I started peri menopause at 43 and was done with menopause a 54 t! Whoop! I have so many ladies who I work with in their 40’s who wonder if they are pre-menopausal and wonder how to make the most of it. While I am not a doctor, I did get excellent help from my doctor on how to deal with the hormonal fluctuations that I was experiencing and keep me from killing someone in my 40’s! Of course, exercise and diet are HUGE in dealing with this time in your life. I see so many women my age giving up and taking so many medications when improving their eating patterns and MOVING every day will help. I talk about this a great deal with my personal training clients and health challenges for women.
What about Postmenopausal women? Postmenopausal women experience many symptoms, among them hot flashes, "fuzzy" thinking, bone loss and weight gain. I suggest you may be able to rein in those symptoms by adjusting your daily diet. In my challenges, I teach you how to eat to battle this time as well as move without impact, increase your strength and help you sleep better!
Let’s address some of the issues. Weight Gain According to Mayo Clinic researchers, lots of postmenopausal women notice weight gain. Reducing 200 to 400 calories from your daily diet--along with increased exercise--may be necessary to simply sustain your current size. The body wants fat cells, particularly belly fat, because that fat secretes the estrogen. There is a strong relationship between bone health and estrogen. When your estrogen levels decline, your body cannot replace bone tissue at the same rate it deteriorates. Certain groups of women are at higher risk of bone loss. These include Caucasian or Asian women, smokers, those who get little exercise, small-framed, steroid users, alcohol consumers and those whose diets are low in vitamin D and calcium.
By boosting your intake of calcium, you can help keep your bones strong. Even if you take a prescription drug to treat or prevent osteoporosis, the North American Menopause Society urges additional calcium to boost the drug's effectiveness. NAMS recommends daily doses between 1,200 and 1,500 mg of calcium, plus 800 IU of vitamin D. The latter helps your body absorb the calcium. According to NAMS, women ages 50 to 65 typically take in 500 mg less calcium from food sources each day than they need. Regardless of whether you consume your daily requirement of calcium in food or supplements, don't save all of it for once a day. Your body cannot absorb more than about 500 mg at a time. Foods to Include in Your Diet Calcium is found in more than dairy products. Fruit juices, margarine and many other products are fortified with calcium. If you want to rely on produce instead of products, look to dried beans, nuts and leafy green vegetables. Phytoestrogens--plant estrogens--are a good way to replace your missing estrogen. Find them in chickpeas and other legumes, soybeans, some fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and flaxseed. The Mayo Clinic cautions women who have had breast cancer, however, to consult with their health-care providers before adding phytoestrogens to their diets. The estrogen-like benefits might carry the same breast-cancer risks as estrogen produced in your body.
To help curb hot flashes and night sweats, don't consume alcohol, sweets, soft drinks, white rice and white flour. start reducing those ENRICHED products and dump the junk in your pantry. . To fight breast swelling and tenderness, try 100 to 200 mg daily of B vitamins and omega-3 fats, and avoid caffeine as well as vitamins C and E, proven antioxidant supplements. Consult your doctor before adding herbal supplements, as some can cause side effects or interact with medications. Talk to Your Doc-
Consult with your health-care provider to determine if changing your diet and/or using supplements will interfere with any medical conditions you have, or for which you are being treated, as I did with my doctor. There are also some wonderful saliva testing you can do to test your hormones.
If you would like to work with me one on one or be included in a program with other women going through this journey, check out the EVENTS tab on my website or https://www.live-well-fit.com/classes for a direct link to sign up for the TOTAL REVAMP I do twice ayear!