Night Sweats – Menopause – Hot Flashes – Sleeping hot

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Testosterone is an often overlooked hormone in the grand scheme of menopause but the truth is, it helps with hot flashes, night sweats , bone loss, energy, self-esteem, sexual desire, and orgasm response. For many women, this important hormone decreases with age however for some, it actually increases leading to increased facial hair, acne, and an increased risk for heart disease.

As testosterone levels increase, your insulin sensitivity decreases increasing your risk for blood sugar problems like diabetes. A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that menopausal women with the highest levels are three times more likely to develop coronary heart disease and have greater risk for metabolic syndrome.

So what can you do?

First, get your levels of free and total testosterone checked. Next get your levels of fasting glucose and fasting insulin tested. This can give you important insight into your risk level.

If your glucose and/or insulin is elevated, examine your diet by cutting out sugar, simple carbs, coffee drinks, soda, and other high sugar/high carb sweets. Consider blood sugar balancers such as cinnamon (the spice) or chromium (the supplement).

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