Is it really possible to lose menopausal belly fat in 10 days?

The simple answer is NO but we can certainly feel a whole lot better after following a realistic, sustainable eating and exercise plan. The key to looking and feeling our very best is to manage hormones (both good and bad) and to reduce inflammation in the body. 

HORMONES EXPLAINED

Human Growth Hormone

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is the most powerful hormone known to man. It’s both a youth and a lean hormone and by the time we reach our 40’s we have less than a third of it in our bodies – it boosts metabolism, builds muscle and burns fat. It also improves the quality and appearance of the skin, which is why so many Hollywood stars have injections or take tablets of HGH (expensive).

If only they would realise they can obtain it for free in my online classes!! High intensity interval training (HIIT) will boost HGH levels up to 771% above baseline. Other ways to boost levels of HGH are with intermittent fasting and good sleep almost promotes HGH. You snooze, you literally lose!

Testosterone

Another one of my favourite hormones is testosterone which is generally associated with men but it’s critical for us women too.

It builds muscle, burns fat, increases libido, boosts energy and mood, strengthens bones and increases optimistic, positive thinking. One of the best ways to increase testosterone levels is with exercise, especially resistance training.

In addition, eat plenty of testosterone boosting foods, such as tuna, egg yolks, fortified cereals, bananas, beef, shellfish, avo, and oysters. Keep fatty acid intake high and avoid too much alcohol and caffeine which can blunt the production of testosterone.

Manage sleep and stress!

Sleep (along with stress management) is at the top of my wellness list.

When we’re not sleeping, it decreases the hormone Leptin which leaves us feeling unsatisfied after eating. Another hormone, Ghrelin will increase with sleep issues, causing our appetite to increase.

We all know the sleep drill so try and honour your sleep like you do with all other aspects of your health. Regular exercise is a great tool for helping with sleep. Get your heart pumping, along with some strength training for at 30 minutes, three times a week.

Our bodies like things in balance and equilibrium and it’s important to use techniques like sleep and exercise to help them recover and not be in that constant hyper-aroused stressful state. We can’t avoid stress but it’s how we deal with the stress that’s important. 

Stress can make us crave sweet things and gain weight and it also leads to inflammation. 

A fit, healthy body will easily deal with spiked cortisol levels.

Estrogen

Estrogen affects everything from our skin and hair, to our moods, libido, joints, bone density and heart health. We have estrogen receptors all over our body. From around the age of 45 to 55 inflammation increases due to estrogen levels decreasing and estrogen is of course a powerful anti-inflammatory.

MY TIPS FOR HEALTHY, HAPPY HORMONES

An excellent starting point is exercise.

Start where you are with the basics and do not overdo it. As mentioned already it increases both HGH and testosterone. It helps with sleep and drives cortisol levels down.

All aspects work together (even on HRT) – healthy eating, exercise, sleep, mood and stress levels. They all feed into each other. When we sleep well because we’ve exercised, we’re going to make better food choices.

Eat like an artist with an abundance of colour on your plate every day. Brightly coloured fruit and vegetables are high in antioxidants and the darker the more concentrated.

At all costs avoid sugar, processed and packaged foods.

After age 40 aim to eat 25g of fibre every day which is the equivalent of a medium bowl of oats, a cup of raspberries and a cup of brown rice. Soluble fibre is our best defence against hunger and belly fat as it fills us up fast so we eat less and stay satisfied for longer. Fibre also helps to support the diversity of our gut microbiota.

Try and consume live bacteria daily from probiotics – fermented foods, kefir, yoghurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, miso, kombucha, pickles.

At around the age of 50 our absorption of B6 and B12 decreases so it’s important to keep a check on those. B6/B12 help with red blood cell production, mood-based serotonin, bone health and metabolism.

Magnesium helps with bone health, stress and sleep.

Vitamin D for healthy bones, teeth, muscles and the immune system.

Omega is very anti-inflammatory and it’s involved in switching off the inflammation pathways in the immune system. Take supplements and eat fatty fish, chai and flax seeds, and leafy greens.

Caffeine is high in antioxidants, but keep it to 2/3 cups a day. Twelve hours after drinking coffee ¼ is still in our bloodstream so drink it earlier in the day.

As we age we tend to hold less water so ensure you are drinking two litres daily.

Protein is involved in just about every bodily function and is essential to hormone health and a deficiency can wreak havoc with your health. Try and get at least 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight every day.

Eat plenty of plant-based phytoestrogens – a substance found in certain plants which can produce effects like that of the hormone estrogen when ingested in the body. They contain lots of fibre, are high in antioxidants and are good for bone and heart health. Foods and herbs containing phytoestrogens include the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts), carrots, peaches, flax/sesame seeds, garlic, berries, wheat bran, angelica, black cohosh, chaste tree berry, dong qui, primrose and borage oil, licorice root, red clover.

Eat whole soy foods such as soy milk, edamame, tofu, tempeh, and miso in moderation several times a week.

Some soy products contain estrogen-like chemicals that could have adverse effects, so stay away from soy isoflavone supplements and foods made with textured vegetable protein and soy protein isolate, sound in many protein powders and nutrition bars.

An anti-inflammatory diet should include these foods; tomatoes, olive oil, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards. Nuts like almonds and walnuts. Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines. Fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries and oranges, turmeric, green tea and dark chocolate.

Consistency is important to give the body time to work it all out and the weight loss always follows! Make the changes for sustainability and stick with the 80/20 principle, then we don’t need to be quite so fanatical.