Natural Ways to Reduce Hot Flashes

A hot flash is a sudden and intense hot feeling on the upper body and face, generally accompanied by rapid heartbeat, sweat and sometimes ending with a chill. Hot flashes are a characteristic of menopause and can affect a person's everyday activities. There are several natural ways to reduce and control hot flashes.

Deep Breathing

• Use deep breathing to reduce the intensity and frequency of hot flashes. Deep breathing often encourages stress relief and typically has a calming effect on the physiological functions. To utilize deep breathing, take slow, controlled, deep breaths at the beginning of a hot flash. Slow the breathing cycle until reaching eight sets of inhalation-exhalation every minute.

Yoga

• Yoga is another natural method of reducing and controlling hot flashes. Yoga offers many poses, which are naturally restorative and cooling to the body. During yoga, utilizing props such as blocks and blankets also offers support to the body, and may prevent the tension or gripping which is characteristic of hot flashes. As a preventative method, consider incorporating restorative and cooling yoga poses into the workout.

Herbs

• Some herbs have proven beneficial in reducing and controlling hot flashes. Estrogenic herbs, which are herbs that contain estrogen precursors, such as black cohosh, often reduce hot flashes, as well as congestion and cramps in the uterus. Non-estrogenic herbs such as maca help to regulate menopause symptoms, support the body's production of hormones and reduce hot flashes.

Exercise

• Exercise is not only beneficial for overall wellness, but also assists in reducing anxiety, which results in reducing hot flashes. Light exercise encourages overall better hormone health. When utilizing exercise as a method of reducing and controlling hot flashes, find a form of exercise which is enjoyable and is not too strenuous. Be sure to properly warm up prior to exercising, and cool down after the workout. As stress can cause a hot flash, avoid any stressful activities directly after exercising.

Healthy Eating

• A healthy nutritional intake is essential for naturally reducing and controlling hot flashes. Healthy eating not only nourishes the body's neuroendocrine pathways, but also provides the micronutrients necessary for hormonal and neurotransmitter balance. Eat balanced meals composed of fresh, whole foods including healthy fats, fruits, vegetables and protein.