| Bone Health | |
To calculate your target heart rate zone: http://themenopausalbride.com/pages/exercise_archive_0207.html Emotional Stress: When your body is under pressure, your stress hormones, like cortisol, tell your body to go into storage mode for survival. Your body thinks it is in trouble and stores every calorie, causing weight gain. This is where all the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together. You suffer from hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. These are all conditions that may be caused by adrenal fatigue/high cortisol levels. Many factors can contribute to adrenal fatigue: dieting, over-exercise, illness, or stress (relationships or lack of, finances, life-changes, caring for aging parents). Adrenal fatigue can be divided into physical and psychological causes, although the physical causes are more common during menopause. Physical causes: estrogen has an effect on the adrenals during menopause. When estrogen levels drop, cortisol hormones are secreted. Cortisol is responsible for balancing blood sugar, your immune system responses, protein synthesis, bone turnover rate, and thyroid function (the latter two affect you). Abnormal cortisol levels have been noted in chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, depression, panic disorders, and PMS, and can affect menopause symptoms. Adrenal fatigue can be a result of hormonal imbalance. Psychological causes: Are you overworked, anxious, extremely stressed, experiencing lifestyle changes, did something tragic happen? You have been taking thyroid medications for 13 years. Did something happen 13 years ago in your life? You also informed me that you are caring for your parents. This creates enormous stress for anyone. Ask for support and set realistic boundaries, so you have time to pamper yourself. Discuss your adrenal/cortisol levels with your doctors. Many doctors do not acknowledge adrenal fatigue because it can be tricky to test and confirm. In conventional testing, any cortisol level within a very broad range is considered “normal,” so it can be difficult to determine adrenal fatigue. If you are suffering from high levels of cortisol (adrenal fatigue) it could explain some of the medical conditions you are currently treating, and the difficulty you are having losing weight. Combining lifestyle changes with a hormone balancing program can help (declining hormones again influencing your life). Continue exercising, make time for R&R, reduce high-glycemic carbs (see how it is all coming together), and continue taking supplements – including Omega-3 fats. You informed me that you are currently taking Flexeril for your fibromyalgia and black cohosh for hot flashes. Please inform your doctors about all dietary supplements you are taking, including the black cohosh (herbal preparation) while taking Flexeril, since there are drug interaction warnings. Also, consult your physicians before including grapefruit or grapefruit juice in your diet, since these may increase the risk of Flexeril's side effects. More info: Self-Esteem: As we get older, we start noticing weight gain and other effects of aging, and many of us struggle with the reality that having children is no longer possible. Often these changes can affect our self-esteem. When we don’t feel good about ourselves, it is common to over-eat and stop taking care of our health, both physical and emotional. Your profile indicates that you have many good friends, but no special relationship or children. Having friends is good for your self-esteem, but not having a man or children can be hard on your self-esteem, unless you are perfectly happy having neither. For many women going through menopause, not having to worry about a man or children is a relief. I hope this is the case for you. If not, friendship is the best medicine. Love will come when you feel good about yourself and you fully accept and love YOU! There are logical explanations for weight gain during your menopause transition. Whether physical, emotional or lifestyle choices, understanding the causes allows you to conquer and manage unwanted and unhealthy weight. |
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