Speaking about menopause with naturalness is as necessary as de-dramatizing it without turning it into a 'naive' territory tailored for Instagram. Because the end of women's fertile stage has many wonderful aspects, but the storm it stirs within us is undeniable and sometimes challenging to navigate.
"Menopause is a natural stage in a woman's life that occurs when ovulation stops and menstrual cycles cease. It usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55, although this age range can vary. Symptoms can start during perimenopause, the transition leading up to full menopause," explains María Amaro, a graduate in Medicine and Surgery from the Complutense University of Madrid and a nutrition specialist.
What are these symptoms? "The most well-known and easily recognizable are hot flashes and night sweats, which occur due to changes in body temperature regulation. They are sudden episodes of heat followed often by sweating."
Hormonal changes can also affect "sleep quality, mood, sexual desire, and even memory."
While "loss of bone density becomes a threat to our bones, more fragile to potential falls, the decrease in muscle mass directly impacts, along with hormonal changes, an increase in weight and body fat percentage, especially in the abdominal area."
Why? Because, as we have mentioned many times in ZEN, "muscle, beyond its 'structural' role as a 'support' for bones and organs, has a metabolic function: the more muscle mass, the more calories we burn, even at rest."
What does this mean? That, upon reaching menopause, "the decrease in muscle tone caused by hormonal changes results in a slowing down of our basal metabolism. In other words, our body will burn fewer calories to carry out its basic functions when at rest."
Due to hormonal changes, there is also "a redistribution of body fat that, while during the fertile period tends to accumulate in the thigh and hip area (gynoid distribution or pear shape), upon reaching this stage, it concentrates in the abdomen, creating a more android or apple-shaped distribution similar to the male pattern."
Known as visceral fat, because it accumulates around our internal organs, this adipose tissue, beyond the aesthetic factor that can bother us, "can have a very negative impact on our health, as it is associated with a higher risk of metabolic problems such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, or cardiovascular diseases. And that insulin resistance, like a self-fulfilling prophecy, will make us gain weight more easily."
What do we do then? Take care of ourselves! "Eliminating that fat may be a bit more challenging than in previous years, but it can be achieved if we approach the mission with a good comprehensive approach, making the necessary adaptations in both our diet and our physical activity or rest for this stage. In short, adopting healthy lifestyle habits."
Obviously, diet is an essential factor in reducing abdominal fat. "Due to the slowing down of metabolism, it is very important to adjust caloric intake very well. If we want to lose adipose tissue, we must aim for a moderate caloric deficit, between 300 and 500 fewer calories per day. Why moderate? Because a drastic reduction will further slow down metabolism."
Amaro warns us that "the mood fluctuations caused by hormonal changes make us prey to emotional hunger." To try to counteract this, she invites us "to eat mindfully and try to identify our eating patterns, if necessary with the help of a professional, to control and not be driven by our emotions."
In this regard, this specialist urges us to learn to distinguish between hunger and appetite. "Unlike hunger, which is a real need, appetite is related to selective eating, that is, cravings and usually occurs in specific situations. It appears suddenly and quickly. It generates a lot of anxiety because it needs to be satisfied immediately. Being an impulse, it has no end and pushes us to eat in a way that later causes physical discomfort and guilt."
When planning meals, emotions usually do not guide us towards the nutrients our body needs. "It is important to properly plan our diet, giving a leading role to high-quality proteins that, in addition to increasing satiety, are vital for the construction and maintenance of muscle mass. Lean proteins, found in chicken, turkey, fish, or eggs, but also in legumes, tofu, or low-fat dairy products."
This nutritionist emphasizes the importance of "distributing protein consumption throughout the day in each meal to optimize muscle synthesis and maintain satiety." Throughout the day, we should also "incorporate healthy fats, found in olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds like flaxseed or chia, fatty fish like salmon or mackerel." And speaking of fatty fish, she reminds us that "omega-3 fatty acids, also found in flaxseeds, help reduce inflammation related to abdominal fat accumulation."
What about carbohydrates? "They should not be eliminated, but we should choose the right ones, that is, complex carbohydrates and control portions." What we should avoid are simple carbohydrates. "We must minimize the consumption of white flour, refined bread, pastries, cookies, and processed foods because they promote blood sugar spikes, favoring abdominal fat storage."
What are these complex carbohydrates? "Whole grains like oats, quinoa, or rice, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. All these low or medium glycemic index foods, in addition to providing fiber and increasing satiety, will release energy gradually, helping to stabilize blood sugar and reduce the cravings induced by emotional hunger."
Increasing fiber intake is more important than ever because "women tend to be constipated by nature." Soluble fiber, explains Amaro, is "very effective in combating abdominal fat because it improves digestion and contributes to increasing satiety." What are the sources of fiber? "Oats, flaxseeds, apples, carrots, and oranges are excellent sources of soluble fiber." How much fiber should we consume per day? "It is advisable to consume between 25 and 30 grams of fiber per day, which can be easily achieved by consuming fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and seeds."
Although it may not need to be said at this point, it is worth remembering the importance of "always avoiding added sugars because their intake is directly related to increased abdominal fat." For this, there is no choice but to "carefully read the labels of everything we consume, no sodas or juices, and of course, the less alcohol, the better, because besides complicating weight loss, the only recommended consumption is none."
And in this chapter, she emphasizes that "maintaining adequate hydration levels is more relevant than ever for women at this stage." How much water or infusions are we talking about? "A minimum of between six to eight glasses or one and a half to two liters of water is sufficient to avoid dehydration that will slow down our metabolism and promote fluid retention."
María Amaro also stresses "the extraordinary value of proper meal distribution to avoid hunger spikes and maintain stable energy levels throughout the day."
Her recommendation? "Have several small meals. And if considering intermittent fasting for 12 or even 16 hours, consult a specialist beforehand."
Eating slowly and chewing well, she explains, "not only helps us eat less but also helps improve digestion and recognize the satiety signals that our brain will give us so that we only eat what we need."
Is supplementation necessary? "Not everyone needs it, nor do they all need the same supplements. Therefore, it is essential to take them under the prescription of a specialist. At this stage, the most recommended would be: omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity; and vitamin D, whose administration should be recommended after conducting an analysis to determine its necessity."
Although it may seem that bacon has nothing to do with speed, the quality of our rest is key in the fight against abdominal fat because "lack of sleep increases the production of hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin, making us easy prey for emotional hunger." If anxiety or stress prevents us from sleeping "those between seven and nine hours that we need," Amaro advises us to "practice meditation or relaxation techniques or disciplines like yoga."
And, speaking of movement, without it, there is no fat loss. "In addition to boosting our daily physical activity (walking, climbing stairs, etc), it is vital to adapt our workouts to this phase. Emphasizing the importance of aerobic sessions (preferably low-impact, like cycling, swimming, etc) but, above all, strength training (with weights, resistance bands, or using our body weight), because, as mentioned earlier, we must compensate for the loss of muscle mass that inevitably occurs with age."
In the end, it's as easy as following the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) on physical activity. "Adults should accumulate throughout the week a minimum of between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or between 75 and 150 minutes of vigorous activity or an equivalent combination of both. They should also perform moderate or higher intensity muscle-strengthening activities to work all major muscle groups two or more days a week." Doesn't seem like much, right?