By Anne Montague
Health worries come and go, and it isn’t always easy to tell if that odd twinge is perfectly normal. Reassuringly, when you learn how your body changes over the years, you can tell what’s to be expected and what you need to treat more seriously. That way, you can future-proof your health
If you're 50 to 60...
You'll have to eat a bit less and step up your exercise to stay in shape, but it's worth the extra effort to enter your middle years feeling fit and healthy and ready for the challenges ahead.
What's normal
● Menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and mood swings may well be a feature of day-to-day life - and for some women will remain so for many years to come.
● Becoming an apple rather than a pear shape - extra pounds gained before the menopause tend to be spread across hips, thighs and bottom, but falling oestrogen levels mean they now go straight to your middle. It also becomes harder to keep the weight off.
● Attacks of cystitis become more common at this age. Help prevent them by drinking lots of fluids and eating a daily probiotic yogurt.
● Aches and pains in your joints - women are more susceptible than men to osteoarthritis. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen can relieve symptoms, but fish oils and glucosamine may also help.
What's not...
● Changes in your breasts, including any alteration in their shape, texture or appearance, or any new pain or lumps. The risk of breast cancer rises from one in 200 in your 30s to one in 23 in your 50s. Keep your screening appointments and check your breasts and armpits regularly for changes.
● Unusual fatigue, chest or indigestion-type pain, which could be signs of a heart attack - women may experience less-typical symptoms than men do. Apart from the classic crushing chest pain, be alert to a dull pain, ache or heavy feeling in your chest that spreads to your back or stomach; a mild discomfort in your chest that makes you feel unwell; chest pain that feels like bad indigestion; and feeling lightheaded or dizzy.
● Vague but persistent abdominal symptoms such as bloating, abdominal or pelvic pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly. In some cases where these symptoms start suddenly and occur for more than 12 days in the month, they can be a sign of ovarian cancer - if you're concerned, you should see your GP as soon as possible.
Hold back the years
● Don't abandon contraception until at least a year after your final period. Even then, you should use condoms if you're in a new relationship, to protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
● Work at your weight. During the menopause, your body wants to store rather than burn calories and deposit fat around your middle. Eat low-fat recipes, reduce portion sizes and focus on whole foods. Researchers at Tufts University in Boston found that middle-aged people who ate lots of high fibre, unprocessed carbohydrates like vegetables, beans and wholegrains along with low-fat dairy food gained less weight and fewer inches round their waist than people eating lots of processed and refined foods with the same number of calories.
● Know your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. A staggering 84% of women over 55 have high cholesterol and one in three have high blood pressure, yet many of them are completely unaware of it. Both conditions can be effectively controlled, reducing your risk of stroke and heart disease.
● Focus on aerobic exercise, which also keeps bones and muscles strong. In the five years after menopause you lose 3% of spinal bone density each year - and muscle strength also declines. Brisk uphill walking, jogging, stair climbing and aerobics will improve fitness and bone and muscle strength. The more muscle you build, the easier it is to keep weight stable - for every 2kg increase in muscle mass there will be a 10% increase in your basal metabolic rate.
SOURCE: allaboutyou.com
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