Menopause is associated with many physical and psychological changes. One of the biggest changes that women may notice is an abnormal increase in body weight. Research has established that, this is related both to reduced activity and the hormonal changes that favor putting on weight. A reduction in estrogen hormone activity is responsible for most of the changes. Here is how to speed up metabolism during menopause.
Conservative treatment options have to be attempted first before considering the invasive interventions. The rate of metabolism is closely related to the energy requirement by body tissues which is in turn related to the rate of physical activity. This means that by increasing your daily physical activity will help increase the rate of metabolism. Thirty minutes of intense physical activity for at least three days in a week is good enough.
Hormone replacement therapy helps to take care of very many other problems other than the disordered metabolism. Estrogen may be given in isolation but more commonly it is administered alongside other synthetic hormones so as to achieve a balance in the resultant effects. The duration of therapy varies from one individual to another depending on the initial symptom severity. Serial tests will routinely be performed by your doctor to determine whether the desired levels have been achieved.
Estrogen works mainly on two fronts; increasing the metabolic rate and influencing the distribution of fat. When the hormone is present in normal levels, fat is mainly deposited around the thighs, buttocks and hips. This is in contrast to situations in which the hormone is deficient in which case fat is mainly deposited around the anterior abdominal wall. The latter effect is undesirable for most women.
Proper weight control during the menopausal period is associated with many benefits. The amount of cholesterol is reduced and this in turn helps to reduce the risk of contracting non communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Low cholesterol also reduces the number of strokes and heart attack events. Other diseases whose risk is reduced include colon cancer, diverticular disease and kidney disease.
Adequate sleep is important. Contrary to popular opinion, being awake for long hours does not increase the metabolic rate. Enough sleep does. Studies indicate that there is about 5% reduction in the rate whenever a night of sleep is missed. Ensure that you sleep between seven and eight hours. A better rate of metabolism will improve your quality of sleep.
It is important to watch your diet. Different foods have different levels of calories hence are broken at different rates. Choose foods that are broken over a longer period of time. This may also be achieved by having smaller frequent meals. When the level of glucose in the brain goes down, a hormone known as cortisol is released. This hormone leads to muscle breakdown and resultant reduction in the metabolic rate.
The metabolic rate slows down as we grow older. The effect is most evident among women in menopause due to the gradual changes in hormone levels that take place. Making lifestyle adjustments should be the first step in dealing with the problem. If this fails to yield fruits, hormone replacement therapy should be considered.
Conservative treatment options have to be attempted first before considering the invasive interventions. The rate of metabolism is closely related to the energy requirement by body tissues which is in turn related to the rate of physical activity. This means that by increasing your daily physical activity will help increase the rate of metabolism. Thirty minutes of intense physical activity for at least three days in a week is good enough.
Hormone replacement therapy helps to take care of very many other problems other than the disordered metabolism. Estrogen may be given in isolation but more commonly it is administered alongside other synthetic hormones so as to achieve a balance in the resultant effects. The duration of therapy varies from one individual to another depending on the initial symptom severity. Serial tests will routinely be performed by your doctor to determine whether the desired levels have been achieved.
Estrogen works mainly on two fronts; increasing the metabolic rate and influencing the distribution of fat. When the hormone is present in normal levels, fat is mainly deposited around the thighs, buttocks and hips. This is in contrast to situations in which the hormone is deficient in which case fat is mainly deposited around the anterior abdominal wall. The latter effect is undesirable for most women.
Proper weight control during the menopausal period is associated with many benefits. The amount of cholesterol is reduced and this in turn helps to reduce the risk of contracting non communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Low cholesterol also reduces the number of strokes and heart attack events. Other diseases whose risk is reduced include colon cancer, diverticular disease and kidney disease.
Adequate sleep is important. Contrary to popular opinion, being awake for long hours does not increase the metabolic rate. Enough sleep does. Studies indicate that there is about 5% reduction in the rate whenever a night of sleep is missed. Ensure that you sleep between seven and eight hours. A better rate of metabolism will improve your quality of sleep.
It is important to watch your diet. Different foods have different levels of calories hence are broken at different rates. Choose foods that are broken over a longer period of time. This may also be achieved by having smaller frequent meals. When the level of glucose in the brain goes down, a hormone known as cortisol is released. This hormone leads to muscle breakdown and resultant reduction in the metabolic rate.
The metabolic rate slows down as we grow older. The effect is most evident among women in menopause due to the gradual changes in hormone levels that take place. Making lifestyle adjustments should be the first step in dealing with the problem. If this fails to yield fruits, hormone replacement therapy should be considered.
