So, you got through menopause — the hot flashes, sweats, sleepless nights, mood swings, depression and a dampened s*x drive
But, not only is menopause’s impact on your quality of life annoying, you’re also faced with a whole new level of serious health problems — increased risk of osteoporosis, increased risk of heart disease and a greater chance of chest cancer.
And if you’ve heard the news about chemotherapy’s potential to spread chest cancer, prevention is all the more important.
It is unfortunate that the drop in estrogen that occurs during menopause, leads to a whole range of other hormonal changes that bring on an onslaught of new health consequences.
So as a woman, who will now spend one-third of your life in post menopause, what can you do to ensure a better, healthier life?
You can actually do a lot!
Hormone replacement therapy is one option. But many women are concerned about the consequences and prefer to pursue natural alternatives.
So the best place to get started is on your diet and lifestyle…
Get active. Women who are more sedentary have a greater risk of being overweight and developing low-grade inflammation throughout the body’s cells. This drives up your risk of metabolic syndrome — high blood pressure, belly fat, high cholesterol, insulin resistance — all of which put you at further risk of heart disease.
Exercising daily can destroy disease-causing inflammation in minutes — and can help manage all of these factors, while also decreasing your chest cancer risk by 35 percent! Additionally, as you get older, being active helps build muscle and bone strength.
Reduce your carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrate consumption has also been linked to increased inflammation post menopause. It’s time to cut out the sugar, refined products containing white flour, and decrease the high carb foods like pasta, potatoes, rice and bread.
Instead, turn to eating above-ground vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, tomatoes, beans, greens, and so forth. These are still carbohydrate foods but provide high levels of fiber and nutrients your body needs to ward off the inflammation and help you maintain a healthy weight.
Eat a Mediterranean diet. Instead of turning to medications such as aspirin, statins, and antihypertensives to reduce your cardiovascular risk, turn to a Mediterranean diet because it’s been shown to be equally effective–without any of the nasty side effects. This dietary pattern is rich in olive oil (read how one tablespoon a day keeps chest cancer away), nuts, fruits (especially the ones high vitamin C, reported to go after cancer stem cells), vegetables, whole grains and fish.
All of these foods have shown profound benefits in terms of supporting good health, reducing inflammation and reducing risk of heart disease. And if you want to slash your chest cancer risk by 40 percent, the Mediterranean diet is definitely for you, especially during the menopausal years.
One obvious reason the Mediterranean diet is so healthy is because it’s low in red/ processed meat, refined grains, sweets and the disease-causing calories of processed foods.
Looking after yourself isn’t rocket science; all it takes is a few changes to your daily routines to achieve significant improvements with your health so you can get the best out of your post menopause years.
source: Easyhealthoptions
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