Monday, February 16, 2009

Natural Remedies for Menopause and Weight Loss

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.

Regrettably, menopause may be very difficult for some women because it is often uncomfortable symptoms. These can include hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness, loss of interest in sex, and irritability. Another frequent consequence of menopause is unexpected weight gain.

Occasionally, females who put on weight in menopause haven't altered their diet or workout regimen. This can be frustrating, prompting women to wonder what caused this sudden and unexpected weight gain. In other instances, increased weight is caused by eating to excess that is stimulated by hormones. Another cause of weight gain is the natural metabolic slow-down that happens as people age. This more sluggish metabolic rate signifies that extra calories or a diet that lacks balance will produce a much bigger impact on females in menopause.

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.

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.

It is important for a healthy diet to concentrate on ingesting healthy fats in moderation and not eating bad fats at all. 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). Keep away alcohol food, and spicy food, if you are caffeine aggravates symptoms of menopause, and of course, pass up fried and fatty foods, excess sugar, and junk.

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. - 16004

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