The Benefits of Menopause Fat

THE BENEFITS OF MENOPAUSE FAT

Miriam Young sees Peri-Menopause and Menopausal Clients in her practice in Jindalee, Brisbane.

It’s good to be a little Fatter… When you’re Menopausal… 

No Longer Skinny 

For most of my life I had always been a bit skinny and never ever had to watch what I ate, or when I ate it.   And exercise, well I could take it or leave it to no avail.   Things started to change slowly after I had my daughter.  And now being post-menopausal, I find that I am curvy and can no longer eat what I like, when I want to.  It takes consideration.    😉

No Hot Flushes

I did not have any hot flushes in the transition, not one sweat…   Not one?    Why, you may ask?   Well I put down to all the cleanses I have undergone in my life from the age of 24 and beyond.  And when I talk about cleansing or detoxing, I do mean the physical kind where you take herbal medicine and eat a cleansing diet.  However, I am also talking about the clearing I did on a mental and emotional level.  It’s true, the expression, ‘shit on the liver’.  I have emptied my past and therefore have a healthy liver.    And my clients that do the same, work on their emotional and mental aspects, also flow through this transition.  

The mental, physical and emotional levels of a human, all need attention.   

The Inner Scream 

For as a woman, whenever we we said yes to our bosses, partners, children etc, but really inside we were screaming No!  – well then we hold onto this – it sits in our liver.   And every hot flush that women throw out, that’s an old negative emotion that was stored and now is being released.   So support your liver throughout this process and allow me to give you some tools for mental and emotional healing.  Stress also plays a huge roll, and the adrenals need love and attention.  

Boat Cruise

So two years ago now, here I am standing in my wet, wetsuit, holding on as we make our way back to the Mooloolaba harbour through choppy seas, and I realise I am standing next to 3 x skinny women.  And these women are all shaking from the cold wind and their lips are turning blue.   And I am not, because finally I have insulation!  And insulation is healthy.  🙂

The New Hormone Production Facility 

So during peri-menopause, this grand transition, our ovaries start producing less and less oestrogen.   So what keeps making our supply?   Its now the job of the adipose tissue (polite for fat tissue) in our thighs and belly, our small intestines and finally our adrenal glands.   

Whose At Risk?

I find stressed, skinny women with digestive issues are the most at risk in my clinical practice for low oestrogen.  For these women I may recommend a gut program, to clear and heal the digestive system, we also support the adrenal glands and find ways to reduce stress.   Adequate protein intake is important and shifting exercise from extreme cardio-vascular to lowering cortisol levels via chi gong, yoga, walking and swimming.  

The Importance of Oestrogen 

Oestrogen is important for maintaining a thick and lubricated vaginal lining, upholding skin tension, regulating cholesterol production, sustaining blood vessel flexibility, regulating bone mass, and is also important for brain function and memory just for starters!  

The Dangers of Synthetic Oestrogen 

Medically prescribed oestrogen is proven to increase the risk of endometrial and breast cancer, increase the risk of blood clots and stroke and there is also a small increase in the risk of heart attack. 

You can take Oestrogenic herbal medicines which do not have these risks involved.   

How do I Monitor My Weight?

If you find yourself post-menopausal and having to watch what you eat – I find the best way personally is via intermittent fasting.   So my last meal is at 6pm and my first meal of the day is at 9 or 10am.  I end the day at 6pm by having a protein-rich green smoothie, this way I also go to bed alkaline.  The more alkaline you are, the less likely too that you will put on excess weight.    I don’t eat again until 9 or 10am so that I have stimulated autophagy.  

Authophagy 

‘Auto’ means self and ‘phagy’ means eat.  So the literal meaning of autophagy is ‘self-eating’.  Autophagy is the body’s way of cleaning out damaged cells, in order to regenerate newer, healthier cells, according to Priya Khorana, PhD.  “

The Benefits Include…

  • Weight loss, specifically from fat loss
  • Improved cognitive function
  • Reduced inflammation
  • Lower risk of metabolic syndrome
  • Improved heart health
  • Reduced risk of diabetes