Ways On How To Speed Up Metabolism During Menopause

By Daphne Bowen


Menopause is associated with many physical and psychological changes. One of the biggest changes that women may notice is an abnormal increase in body weight. Research has established that, this is related both to reduced activity and the hormonal changes that favor putting on weight. A reduction in estrogen hormone activity is responsible for most of the changes. Here is how to speed up metabolism during menopause.

The starting point is to try out the conservative options. It should be understood that the metabolic rate is controlled to a great extent by muscular muscle requirement which is in turn related to physical activity. More activity translates to more energy requirement and higher metabolism. Increase your daily activity gradually so that you have at least thirty minutes of intense workout for three days in a week.

Hormone replacement therapy helps to take care of very many other problems other than the disordered metabolism. Estrogen may be given in isolation but more commonly it is administered alongside other synthetic hormones so as to achieve a balance in the resultant effects. The duration of therapy varies from one individual to another depending on the initial symptom severity. Serial tests will routinely be performed by your doctor to determine whether the desired levels have been achieved.

Estrogen works mainly on two fronts; increasing the metabolic rate and influencing the distribution of fat. When the hormone is present in normal levels, fat is mainly deposited around the thighs, buttocks and hips. This is in contrast to situations in which the hormone is deficient in which case fat is mainly deposited around the anterior abdominal wall. The latter effect is undesirable for most women.

Proper weight control during the menopausal period has many benefits. For example, it helps reduce the risk of suffering non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. The levels of cholesterol are lowered and this also reduces the risk of suffering from heart attack and stroke. Other diseases whose incidence has been shown to be greatly reduced include diverticular disease, kidney stones and colon cancer.

Adequate sleep is important. Contrary to popular opinion, being awake for long hours does not increase the metabolic rate. Enough sleep does. Studies indicate that there is about 5% reduction in the rate whenever a night of sleep is missed. Ensure that you sleep between seven and eight hours. A better rate of metabolism will improve your quality of sleep.

Dietary modification will most certainly be required. Since different foods have different levels of calories, the metabolic rates will also be different. The idea is to have a metabolic rate that is sustained over a long period of time. In this regard, having small frequent meals will be more helpful. Large fewer meals may cause sudden drops in glucose and release of cortisol hormone. The hormone breaks down muscle and reduces the basal metabolic rate.

As we advance in age, our metabolic rate is bound to slow down. This effect is most pronounced among women undergoing menopause as a result of hormonal changes associated with the period. Undertaking lifestyle changes is one of the interventions that can be undertaken. Hormonal replacement therapy is also beneficial and involves the use of synthetic estrogen and progesterone levels.




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