Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Unhealthy Ways to Lose Weight During Menopause

By Ricardo d Argence

Menopausal women are at much greater risk of osteoporosis, weight gain, and other health problems as a result of an unhealthy diet.

As women approach menopause, the body begins to decrease its production of estrogen and progesterone. While we tend to think of these almost exclusively in terms of their roles as female reproductive hormones, these hormones also play an important role in bone health.

A decrease in estrogen lead to lower bone density. Especially in women with inadequate intakes of calcium and vitamin D during the crucial young adult years of bone formation,this decline actually starts well before menopause. The depletion of bone mass is considerably increased during menopause, increasing the possibility of bone fractures more than men, it also puts them at risk for osteoporosis.

If she is not already active but during menopause, a woman's metabolism also begins to slow down it especially. Digestion of food becomes sluggish, causing greater absorption of nutrients from food. Unfortunately, this also means that bad fats, sugars, and other processed food items will have a greater impact on a menopausal woman's health.

With changes in digestion and metabolisn can lead to weight gain to the decrease in female reproductive hormones combined. Increase in weight increases along with other physical changes during menopause, can lead to an increase possibility of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and similar conditions. The risk of developing both osteoporosis and cardiovascular illnesses of the good news is that eating a healthful diet during menopause can help reduce.

It is balance of the key to a healthful diet that can help stave off osteoporosis, weight gain, and associated health complications. Start by eating at least three nutritious meals each day. Eating more frequent, smaller meals is even better. Try not to concentrate excessively on calories; rather, you should focus on sensible portions and consuming foods loaded with nutrients and minimal calories. Some examples are leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and brightly colored red and yellow vegetables. To be sure that you get all the nutrients you need, it is wise to take a multi-vitamin every day.

Fiber will serve to fight sluggish metabolism by helping to get food moving through your digestive tract. Helps curb excess weight gain and this promotes digestive health. Whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables are nutritious foods that are high in fiber. Increase the fiber in your diet, and decrease the fat and fried food. Restrict general consumption of fat to under 30% of total calorie consumption.

Although there are some fats essential for a healthy living. Do include sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Some common food sources of omega 3 are salmon and other cold water fish, seeds, and nuts, especially walnuts. Omega 3 fatty acids will help to lessen some troubling symptoms of menopause as well as lessen inflammation.

To handle typical signs of menopause such as hot flashes and agitation, attempt to decrease or avoid altogether foods containing caffeine or those that are too spicy. Avoid excess sugar, especially corn syrup and other highly-processed foods.

Eating foods rich in plant phytoestrogens, such as beans and other legumes, apples, potatoes, and carrots can also help fight hot flashes. Also, drinking at least eight glasses of water each day can work for you. Soy also contains high levels of phytoestrogens, and there are many tasty flavored drinks, yogurts, and even frozen desserts, that contain soy.

The RDA for calcium for females older than 50 is 1200 mg, however you should aim for this quantity before you reach that age too. Be sure that your intake of calcium is adequate. Eating low-fat dairy products helps the absorption of calcium especially when the products are further enhanced by Vitamin D. The risk of developing osteoporosis can be decreased by consuming sufficient amounts of bone-protecting calcium, which slows bone loss.

Practicing good eating habits during menopause can greatly lessen health risks, including weight gain and osteoporosis. A healthy diet will be able to give you more energy, and can help you in reducing or eradicating troublesome symptoms of menopause. - 17944

About the Author: