34 MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS |
HEALTH CENTER |
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Weight gain in middle-aged women is most often a symptom of estrogen decline. To prevent and reverse weight gain, the problem has to be resolved at its source: hormonal imbalance.
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Women don't have to resign themselves to gaining weight during menopause-effective treatments for correcting hormonal imbalance do exist.
It is essential to find the right treatment option for each woman's specific needs, however.
The major types of treatment options discussed here include lifestyle changes, alternative therapy, and medical procedures.
As a first step to lose weight, women should make an effort to change easily controllable factors in their daily lives, such as diet and exercise.
However, although lifestyle changes help to treat symptoms of hormonal imbalance, such as weight gain, they don't correct the underlying problem.
To attain maximum relief from weight gain, menopausal women should seek an alternative treatment to help reverse estrogen decline and treat weight gain at the source
As a last resort, a few women with severe conditions may find it necessary to consult their doctor about undergoing certain medical procedures.
Keep reading below to learn about what each option for preventing weight gain entails. |
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Lifestyle Changes:
Weight gain triggered by fatigue, stress, and poor physical health should be corrected by adopting a healthy lifestyle. This is the easiest, cheapest and safest way to alleviate menopause symptoms.
• Keep a food journal: It's easy to consume too many calories and too much fat without even being aware of it. Keeping a journal of everything you eat and drink for at least one week will give you a more accurate idea of how much you're |
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Calcium Prevents Menopausal Weight Gain |
A recent study found that daily calcium and vitamin D supplements can be effective in preventing weight gain in menopausal women. Most women experience decreased metabolism and increased fat mass during menopause, which may have potentially serious health consequences. |
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actually consuming, and the circumstances that may trigger overeating.
• Enjoy a balanced diet: Cut out sugary, processed foods, and opt for fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains. Moderation is the key: don't go overboard on cutting out carbs or fats. For optimal health, no less than 20% of daily calories should come from fat.
• Get regular exercise: The best way to shed excess pounds and prevent weight gain is to engage in a regular, moderate exercise program, ideally at least 30 minutes a day. Increasing muscle mass will help boost the metabolism, meaning you'll burn more calories even watching TV.
• Eat less, but eat often: To prevent spiking insulin and triglyceride levels, eat healthy meals and snacks throughout the day, as opposed to a small breakfast and lunch topped by a huge dinner.
• Reduce stress: Because elevated cortisol levels can slow down weight loss, try to reduce stress by meditating, practicing yoga, or engaging in restful activities. |
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Alternative Medicine for Weight Gain
Because lifestyle changes only treat the symptoms of hormonal imbalance, such as weight gain, herbal supplements are a great solution for fixing the actual problem. Herbal remedies are typically cost-effective and free from serious health risks or side-effects.
The main types of herbs that are effective at treating menopausal symptoms include phytoestrogenic herbs, which have low levels of plant hormones that have an estrogenic affect in the human body, and non-estrogenic herbs, which encourage the body to increase its own hormone secretion. |
Both of these herbs have been used to successfully treat hormonal imbalance. Phytoestrogenic herbs, however, have been criticized for their tendency to make the body less responsive to producing its own estrogen, thus worsening the problem. Non-estrogenic herbs, on the other hand, encourage the body to correct hormonal imbalance by itself.
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In medical terminology, these plants are called "selective estrogen-receptor modulators" (SERMS). They don't just raise total levels of estrogen, but have the unique capacity to selectively increase estrogen in some organs, and block or reduce it in others. In a premenopausal woman suffering from elevated estrogen levels, for example, these herbs can decrease estrogen, while in a postmenopausal woman, they help to augment hormone levels. This herb thus balances hormone levels naturally.
An excellent example of a safe and effective non-estrogenic herbal supplement for hormonal imbalance is MacaActive. This herbal supplement is noteworthy for its ability to balance hormone levels in women by nourishing the hormonal glands, thus alleviating most disorders related to hormonal imbalance, including weight gain. |
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Medical Procedures
After lifestyle changes and alternative therapy, medical procedures (especially hormone replacement therapy or surgical procedures like hysterectomy) are the most extreme treatment solution. Pharmaceutical companies driven by profit motives lobby hard to make women think that this is the only option for treating menopause symptoms, but in reality serious medical procedures are only appropriate for a very small percentage of women. Due to the elevated cost and associated side effects, including a higher risk for certain types of cancer, this step should only be considered as a last resort for women with severe conditions. Women who think this treatment may be appropriate for them should seek advice from their doctor.
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A safe way to balance hormones and
prevent weight gain:
Non-estrogenic herbs are the most effective solution for correcting hormonal imbalance and the associated symptom of weight gain.
MacaActive is one example of an excellent non-estrogenic herbal supplement. Instead of introducing hormones from the outside into your body artificially, MacaActive stimulates your hormone glands into producing the necessary hormones naturally. This is what makes MacaActive supplements so unique.
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