Why anxiety is so common around menopause and natural ways to feel better

woman sitting feeling anxious

If you're going through peri-menopause or menopause, you may find you're suffering varying degrees of anxiety, even if you've never had it in the past.  Physical symptoms can go along with these feelings, including sweating, palpitations, panic attacks, shaking, nausea and diarrhoea, being just a few.

Everyone feels anxious at times, it’s part of our stress response, it enables us to deal with danger so we stay alive.  But when anxiety turns into excessive fear, panic and worry, it can have a devastating effect on both home and work life.

You can watch the video below or listen to the podcast (episode 71).

What fuels anxiety?

As well as outside circumstances and psychological factors, anxiety also has physical causes that can fuel or exacerbate it, especially in midlife;

Hormones

  1. Cortisol – Midlife transitions (both physical and emotional) can increase stress levels, and too much (or too little) cortisol can interfere with your brain neurotransmitters and increase anxiety.

Tip;  Schedule in daily stress management practices, such as meditation, mindfulness, exercise, nature, hobbies, deep breathing, yoga, reading, massage, whatever helps to relax you. Adrenal adaptogenic supplements can also help.

  1. Sex hormones – fluctuations of hormones during menopause can hugely impact how you feel. Oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone have a big role to play in how your brain works, and therefore how you feel. Changes in these hormones can increase anxiety, depression and general brain function.

Tip;  If you're not taking HRT, include phytoestrogens in your diet to help regulate your levels; eg flaxseeds, lentils, organic soy. Consider getting your hormones tested if you are having symptoms and other things aren't working.

  1. Insulin – a high sugar/refined carb/processed diet can push up insulin, which can cause inflammation in the brain, altering neurotransmitters and mood.

Tip; Eat a LOW GL diet, plenty of protein, healthy fats and complex carbs, limit snacking, and reduce alcohol. This will help to keep your blood sugar stable and reduce inflammation.

  1. Thyroid – low thyroid hormones can restrict the supply of energy to the brain, which can disrupt normal mood and brain function and increase anxiety.

Tip; get your thyroid properly tested; ask for TSH, T4, T3 and antibodies. Nutrients to support thyroid include iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, zinc, selenium, iodine.

Gut health

We know there is a direct link between your gut and your brain. If your gut isn’t happy, then it can contribute to low mood and/or anxiety.

Tip; if you have digestive issues, try eliminating foods that you might be sensitive to (eg gluten or dairy) for a few weeks to notice how you feel. Include foods rich in probiotics such as live yoghurt, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha to rebalance your gut bacteria. 

Nutrient Deficiencies 

These vitamins and minerals are crucial for brain health –  Magnesium (nature’s tranquiliser!), Vitamin D (sunshine), B12, B6 (helps to make neurotransmitters like serotonin), Folate (helps B12 and iron), Iron (carries oxygen to brain cells), Omega 3 fats and zinc, among others. If we don't get enough from our diet, OR we are not absorbing them very well, deficiencies can occur and cause symptoms.

Supplements for Anxiety

If you are feeling overly anxious, eating a well balanced healthy diet is essential, but adding in certain nutrients can really help too, including;

  • Multivitamin (with active forms of B vitamins)
  • Magnesium (as Glycinate or Threonate)
  • Vitamin D3 (with K2 preferably)
  • Omega 3 DHA/EPA
  • Adrenal support formulas (eg Ashwaghanda, Rhodiola, Bacopa, Lemon Balm, L-Theanine)
  • CBD Oil

Check out my recommended brands at Approved Vitamins. And I love Stress Support from NuMind as it includes many of the above in one daily mix!

(Please check with your Doctor before taking any new supplements if you're on any medication or have a health condition).

Testing

If you think the source of your anxiety is more physical than emotional, then testing can be really useful in identifying the root cause. We specialise in state of the art hormone and health tests that can often show hidden underlying imbalances. Contact us for more information.

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