Is your stress becoming more stressful, or is your food becoming indigestive? Are you around at the age of 40? If yes, Menopause it is, that’s causing you discomfort.
Menopause has a variety of symptoms. You’d find it all dreadful if, first, you know nothing about Menopause; second, you don’t want to talk about it; and third, you believe that it’s a natural process and you can do nothing about it.
Although we all know the symptoms of Menopause, digestive problems during this phase are something that is least discussed about. Fear not lady; in this article, we are going to discuss it so you know what you should do if you have digestion problems during Menopause.
Menopause and its symptoms
Menopause is a transitional phase that puts a pause to your fertility and to that ‘Girl Flu’ that knocks in every month. As good as that sounds, it comes with a series of changes that might trouble you more than the ‘girl flu’.
Menopause has a number of symptoms: hot flashes, anxiety, depression, mood swings, night sweats, and much more, even constipation or indigestion. Have you ever thought there could be a connection between Menopause and constipation? Yes, there is. And we’ll tell you how to deal with the same.
There are more issues that your stomach might be suffering from, like bowel inconsistency, rumbling sounds, bloating, stomach pain and cramps, bowel urgency, heartburn, etc., that are indeed uncomfortable, and let us see how we can tackle these problems.
Tackling the digestive issues during Menopause
Dealing with the symptoms of Menopause hasn’t been easy, especially because it doesn’t vanish in a year or two, it lasts for a longer period, and you might experience more new symptoms each passing day.
Stomach and digestion issues, for instance, are some of the least discussed issues and definitely need more light on them.
Common stomach issues during Menopause
- Indigestion
- Acid reflux
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Gas
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea
- Rumbling noises
- Bowel urgency
- Bowel incontinence
- Feeling of fullness
- A feeling of bitter-tasting fluids or food in the mouth
Tips for relief
Stomach problems really get onto our nerves, not like the other symptoms do not, but the fact that you can eat something sweet and lift your mood works until you have stomach issues, and then you can not even eat something to lift your mood. So you see, however neglected, that’s a major issue.
Here’s a list of practices that you can adopt to ease your digestive issues:
- Regain your balance with phytoestrogens – Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring compounds that perform functions similar to estrogen. Although the effects of phytoestrogen are much weaker than the natural estrogens, they can interact well with the estrogen receptors in the human body. It somehow acts as compensation for the estrogen loss in the body.
Phytoestrogen is found in veggies like beans and potatoes, fruits like dates and apples, seeds like flax sesame, grains like oats, barley, soy like tofu, tempeh, miso, and also in mint, ginseng, fennel, and anise.
- Consume Magnesium – Magnesium is good for alleviating menopause symptoms, and it particularly eases digestion and other stomach issues. Besides, magnesium can also minimize mood swings, maintain healthy bones, regulate heartbeat, and support your immune system too.
Now that you know so many benefits of magnesium, kindly do not go ahead and eat only magnesium-rich foods, as too much of it can cause problems like diarrhea.
- Fiber Up – Incorporate fiber-rich foods into your diet. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains are some of the food items that are rich in fiber, promote bowel movements, and help ease constipation.
- Hydrate, sleep, exercise – Staying hydrated, sound sleep, and regular exercise can solve more problems than you think. Drink a lot of water, at least eight glasses. Exercise regularly and keep yourself active and working because this will help you have a sound sleep.
- Chew slowly – Remember when our grandparents told us to switch off the TV or the mobile phone while we were eating? They were right. Being thoughtful while you are eating and how you are eating is a very important part of your meal.
Chew your food slowly, give your taste buds the time to determine the taste and your tongue the time to produce saliva (which helps in the digestion of the food).
- Stress management – taking too much stress may also exacerbate your digestive issues. Practice stress management techniques like yoga and meditation. Keep yourself busy and engage in activities of your interests. Or you can simply go for a walk or jog and explore nature.
This may seem silly, but try to stay away from people who are always complaining no matter what or are always nagging about their relationship problems. Yeah, you’re a nice person and want to help people, but do you want it at the cost of your digestive problems, which in turn will hamper your eating habits, which I’m sure you wouldn’t like.
- Go natural – Peppermint oil is said to have helped people in their indigestion problems and has helped them in their abdominal pain and discomfort.
Ginger, too, is a natural remedy for indigestion; however, too much ginger can cause problems that you wouldn’t even want to hear about. Ginger, too, is a good option to go for, it isn’t too much nor too little and has good taste.
Conclusion
Menopause is a natural phase; however, it does feel like it’s simple here to cause a hurricane. You wouldn’t really be affected by the hurricane if you took the necessary precautions.
I hope this article helps in relieving symptoms of menopause. However, if the issue persists (sadly), you will have to consult a professional. Professional is always a good option to go for since our body types are different, and you never know how something may affect you.
It’s better to consult your doctor before opting for anything to avoid consequences in the long run.
