Foods to Reduce Night Time Hot Flashes
Do you get hot flashes?
Are they mostly at night?
Do they set the bed on fire (but not in that way)?
Let's get you some solutions!
Before we do that, just some quick info on why
hot flashes occur so we can try to effect the root cause of these hormonal
symptoms.
What causes hot flashes?
As you can imagine it's all about hormonal
balance (or imbalance).
During the menstruating years your estrogen
allows for your ovaries to respond when “luteinizing hormone” (LH) says to
release those eggs every month.
When it gets to the point where your estrogen
levels start dropping (i.e. perimenopause) those ovaries start to simply ignore
the LH.
And guess what your body's response to this is?
It releases adrenaline!
This causes your body to heat up for a few
minutes until it cools itself back down.
What triggers hot flashes?
You may have already identified some of the
triggers of your hot flashes. Perhaps
they're related to the food and drinks you consume (e.g. coffee, spicy foods,
sugar, citrus fruit, large meals).
Maybe they're related to lifestyle factors (e.g.
stress, alcohol, smoking, certain medications or intense exercise).
Or maybe they get worse as your weight slowly
climbs (higher BMI)? Did you know that
some menopausal women who lost weight were able to eliminate their hot
flashes? Win-win!
Let's reduce those hot flash triggers naturally,
shall we?
Food #1 – Flax
Flax contains a “phytoestrogen” named
“lignan”. Phyto (plant) estrogens are
thought to help our bodies better balance hormones by mimicking them and
binding to certain hormone receptors.
Flax also contains fibre and omega-3 essential
fatty acids. Both are powerhouses for
better gut and heart health, additional benefit!
But here's where it gets interesting.
One study looked at thousands of women who
experienced at least 14 hot flashes per week.
Researchers had them add four tablespoons of flax meal to their
day.
Yes, just four tablespoons.
After 6 weeks the number of hot flashes they had
dropped in half and the intensity of those hot flashes dropped by more than
half!
Scientists think that's due mostly to the lignan
content of flax seeds.
That's some super-food!
It's also pretty easy to increase your intake of
flax. You can add one or two tablespoons
into your smoothie or sprinkle it on just about anything (breakfast, salad, nut
butters, etc.). Not to mention how easy
it is to add to your baking. (Hint, see
recipe below).
Pro Tip:
Flax seeds should be ground up in order to get most of their benefits
because much of the healthy compounds in them are securely stored beneath the hard
outer shell.
Food #2 – Water
OK, maybe this is more of a “drink” than a food
but hear me out.
When you get hot flashes you're losing more
water than you normally would. Similarly
to when you exercise.
Make sure you replace those critical fluids by
drinking enough water. A good habit is
to make sure that you don’t get to the point of feeling overly thirsty by
keeping a bottle, glass, or cup beside you all day long for frequent sips.
Water is definitely something to add (or
increase) to your daily intake when you're experiencing hot flashes.
Conclusion:
There are two critical things you should do if
you experience hot flashes: increase your intake of both flax and water.
Recipe (flax): Gluten-Free Oatmeal
Muffins
Serves 6
1 banana (very ripe)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 egg
¼ cup coconut sugar (optional)
½ cup flax meal*
¼ cup oat flour* or other gluten-free flour
½ cup oats (gluten-free)
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup nuts or dark chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 F and line 6 muffin tins.
Add banana, oil, egg, and sugar (if using) into
your blender and blend until smooth.
In a large bowl, stir together the dry
ingredients (oats, flax meal, gluten-free flour, and baking soda).
Add wet ingredients into dry and stir. Do not
over mix.
Add nuts or dark chocolate chips, if using.
Spoon into muffin tins. Bake for 15-20 min.
Serve & Enjoy!
*Tip: You
can blend flax and/or oats to make your own freshly ground flax meal or oat
flour.
Dedicated To Your Success,
John Heary, CFT, SFN, PFTS, MMACC, CUSC, CCFT
Certified Fitness Trainer
Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition
Certified Physique and Figure Trainer Specialist
Certified Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning Coach
Certified Underground Strength Coach
Certified Fitranx Instructor
Certified TRX Instructor
Certified Corporate Fitness Trainer
(716) 545-4090
References:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-flax
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