Dealing With the Symptoms of Menopause With These Natural Lifestyle Changes

 

Women?s bodies go through many life changes. These changes are often brought on my age and stage of life. As older women go into menopause, they experience a variety of hormonal and bodily changes. Many of these changes can be extremely uncomfortable and difficult to adjust to. While you may feel like there is little you can do while experiencing these symptoms, there are natural and effective methods to better handle uncomfortable changes.

Daily exercise
Exercise can do a lot of good for the body. Not only does it support weight control, but it also releases endorphins. Endorphins act as the body?s natural pain reliever. It also regulates your sleep quality and contributes to an increased level of energy. Physical activity (or exercise) only accounts for about 20% of total energy expenditure (although it could be up to 50% in a very physically active person, and even less than 20% in a sedentary person), and the thermic effect of food (or diet induced thermogenesis) is 10%. Do not let the fear of wasting your energy on exercise prevent you from the many benefits of physical activity.

Healthy diet
A healthy diet is recommended throughout most stages of your life. However, it is very important during the menopausal changes. During menopause, your hormones are constantly changing and affecting your body. Your body is losing its ability to absorb important nutrients and vitamins. This often means that you have to increase your intake to receive the recommended daily amounts. It is important to eat a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables.

These foods can contribute to overall hormonal support and a reduction in menopause symptoms. In addition to fruits and vegetables, it is also important to add in protein, calcium, and vitamin B induced foods. Adults should eat a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight daily, which is about 58 grams for a 160 pound adult, according to recommendations from the Institute of Medicine.

Healthy detoxification, when needed
A diet full for sugar and caffeine does not do much good for the body. If you have ever felt sluggish after a food induced weekend or holiday, you are aware of the negative effects of a regular diet of unhealthy food items. After a long weekend of poor eating choices, a healthy detoxification can be helpful. It allows your body to dispose of these food choices that are weighing you down and then eventually, replace them with healthier choices. Health for menopausal women requires healthy choices. However, you should always work with your physician or nutritionist before beginning a detoxification process.

Supplements
Even with the best diets, our bodies still tend to lack some of the necessary vitamins. Supplements, such as hormone balance supplements and antioxidant supplements are a great way to supplement these deficiencies. A multivitamin is a great supplement to begin with. It contains a little of everything, even hormone balance supplements. Americans have been taking multivitamin minerals (MVM) supplements since the early 1940s, when the first such products became available.

Additional, more focused of supplements can be used to make up for other deficiencies. For example, many women lack calcium and vitamin D. Women going through menopause could benefit from hormone balance supplements to control symptoms, such as to alleviate occasional hot flashes. If you are unsure of which supplements will best benefit you, work with your physician or nutritionist to develop a supplement plan based on your specific needs.

Menopause is often very difficult on women. The body goes through drastic changes and as a result, produces a variety of side effects. Some of these uncomfortable symptoms can be controlled or reduced with minor lifestyle changes, including exercise, a change in diet, and over the counter supplements. Vitamins, like hormone balance supplements, can actually reduce things like hot flashes and mood changes. Finding a mix of natural treatments will help you gracefully enter into menopause.