Why am I always so tired? Getting plenty of sleep but still exhausted? Before you blame your busy lifestyle, learn more about what might be at the root of your unexplained fatigue. Sophia Compton, Herbalist and. The Paleo Diet is one of the hottest diet trends around. With celebrity followers and even high-end restaurants taking notice of Paleo principles. The MS Diet - The body reacts negatively towards certain food particles. This is a list of foods to avoid (as well as alternatives) and foods to enjoy! Do you jump out of bed in the morning invigorated, ready to start the new day, or crawl out from under the covers already looking forward to going back to bed? If it’s the latter, you’re not alone. It’s easy to blame the lives we lead. With work commitments, childcare and household chores to cope with, it’s no wonder that tiredness is a common complaint. Fatigue may not always be down to burning the candle at both ends or overfilling our days. The Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests that, at any given time, one in five people feel unusually tired and one in 1. Women tend to feel tired more than men. It is often caused by an obvious or relatively minor problem, which is easy to fix, but very occasionally it may be the sign of something more serious. Lack of sleep. This sounds simple but one of the most common causes of fatigue is getting too little sleep. If you’re fond of burning the midnight oil, lack of sleep may be causing fatigue. Your age has a lot to do with sleep requirements. Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time in most women's lives when menstrual periods stop permanently, and they are no longer able to bear children. I share my Egg Fast Diet results! This egg fast is not really a fast, I was not hungry, not even once! Babies need about 1. Most adults need seven to eight hours a night, but some may need as little as five hours or as much as 1. Eating too little. It’s another obvious cause of fatigue. Not eating enough or having the wrong foods can be a problem. If you start your day with doughnuts, your blood sugar will peak and crash, leaving you sluggish. MSN Health and Fitness has fitness, nutrition and medical information for men and women that will help you get active, eat right and improve your overall wellbeing.So always try to eat a healthy breakfast. Try to include protein and complex carbohydrates, like eggs and wholemeal toast, to keep your energy levels stable. Anaemia. Anaemia is one of the top causes of feeling constantly run- down. It happens when the body doesn’t have enough red blood cells to carry sufficient oxygen to your tissues and organs. It’s easily diagnosed with a blood test. The NHS says it affects post- menopausal women and around one in 2. Treatment depends on the cause. The commonest cause of anaemia, iron deficiency, can be corrected by eating iron- rich food such as lean meat, shellfish and iron- fortified cereals, or taking iron supplements. Menopause Symptoms and Common Sense Solutions. There are many theories today about how menopause should be treated, including questioning if it should be . In this article we will. Hot Flashes. Hot flashes, or a hot flushing sensation, is the most telltale sign of. Often a 7. 0 degree room will feel. Even when the world around you seems quite cool, you. Then, in the next moment, you may be shivering and regretting. Hot flashes affect women in different ways. One woman reported that she was so. Her body heat kept him very. For some women hot flushing may include the sensation of skin. For others, this symptom can be quite. Flushing can last anywhere from. Hot flashes are due to motor instability. The most common theory is. Although the pituitary hormones we spoke about. FSH and LH, are still produced at regular intervals, the. Poor diet and stress are closely linked to. It has also been postulated that the unnatural estrogenic. We will examine this problem more. Dr. John Lee. It is averaged that 6. Some women experience them. Only a small percentage of women have hot flashes. This symptom, like other menopausal. They are also usually more severe in women that do not sweat. Both progesterone and estrogen can temper hot flashes, although. We will discuss the pros and. HRT in subsequent chapters. Estrogen and progesterone both. Although the principle cause of hot flashes is vasomotor instability. If aware of the conditions under which you are most likely to. In many women, alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, or spicy foods. For others, it is external stress, or strenuous. Warm weather exacerbates flushing for most women, or walking. Often, however, a hot flash comes out. If hot flashes are too frequent or severe, you. Although doctors are quick to prescribe HRT for hot flashes, there are. Vitamin E, at high doses, (8. Too much is. very estrogenic and may cause some of the same problems as unopposed. It is not recommended for those who have asthma. It should not be taken with. Chickweed, elder flower, violet, and mint have also been used with. Licorice root can act to balance hormone levels, but should be. Some women report that moderate exercise. Eat plenty of rice and soy products: tofu, miso, tempeh, soyflour. This. diet is linked to reduced incidence of hot flashes among Japanese. Recently, it was discovered that an ingredient in rice bran. The. drug clonidine is also prescribed, especially in cases where women are. HRT. However, there are numerous safe herbal and. Be sure and check out what progesterone cremes. They work remarkable well for most women. The first controlled study using herbs to control hot flashes only. Columbia- Presbyterian Medical Center in. NY. In the future, we will know a lot more about how these useful herbs. The fact that they have been used. Eastern countries, such as China and Japan for. Sleep Disturbances and Night Sweats. For many women, hot flashes occur during the day; for others, they come. These are called night sweats. She may feel the need. This can have repercussions in terms of. The problem of night sweats is certainly a factor in causing sleep. But, even if it is not a symptom, lack. Numerous studies indicate that hormone levels do affect. The enormous interest in melatonin the past few years certainly. Clinical studies have shown that melatonin is an. In particular, people taking steroid drugs, or those who. The. body produces its own melatonin, and adding too much can occupy the. So. before you jump on the melatonin bandwagon for menopausal. Women often. find that less, not more, is better. One naturapathic doctor advised a. If I take melatonin for. I halve or quarter the tablets and they work. The natural production of melatonin also seems to require. Bioflavonoids, Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) PABA and Vitamin E all. John's wort are all relaxing herbs. Passion flower, which elevates serotonin levels, is. Serotonin is a mood elevating. Tryptophan, a precursor of serotonin, increases with. Sage reduces excessive sweating, probably because it contains plant. Soy products are especially good. Blood levels of. phytoestrogens are 1. Japanese women than in Western. Paradoxical as it may seem for menopausal women, a hot bath taken just. Calcium, taken. at night, is also good for sleep problems; tryptophan levels increase. Vitamin B6 is an. Finally. there are numerous relaxation techniques, many available on tape, such. Body Shape. Ageism and sexism is the double- edged sword that confronts women who. We. have been conditioned to believe that, as we age, men become more. In one study, where nearly as. All of us women will develop a new body image as we enter menopause and. I, for one, think it. My philosophy is that if a man so desperately wants the kind. The fact of the matter is, most women don't . In addition, about 5. Unexplained weight gain may be a function of. But normally, some weight gain and. Repeatedly, one. hears stories in menopause groups about women who try to take off those. To undergo extreme. Frequent or drastic. In the famous Framingham study it was discovered that those. Too much weight gain is almost always a sign of . If a diet is. very high in fat, or estrogen levels are too dominant, the breast. Modern research indicates that fat and estrogen are synergistic. Estrogen is stored in fatty. It could be that all. HRT. Susan Weed, in her Menopausal Years: The Wise Woman Way encourages an. Thin women have more hot flashes and often a more difficult. Give yourself permission to take up more space, she. We will discuss more about testosterone. Although a positive attitude about adding fat is vital to a woman's. Too much fat increases our risk of both cancer and heart. And fat calories in food are generally stored instead of being. So worry less about the potatoes. Vaginal Discomfort. Many women perceive the term . However, thinning and drying of the. If a woman. is not sexually active, there may be no vaginal . As Germaine Greer has noted. Despite all the evidence to show that celibates are. For some sexually active women. Therefore, intercourse, or insertion of. This pain with penetration is called . Generally, an estrogen creme is helpful to restore the. However, using cremes, like. This is why doctors most frequently will advise Premarin or. HRT; but, as we will see, this has its dangers. If a woman opts for estrogen creme, it should be used very sparingly. In the. Masters and Johnson study done in the 1. Most women experience as much or more pleasure in sex if. If vaginal atrophy. If a woman chooses not to use any kind of HRT for her. Some women find that. Vitamin E capsule into the vagina is helpful. Any kind. of petroleum jelly should be avoided; it is not healthy for the vaginal. Some women use vaginal suppositories such as Lubrin Inserts or. Replens. Replens is a lubricant that, unlike most others available at the. H. This is the effect that estrogen. In a study conducted by Dr. While both improved vaginal. Replens lowered vaginal p. H and actually increased. If pain is too severe, an anesthetic jelly, called. Lidocaine is available but should be used sparingly. It needs to be. applied at least 1/2 hour before intercourse, then removed so it does. A natural estrogen/progesterone suppository made by Bezinecken can be. Ostederm, another. Much information about natural hormones can be. Women's International Pharmacy.(1- 8. Progesterone creme is often remarkably effective when applied vaginally. Bladder Problems. Frequent urination is often a troublesome symptom during menopause. One. woman I knew reported that she was horrified to discover a bloody bowl. She discovered it was a urinary tract infection (UTI) and was. The condition preceding severe uninary tract infections, called. If caught before it becomes too serious. The first sign that you may. The next symptom is painful urination. Try and re- establish a balanced urine p. H by drinking a lot of cranberry juice, preferably unsweetened. Take Uva Ursi several times a day. You can get it at a herb store, and make a tea or infusion out of it. Eat a lot of vitamin C. It is one of the most beneficial things you. Powdered form is best, one quarter. Take echinacea extract every 2- 3 hours. Take a hot bath with a cup of vinegar to restore acid balance. There are also numerous precautionary measures that should be taken to prevent cystitis from developing: 1. Avoid spreading feces to the bladder when toileting by always wiping from front to back. Squeeze out any excess urine you can after you think you are done urinating. Go to the bathroom immediately after sexual intercourse, even if you feel you don't need to. Eat yogurt frequently. Do not wear tampons if you are still peri- menopausal. Do not use commercial soaps directly on the vulva. Do not use a diaphragm. Do not wear tight clothing and synthetic underwear. Avoid commercial douches. This may sound like a lot of . Antibiotics rarely help, especially in. If cystitis is caused by vaginal and urethral. I found cystitis and UTIs to be so debilitating that I could not. Because I did not want. HRT I searched for something that would provide a. But I really was desperate enough to try almost. Fortunately, after much research, I discovered the natural form of. Women's International. Pharmacy. Used vaginally, it cured the problem almost immediately, and. I attend to the other precautionary. Estroil is explained in more detail in Chapter. Studies in Europe have. Another closely related problem that may occur during menopause is. Loss of urine may also. One way to avoid the diminishment of. Kegel exercises, used both for. The first exercise consists in contracting the pubococcygeal muscle. Be sure the stomach muscles do not simultaneously contract. Hold. the contraction for 5- 1. Focus on both contracting and. The second exercise is to do 1. These exercise are best performed lying. Another important clue in preventing. Selenium, Vitamin A and Vitamin C help lubricate. Herbal supplements include flax seed oil. Skin Changes. This section will deal with the drying and wrinkling of the skin. Some women believe that estrogen is a magic elixir for making the skin. Midlife Nutrition — Helping Women Over 4. Overcome Nutrition Challenges. March 2. 01. 4 Issue. Midlife Nutrition — Helping Women Over 4. Overcome Nutrition Challenges. By Maryann Jacobsen, MS, RDToday’s Dietitian. Vol. 3. 0“I never had a weight problem until I turned 4. The weight just doesn't come off like it used to.”If you work with women aged 4. The challenges facing female clients in midlife regarding nutrition and overall health can seem insurmountable to them. According to 2. 00. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, the largest jump in the percentage of women who become overweight or obese occurs between the ages of 2. Research indicates that hormonal changes are responsible for the increases in body fat, especially in the midsection. The female hormone estrogen begins to decline during perimenopause, the time during which a woman’s body makes its natural transition to menopause, although erratically, and it decreases further along with progesterone when menstruation ends. Perimenopause usually begins in a woman’s 4. Mayo Clinic website. Menopause occurs one year after the last period, typically at age 5. These hormonal changes increase the rate at which women store visceral fat, which surrounds the vital organs deep within the abdomen, and precipitate changes in insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, putting them at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Emerging research has revealed that changes at the cellular level cause menopausal women to store more fat with a diminished ability to burn fat. Due to a loss of estrogen, fat is metabolized differently,” says Colleen Keller, Ph. D, regents professor and director of Arizona State University's Center for Healthy Outcomes in Aging. She believes arming women with strategies to decrease weight gain and chronic disease risk is key in helping them anticipate physiologic and metabolic changes. Research shows estrogen therapy helps prevent some of these age- related changes. It’s important for women to talk with their physician about hormone therapy, as it can be beneficial for some women, including those who experience premature menopause (before age 4. Physical Activity. The good news is that there’s a not- so- secret weapon that can help women fight the inevitable weight gain: exercise. Physically active women who enter menopause are leaner than inactive women and have a decreased risk of developing metabolic disease. According to a longitudinal study that included the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation cohort, women whose activity decreased the most packed on the most pounds overall as well as in the midsection. Those who maintained their weight throughout the study participated in an average of 6. Institute of Medicine (IOM). Setting the alarm on the computer to remind the person to stand up and walk around a bit.” Lean Body Mass Research has shown that while changes in fat distribution can be attributed to hormonal shifts experienced by women in midlife, overall weight gain that occurs with age (about 1 lb per year) primarily is due to the effects of aging, such as decreased activity and a loss of lean body mass, which is more metabolically active than fat. Loss of lean body mass starts in the 3. Douglas Paddon- Jones, Ph. D, a professor in the department of nutrition and metabolism at The University of Texas Medical Branch. He says all types of exercise are important to maintain and build muscle, from cardio and strength training to yoga. For example, cardiovascular exercise, such as brisk walking or jogging, strengthens the heart and lungs, helps improve the blood sugar and insulin response, and strengthens large muscle groups, while strength training helps build lean body mass in the arms, legs, and upper and lower back. Protein Intake. In addition to participating in physical activity to maintain and build muscle, women in midlife also should strive to eat protein during meals to promote muscle- protein synthesis, which is essential to the body’s ongoing growth, repair, and maintenance of skeletal muscle, according to Paddon- Jones. In his research, Paddon- Jones has found that as much as 2. For example, in one study, subjects who received 9. Another study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, found that, in a single meal, 3. What’s behind this may be the amino acid leucine, which is needed to “turn on the protein- synthesis machinery” as people age, Paddon- Jones explains. He says dietitians can help clients find creative ways to boost their protein intake, especially at breakfast, during which the average American gets only about 1. In addition to eating sufficient protein and balancing intake across the day, eating the proper amount and type of carbohydrate can help cut calories and control blood sugar. Roill recommends swapping high- glycemic foods such as frappuccinos and cookies for those with a lower glycemic index, such as an apple with cheese or peanut butter, since many of her female clients approaching menopause have been diagnosed with prediabetes. Schneider, MD, author of The Complete Book of Bone Health. In a 2. 00. 5 meta- analysis, those with a BMI of 2. BMI of 2. 5. Schneider suggests a food- first approach to increasing calcium intake and using supplements as a way to fill in the gaps. There’s debate about what the optimal vitamin D blood levels should be for bone health. The IOM’s 2. 01. 0 report, based solely on vitamin D's role in bone health, states the baseline target should be 2. L,1. 4 while the Endocrine Society recommends a target of 3. L. 1. 5 Schneider says the best recommendation for optimal vitamin D levels to maintain muscle and bone health is no lower than 3. L. Just as physical activity is important to maintain lean body mass, it’s also vital for preserving bone health. Weight- bearing exercises such as jogging and walking and resistance training are beneficial because they add force to the body, which sustains bone density. Roill, who feels strongly that women in midlife should embrace resistance training, suggests RDs recommend their clients purchase a set of dumbbells and instructional DVDs to get them started, especially if they have no previous experience with exercise. In addition, diabetes can increase osteoporosis risk because the disease decreases the rate of bone turnover, Schneider says. Women who have a family history of diabetes or other risk factors should have their first bone density test during the perimenopausal years, Schneider says. Women at low risk of osteoporosis should discuss the best timing for a bone density scan with their primary care physician. Hot Flashes and Sleep Disturbances. Along with concerns of bone health, women in midlife can experience sleep disturbances as they transition to menopause. According to the National Sleep Foundation, up to 6. The decline in estrogen and progesterone, which leads to hot flashes in about 7. Hot flashes can disrupt sleep because body temperature dramatically rises, leading to night sweats that cause sudden waking. Most women experience hot flashes for about one year, but some experience them for up to five years. Anxiety and depression at midlife also may contribute to sleep problems. It’s important for dietitians to address sleep quality with clients and patients because sleep loss interrupts appetite regulation by elevating levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and decreasing the satiety hormone leptin, which can raise the risk of weight gain. Recommendations from the Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine can help dietitians advise their clients to improve sleep quality and include refraining from drinking caffeinated beverages four to six hours before bedtime and alcohol within three hours of bedtime, practicing a regular sleep routine, eating a light evening meal, exercising early in the day or at least three hours before bedtime, and going to bed only when tired. There are other options for peri- and postmenopausal women who are having trouble sleeping. Once a woman gets enough sleep, she has the energy to exercise and to eat better.” Sleep disorders such as restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea also can contribute to poor sleep quality, so making sure patients get treated for these conditions is important. Gastrointestinal Changes. Other issues that women in midlife may face include changes in digestion. Fluctuations in ovarian hormones may contribute to belly bloating and sluggish intestines, says Kate Scarlata, RDN, CDN, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well With IBS. The same gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms that occur during pregnancy, premenses, and menses—bowel discomfort, abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel patterns—also occur during perimenopause and menopause. Researchers believe it's the fluctuations in ovarian hormones that contribute to GI distress. Scarlata says that gut microbiota changes with age,2. GI issues in midlife. Some women develop lactose intolerance as they age, so incorporating lactose- free milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt into their diet will enable them to continue to eat dairy products and help them meet their calcium needs. Scarlata recommends clients follow a low- lactose diet if gas and bloating are related to milk consumption. And she advises patients drink six to eight 8- oz glasses of water daily and eat adequate amounts of fiber (approximately 2. Folic acid, which helps protect unborn children against neural tube defects in the womb, no longer is a concern since postmenopausal women can’t get pregnant. Some research suggests that too much folic acid from fortified foods and supplements may increase the risk of certain cancers,2. Because the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and weight gain rises after menopause, helping women choose a diet rich in nutrients but lower in caloric density is key, as is choosing healthful fats, lean sources of protein, low- fat dairy or dairy alternatives, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Wellesley Health - Menopause Relief Reviews.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2017
Categories |