HRT and Weight Gain

Traditional HRT is often associated with weight gain on the other hand Bio identical hormones and weight loss are closely related.

Nutrition is 70% of your health, exercise and lifestyle account for about 25%, and the hormones only for about 5%. However, when that 5% gets out of balance, the other 95% does not work well at all. So to combat menopause weight gain and begin weight loss, first we need to regain hormonal balance by replacing lost hormones with natural, bio identical ones.

We then initiate customised programs to help patients eat right, exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Unbalanced hormones and weight gain do not have to be a part of your life. By combining fitness, nutrition and bio identical hormone replacement therapy you can experience success in controlling your weight gain. Employ a proper nutrition and fitness plan and correct hormonal imbalances  with bio identical hormones and weight loss will come naturally.

Hormones

During menopause, low estrogen levels promote fat storage in the belly area as visceral fat, which is linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other health problems.

Also levels of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin are often found to be significantly higher among perimenopausal women, compared to premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

The low estrogen levels in the late stages of menopause may also impair the function of leptin and neuropeptide Y, hormones that control fullness and appetite.

Postmenopausal women are generally less active than when they were younger, which reduces energy expenditure and leads to a loss of muscle mass, we recommend building lean muscle mass through resistance training, reformer pilates, weight training, running and yoga.

Menopausal women also frequently have higher fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance, which drive weight gain and increase heart disease risk.

Here are a few things you can do to prevent weight gain around menopause:

• Reduce carbs:  in order to reduce the increase in belly fat, which drives metabolic problems.
• Add fibre: aiming to eat 30grams per day with a diet that includes seeds which may improve insulin sensitivity.
• Work out: engage in strength training to improve body composition, increase strength and build and maintain lean muscle.
• Rest and relax: Try to relax before bed and get enough sleep, in order to keep your hormones and appetite under control.

It is oestrogen which stimulates female characteristics at puberty and controls a woman’s reproductive cycle. As women get older, their store of eggs in the ovary decreases and their ability to conceive diminishes. At this time, less oestrogen is produced, causing the body to behave differently. However the body does not stop producing oestrogen overnight, and the process can even take several years, during which symptoms arise gradually. This gradual change is called the ‘peri-menopause’. When periods stop complexity this is called Menopause.

As we grow older, our bodies may not produce antioxidants as well as we used to. We also start to experience more inflammation in the body, and as a result, we might experience more serious health issues. All of this ultimately contributes to poor hair health and possible thinning. Hair follicles are sensitive. To maintain hair health, especially if we’re genetically predisposed to thinning, we need to support our bodies against these kinds of physical stressors. Hair health issues are multifactorial, and while genetics loads the gun, environment and lifestyle pull the trigger.

Women may experience hair thinning during distinct stages in their lives: after the birth of a child, during periods of stress, or in the process of peri menopause or menopause. Research found that when a woman is transitioning into menopause, oestrogen and progesterone decline fairly rapidly. However, testosterone lingers a little longer. As a result of that, there is a period of time when a woman is in something called androgen dominance. That means there is a relatively large ratio of testosterone to oestrogen and progesterone. When we have that much testosterone, more of it may convert to dihydrotestosterone (DHT),implicated in men’s hair thinning. Ask us for treatments on hair thinning.