Is it me or is it my hormones? Many women find themselves becoming increasingly more irritable and depressed as they enter perimenopause. Television commercials make us cry. , We fly off the handle at our family Little things that didn’t upset us before may become overwhelmingly intolerant. What started as a perfectly happy day has been interrupted by dark clouds of depression, stress and anger. PMS is nothing compared to the hormonal changes that affect some women during this time. Many of these feelings are the direct physical result of fluctuating, unbalanced hormones. Most doctors will tell you it's normal for a woman your age to feel this way. You are in perimenopause and you may as well get use to it!  Well don't believe them. There is help and sometimes you need to seek alternative methods to find it, Get your hormones and thyroid tested by a doctor or practitioner who believes in using bioidentical hormones to replenish the hormones you may be lacking in. Don’t despair!  There are ways to balance these hormones and ease the symptoms of perimenopause.

Many women enter menopause already burned out from a high stress lifestyle and inadequate diet. Women who eat a nutritionally balanced diet  can easily sail through menopause. A high lean protein diet for neurotransmitter production will go a long way in helping you feel better and keeping the perimenopause symptom of "mid-life" weight from creeping on. I’m not talking about the Atkin’s diet. I mean a good balanced diet of lean protein and good carboyhydrates like fruits and vegetables. Cut down on high glycemic foods that make your blood sugar crash. Anything white needs to be thrown out of your pantry. White bleached flour and white sugar are  very high on the glycemic index.  Also, Omega 3 fats go directly to your brain. The more omega 3's, the better your mood. Eat cold water fish twice a week at least and you’ll make your omega 3 quota. You can also supplement it to be sure you get this essential fatty acid.

Doctors like to medicate these perimenopause symptoms of moodiness and depression with antidepressants like Zoloft, Wellbutrin and Prozax among others. Zoloft is marketed specifically for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD, and is heavily prescribed. Prescription drugs can be very hard on the liver and extremely difficult to withdraw from. If all else fails, antidepressants certainly have their place and can be extremely valuable. However, there are more natural gentle ways of balancing hormones and brain neurotransmitters that have a  positive effect on the body.

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is your brain’s natural valium. Valium was actually designed to mimic GABA’s naturally calming effects. GABA is both a potent mood enhancer and an amino acid. Too much stress can deplete our natural GABA supplies. Taken as a supplement, GABA can turn off our stress reaction after an upset and even help prevent one from actually happening! Biochemists call it an “inhibitory neurotransmitter”. It turns off chemicals like adrenaline production that can be overwhelming under times of stress.

St. John’s Wort has been proven to be as effective for depression as Prozac and more effective that Zoloft. It’s been used in Europe for over 20 years and outsells Prozac in Germany. St. John’s Wort is an herb with very little side effects. Not too much is known about how and why it works – only that it does work. It effectively raises serotonin levels in the brain that can ease perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms.

Sam-e (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) is a chemical found naturally in every cell of our bodies. It is crucial in the production of serotonin and other mood-regulation neurotransmitters in the brain. The great thing about Sam-e is that it is incredibly good for your liver – and by the time you hit perimenopause, your liver can probably use some cleaning out. Our body’s supply of Sam-e become very depleted with a poor diet and stress, especially when the vitamins B12 and folic acid required for its production are low. If you do decide to supplement with Sam-e, be sure to take a B complex vitamin at the same time. Sam-e needs B vitamins to produce serotonin and will not be as effective without it.

Exercise is one of the best ways you can give to yourself. A good vigorous exercise produces endorphins, the feel good chemical of the brain. Many women put themselves last and often neglect their workouts. If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your family. Put yourself first on your list – it’s essential for your health, your mood and your life.