How to Help Your Body Maintain Balance
Knowing what’s going on is the biggest part of the equation. Working with your body rather than against it can help to adjust to the new you and avoid the pitfalls of menopause.
1. Stay Active
Nothing keeps weight off and boosts your metabolism like an active lifestyle. Avoid the blahs of becoming sedentary in your dotage and keep fit. Something as simple as walking for half an hour a day will help.
Do as much as you comfortably can and occasionally push yourself to do more. Regular exercise—especially the weight-bearing kind—will stave off osteoporosis as well.
2. Eat Lean, Clean, and Green
What you eat during and after menopause is just as important as when you were a growing child. Cut out processed foods and cut back on carbohydrates.
Now that you know how a reduction in estrogen affects blood sugar, it’s important to not overload your new tolerance. Sugar that isn’t used is stored as fat.
Eating lean means reducing inflammatory fats like vegetable oils. Lean meats, fish, and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, coconut and olive oils, avocado) will provide energy and brain food.
Eating clean means avoiding chemicals, including those used in the raising of conventionally-grown produce. Organic, natural, non-GM (genetically modified) foods devoid of preservatives and other additives will nourish your body without further taxing it with added toxins.
Eating green means loading up on vegetables, especially the dark leafy kind. Add herbs known to regulate hormones—you can find a list here.
A broader list of foods that help to balance hormones can be found here. Make sure you get enough folic acid, calcium, vitamins B12 and D, magnesium, and iron.