Love your body through the menopause.

By Karen Evennett

You may find it hard to feel good about your changing body if, as many women do, you feel drained of your femininity by your lack of oestrogen. For example, your breasts will no longer go through the cyclical changes you’ve been used to, and some women feel empty inside. But try these tactics...

Don't struggle to be skinny

You may hate your weight gain, but fat cells produce oestrogen, which you need at this time, and this is your body’s way of arming itself against the impending drought. ‘Your body chooses to store fat on the tummy when you’re perimenopausal because tummy fat is active fat, easily accessed by the liver and major arteries thanks to its location, whereas hip fat is inactive because it basically just sits there,’ explains Dr Glenville.

‘Fighting to stay skinny will make your other symptoms worse, so be happy with a little extra weight but stay within your healthy body mass index (BMI). 

Obesity will make you more likely to have hot flushes and exacerbate joint pain, as well as making you more susceptible to heart disease and breast cancer.’

Do eat healthily

‘Eating regularly every three hours – and avoiding added sugar and caffeine will protect you from blood-sugar fluctuations, which can cause mood swings, hot flushes, night sweats and insomnia, and are more common as we get older, with or without the hormonal changes of the menopause,’ says Dr Glenville. ‘Some women end up on HRT when really their problems were caused by eating too erratically. A healthy diet, rich in pulses, fresh fruit and vegetables, will increase your chances of sailing through the menopause symptom free.’

Don't smoke or drink excessively

An unhealthy lifestyle exacerbates symptoms and may bring your menopause forward.

Do take regular exercise

This will help keep your weight in check and your symptoms under control. It will also help protect you against heart disease, as well as osteoporosis, which becomes more of a risk when your supplies of bone-protecting oestrogen begin to shrink. 

SOURCE: allaboutyou.com