Diet and Exercise are Key to a Healthy Midlife Balance

SIOUX FALLS (March 1, 2008) - If midlife hormonal changes have you feeling off the beam, be sure to include exercise and a healthy diet as part of your balancing act.

"Your body is changing. You have to learn to change with it," said Connie Manderscheid, Women's Health Pharmacist at Avera Midlife Care for Women. "The key to perimenopause is going through it in a balanced fashion, so you don't have to experience the extremes."

As women enter into perimenopause - the years leading up to menopause - they begin experiencing symptoms such as increased PMS and menstrual changes, hot flashes, night sweats, irritability and other emotional, psychological, and physical changes.

Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, helps to maintain moods, relieve stress and promote healthy sleep. It keeps the body's metabolism and digestive system running smoothly, and can help to control symptoms such as hot flashes. Exercise can also prevent weight gain due to a slowing metabolism.

Healthy eating is equally important. "As we get older, we have a tendency to not metabolize our carbohydrates as well as we used to," Manderscheid said. Foods and snacks that are high in processed sugars and simple carbohydrates are likely to disrupt blood sugar levels throughout the day and night, draining energy levels and setting off food cravings. A balanced diet with correct proportions of low-fat proteins, along with fruits and vegetables and other "good carbs" will help to stabilize blood sugar, conserve energy, and help women feel stronger and healthier.
 
Fiber enhances blood sugar control, keeps the digestive system working well, and removes toxins from the body.

Vitamins and minerals should be added to the balance, including calcium, vitamin C and the B vitamins - particularly vitamins B5 and B6, which are critical to the immune and adrenal system. "It's always best to get your nutrients from food sources," Manderscheid said. "However, a high-quality nutraceutical supplement is the next best thing."

Calcium is vital to bone health throughout a woman's lifetime - not just at menopause. "It's important know that caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and the phosphates in sodas will leach calcium out of our bones," Manderscheid said. 

Vitamin C is an immune booster, which is very important for the adrenal system - the body system which handles stress. "Stress can be the origin of hormonal imbalance, as well as many disease processes," Manderscheid said. Women can support their adrenal system with the B vitamins, particularly B5 and B6, as well as vitamin C and various minerals that become depleted during stress. 

Staying hydrated by drinking at least eight to 10 glasses of water a day will help women feel more energized. Adequate water intake also helps ease muscle and joint pain, control appetite and maintain weight.

"Moderation is the key when it comes to caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, all of which can exacerbate symptoms," Manderscheid said.

While hormone therapy can be a play a role, it's not the total solution, Manderscheid said. "It's important to treat the change from premenopause to perimenopause and menopause as a transition, not a disease."

It's when hormones are taken in excess that they can increase risk for heart disease or breast cancer. Hormone therapy can be individualized so women receive just the right amount to meet specific deficiencies, using natural or bio-identical hormones.

Taking hormones alone isn't enough to curb symptoms of perimenopause. "You also have to change your lifestyle in accordance with a healthy balance," Manderscheid said.

There is no "quick fix" for symptoms of perimenopause, Manderscheid said. "Women who strive for balance with healthy living and stress management tend to go through menopause with the most grace, happiness and ease."

For more information about Avera Midlife Care for Women, go to www.averawomens.org.