Menopause is associated with many side-effects and the prominent of all is the tremendous weight gain. Women are quite worried that the menopause will lead them gaining tremendous weight. Due to hormonal changes during menopause, you might gain weight around your hips and thighs and at abdominal areas. This weight gain is also guided by the genetic factors and your lifestyle. It is highly recommended that with aging you should adopt a healthy lifestyle and stay active. It has been found that the women who stay active prevent the menopausal weight gain to a greater extent.
With the inception of menopause, the production of estrogen declines resulting in disturbing the levels of thyroid hormone, leptin, levels of insulin and cortisol. So, keeping a check on these 4 hormones will prevent a post-menopause weight gain.
Insulin
The amount of glucose in the blood is regulated by the insulin. The food with high glycemic index leads to weight gain as it leads to insulin resistance. To regulate your blood sugar, you may start your day with the two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with filtered water. If you find the taste nasty, you may start with drinking 500 ml of water that will help to flush out all the toxins. Enough protein intake and eating small meals will also help to regulate your insulin levels in your body. Eliminate the added sugar from your diet.
Leptin
To balance your Leptin levels, you need to catch up with enough sleep. It has been observed that if you don’t sleep well, you don’t get satisfies even after eating well and your body demands more carbohydrate-rich and fatty foods. Adding Omega 3 rich foods like chia seeds, fish, and grass-fed meat can also help you to maintain your Leptin levels. Exercise regularly and decrease your fructose intake by eliminating added sugar from your diet.
Cortisol
The excess of Cortisol leads to storage of visceral fat around internal organs and results in belly fat. It also put you at the risk of heart disease. This hormone regulates the response of your body to the stress situations but the imbalance of Cortisol causes fat storage in your body. Generally, task-switching leads to raised stress levels, hence we should try to pay attention to one work at one time. Adding Vitamin B and magnesium supplements can be a great help in balancing Cortisol level in your body. Mediation and longer sleep will also work as wonder.
Thyroid
The main function of a Thyroid hormone is to regulate your metabolism. A body with a high metabolism tends to lose weight drastically. Any imbalance in thyroid hormone leads to storage of fats and carbs in your body. To restore Thyroid functions, broccoli and spinach will be a great help. A gluten-free diet is also recommended.
Besides low-carb diet, a good exercise is a key to remain fit. The more you will be physically active, lesser will be the chances to gain weight post-menopause. Ensure to undertake a lab test to ensure that your hormone levels are quite normal and in case of discrepancy, refer the doctor.
To know misconceptions and myths about menopause, Click Here.
Reema Singhal
A finance postgraduate with 3 years of work experience with a leading media house, Ms Reema Singhal gave her way to the writings 2 years back. Motivated by the concept ‘Be your own boss’, blogging always magnetized her as a profession. Blogging entices her creative bend of mind and she feels good about acquiring knowledge in different streams. Till date, she has worked anonymously for many projects and has an extensive experience of writing for food, travel, beauty, health, real estate and lifestyle. Reema Singhal is an enthusiastic writer who is a fervent foodie, loves to travel and interact with the people from different walks of life. She meticulously believes “Being Human is the god’s greatest blessing, so live each day King-size”.
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