How Yin Yoga can help the Menopausal Woman

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As you know my business focusses solely on the Menopausal and beyond woman, her physical, nutritional and metal needs.  The missing piece was a practice which helps us to learn to stop, listen and reflect.

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How can I make my Bones Stronger After Menopause?

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Maintaining strong bones post-menopause is important to prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk of fractures. Here are some strategies to help you improve bone strength:
  1. Calcium-rich diet: Ensure an adequate intake of calcium, which is essential for bone health. Good sources include dairy products, leafy green vegetables (such as kale and broccoli), tofu, almonds, and sardines. Aim for around 1,200-1,500 mg of calcium per day.
  2. Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and is crucial for bone health. Spend some time outdoors to get natural sunlight, as it is a great source of vitamin D. Additionally, include foods like fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), egg yolks, and fortified products (milk, cereals) in your diet. Consult your doctor about vitamin D supplements if necessary.
  3. Strength training exercises: Engage in weight-bearing exercises regularly, as they help build bone density and strength. Weight-bearing exercises include activities like walking, jogging, dancing, stair climbing, and weightlifting. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
  4. Resistance training: Incorporate resistance or weight training exercises into your routine. This includes lifting weights, using resistance bands, or performing bodyweight exercises like squats and lunges. These exercises stimulate bone growth and enhance muscle strength, which indirectly supports bone health.
  5. Avoid smoking and limit alcohol: Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can contribute to bone loss. If you smoke, consider quitting, and limit alcohol to moderate levels (up to one drink per day for women).
  6. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Discuss with your doctor the possibility of hormone replacement therapy, which may help reduce bone loss and fracture risk. HRT is a treatment that involves replacing the hormones no longer produced after menopause, such as oestrogen.
  7. Regular check-ups: Visit your healthcare provider regularly to monitor your bone health and discuss any concerns. They may recommend a bone density test (DEXA scan) to assess your bone density and identify any potential issues.

Remember, it’s always important to consult with your healthcare provider before making any significant changes to your diet, exercise routine, or considering hormone replacement therapy. They can provide personalised advice based on your specific needs and medical history.

At our next Well-Being Day on 21st September, we will focus on bone density, all the exercise sessions, lunch and talks will be based around this important Post Menopause Health Consideration.

Different Types of Heart Disease in Women

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Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the UK, and there are currently more than 3.6 million women in the UK living with heart disease. Coronary heart disease kills more than twice as many women as breast cancer, and each year, more than 30,000 women in the UK are admitted to hospital due to a heart attack.

Heart disease refers to a range of conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. While the types of heart disease are generally similar in both men and women, there are certain conditions and risk factors that may be more prevalent or have unique characteristics in women. Here are some of the different types of heart disease that affect women in the UK:

  1. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): This is the most common type of heart disease in both men and women. CAD occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked due to the buildup of plaque. Women may experience CAD differently than men, with symptoms such as chest pain (angina), shortness of breath, fatigue, and nausea.
  2. Microvascular Disease: Also known as small vessel disease, this condition affects the tiny blood vessels in the heart. It is more common in women, and the symptoms can be different from those of CAD. Women with microvascular disease may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and sleep problems.
  3. Heart Attack: A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is blocked, usually due to a blood clot. While heart attacks can affect both men and women, women may experience different symptoms. Women are more likely to have atypical symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, back or jaw pain, and extreme fatigue, rather than the classic chest pain often associated with heart attacks in men.

  1. Heart Failure: Heart failure happens when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. It can be caused by various underlying conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, or heart valve problems. Women tend to develop heart failure later in life than men, and they may have different symptoms, including fatigue, difficulty breathing, fluid retention (swelling in the legs, ankles, or abdomen), and reduced exercise tolerance.
  2. Arrhythmias: Arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms that can cause the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly. Some arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, may be more prevalent in women. Symptoms can include palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue, and chest discomfort.

It’s important to note that while these types of heart disease are more commonly associated with women, they can affect individuals of any gender. Additionally, risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking, and a family history of heart disease apply to both men and women. If you have concerns about heart disease or any specific symptoms, it’s advisable to consult a healthcare professional for a proper evaluation and guidance.

 

 

What are the 4 main health problems in Post menopausal Years?

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Many of the ladies in my online groups and Pilates classes are in fact enjoying their Post-menopausal years.  Often I hear them say, ‘I don’t need to worry about all that now, I went through the change years ago’.

 

The truth is that post menopause, which incidentally can now be up to and beyond 30 more years, you are more at risk of chronic health issues.  Let’s not forget that the average age of death for a woman only 100 years ago was only 59 years.  Which would have meant the woman would only have been post-menopausal for a few years.

 

So, now, because of the changes in how the hormones are produced in your body, as well as the 21st century lifestyle issues, we need to be highly aware of the things you can do to help yourself.  And, yes, there are lots.

 

Heart Disease

Risk: During and after the menopause, a woman’s body gradually produces less oestrogen than it used to. This increases the risk of the coronary arteries narrowing whereas it previously protected the lining of the artery walls reducing the build-up of plaque.  This period is also associated with accelerated vascular aging (arterial stiffening and endothelial dysfunction), an antecedent to CVD.

What you can do: Exercise which will make you out of breath and sweat.  Walking up hill, cycling, aerobics, jogging.  Eat a healthy diet (see below)

 

Cognitive decline

Risk: Alzheimer’s and dementia one of the leading causes of death in women in the UK.  This could be to do with women living longer and being treated well for other issues.  There are many things you can do to help yourself in this regard.  Vascular dementia is about managing your blood pressure, and blood sugars.

What you can do: Daily moderate exercise, Eat and healthy energy efficient diet (see below), learn something new, keep being sociable.

 

Muscle mass loss

Risk: Sarcopenia is a condition by which you loose muscle strength. Causes include declines in hormones and numbers of neuromuscular junctions, increased inflammation, declines in activity, and inadequate nutrition.

What you can do:  The primary treatment for sarcopenia is exercise, specifically resistance training or strength training. These activities increase muscle strength and endurance using weights or resistance bands. Resistance training can help your neuromuscular system, hormones. Eat a healthy protein rich diet (see below)

 

Bone thinning

Risk: Osteoporosis weakens bones to the point that they can break easily. It is called a “silent disease” because people who develop it may not notice any changes until a bone breaks — usually a bone in the hip, spine, or wrist. You are 50% more likely to get this as oestrogen was one of the main hormones to help build your bones.

What you can do: Regular (3 times a week) strength and resistance training exercises, Eat a healthy diet (see below), stop smoking, drink less alcohol.

 

All of these things require you to eat a healthy diet, but what does that look like?  I’ll show you in my next Menofit Midsection Meltdown, online 7 day program.  Not only will I do easy to do 15 minute exercise sessions perfectly designed with the menopausal woman in mind, but also guide you through a healthy eating plan, which will help you to stay healthy for the rest of your life.    £34 early bird price.  PAY NOW 

 

 

 

 

 

Does drinking water help with the menopause?

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During menopause, dryness is often an issue. This is likely caused by the decrease in oestrogen levels. Drinking  water can help with these symptoms. Drinking water can also reduce the bloating that can occur with hormonal changes.

The common symptoms of the menopause – hot flushes and night sweats – can lead to dehydration to some extent. If you’re regularly getting sweaty through exercise, the combination of training and the menopause increases the risk of you becoming dehydrated.
How much water does a menopausal woman need to drink? You need at least 1.5 – 2 litres of plain water a day, over and above other drinks such as tea and coffee. It needs to be plain water to get the best benefit from it.
Sorry to say that drinking alcohol increases the risk of disturbed sleep, according to research . Red wine is also seen as one of the most common triggers of hot flashes. One survey found that women who drank alcohol daily were much more likely to report hot flashes and night sweats.

Signs that you’re not drinking enough water

So, let’s take a look at some of the signs to look out for that can indicate that you are not drinking enough water.

1. Your urine is dark and smelly

If your urine looks dark, if it starts to smell as well, that’s the number one signal that your body is telling you that it’s dehydrated. Healthy urine should be very, very pale and should have little or no odour at all.

2. You’re needing to go to the toilet more

It’s one of these weird things. When you drink less, you may end up going to the toilet more. But why? Well, as you get more and more dehydrated, your dark, smelly urine can become very concentrated, which irritates your bladder. It can get to the point where your bladder can become quite raw and give you symptoms like cystitis without any infection present.

When that happens, this really strong urine will just keep irritating your bladder, you will very often get a real urge to go to the toilet very quickly, you will go, and you’ll only pass a little bit of urine.

This is a standard scenario during the night. Very often, a lot of women have to get up two or three times during the night to go to the toilet. And when they go, they pass very little urine. It can sometimes be a little bit stingy. This is usually just caused by being dehydrated during the night.

3. You’re getting lots of hot flushes and night sweats

Again, as I mentioned above, this is a bit of a vicious cycle! Hot flushes and night sweats can dehydrate you, but being dehydrated will put more pressure on your nervous system, which will also trigger more hot flushes and night sweats.

4. You’re feeling tired and lethargic

Tiredness, fatigue, and feeling lethargic are classic signs of dehydration! If you’re dehydrated, your body just won’t want to move.

5. You’re struggling to concentrate and experiencing brain fog

This often goes hand-in-hand with feeling tired and lethargic. Brain fog and loss of concentration at the same time every day is another classic sign of dehydration, as well as a sign of low blood sugar level.

Your brain is full of water and is like a sponge. It needs lots of water. It’s been shown that if you get dehydrated, your brain shrinks in volume, which impacts how it functions. (1)

Even mild dehydration can affect the proper functioning of your brain and make menopausal brain fog even worse.

6. You’re getting headaches

If your brain is physically shrinking due to dehydration, as well as impacting brain function, you can also experience dehydration headaches, which can be similar to tension and thumping headaches.

7. You’re getting heart palpitations

Palpitations, again, can be due to dehydration. So, if you are getting palpitations at the same time every day, which often happens in this kind of situation, then, again, it just means that you’ve probably gone too long without that drink of water.

8. You feel thirsty and have a dry mouth

This is really common first thing in the morning. A lot of women will tell me that they feel as if their tongue is stuck to the roof of their mouth. And, again, this is often caused by becoming dehydrated during the night, especially if you have night sweats.

9. Your constipated

Your digestive tract needs lots of water to process and eliminate all the food that you’re eating. And if you’re dehydrated, everything just slows down and literally just sticks.

10. You’re feeling achy and sore

Joint pain and muscle cramps are both common symptoms of dehydration. Another great signal of dehydration is low back pain. If you’re getting a lot of back pain on both sides of the spine regularly, that’s very often your kidneys just complaining that they are feeling the dehydration as well.

11. You’re feeling low and irritable

Dehydration can greatly impact your mood, something that is already impacted during menopause. It can make you feel low and sad or irritable and angry. So, if you find you’re getting a low mood or irritable, sometimes, a glass of water can fix it.

12. You’re feeling hungry and get sugar cravings

They do say that it can be difficult to distinguish between thirst and hunger. So sometimes, if you are starting to feel hungry, if you’re getting sugar cravings, then it’s a sign that you are dehydrated, and your body is needing water and not food.

Back to basics Weight Loss – Snacking

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It all so confusing these days.  There’s so much information out there, calorie counting, low fat, fasting, high protein…. where should you start?

As a 50 woman myself, I feel your pain.  So, lets take some time to get back to basics and learn about the foundations of nutrition and habit change.

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I’m Post Menopausal…. now what happens?

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Will the hot flushes, mood swings, and other symptoms of menopause come to a halt when your periods are finally finished?

I question I am asked regularly.

Find out what to expect in the years after menopause.

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Why sleep is sooo important for 40 and 50+ Women

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Do you regularly wake up early and can’t get back to sleep?

Are you just longing for a GOOD nights sleep so you can actually do something productive during the day?

Sleep is SO important for us when we reach our 40’s and 50’s, here’s why:

  • Your body repairs itself at night. If you are not sleeping you will gain weight, be moody and increase your risk for all sorts of chronic diseases. Researchers looked at how sleep patterns affected the mortality of more than 10,000 British civil servants over two decades. The results, published in 2007, showed that those who had cut their sleep from 7 to 5 hours or fewer a night nearly doubled their risk of death from all causes. In particular, lack of sleep doubled the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

And cardiovascular disease is the number 1 killer of post-menopausal women.

  • Sleep plays a critical role in thinking and learning. Lack of sleep interrupts these processes. First, it impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently.
    Various sleep cycles play a role in “consolidating” memories in the mind. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be able to remember what you learned and experienced during the day.
  • Lack of sleep makes you fat. Grehlin and leptin are the hormones that tell your brain if you’re hungry or full. Sleep deprivation has been shown to completely disrupt the way these work. Also, cortisol levels go down when we are asleep (it’s part of the repair process). If they are high at night, your body thinks it’s under stress and hangs onto fat. All of this leads to insulin resistance.
  • During and beyond menopause the body is compromised due to the changing and declining hormones.  This can effect our sleep patterns and effect the quality of our sleep.

What can we do?:

  1. Beware of caffeine. We all love caffeine; it is the world’s favorite drug. Depending on your genetics, it has a half-life of around 8 hours. There are some people who have very low tolerance for caffeine and should avoid it altogether, and other very rare people who allegedly can have a coffee before bed and sleep soundly. For most of us, noon is a good cutoff for our favorite beverage.
  2. Beware of alcohol. Initially it may be relaxing, but even small amounts of alcohol may cause a re-bound effect which can lead to waking up in the middle of the night. Night caps are so 1960.
  3. Create a sleep ramp to take you from your active day to a restful sleep. Our brains do not come wired with an instant off switch, so we need to slowly ramp down. For most people, this is a 2 or 3 hour process. Sure, we can try doing highly mentally engaging work right up until brushing our teeth pre-sleep; however, there is a very good chance we either won’t be able to fall asleep or we will wake up in the middle of the night with a very active brain. Let’s create a nightly routine to let go of the day, and to leave its problems and issues until tomorrow. We will be able to attend to them much more effectively if we are fresh. Let’s wind it down: read some fiction, take a bath, go for a walk, listen to music, go out to dinner, watch a movie. You will know what works for you.