WJ Dr. Judy Gianni, many menopausal women struggle with weight. Is packing on the pounds inevitable?
Dr. Judy Gianni: This is such a common complaint during menopause and it can be very frustrating. Some women know, because of busy lives or bad habits, their diets and exercise have really slipped, but others tell me, “I know I’m not eating that differently, yet I keep gaining!” The truth is, as we age, our metabolism does slow down, but there are many other factors influencing our weight. During menopause, imbalanced hormones are often behind weight gain. For instance, if testosterone levels drop, it is not uncommon to have weight accumulate in the belly, even for women who used to pride themselves on a flat tummy! Restoring low levels back to an optimal level can help. Imbalances in thyroid and adrenal hormones can slow the metabolism. Elevated blood sugar levels and insulin resistance can cause more weight to pack on (I get more proactive even when my patient’s blood sugar levels hit the mid 90’s). Now, we are learning about leptin resistance, a hormone we are just starting to learn about; it normally increases the metabolic rate and suppresses appetite but gets blocked on a cellular level when inflammation is present.
WJ That all sounds so complicated. Are we, as women doomed when it comes to fighting the menopausal weight battle?
Dr. Judy Gianni: No! There is a lot we can do. Step one is getting all hormones balanced: thyroid, adrenal, (DHEA and cortisol), estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, leptin, and insulin. This can be accomplished with bio-identical hormones from the compounding pharmacy, herbs, vitamins, minerals, and food. Keeping blood sugar levels regulated and working on making our cells more sensitive to insulin is important. Chromium picolinate, fish oil, and exercise can help with that. We can avoid leptin resistance by calming inflammation in the body. Following an anti-inflammatory diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids (think salmon, fish oil, walnuts, flax seeds, hemp meal) and richly colored fruits and veggies (kale, spinach, red chard, parsley, red peppers, pomegranite, blueberries, cherries, green tea) is a great place to start. Eliminating white flour, white sugar and processed foods, are of course, a must since they spike glucose and insulin, which lead to more inflammation and more leptin resistance and increase risk of Type II diabetes. Another culprit is the habit of women having “a couple” of glasses of wine a night to relax or as an evening ritual. Scaling back on alcohol intake can make a big difference on the scale! I know, not fun news, but true! All these healthy dietary changes pay off greatly though, as the weight starts to come off and stay off!
Of course, regular challenging exercise is a must. Try a boot camp 3 times a week (personally, I am doing Brown’s boot Camp since December and it is whipping me into shape), or take up some challenging, but stress-reducing yoga (I’m also doing this at my favorite yoga spot, Yoga Oasis). lowering stress and the spikes of cortisol that come with it can help whittle away the pounds, as well!
WJ Besides hot flashes and night sweats, what other menopausal symptoms do you try to balance out naturally in the women you see?
Dr. Judy Gianni: I find so many menopause symptoms affect women from the neck up. What I mean by that is all of the mental and emotional symptoms that can be such a challange in peri-menopausal and menopausal women. A sense of not feeling like oneself is a very common and disconcerning feeling for many menopausal women. Anxiety, depression, and panicky feelings can come on strongly when hormone levels drop. For many women, the same things they once experienced in PMS, now extends most of the month. This can really rob someone of the sense of feeling centered, happy and at ease. Weepiness for no reason or irritability with a very short fuse is not uncommon. When I get women’s hormones regualted with herbs, essential fatty acids, amino acids and/or bio-identical hormones with plant-based formulas customized to their particular need, the result is feeling good, clear, balanced, and strong again. Another neck up symptom that we balance out is the whole menopause brain issue. Poor word finding and, terrible memory can be reversed, much to the relief of my female patients!
WJ Well, it is good to know there are natural remedies to help women through this often challenging time! Thank you Dr. Gianni!
Dr. Judy Gianni: Thank you!
Originally printed in the Northern Pima County Women’s Journal April/May 2012 www.thewomensjournalaz.com
