Monday, February 16, 2009

Natural Remedies for Menopause and Weight Loss

By Ricardo d Argence

For many women, menopause is a challenging transition period after the child-bearing age. A woman's body stops causing egg follicles to mature every month in preparation for pregnancy,menopause occurs when female hormones naturally decline.

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.

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.

The fat in our body and estrogen also has a unique role in support. Body fat helps in shaping 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 body fat also exchange in the complex is that the impact of weight gain by changing the 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.

A more effective approach to maintaining a healthy hormone balance is through a natural approach of eating nutrient dense, whole foods rather than using herbal remedies. A lot of women believe that a healthy lifestyle is more beneficial, during an illness, than herbal remedies.

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. - 15438

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