As menopause can bring a wide range of changes and experiences, women may find themselves working with a range of healthcare providers and expert practitioners. Different forms of care can offer complementing benefits throughout the menopause experience.
Naturopaths and nutritionists can provide an important role in this care package, offering menopausal women holistic support in every aspect of their physical and mental experience.
What is a naturopath?
A naturopath is a health professional who takes a holistic approach to wellness, emphasising the body’s inherent ability to self-heal. Naturopaths are advocates for natural, non-invasive therapies, with an approach to care that’s focused on treating the root cause of health issues, rather than solely responding to symptoms.
Naturopaths work from a comprehensive understanding of the human body, including how its interconnected systems relate to each other. Their care is grounded in the belief that the body, with appropriate supporting conditions, can heal itself and maintain a state of optimal health.
This means naturopathy has a broad scope, with practices encompassing aspects including nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine and lifestyle counselling.
Naturopathy is a highly personalised discipline, taking into account the unique needs of each individual to build tailored treatment plans that take into account factors such as the patient’s health history, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and their emotional well-being.
How naturopaths can provide support during menopause
As hormone levels fluctuate throughout menopause, this can cause symptoms such as hot flushes, dysregulated moods, insomnia, and night sweats. Naturopathic treatments can support some menopausal women by looking to alleviate these symptoms.
Naturopaths may also focus on empowering women to understand their bodies, building more awareness about the changes they’re experiencing that can, in turn, help them to take more control over their menopausal process.
What is a nutritionist?
Nutritionists serve all kinds of individuals, guiding them to make healthier food choices through the creation and monitoring of balanced, nutritious diets. Nutritionists specialise in the study of food and nutrition, with their work grounded in the foundation that the food we eat has significant impacts on our health and wellbeing.
Nutritionists also provide highly individualised care through the creation of personalised nutrition plans. These plans will be shaped with a range of factors in mind, including age, health status, physical activity levels, dietary preferences, allergies and intolerances. By analysing these elements, nutritionists are able to build robust strategies that lead to improvements in overall dietary intake, as well as supporting healthy weight management, enhancing sports performance, or managing medical conditions in which diet plays a key influencing role (like diabetes or heart disease).
The role of nutrition during menopause
Maintaining a balanced diet during menopause can be one of the most effective lifestyle tools when it comes to managing symptoms. Without proper nutrition, menopausal symptoms may be exacerbated, making it even harder to navigate the fluctuating physical changes of this season.
Nutritionists can provide effective support for women in the midst of each of menopause’s stages. By building a personalised diet plan based on individual nutritional needs, food preferences, and health goals, the input of a nutritionist can help to manage the individual symptoms each woman experiences.
What to expect when working with a naturopath or nutritionist
If you’ve never worked with a naturopath or nutritionist before, there’s no need for concern: you can expect a welcoming, supportive environment that’s centred on your health priorities.
During an initial consultation, naturopaths and nutritionists will both look to develop an in-depth understanding of your health history, menopause symptoms, lifestyle habits, and personal goals.
This is a great opportunity for you to share openly about what you’re experiencing, as well as any concerns or aspirations for your health. It’s important that your naturopath or nutritionist understands your unique circumstances, as this will assist them in tailoring a personalised health plan shaped around your individual needs.
Naturopaths will support you with a variety of natural treatment options which may include herbal medicine, nutritional supplements, or recommended lifestyle changes. Diagnostic tests may also be useful in order for them to build a deeper understanding of your health.
A nutritionist will be able to provide practical advice about how to optimise your nutrient intake based on their understanding of your dietary habits. This may include specific meal plans, dietary modifications, and education about the nutritional benefits of specific foods.
Throughout each process, both professionals will also look to empower you through developing knowledge, tools and resources to support ongoing health-supporting decisions. This work will continue over time, with your progress monitored, and any relevant adjustments made to each plan as needed.
How naturopaths and nutritionists collaborate to provide menopause support
Through working with both naturopaths and nutritionists during your menopausal stages, you can benefit from a multidisciplinary approach that’s shaped to provide comprehensive menopause support. The expertise and holistic support of both disciplines can work in a highly complementary way to provide a personalised treatment plan that’s shaped to the specific aspects of your health and wellbeing.
The naturopaths at Australian Menopause Centre are focused on identifying and removing barriers to good health by helping to create an optimal internal and external environment. This may include finding the reasons for specific symptoms or illnesses and identifying the barriers to maintaining a high standard of ongoing health and wellness.
Alongside this integral support, our nutritionists bring a deep understanding of the role dietary choices play in influencing health outcomes. They support our clients with valuable advice on managing weight gain that’s often associated with menopause, as well as ensuring a balanced intake of nutrients required for optimal health throughout each of the fluctuations menopause brings.
Working in collaboration, our naturopaths and nutritionists form a robust team whose strategies fit into a holistic and thorough treatment plan. This allows us to address menopause’s immediate symptoms with proactive and tailored strategies for management and work towards long-term health outcomes across the course of ongoing menopause journeys.
As Hippocrates said, ‘a wise man ought to realise that health is his most valuable possession.’ At the Australian Menopause Centre, our healthcare specialists bring expansive knowledge into creating personalised care plans that protect the health and wellbeing of each of our clients, embodying this belief in the care we provide.
Looking for holistic support for your menopause journey, or assistance in managing its symptoms? Find the highest quality of multidisciplinary care at the Australian Menopause Centre.
About The Author - AMC Team
Our team consists of doctors, nurses, program assistants, naturopaths and nutritionists that join their wealth of knowledge to offer our patients and website visitors interesting and insightful articles to assist you understand the symptoms you are experiencing and how to relieve them.