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Monday, February 16, 2009

Menopause and Weight Loss, Natural Remedies

By Ricardo d Argence

For many women, menopause is a challenging time of transition from the reproductive years to the post-childbearing years. Menopause occurs when female hormones naturally decline, and a woman's body stops causing egg follicles to mature every month in preparation for pregnancy.

Sadly, menopause may be hard for certain females since it frequently produces unpleasant side effects. These can include hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness, loss of interest in sex, and irritability. Weight gain can be another common, but unexpected, symptom of menopause.

Sometimes women who gain weight during menopause haven't made any changes in their eating habits or exercise routine. This can be frustrating, prompting women to wonder what caused this sudden and unexpected weight gain. Other times, weight gain is a result of hormonally triggered overeating. Another cause of weight gain is the natural metabolic slow-down that happens as people age. This slower metabolism means excess calories or an unbalanced diet will have a far greater effect on menopausal women.

Estrogen and body fat work together in a unique way. Body fat helps regulate the production of estrogen, which declines dramatically in menopause. Sometimes, the body will fight to hold on to fat in an effort to stabilize estrogen levels. Hormones and the fat in body is linked together in complex which affect in gaining weight through changes in appetite, digestion, and metabolism.

Instead of turning to prescription hormone therapy, which increases the risk of breast and reproductive cancers, there are a number of natural remedies women are increasingly using to fight weight gain and other symptoms of menopause. Some of these remedies include black cohosh and sage, to regulate hot flashes; evening primrose oil, widely used to relieve PMS during perimenopause and control moodiness in menopausal women; and St. John's Wort, a natural anti-depressant and stress alleviator.

The issue is that the majority of women feel they need nothing but these remedies in order to stop gaining weight and stave off the symptoms of menopause. Truthfully, maintaining a healthy diet and excercising regularly is the best way to reverse weight gain during menopause.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet rich in whole-foods is more effective approach than using herbal remedies. There are many herbal remedies available to alleviate menopausal symptoms. However, many women find that healthy eating and exercise are enough, and they do not need to waste their money on such products.

Eating a nutritious diet involves avoiding bad fats, and instead eating heart-healthy fats in moderation. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables should form the bulk of the diet, supplemented by lean protein and dairy foods (or non-dairy foods that contain calcium). Avoid food alcohol, spicy foods, and caffeine if these exacerbate your menopause symptoms, and of course, avoid fried or fatty foods, excess sugar, and junk in general.

If you drink 8 cups of water daily and work out for approximately a half hour as many times as possible weekly, then you will be making progress towards losing a lot of weight, even if you're going through menopause. As you adopt a healthy diet and exercise plan that keeps your hormone levels on an even pace, you will see that the symptoms of menopause will lessen. - 17273

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