings-Alfalfa, aniseed, coconut fennel, licorice, sage, oregano, flaxseed
o Beans, Grains,& seeds-peanuts, soy products, peas, garbanzo beans, brown rice bulgar, oats, wheat germ and rye.
o Soy-Researchers found women in Asian Countries do not experience hot flashes like American Women because of their diet. The diet contains soy on a daily bases and they have found that other women in current studies who eat at least one serving of Soy daily have fewer hot flashes.
Soy plants contain 3 of the most potent phytoestrogens available -genistun, daizein and glycitein. They fall under a category known as isoflavones.
You can find soy in, tofu, tempeh, soymilk, soy yogurt, meso, edamame, flaxseed, soynuts, etc.
o Omega 3-The essential fatty acid. It is called essential because the body does not manufacture it. Examples of Omega 3 are:
Foods-Fatty fish,(mackerel and salmon), soybeans, wheat germ, chestnuts, and walnuts.
Oils-Flaxseed oil, Walnut oil, wheat germ oil, and soybean oil.
It is recommended that you take ½ t of flaxseed oil daily to see a difference. As your system gets use to it you can increase the dosage.
o Yams-Sapagenin-The value of yam sapagenins have a weak estrogenic activity and are phytoestrogen in their own right. Recommend Mexican wild yam.
o Supplements-If you are unable to find fresh products, consider supplements in a pill or capsule form. Flaxseed oil, fish oil, omega 3 can be purchased at your local health food store.
Even though it is natural to experience hot flashes during the menopausal stage, phytoestrogens, a natural remedy for hot flashes, can be used to relieve physical and emotional discomfort and help you to have a better quality of life.
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