Reversing Perimenopause Misery

March 23, 2015
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

The Natural Hormone Solution

One little comment can really make your day!

And that was certainly the case this weekend.

I was introduced to a new friend who suddenly looked at me with a started look and proclaimed,

“Oh my gosh! You’re the same Ann Louise that wrote Before the Change—it changed my life!”

We then went on to discuss the trials and tribulations of a “misdiagnosed menopause” and how one of the Peri-Zappers I discussed turned her life around.

And it’s no wonder because natural progesterone is in short fall with many women these days due to a number of factors:

  1. You are deficient in zinc and vitamin B6, nutrient precursors of progesterone.
  2. You are not ovulating regularly, leaving you without a corpus luteum to create progesterone in the first place.
  3. Your body is converting progesterone into cortisol as a result of stress.

But here’s the kicker. Progesterone may be dramatically connected to the inability to lose weight when we hit the perimenopause years.

This special hormone signals the hypothalamus to increase your core body temperature, thereby increasing your resting metabolic rate.

Low levels of progesterone trigger your body to burn 15,000 to 20,000 fewer calories per year and it triggers increased water retention.

As I discovered in Before the Change, progesterone—not estrogen—is the first hormone to decline during the perimenopausal years (often beginning at 38 years of age and lasting until 50 in some women).

It is by far the most deficient hormone found in salivary hormone testing—whether the issue is PMS or postpartum depression—or perimenopause, menopause or beyond. The signs of progesterone deficiency should not be ignored.

Signs of Progesterone Deficiency include:

  • The inability to lose weight
  • Pain
  • Inflammation
  • Depression
  • Lack of libido
  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Mood Swings
  • Nervousness
  • Osteopenia and Osteoporosis

Why Natural Progesterone Leads the Pack

If there was ever such a thing as a single natural remedy for the widest number of conditions, natural progesterone would lead the pack.

Please take a look—here’s an interview I did when Before the Change first came out. I still stand by those recommendations even today.

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Establishing the Ideal Ratio

Natural plant-based progesterone has the same identical structure as the progesterone a woman makes naturally in her body.

The physiological dose of 20 mg per day (that is dispensed with one pump of ProgestaKey) can help improve libido, enhance the immune system, increase hair on the scalp, elevate the metabolic rate with resulting weight loss, act as a natural diuretic, boost the thyroid, and stimulate the production of bone while relaxing smooth muscles and promoting the strength of the myelin sheath.

Since hormones can be tricky, it is best to take a salivary hormone test and measure—at the very least—the ratio between progesterone and estradiol (one of the most potent forms of estrogen). The ideal ratio ranges from 10:1 to 30:1 depending upon use of HRT and age and stage of life.

ProgestaKey

ProgestaKey was the formula I developed over twenty years ago derived from wild yam and is considered by many to be the best product on the market.

It is preservative-free with a delightful scent from lavender essential oil. Depending upon your age and stage of life, there are different protocols, but in general the topical crème should be applied to the face, hands, chest, inner arms, and thyroid area. Rotate these as much as possible so that one area doesn’t get too saturated.

For Menstruating women – Apply once or twice a day starting on the 12th day after the first day of menstrual flow through the 26th day.

For Perimenopausal women – Apply once or twice a day starting on the 7th day after the first day of menstrual flow through the 27th day.

For Menopausal/Postmenopausal women – Apply once or twice a day for a maximum of 25 consecutive days. Resume after a five day break.

To evaluate your body’s bio-available Progesterone levels (and 5 other hormones), consider UNI KEY’s Salivary Hormone Test.

Related Articles and Podcasts

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism RevolutionFat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

14 Comments

  1. d

    Will this cause more facial hair growth, ’cause I already have that problem, and don’t need more!

    Reply
    • Liz

      I was concerned about this issue too, so I found a very helpful blog that Ann Louise wrote about the subject of hormones and hair, including facial hair. It turns out that only the artificial progesterone causes a problem, not the natural ones like ProgestaKey. Here’s the link to the other blog: http://www.annlouise.com/blog/2010/06/16/get-hair-where-you-want-it/

      Reply
      • d

        Thanks.

        Reply
  2. Liz

    What a great interview. I learned so much!The blog is interesting too.

    Reply
  3. Ann Louise

    This incredible testimonial just came in and I wanted to share this with you:

    I am 48 years old and moving into menopause. Last summer I started getting the hot flashes. My heart also started having issues. I would have intermittent periods of racing heart beat and missed beats. I felt palpitations up into my throat and pressure in my chest. I questioned if I was having anxiety attacks. I kept swelling up with 10 lbs of water weight. With a family history of heart issues, Cardiology did a full workup to make sure my heart was okay. I wore a Holter monitor for 72 hours. I did a Stress Test, EKG, and an Echo Cardiogram. Everything came out fine except frequent PVCs (Premature Ventricular Contractions). Being a nurse I knew I was getting lower cardiac output than what I should. They wanted to put me on synthetic estrogen and metropolol to control my heart.

    With the advice of several wonderful friends and my chiropractor, I started on ProgestaKey. Within a few days, my heart went back to normal and the hot flashes stopped. Each time I take a break from the ProgestaKey, my heart starts getting irritable again. Even though I have had my menstral cycle two times in the last year, I take 1 full pump for 25 days and then the 5 days off. I can’t wait to start it again after those 5 days off. ProgestaKey is definitely saving me from all those medical drugs and helping with the true problem of hormone imbalance. The progesterone is needed to help my body utilize the estrogen that is already there. I am so thankful for ProgestaKey!

    Belinda

    Reply
  4. Annie

    I have heard that if you are over the age of 63 you shouldn’t use hormone replacement even if it’s natural. Is that true? I know I am very low in projesterone, but am afraid to try them. Please let me know what you think.

    Reply
  5. Ann Louise

    We have found progesterone universally deficient in most women of all ages. Progesterone counters the effects of environmental estrogens and other hormone disruptors. Since so much is found in the brain, it can be helpful for memory and cognition. I would use the product every third day if you are concerned. We have clients in their 90s who use this product in this manner.

    Reply
  6. Pam Clarkson

    I’m 55 years old and continue to have night sweats and can’t sleep. I’ve been using progesterone cream 25mg per pump twice a day and still continue sweating. Do you ever recommend taking bio-identical hormones?

    Reply
    • Team ALG

      Yes, the Progesterone cream that Ann Louise recommends is a bioidentical. You would benefit from the Salivary Hormone Test through UNI KEY to get to the bottom of your hormonal imbalance!

      Reply
  7. Maia

    I am in peri-menopause and have been experiencing periods that last 3-4 weeks. Not heavy or crampy, but just won’t stop. This has happened 2x since January of this year.
    I am hoping the Progesta-Key will help ease this and at least shorten them until they finally stop. I’m also experiencing hair loss and frequent achy muscles, water weight gain (at the end of each day) and some joint pain. In addition to starting the Progesta-Key, I just started Mag-Key for magnesium supplement. Hoping that both of these supplements with help with all of these issues.
    My questions are…is it okay to take the Mag Key at the same time of day as I use the Progesta Key? How soon should I begin to see some progress/improvement in my symptoms? And do you recommend (based on my info) any further testing?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Team ALG

      Hi Maia, You may indeed take the Mag-Key and use the ProgestaKey at the same time of day. In most cases, women see small improvements within the first two weeks, and full benefits within 3 months. A full blood panel for the thyroid would be recommended, as well as a Salivary Hormone Test and a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis from UNI KEY. Best wishes to you!

      Reply
      • Maia

        Thank you Team ALG for the helpful reply!
        I will continue using the cream and taking the Mag-Key daily, and will look into the testing.
        Hoping to see some good results soon!

        Reply
  8. Arlene

    I have absolutely no sex drive. I am 49 my poor husband. Do you think this will help I have the book before the change. I have purchased many of the vitamins and feel great except for my sex drive. Help

    Reply
    • Team ALg

      Arlene, having adequate progesterone can be a key to getting your sex drive back. Please do try the ProgestaKey.

      Reply

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