| Are you
one of the 40 million American women going through menopause?
If so, the good news is you can sail through this transition
feeling great if you take the appropriate measures now.
Yes… there are lifestyle tips that you can apply immediately.
Did you know... that some foods can strengthen and energize
you while other foods can trigger menopausal symptoms? ...that
stress management and an exercise program can help you prevent,
or even eliminate symptoms? ... that vitamins, minerals and
herbs can make a menopause difference?
The average age of women reaching menopause is 51. Based on
life expectancy trends, women face the prospect of spending
one-third of their lives in a state of hormonal imbalance!
As the amount of naturally produced progesterone and estrogen
declines, a wide range of debilitating menopausal symptoms
can occur, such as…
• Hot flushes / flashes which can be on any part of
the body at any time of the day or night at any frequency.
• Night sweats
• Mood swings
• Restless legs
• Insomnia
• Headaches / or migraines that get worse
• Palpitations
• Anxiety/ panic attacks
• Irritability
• Depression (can exacerbate normal predisposition to
depression)
• Altered memory or concentration
• Fatigue
• Loss of or reduced or sometimes increased libido/sex
drive
• Vaginal changes (drier or pain during sex)
• Breast tenderness
• Bloating
Other symptoms are, potentially deadly, ‘silent killers’.
Osteoporosis affects one in three women during this stage
of life. Cholesterol levels increase dramatically. The result
is that heart disease has become a leading killer of women
over age 50.
Yet, there is good news too! You can sail through this transition
with a minimum amount of trouble if you just take some appropriate
measures now. Best of all, it’s never too late to start.
Tips to Improve the Quality of Your Life
Get Some Exercise
Stay active. Exercise helps to increase blood circulation
to the skin, keeping it soft, supple and moist. It also helps
to reduce mood swings, wards off depression, provides you
with a deeper, more restful sleep, and it boosts your cardiovascular
health.
Use Relaxation Techniques to Combat Stress
Since a woman’s mid-to-late forties and fifties are
typically a period marked by change, life can seem even more
stressful. Worries crop up about caring for aging parents,
concerns about your health, and having decreased energy and
vitality. Using mental relaxation techniques, doing yoga,
getting a massage, or just taking a warm bath can help you
manage your response to stress.
Stop Smoking
Smoking increases your risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.
Types of Food That Can Help Easy Menopause Symptoms
Include foods rich in phytoestrogens in your diet
- Phyto, or plant, estrogens travel to the estrogen receptor
sites and activate estrogen-dependent activities. They have
a gentle, balancing effect on your system. Soybeans, soymilk,
soy nuts, tofu, tempeh, miso, fennel, and alfalfa are rich
sources of phytoestrogens.
Get more fiber in your diet - For optimal
fiber, increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and whole
grains and legumes. They provide valuable phytochemicals (plant
chemicals) that are powerful antioxidants. Adding soluble
fiber, such as apples, beans, lentils, oats can help lower
your blood cholesterol, while insoluble fiber can help keep
you regular.
Increase your intake of essential fatty acids EFA
- One tablespoon of flaxseed oil, a rich source of EFA, can
do wonders for your skin and helps to protect against vaginal
dryness and hot flashes. Plus, EFAs are an integral part of
all cell membranes and are the precursors to prostaglandins,
which are hormone-like chemicals that regulate cellular activities
and balance hormones.
Include more calcium-rich foods - Things
such as green-leafy vegetables, calcium fortified soymilk,
cheese and milk, helps to protect your bones and heart health.
Increase your consumption of fatty fish. Rich in omega-3’s,
they help to protect you against heart disease. They help
to prevent blood clots, inhibit inflammation in the vessel
walls and promote a regular cardiac rhythm. Mackerel, herring,
sardines, tuna, and salmon are all good sources.
Drink plenty of water - Carry a water bottle
with you. Make sure to have at least eight 8-ounce glasses
of water each day… that’s 64 ounces or 2 quarts!
Drinking that much water can help you… reduce wrinkles,
relieve constipation, reduce lower backaches, fill up so you
eat less, and protect the mucous membranes in your vagina
from drying out.
What To Cut Out of Your Diet!!
Reduce your intake of animal protein
- Too much animal protein can overwork your kidneys and leech
calcium from your bones, increasing your chances of developing
osteoporosis.
Limit sugar, refined flour, and alcohol -
They can trigger hot flashes. Plus, they can add to your waistline
as they provide a lot of calories and little in the way of
nutrients. Although evidence suggests that moderate wine consumption
offer some protection for the heart, too much alcohol may
increase the risk of breast cancer and is a contributing factor
to osteoporosis.
Go light on salty foods - Too much sodium
in the diet can result in calcium loss from the bones.
Keep the caffeine to a minimum - Too much
caffeine stresses the adrenal glands, acts as a diuretic leading
to a loss of potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamins B and C
and water. It can increase anxiety, irritability, mood swings
and even the
Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs You Should Take
To help you sail through menopause with minimal discomfort,
there are a host of natural nutrients that can ease your transition.
The lifestyle tips along with these nutrients will help to
ease the symptoms and even provide the missing ‘ingredients’
your body needs to enhance your sense of wellbeing during
this time.
Bioflavonoids (bilberry, quercetin, green
tea, grape seed, and grape skin) powerful antioxidants
and anti-inflammatories - They help to protect blood
vessels and reduce blood platelet aggregation (acting as natural
blood thinners). Because of their ability to strengthen capillaries,
they reduce the occurrence of hot flashes. They strengthen
and maintain collagen, which helps the skin to maintain its
elasticity and smoothness, which may decrease wrinkles.
Bee pollen - This nutrient helps to reduce
hot flashes, plus gives you an energy boost.
Black cohosh - This herb has weak estrogenic
effects, reducing the number, severity, and frequency of hot
flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, nervousness,
irritability, heart palpitations and headaches. Now you know
why it has been used consistently in Germany since 1930!
Calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin K, and boron
- This combination of nutrients support bone health. Calcium
and magnesium have an added benefit: they help to protect
against heart disease.
CoEnzyme Q10 - This powerful antioxidant
protects the body against dangerous free radicals. It helps
to lower blood pressure and reduce the occurrence of heart
disease.
Soy isoflavones and red clover. Their antioxidant and phytoestrogenic
properties help to reduce the incidence of hot flashes, heart
disease, hormone-dependent cancers, tumor growth and vaginal
dryness. They protect against bone loss, and enhance mental
function. Research studies indicate that women in Asia who
consumed about 55g of soy a day (which is what they typically
consume) exhibited a 60% lower risk of breast cancer. Additionally,
only about 15% of these women report hot flashes compared
to 85% in the U.S.
B Vitamins - They are important for liver
function in order to detoxify excess hormones. One B vitamin,
B6, is particularly helpful in improving your mood, as it
plays a critical role in the manufacture of serotonin, a neurotransmitter
that helps to ease depression. An insufficiency of B6 may
also cause insomnia and irritability.
Vitamin C - This water-soluble antioxidant
decreases the rate of LDL oxidation and so may reduce the
risk of heart disease. It helps to form collagen, the protein
vital to keeping skin, blood vessels and bones intact, thereby
helping to maintain skin integrity and reduce your risk of
osteoporosis. It also helps to relieve hot flashes.
Vitamin E - The considerable reputation for
vitamin E in alleviating hot flashes comes from studies as
far back as 1945. This fat-soluble antioxidant helps to protect
your heart, eases hot flashes, and alleviates vaginal dryness.
| Popular Products! |
Biotest
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit contains a super-thermogenic compound
that researchers believe is the.. |
|
VPX
Redline Gelcaps
Redline Caps is a multi-system rapid fat loss
catalyst. Finally, a fat burner that busts the.. |
|
MuscleTech Creakic
When you’re laying down the cash for supplement – specifically a creatine pill.. |
|