4 Weight Loss & Metabolic Health Tips For Perimenopausal Women
Are you noticing a “meno-belly” or spare tyre around your waist that you can’t seem to shift? This is one of the many symptoms of going through perimenopause. Many women are unaware that the phase of perimenopause can begin a long time (between 2-10 years) before actual menopause.
Our bodies are physically changing, the declines in estrogen, progesterone and serotonin impact how we process the food we eat. To get leaner and stronger in this season of our life, we have to work WITH our hormones and energy levels, not against them. Here are some tips on how to lose the weight and maintain a healthy microbiome.
Exercise
Maintaining your muscle mass with weight bearing exercise at least 3-5 x week for at least 30 minutes. My favourites are weightlifting, pilates, yoga, core & balance training.
Movement & strength training not only supports our muscles & bones, it also can reverse insulin resistance, a common cause of the meno-belly or spare tyre may women often complain about.
Maintain a healthy microbiome
Talk to your Naturopath about specific probiotics and a microbiome enhancing diet. A diet high in fresh fruit & vegetables provides a fertile garden for our good guys to live & thrive in, promotes a healthy metabolism as can also help to balance the immune system and reduce allergies & intolerances which often become more prevalent during this time.
Eat the rainbow!
Fill half of your plate with each meal with a rainbow of vegetables and build the rest of your meal around them.
Protein
This is an important one for metabolic health, preservation of muscle mass and repair and regeneration of skin and other tissues. Collagen powder is often a great addition here.
Down time!
Managing a health stress response is key here, the better you adrenal health the easier the transition will be. Making them for relaxation, mindfulness, journalling, yoga or any other calming activities will nourish your nervous system, improve mood, support healthy sleep and reducing cortisol which is known to increase belly fat.
The time of perimenopause is a very important time for nurturing ourselves and prioritising our health. If we can support our bodies through this transition with love, self are, a good diet, stress reduction and a little help from your practitioner we are likely to experience less symptoms, be happier and have better health later in life.
If you or someone you know is looking for personalised support with a naturopathic and functional medicine approach, book an appointment with Naturopath Cass here, or call the clinic on 03 5977 0177.
This article is intended to be informational only and represents the opinion of the author. It is not intended to be used as medical advice and does not take the place of advice from a qualified health care practitioner in a clinical setting. Please check with your healthcare practitioner before embarking upon any of the treatments discussed.