Secrets of Sarah blog

Menopause and Weight Loss Weight Management and Menopause The war against weight gain is a common struggle for so many people and one that often find themselves losing.  Sedentary lifestyles paired with the convenience, availability and low cost of nutritionally low but calorically high foods stack the odds against you accomplishing your goal of maintaining your weight or losing weight.  It seems that the entire outside world is committed to you weighing more. When you enter into menopause, it appears that even your own body is siding against you.  All of your best efforts are met with poor results as the weight slowly accumulates.  You feel hungrier.  You lack the energy to exercise at the frequency or intensity that you did previously.  Additionally, the biological changes negatively influence your mood which makes you more likely to seek out high calorie “comfort food” rather than healthier options. To add to the problem, you are aware of...

Can Menopause Cause Headaches? What’s the Deal With Menopause Headaches? If you are in perimenopause and have a whole host of symptoms, you might be of the opinion that the whole menopause process is a headache! And really, it is. Hormone-related headaches can prove to be seriously debilitating, affecting every aspect of life from work to your social life. Hormone headaches or even migraine can affect women from their very first period onwards, myself included. I could predict the start of my period knowing that it would be precisely 24 hours after the headache started. Menopause can mean a reduction in severity or even an end to headaches and migraine linked to fluctuating hormones. But for many women, menopause can see the issue worsening, especially if they previously suffered with menstruation-related headaches, or they may suffer with headache and/or migraines for the first time. There are actually three types of headache menopause can worsen or trigger. Types...

Risk of Heart Disease Menopause and Heart Disease For many women, heart disease symptoms surface after the onset of menopause. In fact, cardiovascular disease accounts for nearly 50% of deaths among women over 50, and the overall chance of heart attack increases roughly 10 years after menopause. But menopause doesn’t have to mean the end of heart health. In fact, there are a number of ways you can counter the risk factors, and enjoy a more active, comfortable, and worry-free lifestyle for many years to come. Tips to Reduce your Heart Disease Risk Although it may seem like the odds are against you, there are plenty of ways to reduce your risk of heart disease after menopause. You’ve likely heard that a good diet and regular exercise are helpful in the fight against disease, but do you know what kind (and how much) will bring the greatest benefit? There are a few specific ways to see a more positive impact. First, get familiar with your numbers. Vague pledges to eat “heal...

Menopause Hot Flashes 3 Unusual Tips to Cool Down During Hot Flashes It’s difficult to be around others when you’re having a hot flash, not only because all you want is to crawl into a cubbyhole, but it’s isolating being the only one having the experience. Here are two possible out-of-the-box thinking solutions that you could try: Fruits And Vegetables It is said that Japanese women don’t get hot flashes. Why not? Although no one knows for sure, most likely it has to do with the high  vegetable and fruit consumption  in their diet. Some research studies mention that in Japan it’s common to eat 17 servings a day, which is so much more than what we eat here in the United States. Because fruits and vegetables are active metabolically in the body, it’s perfectly logical that some of the phytochemicals are also phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens mimic estrogen in the body, replacing it if your levels are too low. So try it. Try doubling your consumption of vegetables...

Supplements for Menopause Supplements That May Help Alleviate Menopausal Symptoms Most women look to menopause with dread. Though the positive thing about it is the cessation of menstruation, many of the symptoms make it difficult to enjoy life during this time. Hormones decline and women may experience depression, insomnia, hot flashes, irritability, and headaches. Hot flashes come about first in the pre- and peri-menopausal period. Other symptoms may be apparent early on or else arise throughout the course of a woman’s menopause. There are some supplements that you may wish to consider to help you if you are experiencing menopause. Many of these supplements are healthy for you in other ways, so it might help to add them to your daily health regimen regardless. Black Cohosh This supplement has long been touted for its benefits in helping hot flashes. Do not take this if you have liver problems. Flaxseed It has been found that flaxseed and flaxseed oil may help ...

Tips for Talking to Your Doctor About Menopause Getting the Most out of Your Appointments While menopause is a normal biological process, physical and/or emotional symptoms can significantly affect your sleep, moods and energy levels as well as cause you to experience feelings of loss and sadness. You’ll need to discuss these changes with your doctor(s). Appointments with medical professionals like gynecologists and primary care physicians are often short and it is very easy to forget what you want to talk about. It pays to be prepared by: Keeping a journal of the frequency and severity of any symptoms you are experiencing. Take the journal with you to your appointment. Bring any medications and/or vitamin supplements you are taking to your appointment. If possible, have someone come with you to your appointment. It can be difficult to remember all the information you are given. Take a pen and notepad with you to write down any important information. Make a list of...

This Is The Last Diet You'll Ever Need Everything you thought you knew about weight loss is wrong. New science shows that you can eat to reprogram your fat cells and slim down for good. us struggle with losing weight (and keeping it off). Cutting-edge research is pointing toward a surprising new explanation—one that has little to do with lack of willpower. (Thank goodness.) In fact, the problem is that you've been doing what you were told to do—slash calories, cut fat. Conventional wisdom holds that weight loss is nothing more than simple math. Take in fewer calories than you expend, and the pounds will fall off as predictably as leaves from an autumn tree. But thousands of failed diets have shown that the low-calorie approach doesn't work, says David Ludwig, MD, an endocrinologist at Boston Children's Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School. "When you cut calories, the body fights back, making you hungrier, among other things," he expla...