Can Menopause Reduce Your Rate of Metabolism?
It is common knowledge that weight gain is a side effect of menopause. The severity of the weight gain varies from person to person, but as we age it usually occurs in both women and men alike.
What you may not know is that this isn't just because your body produces less of the hormone estrogen after menopause. Your metabolism also slows down during this time, which can increase your chances of gaining more pounds than usual. To combat the effects of menopause on your metabolism, there are plenty of natural remedies that are quite effective at reducing the ‘slowing rate’ and even reversing it together!
The average woman's metabolism slows down by about 10% every decade. This is due to the loss of muscle mass and changes in hormones that occur during menopause. As a result, this can lead to weight gain, which may then lead to other health issues like diabetes and heart disease. Here’s the good news: it's never too late to get your metabolism back on track!
The reason menopause can reduce the rate of your metabolism is all thanks to estrogen, which is in charge of regulating food intake, body weight, glucose homeostasis/insulin sensitivity, body fat distribution, and much more. All this being said, if there’s an imbalance of some sort with this hormone, it can lead to weight gain and issues with your metabolism function.
Luckily, if you’ve encountered menopause already and are working on fixing your metabolism there is hope!
Combining good exercise habits with holistic nutritional habits can also help your metabolic rate. This includes:
Choosing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein – walk away from the bread!
Staying away from processed foods
Keeping a food diary or using a meal tracking app
Not eating too late in the evening, and eating soup for dinner
When eating out, taking half the serving home or choosing a starter portion instead
Eating smaller amounts, but more often
And, trust me, I know that exercising after you’ve experienced menopause is gruelling. Menopause means you may be much less likely to exercise, on top of ageing and all the other stuff that comes with life. 60% of adults are not active enough. This is why it’s so important to keep on top of your exercise habits, in combination with your healthy nutritional habits.
Menopause is a natural process that will affect every woman at some point in their lives. It can be quite challenging to adjust to the changes, but you can take steps before and during menopause to help minimise discomfort. You can reduce your metabolic rate with hormone therapy or lifestyle interventions like diet changes and regular exercise.
Christine xx
