Menopause and Weight Gain - 2

Yesterday I started discussing menopause and weight gain. Today I want to elaborate on the impact of xenoestrogens and how they may affect hormone imbalance and weight.

Avoid xenoestrogen influences. These are man-made chemicals, usually derived from petrochemical agents contributing to hormonal pollutants in our water and food supply that strongly mimic estrogen in a toxic way to our bodies.

For example, cooking in any kind of plastic containers, and drinking from water bottles made from plastic that have been in the hot sun are just a few examples of xenoestrogens. The plastic leeches into your water and you consume the water and the xenoestrogens.

What can happen is a hormone imbalance with female hormones. Remember balance doesn’t necessarily mean you are too low on estrogen. It's about the delicate balance between all the hormones. Estrogen may be adequate but if progesterone is even lower there is not a balance. When there is an imbalance it's going to make things difficult both physiologically and emotionally for a woman to lose weight. Our bodies physiologically hold onto weight in menopause (estrogen is stored in our fat cells). This is Mother Nature's way of holding onto estrogen which usually drops during this time period. Moods may be unpleasantly altered if there is a hormone imbalance adding even more vulnerability to emotional eating.

Tomorrow I will discuss the blood sugar issue and how that complicates weight management with menopausal women.