Natural Ways to Support Menopause: Holistic Hormone Balance for Women

If you’re reading this, you may already feel, as I do, a sense of urgency and concern around perimenopause and menopause.

The industrialization of menopause care is accelerating, and I worry deeply about what that means for women’s health.

Hormone therapies, supplements, and “menopause-support” products are being marketed aggressively. But too often, fear becomes the delivery mechanism.

Women are told they’re broken. Symptom lists are being used to create a sense of urgency driven by fear and uncertainty. They’re told they must take something to survive, that the symptoms are forever.

That narrative makes me unsettled, and it’s one I want to help you resist.

Because here’s what I believe: menopause and perimenopause are natural transitions, not diseases. And though symptoms like hot flashes, fatigue, anxiety, sleep disruption, weight gain, and pain do show up for many women, our nervous systems and lifestyle habits shape how loudly we experience them. The more we fear the symptoms, the more they feed themselves and the longer they stay.

In my work as a holistic weight-loss and pain coach, I see a pattern: brain circuits of threat, trauma, overwhelm, and nervous system dysregulation amplify symptoms.

The body doesn’t only reflect biology; it reflects our limiting beliefs, stress, emotional history, and lived habits.

So yes, I 100% believe we need research and support in women's health. But I also believe we need to shift how we approach this phase, from fear and prescription-driven narratives to empowerment and self-regulation.

In this article, I’ll walk you through evidence-based, natural ways to support menopause. We’ll focus on what you can control: diet, movement, stress, nervous-system care, and relational/emotional work. And we’ll consider supplements and botanical aids (with discernment, because their science is often murky).

Why menopause symptoms feel so strong

To understand how to work with menopause instead of feeling victimized by it, we first need to understand the nervous system piece. Think of some symptoms, (hot flashes, fatigue, anxiety, aches), as “light switches” in a room. In a healthy system, the switch turns on (symptom appears), you look around, reassure the brain everything’s “safe,” and the switch turns off again.

But when there’s fear of the symptom, focus on the symptom, when we try to "solve" the symptom with lots of research, or when we feel chronic stress, unresolved trauma, or repressed emotion, the brain interprets the light coming on as danger.

The brain says, “There's danger! Turn up the lights. Keep them on longer!”

That’s how symptoms can become persistent, amplified, or resist resolution. It's not just because of hormones, but because your nervous system is in a heightened mode of fear, stress, and defense.

For many women, the mix of midlife stress + people pleasing + relational trauma + repeated suppression of emotions (like grief or anger) contributes to this baseline state of hypervigilance around symptoms. Throw in sleep deprivation, poor diet, low activity, and mounting pressure to “do it all,” and symptoms are bound to intensify.

So, although I don’t deny the role of hormones, I do believe the first and most powerful work is to reduce threat, regulate your nervous system, and build resilience.

Then you put your energy into supporting your body’s natural balance. With supportive lifestyle choices, nutrient support, and nervous system regulation, symptoms can often be managed naturally. 

And when needed, of course, receive medical care.

Natural Support for Menopause

Below are the core areas I emphasize with the women I coach. Each one is a lever you can pull, regardless of what your hormone labs show.

If you are receiving medical treatment, these can also complement your care.

1. Anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense diet

Hormones are made from nutrients. Your body needs the raw materials to produce, metabolize, and recycle hormones and to manage inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular damage.

Here’s how to eat in a way that supports your transition:

• Whole food, minimally processed focus: Base your meals around vegetables, legumes, whole grains (if you tolerate them), high-quality proteins, healthy fats, and antioxidants. Ultra-processed foods, refined sugars, and artificial additives tend to drive inflammation, insulin dysregulation, and oxidative stress, all of which can worsen symptoms.

• Phytoestrogen-rich foods: These are plant compounds that weakly mimic estrogen in the body. Soy (tofu, edamame, soy milk) is the classic, and some studies have shown modest benefit for hot flashes when soy foods (not supplements) are consumed.

  • Meta-analyses of plant-based therapies show mixed but sometimes positive associations with symptom improvement.  

  • Red clover and other isoflavone supplements show inconsistent results in well-controlled trials.  

• Fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants: Fiber (fruits, veggies, legumes) helps with estrogen recycling and gut health. Antioxidants combat oxidative stress, which tends to rise in menopause.

• Omega-3 fats & anti-inflammatory fats: These support cellular health, mood regulation, and may blunt inflammation-driven symptoms.

• Avoid or limit trigger foods: Many women report these trigger hot flashes: Spicy foods, hot drinks, caffeine, alcohol.

• Consistent meals, stable blood sugar: Avoid big swings by including protein and healthy fats with each meal. Blood sugar crashes are stressors and can worsen symptoms.

Caveat: Nutrition is not magic. It won’t eliminate every symptom, but it sets the stage for your body to respond better to other interventions (stress work, movement, supplements, etc.).

2. Movement, strength training & circulation

One of the most under-appreciated supports in menopause is muscle mass. Women can lose up to 10 % of their muscle mass per decade if they’re sedentary. That lowers resting metabolic rate, impairs glucose regulation, compromises bone health, and makes weight gain hard to avoid.

• Strength training (2–3× weekly) is essential (think resistance bands, body weight, weights, or functional moves)

• Aerobic movement: Walking, cycling, and dancing are all great for circulation, mood, cardiovascular health, and insulin sensitivity.

• Mind-body movement: Yoga, Pilates, and tai chi can help integrate movement with breath, calm the nervous system, and offer a shift from “exercise as punishment” to “movement as healing.”

Movement does so more than burn calories. It improves mood, increases metabolism, improves circulation, metabolizes stress, stabilizes blood sugar, builds bone, and signals your brain: “We are strong. We are safe. We are alive.”

Fear and pressure during exercise can actually increase stress, pain, and symptoms. The fitness industry can make your choices feel overwhelming, but go with what feels good. Make it easy for yourself, especially when you're just starting out.

3. Sleep & circadian support

Disrupted sleep is both a symptom of menopause and an amplifier of chronic symptoms, cravings, and blood sugar dysregulation. Poor sleep worsens insulin sensitivity, raises inflammation, dysregulates cortisol rhythm, and weakens emotional resilience.

Here’s what I emphasize:

• Prioritize sleep duration and quality: Aim for 7–9 hours (or what your body needs) consistently.

• Light hygiene: Get daylight exposure in the morning. Dim screens in the evening. Use blue-light blocking or reduce screen time before bed.

• Wind-down rituals: Gentle stretching, journaling, reading (non-stimulating materials), warm baths, breathing, or stretch/yoga sequences.

• Avoid stimulants late in the day: Caffeine, heavy meals, and alcohol can disrupt sleep architecture and worsen vasomotor symptoms.

• Consider gentle sleep-supporting nutrients: Magnesium (glycinate or threonate), medicinal herbs like valerian or passionflower, herbal teas (chamomile, lemon balm), tart cherry or CBD (where legal) are sometimes helpful. But the evidence is mixed, and they’re adjuncts, not replacements for behavioral sleep hygiene. (Some herbal sleep aids may carry risks or interfere with medications.)

• A note on Insomnia: Insomnia can be a mind-body symptom, telling you that your nervous system is stuck in fight or flight and does not feel safe settling to sleep. Somatic approaches to regulate the nervous system can naturally heal insomnia.

4. Stress, nervous system regulation & somatic/emotional work

This is the core. If your nervous system stays in threat mode, no amount of diet or supplement will fully “fix” symptoms. The more you can downregulate your system, the softer your symptoms can be.

Here’s where your mindset, trauma history, and emotional patterns matter. Below are strategies I use with clients:

• Breathwork & diaphragmatic breathing: Slow, deep breathing (e.g. 4–6 seconds in, 4–6 out) stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and can blunt hot flashes, anxiety, and pain. Some studies show paced respiration helps during a hot flash.  

• Mindfulness / meditation: Even if it doesn’t reduce symptom frequency, research shows mindfulness can reduce the distress about symptoms. 

• Inner work: grief, anger, emotional processing: I often see unresolved grief and anger in women’s midlife. Because women are socialized to defer their emotions, those internal pressures often play out physiologically. If you feel the edges of grief every time you get still, have a short fuse, or often feel numbness or overwhelm, that’s a signal. Seek journaling, therapy, somatic work, EMDR, Internal Family Systems, or other modalities. Doing this helps clean up the emotional “noise” so your body doesn’t carry it and express it as symptoms.

• Boundaries, rest, saying no: Many women in midlife are caretakers, mothers, and pillars for others. But if you don’t protect your energy, you burn out. Saying no, creating rest self-care rituals, and building a container for restoration are essential.

• Community & support: Having a safe relational space and a community of women who get it helps reduce isolation, shame, and fight-or-flight responses. Shared stories, rituals, or group practices (even walking with a friend) can help your nervous system know you're not alone.

5. Supplements, botanicals & herbs (with discernment)

This is the trickiest domain. Many women are sold on “natural menopause formulas” or “herbal hormone balancers.” The reality is far murkier. The evidence is weak or mixed, dosing is variable, and purity is not guaranteed. But some compounds are more studied than others.

Here’s a balanced breakdown:

Well-studied / somewhat promising (but still caution)

• Black cohosh: Long used for hot flashes and night sweats. Some trials show modest benefit, but results are inconsistent, and rare reports of liver toxicity exist.  

• Soy isoflavones / phytoestrogens: Food forms like tofu, edamame, soy milk show mild benefits in some studies; supplement forms are less consistent. They may also offer cardiovascular and lipid benefits.  

• Red clover: Some herbal reviews include red clover, but clinical trials are mixed and low-powered.  

• Valerian, sage, licorice, ginseng, sage, sage: Some small trials or observational studies show effect on sleep, mood, or hot flashes. But robust clinical evidence is lacking.  

Caution / weak evidence / not reliably recommended

• “Natural progesterone creams,” wild yam, Dong quai, certain compounded “bioidentical” mixes — these often come from marketing narratives rather than rigorous science. Many are not FDA-regulated, and claims of “safer, natural hormones” lack strong backing.  

• Many menopause supplements combine multiple herbs and ingredients, which complicates attribution of effects and increases side effect risk.  

• Safety and interactions are real concerns, especially for women on medications, with liver disease, hormone-sensitive cancers, or other chronic conditions.

Bottom line on herbs/supplements: They can be adjunctive tools, but don't expect miracles. If you choose to use them, do so in consultation with a knowledgeable practitioner, use single-ingredient products from quality brands (third-party tested), monitor carefully, and stop if you notice any adverse effects.

6. When (and how) to bring in hormones or medical care

There’s sometimes a tendency in holistic spaces to reject all medical interventions. I don’t believe that’s helpful or realistic.

What I do believe is that you deserve to start with the least invasive, most self-empowering options, and intervene as needed.  Not out of fear, but informed choice. If you do notice high levels of fear and anxiety, it's an area for intervention.

Situations where you might consider hormone therapy (HT) or working with a medical provider include:

• Symptoms are severely impairing quality of life (daily hot flashes, insomnia, mood disruption, sexual dysfunction, bone loss risk).

• You have early menopause (<45) or surgical menopause; risks associated with long-term estrogen deficiency are higher in those cases.

• Other health risks: osteoporosis, cardiovascular risk, or low estrogen levels that reach a threshold for intervention.

• After doing the deeper work (nervous system, stress, lifestyle), if symptoms remain stubborn.

• You want to optimize a blend of approaches (e.g. low-dose hormone + lifestyle + targeted herbal support).

If you go the medical route, ask your provider about:

• FDA-approved hormone therapies (versus unregulated “bioidentical” compounding, which lacks strong safety data)  

• The lowest effective dose and duration

• Monitoring (bone health, cardiovascular risk, breast/cervical screening)

• Non-hormonal prescription options for vasomotor symptoms (like SSRIs, SNRIs, gabapentin, clonidine) if hormones aren’t possible

• Integration with lifestyle supports, not replacing them.

Pulling it all together: A 5-Step Blueprint

Here's a concise version you can use or share:

1. Regulate your nervous system first
   Build a base of breathwork, mindfulness, emotional processing, boundary setting, and community. This makes everything else more effective.

2. Optimize nutrition & minimize inflammation
   Eat whole foods, include phytoestrogen foods, stabilize blood sugar, avoid processed triggers, and nourish your body.

3. Move (intentionally) every day
   Strength training, aerobic movement, and mind–body forms all support hormones, metabolism, and stress resilience.

4. Prioritize restorative sleep & circadian health
   Blue-light hygiene, consistent sleep schedule, and wind-down routines.

5. Use botanicals wisely + monitor closely
   If you choose to use herbs, do so cautiously with guidance, and always track effects.

And always, always remember: Your body is not your enemy.

You are not failing if symptoms appear. You are doing important, brave work navigating this transition. The questions to ask are not “How do I suppress menopausal symptoms?” but “How do I support my nervous system, my biology, and my deepest self so I can move through this with curiosity, dignity, and agency?”

Common Objections, Myths & Clarifications

Myth: Menopause means disease and hysteria
No. Menopause is a natural human phase. Many symptoms are driven not by “broken hormones” but by our environments, stress, emotional patterns, diet, and neural circuits.

Myth: If I don’t take hormones, I’ll suffer forever
Not necessarily. Many women live vibrant, symptom-managed postmenopausal lives with minimal or no hormone therapy by investing in the four pillars above. Hormones are a tool, not a default.

Myth: Natural/herbal always means safe
Absolutely false. Botanicals can carry side effects, interact with medications, or have liver toxicity. Just because something is “natural” doesn’t guarantee safety or efficacy. Always check with a trusted provider.  

Myth: Hormones are the only effective option
While hormone therapy tends to be the most directly symptomatic intervention (especially for severe cases), it’s not the only option. Mind-body approaches, diet, movement, stress reduction, and selective pharmaceuticals all have roles.

Protecting women’s health

As I wrote earlier, I’m afraid of the trajectory of menopause care, how it’s being turned into an industry that profits from women’s fear. We’re being sold the idea that we must take something, buy something, medicate something, or we won’t survive this transition. We are being sold on symptoms, and that frightens me.

I want us to reclaim menopause as a space of transition, wisdom, embodied life, and reclamation. It's not a space of scarcity, brokenness, or endless interventions.

If the mainstream narrative is “fix symptoms at any cost,” my narrative is: meet your body, soothe your nervous system, build strength, support your soul, and then choose interventions from a place of power, not panic.

If you’re in perimenopause or menopause and want help applying these pillars in your own life, or want personalized strategies for your symptoms, I’d love to support you. Your transition doesn’t have to be one of fear. It can be one of agency, clarity, and grounded change.

REFERENCES

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2024). Menopause: Diagnosis and treatment. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/diagnosis-treatment 

Harvard Health Publishing. (2024). Managing menopause: 5 lifestyle changes to ease symptoms. Harvard Medical School.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/managing-menopause-5-lifestyle-changes-to-ease-symptoms 

Cleveland Clinic. (2024). Exercise and menopause: What to know. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-and-menopause 

National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Dietary Supplements. (2023). Black cohosh and menopause.
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/BlackCohosh-HealthProfessional 

National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Dietary Supplements. (2023). Soy isoflavones and health.
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/SoyIsoflavones-Consumer 

Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Menopause and sleep: How to improve your rest.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/menopause-and-sleep 

Harvard Health Publishing. (2023). Why blood sugar balance matters more during menopause.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/why-blood-sugar-balance-matters-more-during-menopause 

 Mayo Clinic Staff. (2024). Stress management during menopause. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/menopause/art-20046000