Deal with menopause in 6 steps| Manasi Joshi

Deal with Menopause in Six Steps

Once the Word ‘MENOPAUSE’ for women was dreaded and they were not willing to talk about it at all. But today, women freely talk about it, and seek advice to go through it. Yes, women need support of her family too to help her go through this phase of her life easily. The main concern is the drop in estrogen levels. This hormone helps to keep metabolism rate up, thus keeping your weight in check. When it begins to drop, you will begin to add pounds, the average women gains 5 to 7 pounds during menopause. Decline in estrogen levels is also associated with loss in bone density and muscle mass. Then there are mood swings, insomnia, hot flashes, dry skin and hair. I have listed the following points which will help you to go through menopause

1. Drink Plenty of Water

How much water should one drink? A simple test is to check your toilet bowl. If you can maintain the lemonade shade of pee, you are good. It will help reduce hot flashes and dry skin. Just stop ½ to 1 hour before bed, so your bladder won’t be waking you up all night.

2. Take Enough Sleep

It’s the vicious circle. Hot flashes destroy your sleep and destroyed sleep makes your menopause symptoms worse. One study shows that that people suffering from insomnia are 5 times more susceptible to depression and 20 times more likely to develop anxiety disorder. Try to go to sleep early and skip your favorite TV soap opera.

3. Eating well

The most imp thing – Don’t skip breakfast. Eat small 5 to 6 meals. Enough Protein, Complex Carbs and Moderate and Good Fats. Lots and lots of colorful vegetables and 2 to 3 fruits daily.

4. Daily dose of Multi Vitamins

A daily multi vitamin tablet will help you stock up on the nutrients you are missing. Calcium and Vitamin D are priorities. Calcium to keep your bones strong and Vitamin D to help absorb Calcium

5. Exercising

If you are not already doing it, it’s a good time to become active. Aim for the balance of Cardio, Weight training and Stretching. In addition to keeping you fit and reduce the symptoms of heart disease risk factors and metabolic syndromes, it will also help to boost your mood, reduce anxiety and help to get good sleep.