In their forties and fifties many women typically find that they’re several pounds (and sometimes stones) heavier than they were in their twenties. The hormonal changes that accompany the run up to the menopause mean that we are predisposed to gain more fat in the abdominal area, around the waist. So even if you find that your weight doesn’t increase with age you may still find that your body shape changes. Indeed, research has shown that menopausal women have on average 20 per cent more body fat than pre-menopausal women and most of this body fat is around their waist.

Although this increase in body fat may help reduce your risk of osteoporosis the downside is that it significantly increases your risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer. New research also suggests that it can dramatically raise your risk of Alzheimer’s later in life. And if all that wasn’t enough abdominal fat is a deep, firm fat that lies close to your organs where it can disrupt levels of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and certain hormones in your blood lowering your immunity and raising your risk of disease even higher.

 

Unfortunately, abdominal fat is notoriously hard to shift. Dieting won’t help either because if you restrict your food intake to a low level you deprive your body of essential nutrients like fatty acids and calcium, triggering deficiency-related conditions like osteoporosis, while at the same time feeling so hungry that your mood plummets.

 

Although dieting isn’t advised in midlife there are fortunately a number of simple and effective natural ways to help you stay slim and healthy. Losing middle age spread isn’t easy but it isn’t impossible. Mid life is a more comfortable time of life. Research shows that after the age of 44 most women feel happier and more fulfilled than they have ever done before because they are less concerned about what other people think. But just because you feel more relaxed and confident about yourself this doesn’t have to mean that you need to let your waist line relax as well.  The following tips will help you stay trim and with the minimum of effort.

 

Stay active

The first step is to is to stay active and to take cardiovascular exercise like swimming, running, cycling or walking very briskly for blocks of 30 minutes at least five times a week. If your children have left home for school or university or college you may not be as active as you once were so you need to build a structured exercise programme into your weekly routine to ensure that your metabolic rate stays high enough to burn off that extra weight.

 

Strike a pose

Yoga is a great way to help tone your body. Not only will it enhance your flexibility and build up muscle mass (and the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic (fat burning rate)), but it will also relax both mind and body and dissolve feelings of stress. A 2005 study in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found middle aged women who practised regular yoga – at least 30 minutes a week – gained less weight than their more inflexible friends.

 

Lift weights

On average people over the age of 25 lose 1 pound of muscle tissue every year and this slows down their metabolism. But gaining one pound of muscle tissue increases your metabolic rate. The best way to build muscle is to strength train. A study by the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 found that women who did weight training regularly over two years were less likely to gain weight around their waist.

 

 

Eat a hormone balancing diet

When it comes to food, you should be eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly phytoestrogenic foods like legumes including soya, lentils, etc., bean sprouts, linseeds and green, leafy vegetables which help to boost your metabolism (fat burning) and to cushion the effects of hormonal changes, minimising such menopausal symptoms as hot flushes and night sweats. Keep your consumption of sweet foods (apart from fruits) and caffeine-packed drinks low. Eat plenty of whole grains (oats, brown rice, for instance) and lots of good quality proteins, such as omega 3 rich oily fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. Avoid red meat and animal produce, with the exception of dairy products which can be eaten in moderation (buy organic where possible and yogurt is the best choice out of the dairy products).

 

Plenty of H2O

Many women mistake dehydration for hunger so the next time you are hungry try drinking a glass of water and then waiting twenty minutes to see if you are still hungry. In a study by the American Obesity Society in 2006 people who swapped soft fizzy drinks for water lost 5 pounds more than those who stuck to sugary drinks (they lost extra calories from the fizzy drinks and also it probably changed their appetite too). Aim for between 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, more if you are exercising or sweating.

 

Down size meals

You’re more likely to be able to afford an executive lifestyle at midlife but massive, boozy lunches and dinners are bad news for your waist line. Eat small, regular meals and snacks instead to keep your metabolic rate (fat burning) up.

 

Snack attack

The temptation to snack on chocolate and other sugary snacks can be over powering for women with children still living at home. It can also be hard for women whose children have recently left home for school, college or university. The start of the new academic year every September can be particularly difficult. Suddenly the house is empty and feelings of loneliness can be overwhelming. It is so tempting to reach for the biscuit tin as a comfort fix but this won’t solve anything. If this sounds familiar try to ride out your craving by going for a walk, chatting to a friend or your partner or investing your energy into things you really want to do now that you have more time on your hands. If you find that you really are hungry swap sugary snacks for a small handful of unsalted nuts, pumpkin seeds or dried fruit. And remember, that even when your kids have left home they still look to you as a role model. If you don’t eat healthily or take care of yourself how can you expect them to do the same?

 

Supplement your life

In addition to eating a healthy diet to boost your metabolism and balance your hormones and blood sugar levels so that you don’t get food cravings you should also take a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement every day. A multi vitamin and mineral supplement should never be a substitute for a healthy diet but as modern farming methods and processing techniques deplete nutrients from much of the food we eat today, even if you make all the right food choices it is still increasingly difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs to keep you healthy and slim. A multi vitamin and mineral supplement is therefore a good insurance policy to guard against possible deficiencies. For weight loss make sure in particular that your supplement contains the recommended daily amount required for calcium and chromium.  (The multivitamin and mineral I use in the clinic, which has good levels of both calcium and chromium is MenoPlus – see the Resources Page).

 

A recent study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association revealed that women in their 50s who took a calcium supplement every day put on less weight after 45 than women who did not. And researchers at Purdue University in Indiana found women taking calcium daily lost 6 pounds over two years.

 

Chromium can help keep your blood sugar levels stable so that you don’t get food cravings after a meal. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Research Centre found that people who took chromium, multivitamins and B complex vitamins gained less weight over a 10 year period than those who did not.

 

Go green

Green tea can raise your metabolism so that you burn extra calories. According to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition an extract from green tea can help speed up fat burning. Researchers discovered that people who drank green tea containing a green tea extract used up more calories than those drinking ordinary tea. (There is a green tea extract in the Nutri Plus which is used to get rid of fat around the middle – see the Resources Page).

Every month or so there seems to be a new pronouncement on HRT and recently we were all informed that HRT is safe for women to take at menopause after all. A panel of experts informed the public that they feel the health risks have been greatly exaggerated and that HRT is safe to take for women aged between 50 and 59 to give them relief from such symptoms as hot flushes and to maintain healthy bones.

‘It does not significantly raise heart disease risk and its impact on breast cancer is minimal’ said a review from the first Global Summit on Menopause Related Issues. The experts argue that although the risk of heart disease and breast cancer is slight it is dwarfed by other risk factors, such as obesity, drinking alcohol and eating fatty foods.

 

The above findings are designed to set the record straight after six years of health scares which have led many women to stop taking HRT and the recommendation is to urge more doctors to prescribe HRT for women going through the menopause.

 

My initial reaction to this pronouncement was concern that many women may unnecessarily decide to take a drug with unpleasant side effects and serious health risks. Apart from the fact that the experts in the study do acknowledge there may be a slight risk, it’s impossible to ignore the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative Study which found that women on HRT for several years had a massive 26 per cent increased risk of breast cancer and a 29 percent increased risk of heart attack. In addition, the team of experts did not mention any of the side effects caused by HRT which can include any of the following:

 

·         endometrial (womb) cancer

·         undesirable weight gain/loss

·         breast tenderness/enlargement

·         bloating

·         depression

·         thromblophlebitis (inflammation of a vein)

·         elevated blood pressure

·         reduced carbohydrate tolerance

·         skin rashes

·         hair loss

·         abdominal cramps

·         vaginal candidiasis (thrush)

·         jaundice

·         vomiting

·         cystitis-like syndrome

 

Also there was a particularly significant piece of research published in the National Cancer Institute Bulletin in 2007.  Researchers looked at breast cancer rates in the year following publication of the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative results that had scared women off taking HRT.  They found that the rate of breast cancer dropped by 12 per cent in 2003 among 50-69 year old women: the largest single drop in breast cancer incidence within a single year.  Establishing even further the very definite link between HRT and breast cancer.

 

And last, but by no means least, the team of experts also failed to mention that a great many women have found that simple diet and lifestyle changes are all that are needed to ease their symptoms and reduce their health risks. In short, you don’t have to take HRT at the menopause there are highly effective natural alternatives.

 If you’re eating a healthy diet that is rich in wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, oily fish, nuts, seeds and phytoestrogens (found in soya and lentils) then this will help balance your hormones during the menopause. However, because certain nutrients are essential during the menopause, taking supplements may be extremely helpful. As we age we absorb less of the nutrients we once did so to protect your heart, bones and health during menopause you can’t afford to be deficient in any nutrients. That’s why alongside a healthy diet I recommend that any women approaching the menopause should take a quality multi vitamin and mineral every day containing:

– Vitamins A, D, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12

– Folic acid

– Calcium

– Magnesium

– Zinc

– Chromium

– Selenium

– Manganese

– Boron

 

(The one I use in the clinic is called MenoPlus see the Resources Page).

 

You will need to take vitamin C separately because your multivitamin and mineral will not contain enough. 

 

Vitamin C, although usually known for its effect on the immune system, is important for women approaching the menopause. Vitamin C is needed for the manufacture of collagen, which acts like a flexible or elastic protein glue in connective tissue and bone. Ensuring plentiful vitamin C helps to maintain healthy collagen, thereby keeping the skin and mucous membranes thicker and stronger and the skeleton more flexible. If your ligaments and bones are more flexible, they are less likely to be torn (sprained) or broken (fractured).

As well as being important for strong bones and warding off the increased risk of osteoporosis at menopause collagen helps to mend wounds and burns and gives your skin and tissues elasticity. Vitamin C supplements may not only help fight wrinkles but also help ease vaginal dryness and stress incontinence. Since the need for collagen regeneration increases with age, so does the need for vitamin C.

Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant and free-radical scavenger that helps to reduce degenerative diseases and inflammation, and to slow down the ageing process. It boosts the body’s immune system – another system that needs more help as we enter mid-life and the menopause and beyond.  As well as boosting immunity, Vitamin C boosts the function of the adrenal glands. When under stress the adrenal glands use up vitamin C faster than normal so vitamin C is also a stress busting essential. Finally, studies have shown that giving women vitamin C with bioflavonoids (natural substances also found in citrus fruits and red wine) can reduce hot flushes.

 

Good food sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, tomatoes, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, berries (blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries), bananas, alfalfa, guava, potatoes, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, watermelon, green leafy vegetables, green and red peppers, sprouted grains, and rose hips but if you’re approaching the menopause there are many good reasons to supplement your diet with 1,000 mg per day of vitamin C (containing bioflavonoids).  Choose an alkaline form of vitamin C (ascorbate) rather than the acidic ascorbic acid (the one I use in the clinic is Vitamin C Plus which is magnesium ascorbate – see the Resources Page).