Menopause - Travel & LifeStyle -

During menopause, many women report that the challenge of weight loss becomes even more difficult. The need to lose weight haunts women most of the time, and now more men are reporting the same struggle. When women hit menopause, weight gathers around the waist and hips; despite our best efforts to diet and exercise. What we know is that this additional body fat is linked to your hormones. Most women follow a conventional low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet with lots of processed foods. Eventually this diet creates a condition known as insulin resistance; see Dr. Schwarzbein's book on the book list. When you are insulin resistant, your body converts calories into fat even when you are dieting. Menopause feels like a losing battle, but it doesn't have to be. When you are stressed, as the body typically is during menopause, stress hormones block weight loss. Despite adequate food, the body acts as if it's in a famine and stores all spare calories as fat. This leads to a metabolic disorder called adrenal fatigue. Many women combine a high-stress life with a low-fat, high-carb diet which creates a powerful hormonal imbalance which causes us to gain weight. Yo- yo dieting exacerbates the problem. Also, when a woman is on a high-carb diet she is often barraged with a craving for sweets. The body can't maintain optimal blood sugar and serotonin levels, so you snack and drink caffeine to feel better. That makes your insulin resistance worse and the vicious cycle of gaining weight is accelerated. During perimenopause, women lose estrogen which is an added factor to this problem. As estrogen decreases, the body needs extra fat resources. Other factors that play into this problem, are unresolved emotional issues, food sensitivities, digestive issues such as yeast, and even heavy metal toxicity. So what do we do? The most important step is to GET HEALTHY! Follow an eating plan like the one in the Schwarzbein Principle or the Zone Diet You need protein at every meal, low carbs, very little to no processed food, and lots of fruit and vegetables Drink plenty of water Take nutritional supplements

Try Supplements Designed for Menopause Stop weighing yourself, use your clothes as a gauge (focus on your health not your weight) Start exercising - walk 4-5 times a week for 30 minute (it boosts metabolism) Get help for emotional eating - you have to face your fears to get through them Reduce the stress in your life, make time for fun and relaxation - strive for BALANCE Learn to love yourself during menopause and accept who you are and at what stage in life you find yourself Menopause can make weight loss even more challenging for both women and men. But with the right knowledge and some hard work, it can be done.

The information in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice.

Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant with over 25 years experience. She specializes in internet marketing, strategy and plan development, as well as management of communications and public relations programs for small business sectors. She can be reached at Creative Communications: creative-com@cox.net or by visiting www.everythingmenopause.com, http://www.howtoconquermenopause.com or www.internet-marketing-small-business.com

Cathy Taylor may be contacted at www.howtoconquermenopause.com or creative-com@cox.net

The Hormone Replacement Therapy Debate
by Caren Killtral

In recent times, there has been a heated debate within the medical community regarding hormone replacement therapy for women suffering from the effects of menopause. The debate is centered around a number of studies that have concluded that hormone replacement therapy may not be near as effective as was once promoted. Other studies have gone even further, by suggesting that there is a direct correlation between hormone replacement therapy and an increased risk of cancer. For women suffering from this dreaded condition, it is often very difficult to determine fact from fiction.

Many women place a great deal of trust and faith in their doctors. Naturally, they expect their doctor to have their interests at heart and to facilitate a treatment regimen that will benefit the patient and hopefully cure them of what ails them. Sadly, this is not always the case. Many doctors have special relationships with pharmaceutical companies, and in some cases it is suspected that they receive kickbacks for promoting new products. The pharmaceutical industry is not interested in your health. They are in the business of making money, not of curing illness. No illness = no profits. Take what your doctor says with a grain of salt…or perhaps some vitamin C.

This is not to suggest that all doctors are of this mindset, but a great many are. They, too, are in the business of making money. They issue of central importance is your health and wellbeing. The pharmaceutical industry seems to try to create new classes of conditions with each passing quarter. Menopause is not an illness. It is not a disease. Menopause is naturally occurring maturation process that affects women from all walks of life. It is a natural part of the aging process, and natural process is deserving of a natural treatment. Women have found ways to cope with the side effects of Menopause, long before modern medicine tried to turn it into yet another illness to be treated with expensive and potentially dangerous drugs.

There are a number of natural ways to deal with the effects of menopause. Explore your options. Vitamin E is very effective at easing the effects of Menopause. Vitamin B6 works by increasing your body’s natural progesterone production. It also boosts your serotonin production, thereby inducing a sense of calm. Try some Evening Primrose Oil to help alleviate headaches, irritability, cramping, and water retention. It is recommended that you explore every natural treatment option, before you compromise your health further with unnecessary drug therapies. Educate yourself. Your body will thank you for it!

Caren Killtral is an active enthusiast of natural health therapies. When she is not researching the latest information on natural health care, she writes articles for http://www.menopauseinsight.com – a menopause resource site with information about Menopause Information, Signs of Menopause, Early Menopause Information and more.

Caren Killtral may be contacted at http://www.menopauseinsight.com or editor@menopauseinsight.com

Menopause and Depression
by Cathy Taylor

Do women going through menopause experience depression differently. “I never know if depression is what I'm really experiencing, or if it's something else and how long will it last” Sara told me. 'Menopause made that process even more confusing at times."

When I heard these words from a friend of mine, I realized that unless someone 'diagnoses' you as depressed, how do you really know that is what you are experiencing? Most of us have been or seen someone depressed in our lives, so we are at risk for labeling ourselves something that might not even be true, or worse yet, become a limitation to us for no good reason!

So let's get it straight. What does depression feel like? How does one know if they should be concerned about what they are feeling or thinking?

Feeling down once in awhile is considered normal for most people. But it passes quickly. If these feelings of sadness persist, however, and possibly become stronger or more intense over prolonged periods of time, and they aren't naturally resolved, it's time to look at the reasons and see what can be done about it.

Here is a checklist of symptoms related to depression during menopause: gloomy, sadness, loss of interest and pleasures, fatigue, loss of vigor, extreme restlessness and irritability, loss of concentration and attentiveness, loss of self-respect and self-confidence, guilt, lack of self-worth, hopelessness, thoughts of suicide, insomnia, and a loss of appetite.

Depression that goes untreated can become “clinical” and requires professional treatment. If you think you are “clinically” depressed, do not hesitate to get help from a therapist or doctor.

What I'm referring to here is a condition that is brought on by hormonal changes in the body particularly during the menopausal years that is often linked to a decrease in estrogen levels. However, some doctors believe symptoms are caused by a decrease in progesterone and resultant rise in estrogen (but more about that in the progesterone article).

If that is what you are experiencing, you have a few options. One is the traditional Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Hormone Replacement Therapy and the other is new alternative medicine that include herbal remedies, dietary supplements such as 5-HTP , or something called Bioidentical Hormones

Other things you can do to support yourself through menopause are:

Exercise, do a little every day

Learn to manage your stress carefully so you do not get overwhelmed

Promote good sleep by avoiding things that stress you out and indulging in things that relax you like hot baths

Eat a well-balanced diet, avoid refined sugar and high carb foods

Make time to do something you enjoy EVERY day

Be realistic about the expectations you put on yourself

Menopause can be time of great change and depression may play a factor for some women and men. Be sure to get help if you need it.

The information in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice.

Cathy Taylor may be contacted at www.howtoconquermenopause.com or creative-com@cox.net

Menopausal Facts: What Will I Experience?
by Barbara Phillips, NP

The topic of menopause is everywhere today. It’s in the magazines, on television, in books, in display ads on busses, and even has been made into a musical. With all this exposure, menopause continues to be shroud in mystery. How can that be? The simple explanation is that it’s still an unknown in terms of “what will I experience?”

That simple, single question has no simple, single answer. A woman’s reaction to perimenopause and menopause is multi-factorial meaning that there are many factors that will influence her reaction. These range from her state of health, nutritional status, level of fitness, and any unhealthy habits such as smoking, drugging or excessive alcohol use.

Another very important factor includes attitude and culture. We now know our thought processes have a major impact not only on our reaction to menopause, but our entire state of health and well being.

Listed here are some facts and common experiences of menopause. As you go through the list of symptoms, keep in mind that each woman’s experience is unique. It will vary both with the symptoms experienced as well their intensity. Fact: Women “normally” go through menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 with the average age being 51.

Fact: Perimenopause (that period of time before menopause) can start as early as age 35 and last a few months to a few years. You really cannot predict how long it will last.

Fact: Menopause is defined retrospectively or after the fact. You are menopausal after you have not had a period for 12 months (assuming there is no other cause for this).

While many women will report some degree of the following symptoms, many women report no such symptoms at all. (Note: this list is not inclusive.)

A change in cycles. You may find that the time between your periods, as well as the degree of flow, changes from month to month.
Abnormal bleeding or “spotting” is not uncommon. However if you experience this after you have stopped bleeding for 12 months (in a row), it’s called post menopausal bleeding and can be a sign up uterine cancer. See your health care provider!
Hot Flashes/Hot Flushes/Power Surges. It has many names, but the result is the same…you get warm/hot and flushed in the neck, face and chest. Some of us feel this over the entire body and even experience chills at the same time.
Night sweats and sleeping problems. Again, not uncommon. It can cause you to feeling tired, stressed and tense.
Vaginal Changes. The tissues of the vagina may become dry and thin. You may find sexual intercourse or a vaginal exam to be painful.
Mood changes. This may include mood swings, depression, and irritability.
Urinary problems. Some women experience leaking (when sneezing, coughing, laughing) or a heightened sense of urgency (“have to go RIGHT now”).
Problems with concentration or memory. Some women call it fuzzy thinking, brain-pause, holes in the brain, etc. Rest assured…it passes!
Diminished libido. This means less interest in sex. Then again, some women tell me they actually have a heightened libido…again, individual responses.
A thicker waist. The body redistributes body fat to the waist. You may see this even though you don’t gain a pound.
Weight gain is generally a result of a slowing metabolism. We may or may not have changed our eating habits and probably don’t exercise as much. Think “calories in - calories out”.
Hair thinning and loss. This occurs both on your head and in the pubic region.

While all these potentially negative sounding changes can happen, it’s worth noting again, that they do not occur universally. Indeed, many women report some wonderful things happening at this time of their lives such as freedom to once again (or for the first time) be themselves. They now have a heightened sense of creativity, more confidence and find themselves experiencing more piece of mind than at any other time of their lives.

So what can you do about all of this? Well…that’s a topic for another time. For now, realize that the time of menopause is something you pass through – just like you passed through puberty. The rest of your life is waiting on the other side!

(c)Barbara C. Phillips, Nurse Practitioner and founder of OlderWiserWomen(tm) inspires women to embrace the freedom, magic and wisdom of Successful Aging. Visit www.OlderWiserWomen.com for your copy of "Celebrating You: 50 Tips for Vibrant Living".

Barbara Phillips, NP may be contacted at http://www.OlderWiserWomen.com or info@olderwiserwomen.com

Menopause and Fatigue
by Cathy Taylor

For menopause sufferers, fatigue it is all too common. Some women report lying on the couch with their eyes closed unable to move for long periods of time. Or they experience mental fatigue that provides for feelings of indifference and an overall slumber from day to dusk that makes them unable to perform activities with maximum effort.

Fatigue comes in many forms: loss of energy after working out, motion sickness fatigue as a result of senses mixing signals in the brain causing your ears and eyes to overwork, and more. Some women suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome and others are diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

If you think you are suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, see a doctor. This is a complicated syndrome and needs constant medical attention. For people who think they might have a sluggish thyroid, one suggestion is to buy a bottle of iodine tincture and place a circle of iodine on your stomach or thigh. If it disappears before 24 hours, keep applying it until your system doesn't absorb it within that time period.

Fatigue in woman suffering from menopause is typically due to (surprise) a hormonal imbalance. Estrogen regulates homeostasis as well as the life processes in the body that determine body shape by distributing fat, constructing vital tissues, maintaining blood flow and correct cholesterol level.

Besides lack of this female hormone, there are lots of menopause symptoms that contribute heavily to fatigue symptoms such as the inability to sleep or waking up intermittently in the night, an insufficient diet compounded by too much caffeine and alcohol, night sweats that wake you up periodically, and overall depression and stress.

Another factor of menopausal fatigue is the lack of progesterone produced in the body. Progesterone is the ¨happy hormone¨ that accounts for a woman’s sexual drive. With the introduction of menopause, levels of this hormone can decrease significantly.

The magical question now is: how can you combat fatigue during menopause? Luckily, there are a variety of answers. Introducing certain herbs into your diet can greatly boost energy levels. Herbs like sarsaparilla and wild yam root contain plant estrogen, which is like the estrogen produced in our bodies. In some women, hormone replacement therapy is required. Also, the use progesterone vaginal cream goes a long way to restoring sexual desire.

Exercise is reported to help with numerous menopause symptoms, fatigue being one of the major ones. The simple act of walking and basking in the sun which is an excellent source of Vitamin D can noticeably boost energy levels. Do you smoke? Get rid of those cigarettes right away – they have been scientifically proven to lower estrogen levels.

The information in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice.

Cathy Taylor may be contacted at www.howtoconquermenopause.com or creative-com@cox.net