Menopause: how to prepare and survive?

1. Go in for sports

A decrease in the level of sex hormones not only contributes to weight gain – it leads to the deposition of fat in the male pattern, in the abdomen. A woman with a “pear” body type may well become an “apple”. Extra pounds increase the risk of developing arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, provoke changes in the liver (fatty hepatosis), cholelithiasis, and simply spoil the mood.

There is only one way out: physical activity. Sport is important not only for fighting fat and maintaining muscle tone (for those who do not exercise, after 40 years, the total muscle volume decreases by 20%). In addition, movement reduces the intensity of hot flashes that bother most women during menopause.

Choose a workout that will bring you pleasure. It can be yoga, Pilates, oriental dancing. If you don’t feel like exercising at all, at least take long walks, if possible at least 10 steps a day.

2. Eat a sensible diet

During menopause, it is important to consider a balanced diet. One good option is the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Initially, it was intended for the treatment of hypertension, but everyone who followed it also lost weight without much suffering about it.

According to the DASH diet, you need to eat daily: 7-8 servings of whole grains (in the form of cereal or bread, the serving size is half a cup of boiled cereal), 4-5 servings of vegetables and the same amount of fruit, 2-3 servings of low-fat or low-fat dairy products (about 150 ml of yogurt or 30–40 g of cheese), no more than 200 g of protein foods (lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs), 4–5 servings of nuts, seeds.

On weekdays, you can indulge in a little sweet (for example, drink coffee with 1 teaspoon of sugar) or treat yourself to a scoop of fruit sorbet. Such a diet dramatically lowers cholesterol levels in the blood and helps to feel better.

3. Consult a beautician

In the first 2-3 years of postmenopause, the amount of collagen decreases by almost 30%. As a result, the skin becomes flabby, inelastic, dry. Wrinkles appear, which are almost impossible to disguise with cosmetics. That is why it is important to make the right skin care program.

Good results are obtained by laser rejuvenation, which stimulates the production of its own collagen and elastin. With a deformation type of aging (when the face seems to be sliding down), a surgical lift of the soft tissues of the face can solve the problem. It is necessary to regularly moisturize and nourish the skin, conduct courses of wraps and masks based on hyaluronic acid and algae.

Ayurveda experts recommend doing Abhyanga massage – it has a slight detox effect. Apply warm sesame oil liberally to feet, arms, shoulders and stomach and rub until almost absorbed. Then take a hot shower, wrap yourself in a terrycloth robe and rest for a while.

4. Sleep well

It is known that progesterone has an anxiolytic effect and reduces feelings of anxiety and fear. Its presence in the body is comparable to the effect of sedative drugs.

During menopause, the nature of the cyclic fluctuations of progesterone changes, and its level, in principle, decreases. This may be accompanied by aggression, irritation, a woman may become whiny, touchy, frequent panic attacks occur, and sleep is disturbed. In addition, insomnia is often caused by stress – if you are worried or excited before going to bed, then you are almost guaranteed to have insomnia. And if you manage to fall asleep, then the dream turns out to be shallow and restless.

Therefore, it is necessary to learn how to relax before going to bed. Meditation helps a lot. You can also drink soothing herbal infusions in the evening. They should be warm, but not hot (this provokes hot flashes). For the same reason, it is advisable to sleep in a cool, well-ventilated room.

5. Take care of your bones

During the postmenopausal period, bones become brittle. About 30% of women in the first five years after menopause are prone to osteoporosis. It increases the risk of fractures, the most common being those of the radius and femoral neck.

As a preventive measure, eat foods rich in calcium, take special preparations with this macronutrient. Vitamin D is also important for strengthening bones. In spring and summer, it is very easy to meet the need for it: it is enough to bask in the sun sometimes. But it is better to do this before 11 am or after 5 pm, because excessively intense daytime radiation is harmful to the skin and can even cause cancer.

6. Don’t be afraid of hormone replacement therapy

Numerous problems of menopause are associated precisely with a decrease in the synthesis of female sex hormones. The solution is simple: take them in the form of tablets. Clinical studies show that hormone replacement therapy provides good health and skin condition, stabilizes weight, normalizes sleep. In women, swelling disappears and bone strength increases.

Hormones also reduce vaginal dryness, which affects 40-50% of women during this period, which increases the likelihood of microtrauma and genital tract infections. Hormones are best taken even before the complete cessation of menstruation, they are usually prescribed as early as 45-50 years.

Such therapy is contraindicated in women with obesity, breast cancer survivors, liver disease, thrombosis, bleeding of unknown origin. But for the rest, she can help to survive this difficult period – but, of course, you need to consult a doctor.