From Your Health Journal…..”I wanted to promote a great article in the Huffington Post written by Ellen Dolgen entitled How to Ward Off Menopausal Weight Gain. I love how she starts off the article by saying, “It’s springtime! Are you still waiting for that winter weight to melt?” How true! So many of us, men and women gain unwanted weight during the winter months. Many times, we fall into a horrible routine of eating more and exercising less. The days are shorter, weather colder, and motivation to stay fit lessens. And….for many of us on the east coast, Superstorm Sandy made Winter feel like it started a tad bit early this year. Most people gain about one pound over the winter months, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. And while one pound seems relatively harmless, that extra poundage is the result of both fat gain and muscle loss, which can put your waistline — and your health — at risk. Ms. Dolgen gives some excellent tips to avoid the Winter weight gain, and how to start off Spring fresh and revived. The one things I find is to try and maintain a similar lifestyle throughout all the months of the year. If you exercise a little less, try to eat a little less. A healthy balance along with a good attitude can carry you a long way. Remember, exercise alone is not enough, and healthy diet alone is not enough. Again, a healthy combination, along with proper sleep, and less stress can carry you a long way to a healthier lifestyle. Please visit the Huffington Post web site (link provided below) to read the complete article.”

From the article…..

It’s springtime! Are you still waiting for that winter weight to melt? For many of us, winter means seeing a shifting scale.

Most people gain about one pound over the winter months, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. And while one pound seems relatively harmless, that extra poundage is the result of both fat gain and muscle loss, which can put your waistline — and your health — at risk. Gaining as little as 4.4 pounds after age 50 could increase your risk of breast cancer by 30 percent, according to Mayo Clinic.

Regardless of what number you see on the scale, women’s weight through menopause and perimenopause is largely determined by five factors: hormones, diet, exercise, stress and genetics. Though we may not be able to control all of these factors on our own, a healthy weight is certainly within reach and should be an achievable goal.

Here are my five steps to help you shed those extra menopausal pounds:

1. Don’t let your hormones get the best of you. Research shows that estrogen receptors located in the hypothalamus of the brain control food intake, energy expenditure, and body fat distribution. When estrogen levels in the brain dip during menopause, this control panel increases hunger, slows metabolism, and encourages fat gain around the waist. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could potentially be improved upon to keep the brain’s estrogen receptors from promoting hunger, a sluggish metabolism, and a growing waistline during menopause. Currently, HRT may prevent abdominal fat gain, according to research from Gunma University School of Medicine in Japan.

To read the full article…..Click here