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<\/a>Weight gain during menopause apparently affects 65-70% of women, who gain an average of five to 10 pounds. One reason for this is that \u201cwomen\u2019s ability to burn calories gets cut by 30% or more,\u201d says Biton. \u201cBy the time she reaches middle age, she will have to work almost twice as hard to burn the same amount of calories as she did in her 20s.\u201d<\/p>\nBiton recommends many different types of exercise to build muscle and kickstart one\u2019s metabolism. \u201cSimple things like lifting your body weight against gravity does the job perfectly,\u201d she writes. \u201cYou can do them anywhere; they are easy to do and very effective. This includes exercises like push-ups, triceps dips, lunges and squats.\u201d She gives a description of how to do lunges and planks, and talks about things like ideal intensity levels: \u201cRegular physical activity [like walking], versus doing one intense workout on the weekend, will be more beneficial at increasing your metabolism long-term.\u201d She notes that adding protein to every meal can help boost metabolism, as can eating the \u201cright kind of fat,\u201d such as omega-3 and omega-6.<\/p>\n
A moderate approach to exercise and eating is, not surprisingly, the recommended approach and she dedicates Chapter 4 to nutritional strategies. Chapter 5 is about ways to increase core strength (\u201cnamely, your corset and girdle muscles\u201d), to combat weight gain around the midsection, and exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to keep incontinence at bay.<\/p>\n
The chapter on the vagus nerve \u2013 the \u201ckey\u201d to activating the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), which helps us \u201ccalm down, handle stress better, regulate your mood and feel more relaxed, connected and compassionate\u201d \u2013 takes a lot from Biton\u2019s previous book on dealing with anxiety. (See jewishindependent.ca\/ways-to-tackle-anxiety<\/a>.)<\/p>\n \u201cDuring menopause, it is common to feel stressed and overwhelmed, not to mention disconnected, irritable, worried, anxious, depressed and questioning a lot of things in life,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>she writes.<\/p>\n She advises: \u201cIf you\u2019re having a hard time regulating your emotions, feeling overwhelmed or overly emotional, it\u2019s a good idea to activate your PSNS right away.\u201d And she offers many ways to do that, from splashing cold water on your face, to running on the spot as long as you can, to deep breathing, to immersing yourself in nature, and more.<\/p>\n The chapter on mindfulness focuses on differentiating between physical and emotional hunger. The former \u201cbegins in the stomach\u201d and is \u201ca physiological need,\u201d while the latter is \u201cwhen you eat in response to feelings<\/i>\u2026. Emotional foods tend to be high in carbohydrates, as they allow more L-tryptophan, a mood-regulating amino acid, to enter the brain. Carbohydrates (and sugar) help the body to make serotonin, the \u2018feel-good\u2019 neurotransmitter, so it makes sense why emotional eaters tend to consume foods that give them a \u2018sugar high.\u2019\u201d Biton suggests practices like mindful eating (slowing down, chewing your food well); trying \u201cto eat out of physical hunger 95% of the time,\u201d while allowing yourself occasional treats; and, again, adding protein to meals \u201cto feel full for longer.\u201d<\/p>\n The last chapter of The Menopause Weight Loss Solution is about retraining our minds to think more positively and reduce negative thoughts about ourselves. It also tackles perhaps sensitive topics like changes to the vagina, body odor, breast tenderness, skin and more that happen during menopause.<\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing revolutionary or in-depth in this book, but rather it provides an overview and the basics of what a woman can do to understand and get through menopause more easily.<\/p>\n