Weight Gain And The Menopause

Women of a certain age often approach the time of the menopause with obvious trepidation, full of uncertainty and not at all sure what effect this will have on their bodies. Sudden weight gain being one of the more common side effects which fills most women with horror. The good news is that there is a solution!

You are more likely to gain weight if you have a hormonal imbalance. Which is what  inevitably happens during the menopause as our bodies have less use for the hormone oestrogen which in turn makes our hormones imbalanced. Although generally between 40 and 50 years old most women will find they probably gain weight naturally anyway, which can distribute itself in undesirable places such as around the middle making it look like you’re eating for two! This can be helped by considering herbal supplements that will help replace the naturally depleting hormones

Article on Herbal Menopause Supplements

 Menopausal women can be more tired and relaxed which will mean a diminish in physical activity which can also contribute to weight gain. 

You are more likely to eat more at this time and that coupled with the lack of exercise equals weight gain.

The body will make less oestrogen and will also burn fewer calories and therefore turning the calories into fat. With age, our muscle will get replaced with fat and the only way to put a stop to this is regular moderate exercise and a good healthy balanced diet.

Weight gain can increase a woman’s risk for breast cancer after the menopause.

By increasing your physical activities and reducing your calorific intake by 250 calories a day , you will lose on average half a pound a week. You should ideally try to aim for 30 to 45 minutes a week of moderate exercise (this could be swimming, walking, cycling etc..) four or five days a week. Burning 3500 calories  a week will enable you to lose one pound a week.

 Hormonal changes in our bodies can be very erratic and very scary for many of us which can leave us feeling low and unfortunately, feeling our age! Few women would welcome weight gain with open arms, especially for no apparent reason and this can be very distressing.

 ”But you don’t have to give in “

Join a dance class (fun and a good way to meet new people) or buy a fitness video. Find a friend you can walk or jog with for company and mutual support. If possible you should be aiming to walk 10,000 steps a day, use a pedometer to help you keep track. Gradually increasing your daily steps will make a huge difference.

Menopause Relief, What Treatments work

There are just so many products out there its so difficult to choose what is best for you, we hope that this article will maybe assist you with that choice in deciding what will suit YOU!

See Your Doctor

If you start to feel like you may be starting the menopause, the first place to go is to your GP, It is important that they talk to you and will possibly take blood tests to check for the hormonal changes associated with this time of life. They will naturally want to rule out any other issues with your health.

You will talk to them about your symptoms and they will in turn explain what treatment options are available to you.

You Need a Strong Support System

Especially if you are suffering severe symptoms, a support system around you is so important, not all symptoms are the same and every woman experiences different levels of these symptoms. Some will last for what seems like forever, others are fleeting and soon disappear. What women must not do is ignore them, they will most certainly not go away just like that, they may lessen over time, but if women want to live their lives to the full, they need to treat the symptoms as best as they can.

A support system could be your partner, your family or friends, or maybe it is worth joining a menopause forum where you can discuss and compare your symptoms and experiences with women who are going though the same thing that you are.

“Remember – You are not Alone !”

Just talking about it can be a good start. Most importantly, you must remember to be your own support system, you must make sure that you take care of yourself, eat well, and feel good about yourself.

What Treatments are available

Most Doctors will suggest HRT (Hormone replacement therapy) among other things this replaces the naturally depleting oestrogen in your body that is causing the symptoms, now HRT has come under the scrutiny of the press and other institutions recently about whether it is actually safe, and its suggested links with cancers and heart problems.

See Our HRT ARTICLE

Obviously your doctor will explain this and any risks. There are other natural or plant based remedies that claim to help relieve these nasty symptoms and this site does provide details on some of the more popular types.

Natural Products

Menozac is one such natural product that will (it is claimed) help and relieve those nasty night sweats and hot flushes. It is regarded as a safe and effective alternative to HRT. Originating in the USA, and is the number 1 selling menopause product over there, it is now available to buy in the UK direct from the manufacturers website

It contains natural plant extracts that have been used for years to treat the menopause, Soy and Black Cohosh are two ingredients that are well known for their ability to help cure these symptoms, and promote calm and less anxiety

Ingredients:

Vitamin E (as d-alpha-tocopherol acetate)
Soy (Glycine max) (seed)
Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) (root)
Damaiana (Turnerna diffusa) (leaf)

Each bottle contains 30 capsules – Taking one (1) caplet daily before bedtime with food, will ease most of the menopausal symptoms.

Find out more about Menozac

What Can Red Clover Do For The Menopause

What is Red Clover

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) contains substantial amounts of isoflavones which have mild properties similar to oestrogen

There are four known types of isoflavone and  the Red Clover plant is one of the few that contains all four. These are – Genistein, Daidzein, Biochanin A and Formononentin.

What Does Red Clover Do

By working with the bodies natural functions, Red Clover will help support the bodies natural processes and hormones throughout the menopause, helping to keep a healthy and correct levels of all hormones, assisting in the reduction of the unpleasant side effects such as Hot Flushes

It is also known for its help with cancer and respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and also whooping cough. It also has properties that will help allieviate high cholesterol, along with thinning bones (osteoporosis) and also enlarged prostate glands.

Benefits of taking Red Clover

This herbal supplement comes from a plant of the same name, this is also known as Trefoil, quite a common plant, it’s from the flowers that the herbal extract is obtained.

Some of its known benefits are its help with the treatment of  menopausal symptoms, allergy and cough symptoms, improved blood flow and detoxing your body. The flowers contain isoflavins, which is an oestrogen like hormone which is also believed to help with combating Cancer

Red clover is also available to buy from many health stores and online suppliers for use as an effective health supplement. It usually comes in tablet form.

Red clover however could not suit everyone. If you have any existing medical conditions or you take regular medication it’s probably best to consult your GP before taking this or any health supplements.

You can purchase Red Clover products from many sources, both on the high street and on line. one of these recommended retailers is Healthspark,