When night sweats, mood swings, insomnia and hot flashes hit, it sets every woman into the stressful position of having to learn how their body functions all over again. Regaining comfort after menopause sets in can be a challenge. Before we look into the 18 natural remedies for menopause, let’s take a look at what’s going on when “the change” comes about.

The biological process of menopause is a complex one. The most significant change that occurs and sets off a chain reaction of changes is the loss of ovarian follicles, which begin to decrease the amount of estrogen being produced in the body. Following the onset of the loss of follicles are the onset of a number of hormonal changes, including:

Regaining comfort from the effects of menopause requires gaining control over these hormone imbalances.

These natural remedies for menopause will help you regain comfort over menopause, but they’re not inclusive. Discussing the changes that are taking place should still be discussed with your health care professional.

Top 18 Natural Remedies for Menopause to Regain Comfort

Stress Management

Stress management from the effects of your hormonal changes is the first on our list of natural remedies for menopause.

What to do:

How it works:
Managing stress helps you clear your mind and make a plan for adapting to the changes your body is experiencing.

Avoid Processed Foods

Our natural remedies for menopause include eliminating packaged and processed foods from your diet.

What to do:

How it works:
Packaged foods contain preservatives, chemical additives, sodium and added sugars, which work against balancing your hormones.

Avoid Refined Sugars

Avoiding refined sugars in your diet is also part of the natural remedies for menopause plan.

What to do:

How it works:
Refined sugars tend to increase hot flashes as well as work against hormone balancing efforts.

Avoid Refined Oils and Fried Foods

Natural remedies for menopause also include eliminating refined oils and the foods that are fried in them.

What to do:

How it works:
Refined oils and fried foods also work against your goal of balancing your hormone levels.

Avoid Carbonated Drinks

We hate to have to include carbonated drinks on our list of natural remedies for menopause, but we must.

What to do: avoid sodas, even diet or sugar free, regardless of what sweetener is used.

How it works:
Weakening of bones is one of the resulting symptoms of menopause, carbonated drinks deplete calcium which helps keep bones strong.

Reduce Alcohol

Next on the list of natural remedies for menopause is reducing your consumption of alcohol.

What to do:

How it works:
Alcohol had been found to aggravate hot flashes and contributes to weight gain.

Whole Fruits and Vegetables

We’ve taken away plenty of foods with our natural remedies for menopause, let’s add some that help you regain comfort, starting with whole fruits and vegetables.

What to do:

How it works:
Whole fruits and vegetables contain compounds like indole-3-carbinol, phytosterols, antioxidants, fiber and are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. All of these nutrients assist in balancing hormone levels.

High Fiber Foods

High fiber foods are also part of the natural remedies for menopause plan.

What to do:

How it works:
Heart health, cholesterol control and weight gain are all challenges of aging, but studies show that high fiber also enhances the proper production of estrogen.

Phytoestrogen Foods

Another of the natural remedies for menopause is the addition or increased consumption of phytoestrogen foods.

What to do:

How it works:
Phytoestrogen foods mimic estrogen and help ease the transition of your estrogen imbalance by reducing symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

Healthy Fats

A list of natural remedies for menopause would be incomplete without adding healthy fats to it.

What to do:

How it works:
Healthy fats from these foods and oils contain omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E, which help regulate and balance hormone production.

Probiotic Foods

Probiotic foods are also an essential element of our natural remedies for menopause plan.

What to do:

How it works:
Probiotic foods produce beneficial bacteria, which help streamline the processing of nutrients that are beneficial to maintaining hormone balance.

The simplest and most readily available addition to our natural remedies for menopause is water.

What to do:

How it works:
Besides making all of your body’s organs and systems function at optimal levels, water helps to replace lost fluids from night sweats and hot flashes as well as decrease feelings of bloating.

Black Cohosh

Dietary supplements can also be included among natural remedies for menopause. We’ll begin with black cohosh.

What to do: take 80 mg 1 or 2 times daily.

How it works:
Black cohosh can improve sleep quality, reduce hormonal imbalances and prevent hot flashes and night sweats.

Vitex, aka chasteberry, is another supplement that works well on our list of natural remedies for menopause.

What to do: 160 to 240 mg daily is the ideal dosage for vitex.

How it works:
Vitex includes many of the same hormone balancing qualities as black cohosh and produces similar effects.

Dong Quai

Chinese medicine adds the next item to our natural remedies for menopause; a supplement called dong quai.

What to do:

How it works:
Dong quai has been used in Chinese medicine for more than 1200 years for the reduction of hot flashes.

Basil and Peppermint Oils

Essential oils can also have a beneficial effect, so they are also included in our natural remedies for menopause, beginning with basil and peppermint oil.

What to do:

How it works:
Basil oil contains an estrogen like component, which when mixed with peppermint oil can also help reduce hot flashes.

Lavender Oil and Vitamin E

The sweet smell of lavender oil mixed with vitamin E is another aromatic addition to our list of natural remedies for menopause.

What to do:

How it works:
Lavender oil helps to balance hormones. When vitamin E is added, it can also repair skin and tissue and help relieve vaginal dryness.

Thyme Oil

Rounding out our list of natural remedies for menopause is thyme oil.

What to do:

How it works:
Thyme oil, like peppermint oil, is very effective at reducing the intensity of hot flashes.

Coping Tips for Those Going through Menopause

We talk a lot about the physical symptoms of menopause and how to control in this article, as well as most other articles out there. But we rarely ever talk about how to handle the mental frustration and sadness that can come along with hitting menopause. For most women, menopause is a time they dread. It symbolizes aging, no longer being able to have babies, and a sense of losing their womanhood. For others, this can be a time of recognizing that our bodies are incredible as they shift throughout the years and a woman in her child bearing years as well as a woman in menopause are both worthy and full women! If you are struggling with the first mindset, let’s tackle some tips on how to emotionally and mentally handle the changes occurring in your body. 

1. Be Kind to Yourself

This looks different for everyone. For some, it means speaking love and encouragement over your ever changing body. For others, it looks like going to therapy and talking through the changes and disruptions. For others still, it means listening to your body and pulling back in areas that are stressful or overwhelming in order to take care of yourself. This is where the term “self care” can apply beautifully. Learn what you love, learn how to care for yourself, learn how to slow down. Doing these things will allow you to remain healthy in the face of menopause. 

2. Remember This Is Growth

It can be hard to see menopause as something that beauty grows from. For many, it symbolizes death. But it is important to remember that though hitting menopause marks the close of a chapter, it also marks the opening of a new one. There are plenty of new experiences to be had, new things and people to love, and new life “birth” in a sense. Reframe this time in your life to mark growth and not death for your future.

3. Release Control through Movement, Faith, and Creativity

This period of time in your life can certainly feel like a time where you are losing control. Weight is being put on your body no matter what you do, you’ll notice hair falling out, and you’ll be cold when you know it is actually hot (or vise versa). Instead of coping in an unhealthy way by trying to control others or trying to control all situations in your life, decide to release control through faith and creativity and movement. What I mean by this is deciding that you will move the body you’re in and love it as you do. If you have not adopted a faith yet, this could be a good time. Believing in a higher power such as God and the grace and mercy displayed in faith can do wonders for releasing your fear and sense of powerlessness. Lastly, adopt creativity! By doing this, you are able to get that negative energy out through art forms. Take a class and get creative! 

Wrapping it Up

The changes that come upon you suddenly will be enough to shake up your routine, with a plan of action that includes several of our top 18 natural remedies for menopause, you can regain some comfort while you adjust to the new you. If you want to suggest other remedies not listed here or have used any of these remedies, be sure to share in the comments below.