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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Natural Remedies for Menopause and Weight Loss

By Ricardo d Argence

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

Unfortunately, menopause can be difficult for some women because of its often uncomfortable symptoms. These can include hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness, loss of interest in sex, and irritability. Unexpected weight gain is another frequent consequence of menopause.

Even women who don't change their eating and exercise habits during menopause may experience weight gain. This can be frustrating, prompting women to wonder what caused this sudden and unexpected weight gain. Weight gain can also be a result of hormonally triggered overeating. Another cause of weight gain is the natural metabolic slow-down that happens as people age. When a woman's metabolic rate slows during menopause, any extra calories ingested have a far greater effect than they did pre-menpausal.

Body fat and estrogen also have a unique complementary role. Body fat helps regulate the production of estrogen, the female hormone that declines dramatically in menopause. Sometimes, the body will fight to hold on to fat in an effort to stabilize estrogen levels. Hormones and body fat also interact with each other in complex was that affect weight gain 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.

Many women make the mistake of thinking that these remedies will prevent weight gain and other menopause symptoms on their own. The truth is, the best thing you can do to prevent or reverse weight gain in menopause is through healthy diet and exercise.

Regulating hormone balance naturally by eating a nutrient-dense, whole-foods diet is a far more effective approach than herbal remedies. While herbal remedies can help supplement a good diet and exercise plan, many women find that a healthy lifestyle will alleviate symptoms without the need to spend money on these supplements and herbal preparations.

A healthy, balanced diet means eating heart-healthy fats and avoiding bad fats. 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). Obviously, you should generally avoid fats and fried food, too much sugar, and junk foods, and additionally you should stay away from foods that contain excess liquor, spices, and caffeine if you find that these complicate menopause symptoms for you.

Add eight glasses of water per day and about half-hour of exercise as many days per week as possible, and you could be on your way to significant weight loss, even in the face of the hormonal hurdles of menopause. You're also likely to see an improvement in other menopause symptoms as a healthy diet and exercise program begins to stabilize hormone levels. - 17273

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