Testosterone: Testosterone helps
your body to create lean muscle mass out of the calories that you take
in. Muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells do, thereby
increasing your metabolism. In natural menopause, levels of testosterone
drop, resulting in the loss of muscle. Unfortunately, this means a
lower metabolism rate. The lower your metabolism is, the slower your
body burns calories.
Hormone replacement therapy
There are some misconceptions about hormone replacement therapy that, if followed, can make you gain weight during menopause.
The first misconception is that
decreased oestrogen levels is the main reason for many of the
uncomfortable symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes, sweating and
mood swings, to mention but a few. We now know that the deficiency in
oestrogen is not the cause of these menopausal symptoms.
Continue reading after the cut...
Actually, this false/incorrect theory
was encouraged by the pharmaceutical industry so they could sell their
synthetically fabricated oestrogen. The unfortunate resultant effect of
synthetic oestrogen, apart from causing breast cancer and other side
effects, is that it always leads to significant weight gain.
Another misconception is that using
“natural” oestrogen, called phytoestrogens from plant sources such as
flaxseed, soya, evening primrose oil and fish oil, instead of synthetic
oestrogen, will be better for and reduce the risk of breast and other
cancers. Such natural sources of oestrogen should not lead to breast
cancer; however, their use could result in weight gain due to their
oestrogenic reactions in the body.
New research has shown that it is the
decline in progesterone that causes most of the menopausal symptoms and
progesterone replacement will normally stop most of these symptoms.
Again, the progesterone must be from natural, plant-derived sources, and
not from synthetic sources. Bio- identical sources of progesterone will
not lead to weight gain and will also reduce water retention, making
you feel and look a lot better. The best type of progesterone is in the
form of creams, which are rubbed onto the body. They are easily absorbed
through the skin, rather than in the form of pills, which have to be
taken orally, digested through the system and the liver and add
unnecessary toxic load on the body.
More on weight gain
Insulin resistance: Insulin resistance
can occur during the menopausal years. This is when your body turns
every calorie you take into fat. Most women follow a low fat, high
carbohydrate diet. After a while, processed and refined food may make
your body resistant to insulin produced in the blood stream. This is
often a cause of weight gain after age of 40.
Stress: Stress is also a
contributing factor in weight gain in menopause. Stress hormone can
prevent weight loss, as they signal to your body to go into storage
mode. This is referred to as the “famine effect” — your body, thinking
it won’t get food for a long time, stores every calorie it takes in,
causing weight gain. Indeed, the stress factor has been linked to
adrenal stress and adrenal fatigue, which in turn affect your ability to
metabolise carbohydrates. When you cannot metabolise carbohydrates,
then you become insulin resistant — a pre-diabetic condition that causes
weight gain.
Prevent/reverse weight gain
There is no magic formula for avoiding
weight gain as you get older. The strategies for maintaining a healthy
weight at any age remains the same: watch what you eat and get moving.
The most effective approach to reversing weight gain after menopause
includes a combination of the following:
Increase your physical activity:
Aerobic exercise boosts your metabolism and helps you burn fat.
Strength-training exercises increase muscle mass, boosts your metabolism
and strengthens your bones. Do more gardening and dancing. Take longer
walks or try biking. Make it your goal to be active for a total of 30
minutes or more a day, on most days. It is for maintaining a healthy
body composition, more lean muscle mass and less body fat as you get
older.
Reduce calorie intake: The
important thing to note is that weight gain is not noticeable overnight,
although it occurs overnight. To gain six kilogrammes (14 lbs) in six
months, you need to consume around 270 calories more than you need each
day. It might sound like a lot, but in reality, it is equivalent to
roughly one large packet of crisps, half a bottle of wine, a small bar
of chocolate or a couple of slices of toast and butter extra every day.
Take a closer look at your diet.
That small addition is what you need to get to the big weight. Pay
attention to the food you eat and slightly reduce the amount of calories
you consume each day. By choosing a varied diet composed mainly of lean
protein and vegetable, you can safely cut back on calories and lose
weight. Be careful not to cut back too drastically on calorie intake, or
your body will respond by conserving energy, making extra pounds harder
to shed.
Decrease dietary fat: Eating
large amount of high-fat foods adds excess calories, which can lead to
weight gain and obesity. Limit calories from fats to 20-35 per cent of
your daily calories. Emphasise on fats from a healthier source, such as
nuts and olive oil, palm oil, coconut and avocado oils.
Reduce carbohydrate: With age,
many become insulin-resistant, which will reduce the ability to
metabolise carbohydrates. To reduce weight gain, you need to cut down on
carbohydrates. All highly processed carbohydrates should be removed
from the diet. These include sugar, soft drinks, cakes, biscuits, meat
pie and white bread. Natural carbohydrate should be eaten in moderation.
These include eba, rice, yam, amala and potato. Avoid fruits such as
pineapple and mangos, which have a lot of sugar. Instead, eat grape
fruit and pawpaw; and plenty of green leafy vegetables.
•Concluded
-Oladapo Ashiru (dapo.ashiru@medicalartcenter.com )
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