Dear JJ: I'll make this simple. I'm 53, hit menopause, and suddenly excess weight refuses to vacate. Am I destined to shop the plus-size department?
No. I speak from experience: With the correct approach, menopause can become a positive experience in a woman's life.
Defined by the end of menstruation and fertility, the average woman experiences menopause at 51. Doctors typically diagnose menopause once a woman hasn't had her period for one year.
With the right perspective, menopause can be an emotional and even spiritual transformation. Certainly it becomes a physical one, since menopause results from a reduction in hormone production by the ovaries.
That process means some women experience unpleasant symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia, headaches, fatigue, low libido, night sweats, and as you mentioned, weight gain.
I don't want to oversimplify things: Managing menopause typically requires a multi-approach strategy. Please find a female hormone-focused complementary practitioner to help you address specific concerns.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (bHRT) can help. If you're considering bHRT, check out The Hormone Cure by Dr. Sara Gottfried and The Sexy Years by Suzanne Somers. Talk too with your local compounding pharmacist, who can provide a wealth of information.
Ultimately, don't become discouraged. You've got lots of options here. Become proactive and don't discount the impact diet, exercise, and nutrition can have on menopause. These nine strategies can help tremendously.
1.Go low-sugar impact. Especially as you become older, even healthy, active people become vulnerable to blood sugar imbalances, leading to weight gain and health issues. A vicious cycle ensues as being overweight or obese further imbalances blood sugar and exacerbates menopausal symptoms. One study found menopause increased insulin resistance, a condition marked by glucose intolerance, weight loss resistance, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and several cancers. Another study found a high-fat, high-sugar diet increased hot flushes, night sweats, and other menopausal symptoms. My Sugar Impact Diet provides an easy-to-implement three-cycle plan that helps you gently taper off high-sugar impact foods.
2.Make the right combination. Make every meal a blood sugar-balancing combo of lean protein, good fats, leafy greens, cancer-fighting cruciferous vegetables, and slow-release high-fiber starches. Stabilized blood sugar levels mean you're less prone to cravings, mid-afternoon hunger, headaches, and other menopausal symptoms.
3.Eliminate food intolerances. Many menopausal symptoms overlap with food intolerances, and eating gluten and other highly reactive foods can trigger or exacerbate them. Eliminate the seven highly reactive foods I discuss in The Virgin Diet for three weeks if your symptoms don't taper down. Good news: When you eat low-sugar impact, you automatically eliminate many food intolerances and reduce those overlapping symptoms and address gut issues like intestinal permeability and candida, which in turn reduces inflammation and immune reactions that frequently occur with leaky gut.
4.Bump up antioxidant-rich foods. One study found along with other symptoms, menopause could increase free-radical induced oxidative stress. Low-sugar impact foods like berries, leafy greens, legumes, nuts, and seeds provide serious antioxidant protection to help fight those damaging free radicals. Antioxidant-rich plant foods like celery, parsley, and low-roasted or dehydrated nuts also provide phytoestrogens, which can reduce hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. Freshly ground flaxseeds, a phytoestrogen-rich food, provide fiber and omega 3s to your Sugar Impact Shake for a fast, easy, filling breakfast.
5.Optimize vitamin D. Actually a hormone, vitamin D plays a significant role in osteoporosis, cardiovascular health, depression, and numerous other conditions that affect menopausal women. One study found post-menopausal women have a high risk for vitamin D deficiencies, especially those with osteoporosis and a history of fractures. A simple 25-hydroxy vitamin D test can reveal any deficiencies. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, optimal blood levels level of 45 ng/dl typically requires about 3,000-4,000 IU a day of vitamin D3. Work with an integrative practitioner to optimize levels.
6.Burst and lift heavy. One study found exercise during menopause can increase bone mass, improve cardiovascular health, reduce stress, and improve your mood. Consistently challenging workouts can also blast fat to help you become your leanest, sexiest, most confident self. You don't need hours to get these benefits. My Fast Blast Workouts combine burst training with weight resistance to build muscle, boost metabolism, and burn fat in just eight minutes a day. Grab a free Fast Blast here.
7.Curb stress. Cortisol, your main stress hormone, actually increases during menopause, leading to insomnia, sugar cravings, and moodiness. One study found stress exacerbates mood disorders and other menopausal symptoms. You can't always control what life throws at you, but you certainly can control how you respond to it. Stress management might also include a spa day or a simple walk around the block with your Chihuahua. Schedule stress-busting time and make it mandatory.
8.Get optimal sleep. Sleep disturbances become synonymous with menopause. Fortunately, a few simple things can make a big difference. One study found the herb valerian improves sleep quality in menopausal women struggling with insomnia. Preparation becomes key for solid slumber. Turn off those Sex and the City reruns an hour before bedtime, take a hot bath while you enjoy some chamomile tea and a trashy novel, and practice deep breathing, meditation, or whatever shuts down your mental traffic so you can unwind. Supplementing with a synergistic-sleep-blend supplement that combines melatonin with other sleep nutrients can help you gently drift into deep sleep.
9.Try the right nutrients. Discussing the full range of nutrients to reduce menopausal symptoms is beyond the blog's scope, so please work with an integrative physician or nutritionist to address your unique needs. Among those nutrients include Black cohosh extract, a frequently used botanical studies show can relieve hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.
If you've struggled with menopause, what strategy would you add to alleviate symptoms and feel your sexiest? Share yours below, and keep those great questions coming at AskJJ@jjvirgin.com.