How to keep your weight in check during the (peri)menopause with natural supplements and vitamins.
One particular strain of estrogen, known as estradiol, decreases dramatically during perimenopause. Estradiol helps to regulate weight and metabolism, and thus its decline during the years of perimenopause, for many women, can lead to unwanted weight gain, particularly around the hips and thighs.
This unsolicited shape-shifting can be allayed by taking the best diet pills and herbal supplements for menopause weight gain, changing up your diet to limit inflammation and making positive tweaks to your overall lifestyle. Ensuring that you’re getting the correct menopause nutrition and eating healthily during menopause will not only help to diminish weight gain, it can also help to reduce night sweats, menopause insomnia, and other related symptoms without having to resort to hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Read on for our top menopause weight loss tips:
1- Eat these foods to balance hormones
Some foods are particularly useful for (pre)menopausal women to incorporate into their diets. Particular nutrients can have a profound effect on hormonal health and can help to balance the body, reduce inflammation and keep weight gain at bay.
Generally you’ll want to stick to a low GI and reduced carbohydrate diet, rich in whole food plants and legumes, leafy greens, healthy sources of fats and lean proteins.
The ideal anti-inflammation diet should consist of a rainbow of fruits and vegetables in every meal - the more colours you can get onto your plate the better as different hues mean different vitamins. Clinicians have shown that the wider the variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals a woman consumes during menopause, the lower the intensity and incidence of symptoms including belly fat, night sweats and sleep problems. Getting these essential vitamins through your diet, is deemed far more effective than buying generic vitamins for menopause weight gain off the health store shelf.
In one study of over 17,000 women, those eating more fruit and vegetables reported a 19% reduction in instance of menopause related hot flushes compared with a control group. Fruits and vegetables are also high in fibre and antioxidants, both of which help to keep your body balanced and your hormones under control.
Healthy fats such as those found in oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, anchovies and sardines are particularly useful as an addition to a menopause-friendly diet. The omega-3 fatty acids present in these oily fish have been associated with reducing the frequency and intensity of a number of menopause symptoms, but most notably with reducing night sweats. We usually get sufficient amounts of omega-3 through a healthy diet therefore fish-oil supplementation is rarely necessary.
2- Avoid these foods to lose belly fat
You should avoid any inflammatory foods , specifically those containing alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar and processed carbohydrates, all of which can disrupt hormones, exacerbate menopause symptoms and contribute to weight gain.
In particular, menopausal women should steer clear of salty foods (which cause dehydration, thus exacerbating many common menopause symptoms, weight gain included), spicy foods (these can contribute significantly to an increased likelihood of suffering from hot flashes and night sweats) and processed carbohydrates, refined sugars and artificial sweeteners (these all raise your blood sugar dramatically when you consume them, resulting in reduced insulin resistance and the potentiality of developing metabolic syndrome, thus making you increasingly susceptible to gaining weight).
3- Take effective natural nutrients and vitamins
LYMA contains everything you need to support a happy menopause :
Vita-algae D3™ has been formulated at a clinical dose of 2,000 i.u. in LYMA to support your health and wellbeing no matter your stage of life. Vitamin D3 helps to activate insulin for use in the body’s metabolic process. Most people living in the northern hemisphere are deficient in Vitamin D3, however without adequate levels of ‘the sunshine vitamin’, your body cannot effectively manage your insulin load which can then lead to weight gain and even associated diseases such as diabetes. Vitamin D3 is also integral to bone health, and less than adequate levels can cause brittle bones and even the development of osteoporosis. LYMA’s Vita-algae D3™ is not only scientifically dosed, it is also fully patented, highly bioavailable and superior to other Vitamin D supplements on the market.
Sensoril® Ashwagandha is an industry-leading, full spectrum adaptogen, and is one of the leading reasons that so many women are turning to LYMA to support them through a sudden weight gain caused by hormonal changes and inflammation.
Ashwagandha is a great natural supplement for those who suffer from menopause insomnia: it is a potent sleep-aid, and also works to boost women's mental health by helping to regulate levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain and body. When you’re well-slept and your mood is good, you are much less likely to reach for those sugary snacks and thus your weight is more likely to remain stable. LYMA’s root extracted Ashwagandha is highly bioavailable and the most extensively studied strain of the adaptogen available today.
LYMA is a natural support when it comes to fighting symptoms associated with the menopause such as inflammation. Women have credited our formula with helping them to overcome the obstacles associated with this transitionary period, and with helping them to get their lives back.
If you’re experiencing hot flashes, menopause insomnia or bloating and weight gain, then taking patented and peer-reviewed micro-nutrients and vitamins such as the ones formulated in LYMA, could make a real difference to you and your wellbeing. LYMA is here to help you regain your confidence and remind you how it feels to be at your best, even during perimenopause and menopause.
4- Increase the amount of exercise you’re doing
Exercise is important no matter what stage of life you’re in. However, as you get older and go through the menopause, it becomes all the more important - particularly if you want to keep weight from creeping on.
Increasing your activity level in menopause needn’t be a chore. Rather, it can be a joy. In addition to helping you to manage your weight and keep it under control while still enjoying the odd treat, regular exercise has a number of additional benefits for menopausal women. These benefits range from boosting your mood and keeping your mind healthy, to preventing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s from taking hold and maintaining the integrity of your bones as you age, thereby stopping osteoporosis in its tracks.
Many symptoms associated with ageing in general occur as a result of something called inflammaging - basically a form of low-grade chronic inflammation that can occur as part and parcel of the ageing process. Exercise can help to prevent inflammaging from damaging your health, and can even turn back the clock on any existing inflammation.
If you want to lose weight, sharpen your mind, feel happier, sleep better and experience fewer menopause symptoms, upping your weekly exercise will pay dividends. We recently wrote about some of the best anti-ageing and inflammation-fighting exercises to help you grow older with grace, so take a look if you’re in need of some inspiration.
