Natural Menopause Remedies You Can Trust
Updated: Oct 19
If you’ve been dealing with persistent sleep problems, energy dips, changes in mood, digestive issues, hot flushes or simply feeling like your body has changed in ways you don’t quite understand, another generic list of menopause tips probably isn’t what you’re looking for.
That’s where natural menopause remedies and complementary approaches can be worth exploring.
In this post, I’m going beyond the usual “drink more water and get more sleep” advice and looking at some of the more targeted approaches you might want to consider from nutrition and blood sugar balance to sleep, stress, movement, gut health and selected supplements.
(This post does contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a product or service and decide to purchase it, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you)
Contents
1. Support sleep with your body temperature and 'body clock'
If menopause has turned you into a human radiator at 2am, you already know that sleep disruption isn't always solved by going to bed earlier.
Hot flushes and night sweats are closely linked to the way your body regulates temperature, while changes in your circadian rhythm (your internal 24-hour body clock) can also affect when you feel sleepy and when you wake.
So rather than thinking about sleep as simply a bedtime problem, it can be useful to look at temperature regulation and your body clock together.
What you could try:
Experiment with a cooler sleep environment.
If overheating is waking you, look at your bedroom temperature, bedding and nightwear.
A cooling mattress topper or breathable bedding may be worth trying if you regularly wake hot.
Use morning light as an anchor.
Natural daylight is one of the strongest signals your body clock receives.
Getting outside soon after waking can help reinforce the distinction between daytime and night-time, particularly if your sleep pattern has become erratic.
Make evenings progressively darker.
Rather than simply being told to “avoid screens”, think about the overall light environment.
Dimmer lighting in the couple of hours before bed can help signal to your body that night is approaching.
Try red spectrum light in the evening to avoid disrupting your body’s melatonin production.
Look at your evening routine as a whole.
Alcohol, a heavy meal close to bedtime, stress and overheating can all affect sleep quality.
If you're repeatedly waking at a particular time, notice what happened in the few hours beforehand rather than automatically reaching for another supplement.
Consider magnesium if it's appropriate for you.
Magnesium is involved in normal nervous-system function and some women choose to supplement it as part of their evening routine.
However, it's not a guaranteed sleep remedy and supplements aren't appropriate for everyone, so check with your GP or pharmacist if you're unsure.
Read more sleep tips on my blog How to Sleep in Menopause.
2. Support your Gut and Oestrogen metabolism
Your liver plays an important role in processing hormones, while your gut is involved in what happens to them afterwards.
Once oestrogen has been processed by the liver and excreted into the gut, some of it can be reabsorbed rather than leaving the body.
That means looking after your gut health is a much more useful way to think about supporting healthy oestrogen metabolism than buying a 'detox' supplement.
What you could try:
Eat plenty of fibre.
Vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, wholegrains, nuts and seeds can all contribute. Fibre supports healthy digestion and provides food for the bacteria living in your gut.
Include cruciferous vegetables regularly.
Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts contain plant compounds that are being investigated for their effects on oestrogen metabolism. You don't need to eat huge quantities, just making them a regular part of your diet is a good starting point.
Don't forget protein.
Adequate protein is needed for a wide range of processes in the body, including normal liver function. Aim to include a source of protein at each meal.
Pay attention to your bowel habits.
Constipation isn't glamorous, but it matters!
If you're regularly struggling to go, look at your fibre and fluid intake, daily movement and overall diet rather than immediately reaching for a “detox” product.
Think about your gut as a whole.
A varied, fibre-rich diet is likely to be more useful than trying to manipulate one particular pathway with a supplement or cleanse.
You don't need to “flush out” your hormones or follow a complicated detox protocol. Your liver and kidneys already have sophisticated systems for processing and removing substances from your body.
The more useful question is: are you giving those systems what they need to do their job?
Read more on my blog
3. Support blood sugar balance with a protein-rich breakfast
If you regularly find yourself reaching for something sweet mid-morning, crashing in the afternoon or feeling ravenous by the end of the day, it may be worth looking at what you're eating earlier on.
Hormonal changes during menopause can affect body composition, insulin sensitivity and where we store fat, which can make metabolic health increasingly important.
What you could try:
Make protein the anchor of breakfast.
Rather than building your breakfast around toast, cereal or a pastry, start with a protein source such as eggs, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu or a protein-rich smoothie.
Add fibre and healthy fats.
Berries, seeds, nuts, vegetables and wholegrains can all help turn a breakfast into something more substantial than a quick hit of carbohydrate.
Don't be afraid of carbohydrates.
There's no need to eliminate bread, oats or fruit. Instead, pair carbohydrate-rich foods with protein, fibre and/or fat.
For example, try Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds rather than fruit on its own, or eggs and avocado with wholegrain toast.
Think about what happens after you eat.
A short walk after a meal is a simple way to add movement to your day and can help with post-meal blood glucose levels.
Look at the whole day, not one food.
If you're constantly hungry or experiencing energy crashes, consider your overall pattern of eating, sleep, stress, movement and meal timing rather than blaming a single food for your symptoms.
Read more at my blog Protein Breakfast Ideas for Menopause.
You could consider trying a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) short-term if you want to track patterns. Many women are shocked by how their “healthy” meals can cause a crash.
You can find out more about the Lingo CGM on my blog.
4. Rewire your stress response
If you suddenly find yourself feeling more easily overwhelmed, anxious, irritable or unable to switch off during perimenopause, it can be tempting to blame everything on hormones.
Hormonal changes can certainly affect mood, sleep and how you experience stress. But there's another piece of the puzzle worth considering: what is happening in your life and how much demand your nervous system is dealing with on a daily basis?
Work, family responsibilities, poor sleep, blood sugar swings, relationship difficulties and simply having too much going on can all add to your overall stress load. And when you're already sleeping badly or dealing with other menopause symptoms, your capacity to cope can feel noticeably lower.
Among the natural menopause guidance I offer in private coaching, nervous system support creates significant “I didn’t realise I needed this” moments, especially for women who have spent decades in high-achieving modes.
What you could try:
Notice your early warning signs.
Perhaps you become snappy, restless, overwhelmed by noise, unable to concentrate or desperate to be left alone. Recognising your own signs can give you an opportunity to pause before you're completely depleted.
Try short, deliberate resets.
You don't always need a 45-minute meditation session. Try 3–5 minute resets to shift your body out of high alert mode.
A few minutes of slow breathing, cold water face splashes, walking barefoot on grass, stretching or walking around the block can create a useful break between one demand and the next.
Experiment with slower breathing.
Extending your exhale slightly (for example, breathing in gently for four seconds and out for six) can be a simple way to encourage your body to slow down. Stop if it makes you uncomfortable or light-headed.
Create a transition between work and home.
If you go straight from a stressful working day into cooking, caring, family demands or household jobs, your brain may never get a clear signal that the working day is over. A short walk, change of clothes, music or five quiet minutes can become a useful transition ritual.
Try herbs like lemon balm and passionflower.
These modulate the stress response without sedating you. They can be consumed in teas, tinctures, or capsules.
Read my blog about Nu Mind's Menopause Support.
These herbs are a key ingredient in this all-in-one formula which combines 40 scientifically backed ingredients expertly blended to effectively support menopause wellbeing.
5. Could Histamine be contributing to your menopause symptoms?
Hot flushes, itching, headaches, digestive problems and anxiety can have several possible causes during midlife. Hormonal changes may contribute, but not every new symptom should automatically be attributed to menopause.
One area researchers are exploring is the relationship between oestrogen and histamine.
Histamine is a chemical involved in immune responses and other processes in the body.
So, is histamine worth considering? Potentially particularly if you notice a pattern of symptoms that extends beyond your usual hot flushes.
What could you try?
Look for patterns rather than cutting out foods unnecessarily. If you notice that particular foods or drinks consistently trigger symptoms such as flushing, itching or headaches, keep a brief food and symptom diary. Alcohol, for example, can trigger flushing and may also aggravate night sweats.
Be cautious with restrictive diets. Fermented foods, aged cheese and other foods high in histamine can be' implicated in histamine intolerance. However, these foods are not a problem for everyone, and there is no good reason to eliminate them all simply because you're in menopause.
Support your gut with a varied diet. Fibre-rich plant foods, adequate protein and a variety of vegetables can support general digestive health. They are not a proven treatment for histamine intolerance, but they are a sensible foundation for overall wellbeing.
Know when to seek medical advice. Persistent itching, recurrent headaches, digestive symptoms or episodes of flushing deserve proper assessment rather than an assumption that histamine is the cause. A healthcare professional can help you consider other explanations and whether further investigation is appropriate.
6. Upgrade your movement to match your Hormones
The 'cardio bunny' approach many of us leaned on in our thirties simply doesn’t work the same way in midlife.
With lower oestrogen, your ability to recover declines. Excessive cardio can increase cortisol, promote muscle loss and worsen sleep.
To maintain metabolic health and muscle tone, exercise needs to shift, strategically.
How to do it:
Prioritise resistance training 2–3 times per week. Focus on compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, rows) with progressive overload. Muscle is your menopause medicine.
Incorporate mobility and fascia work to reduce joint stiffness. Think dynamic stretches, foam rolling or short yoga flows.
Swap long cardio sessions for shorter HIIT-style sessions or zone 2 training (e.g., brisk walks, cycling where you can still talk but feel challenged).
Build in active rest like tai chi, walking in nature or rebounding — which stimulate lymphatic drainage and reduce inflammation.
7.Private health testing
One of the things I find interesting about a more personalised approach to health is the opportunity to learn more about your own body, rather than relying entirely on general advice.
Private health testing can be one way to explore this, especially f you're interested in understanding your current health markers, learning more about your genetic profile or identifying areas you might want to discuss with a healthcare professional.
I've explored two services that offer different insights:
Do Health: I used Do Health's blood testing service to get a broader picture of my health. I particularly liked the preventative approach, which gave me information to explore beyond simply waiting for a problem to arise.
Stride DNA Methylation Test: Stride DNA offers a different perspective by looking at genetic information. I found this an interesting way to learn more about inherited factors that may be relevant to health and wellbeing.
Both approaches offer an opportunity to become more informed about your own health, although they provide different types of information.
Blood tests measure selected markers at the time of testing, while DNA testing looks at inherited genetic variations.
As with any health test, the real value lies in understanding your results in context and using them to inform sensible next steps.
Personalised testing can be one of the most effective natural menopause tips, shifting women from guessing to knowing.
8.Explore your Gut Microbiome
Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that play a role in digestion, immune function and other aspects of health.
Researchers are also exploring how the gut microbiome interacts with hormones, including oestrogen, and whether these relationships may influence health during menopause.
One area of interest is the estrobolome — the collection of gut bacteria and their genes involved in the metabolism of oestrogen. It's a fascinating area of research, although we're still learning how these processes relate to individual menopause symptoms and long-term health.
How could you explore your gut health?
Eat a diverse range of plant foods. Vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, wholegrains, nuts and seeds provide different types of fibre that help support a varied gut microbiome. You don't need to follow a complicated diet; variety is a good place to start.
Include fermented foods if you enjoy them. Foods such as live yoghurt, kefir and some fermented vegetables can be useful additions to your diet. Different foods contain different microorganisms, and you don't need to eat them all to look after your gut.
Pay attention to digestive symptoms. Persistent bloating, changes in bowel habits or abdominal discomfort may warrant further investigation. Although the microbiome may be part of the picture, these symptoms can have many different causes.
Consider whether testing interests you. At-home microbiome tests can offer a snapshot of the microorganisms detected in a stool sample. The results may help you learn more about your gut health.
Stride Microbiome and Gut Health Test (get 10% off with code JANE11316) analyses your gut microbiome in depth to examine your microbiome diversity, bacterial balance, digestive efficiency, and neurotransmitter pathways.
Among the more advanced natural menopause tips, microbiome testing opens the door to root-cause healing, especially when HRT and lifestyle changes fall short.
Find natural menopause remedies that work for you
We’ve explored practical, non-generic natural menopause tips, from rewiring your stress response and adapting workouts to delving into advanced tools like micronutrient testing and microbiome mapping.
Each of these is a piece of the puzzle. You don’t need to implement everything at once. Start with the tip that most resonated with your symptoms or lifestyle...and build from there.
If you'd like some help working out where to start, find out more about my 1:1 Menopause Coaching.
You deserve an approach to menopause that is informed, individual and realistic for your life — not another endless list of things you feel you should be doing.
DISCLAIMER: This page does not provide medical advice; it is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek professional medical advice on any of the topics covered on this page.
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