Let’s talk about Menopause!
Menopause, and the effects and changes women experience during this time, have become a topic of interest for me, particularly now when I too am smack bang in the middle of the statistical 10 year cycle.
Educating myself on the physical, mental and emotion changes that I experience was just the beginning of a powerful and exciting journey for me. Now I want to share my findings with you AND have decided to continue my studies into menopause but to, over time, expand into other natural health arena’s that have excellent studies and outcomes, but too often those finding do not filter down to the people who are experiencing wellness issues.
My aim is to offer local Newcastle women (and men too on request), expert staff to fulfill result based programs in many areas of health management. Areas such as Osteoporosis, diabetes, depression, stress management, weight loss, joint pain - back/neck and shoulder, knee strengthening, stability and core conditioning and motivation. My new HIT Pause & Balance Program for menopause, assists women to reach their highest potential, lose weight, gain optimal fitness, live a long and energetic life free from stress and with near no side effects, discomfort and embarrassment, that menopause often delivers. First however, you need to be informed.
You need to know certain facts that doctors are just not telling you or, that we fail to ask our doctors about.
Every women experiences menopause. Some easier than others but EVERY WOMEN goes through it. So why do many of us hide behind this stage of life? Let’s start talking openly about menopause and share experiences with other women.
In 2003 there were 40 million women experiencing menopause. In 2010 there were 60 million. By the year 2025 the World Health Organisation estimates 1.1 billion will be over the age of 50 and in the menopause phase of their life.
There are 4 stages to menopause - 1) Pre menopause 2) Peri Menopause 3) Menopause 4) Post menopause
Pre menopause – refers to the years between the ages 30 to 50 when women’s hormone’s begin to fluctuate and cause symptoms such as PMS, weight gain, endometriosis, fibroids, infertility and tender breasts to name a few
Peri menopause – Refers to the few years before menopause when women’s hormones are rapidly fluctuating, causing even greater weight gain and usually around the belly), irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, thinning skin, vaginal dryness, loss of sex drive, fatigue and memory loss
Menopause is when a women hasn’t had her menstral cycle for 12 consecutive months. This signals the end of fertility and the beginning of a new, and potentially rewarding life.
Post menopause – is all the years beyond menopause. At this stage, most of the symptoms during peri menopause will disappear.
Induced menopause – when periods stop due to medical intervention such as cancer treatment or some surgery.
At the beginning of the 20th century there was a 1 in 80 chance of developing cancer. Now a century later, there is a risk of 1 in 3
Overwhelmingly, the diseases that are striking us down are metabolic in origin – with toxin related factors. The main killers are coronary heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer. These diseases are related to unbalanced nutrition and consuming toxins.
Chronic Stress (constant stress) is a huge underlaying factor for hormonal imbalance and is thought to contribute to the diseases we see today. Symptoms include: weight gain – especially around the tummy, blood sugar imbalance where women crave sugar or get shaky when they don’t eat regularly, muscle wasting, memory loss, allergies or asthma. Low blood pressure, depression.
Women are 4 times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.
Oestrogen deficiency is an important cause of accelerated bone loss in women during and after menopause and unbalanced estrogen is the major cause of bone fractures in post menopausal women.
The average women losses 10% of her bone mass in the first five years after menopause. After 40 years of age, adults lose 3% - 5% of muscle mass per decade. Along with unbalanced hormones, our metabolic rate slows down as we age and our bodies try to hold onto fat – often around the waist and thighs.
On average, women may experience a gain of approx. 5 to 7 kilos per decade as we age. The National Institute of Health reports that more than 60% of women don’t participate in sufficient exercise, that jumps for women over the age of 55 years.
Women must perform High Intensity Training (HIT) at least 2 x per week, along with resistance training. Our metabolism declines between 2% and 5% every decade past the age of 30 years. This mounts to 50 – 100 fewer calories burned per day.
Too many women are deficient in dietary iron and calcium What can we do about it? Have a healthy diet low in trans fats, sugar and white flour; participate in regular exercise everyday and strength training no less than 3 times a week; take chronic stress out of our life.