MIDLIFE MADNESS
How to Beat the Hormonal Upheaval
Mimi Zumwalt, MD
By the time a woman reaches menopause in her mid-forties, she has spent the past couple of decades building her home life and/or finishing preparation for her professional career. Most likely an adult female in the middle stage of her existence has not had that much time to worry about herself as far as health and fitness are concerned. Although it’s usually best to start at the very beginning, as the saying goes, better late than never so she can definitely effect some positive changes. This way, the midlife years can still be several of the best a mature woman has yet to experience. Prior to taking measures to maximize being healthy, however, one must recognize unique issues affecting a woman’s body surrounding the menopausal years.
It is estimated that the average life expectancy for women in modern days is about 80 years. In that case, the female entering midlife can expect to survive or live the last third of her life as she enters menopause. Mother Nature changes involved with this life stage are primarily due to gradual reduction of the essential female hormone estrogen. This hormonal change brings about three alterations, namely accelerated bone loss leading to osteoporosis with subsequent fractures, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and weight gain from difficulty controlling appetite. As a woman’s body ages, the efficiency of calcium absorption decreases from lack of estrogen. Similarly, aging skin’s ability to form Vitamin D from the sun also declines, making it less available for the body to use. This negatively affects calcium deposition into bone as well, contributing to skeletal thinning and fragility. As for susceptibility to heart problems, this is due to difficulty of the body in metabolizing fats and cholesterol, along with increasing quantity of “bad” lipids and decreasing amounts of “good” lipids, again from lowering estrogen levels. Other associated bodily changes include rising blood pressure and higher sugar levels in the blood, contributing to hypertension and diabetes risks as well. In terms of weight control, it appears that estrogen affects the production of leptin, a hormone involved in food intake and burning calories. Further compounding the gain in weight is bad body composition changes i.e. loss of lean muscle mass and rising fat percentage. It seems as though a vicious cycle is set up whereby basal metabolic rate also slows down from having less muscle, adding to the problem of excess bodyweight. Furthermore, by having less calcium in the body, it becomes more difficult to lose body fat.
So, what can a woman do to combat some of the ugly natural changes of midlife? Well, fortunately by just altering nutritional and activity aspects of her lifestyle, she can actually turn her body around into something much more tolerable for the rest of her surviving years. First and foremost, she needs to optimize her calcium and Vitamin D intake to fight against osteoporosis and facilitate fat loss. The other factor, of course, is engaging in regular weight bearing exercise (in the upright position) along with strength training to maximize bone gains and minimize bone loss. Exercising will also help to alter body composition favorably, increasing lean mass and decreasing body fat. This, in turn, will raise basal metabolic rate to burn fuel more efficiently and lower bodyweight. As far as decreasing the risk of heart disease, a diet composed of low saturated fats, high soy proteins, fiber, and essential omega-3 fatty acids will help to reduce unwanted lipids and cholesterol in the blood.
Now that we’ve gone through some of the negative midlife alterations and how to go about positively changing them, what are you waiting for? Go to the grocery store and grab some nutritious food, soy, nuts, salmon, and legumes, cook up a delicious meal then head to the gym later on to work off those unneeded/unwanted calories. Jump on a cardio machine to exercise your heart muscle but don’t forget to pump some iron to strengthen your bones as well. This way, you will not only face aging gracefully, but you’ll also be able to maintain your body in tip top shape to stay healthy and fit for the rest of your life!
