DIET SHOULD BE LOW IN Avoid visible meat fat, butter, fried foods, cakes, pastries, packaged snack foods and biscuits.
Grains, with at least half being whole grains. A variety of protein foods, such as lean meats, poultry, eggs, and seafood, as well as plant-based proteins such as beans, peas, lentils, nuts, and seeds. Low-fat or fat-free dairy such as milk, yogurt, and cheese or lactose-free versions of dairy products.
B complex vitamins & folate – Both HRT and oestrogen-containing oral contraceptives may affect levels of the complex of B vitamins and folate. There are many symptoms associated with B complex vitamin deficiency from fatigue and depression to headaches, nausea, numbness and even weight gain.
Eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, manage stress, and get enough good quality sleep. It will maximize the effects of Hormone Therapy and your hormones will thank you. And you'll feel better than ever!
HRT won't dramatically increase your metabolism so that you can lose weight without even trying. You have to combine HRT with a healthy diet and active lifestyle to obtain the maximum benefits. Make sure that you're consuming ample protein, and avoid processed carbohydrates.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can affect weight loss in women. In addition to having less abdominal fat, the same study found that women undergoing HRT were almost one whole point lower on the body mass index (BMI) scale, and they had nearly 3 pounds less of fat mass.
Another reason why some women may appear to gain weight occurs when background anxiety, with reduced appetite, keeps weight a little lower than it would be naturally. This anxiety is often reversed by the positive impact of HRT, which in turn can increase appetite and weight over time.
It is common to have side effects in the first few months of taking HRT. These usually settle on their own within 6 to 8 weeks. Side effects include weight gain, irregular bleeding, feeling sick (nausea) and skin irritation.
1) You are tired ALL the time.
This is often because the oestrogen used in HRT is the most active form of oestrogen and it's also a pretty big dose of it.
How long will it take for the HRT to work? Your menopause symptoms can take up to 3 months to settle when you start HRT, though they usually improve more quickly than this. Some changes can be subtle that you may not realise symptoms are lifting until you look back in time.
Vitamin D3 supplementation increased 25OHD concentrations, but did not affect calcitriol concentrations even though the initial levels were low. Interestingly, the combination of HRT and vitamin D3 did not increase serum calcitriol concentrations as much as HRT alone.
Many women actually find that they lose weight by using HRT as it shifts the metabolism back into a pre-menopausal metabolic state. Progesterone can sometimes cause fluid retention which can mimic weight gain, but there are alterations that can be made to the regime to minimise this impact.
Breakfast – energy-stabilising almond pancakes
Start your day with a boost of foods for menopause, such as almond flour, oats, flax seeds and fruit.
Exercise. Exercise is key in getting to and staying at a weight that supports your health at any age. During menopause, it can help you lose belly fat. Doing “targeted" abdominal exercises to get rid of belly fat sounds like it would help, but you can't tell your body exactly where to shed pounds.
Blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries can all help to increase estrogen levels. As well as being rich sources of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, berries contain high levels of phytoestrogen lignans.
Symptoms of a high HRT dose: Nausea and vomiting. Breast tenderness and enlargement. Spotting or heavy bleeding.
On average, however, you can expect it to take about 2 – 3 weeks for the effects of HRT to become noticeable. After a few months of treatment, you should begin to notice further relief from your symptoms and feel more like your younger, healthier, more energetic self.
You may notice physical symptoms get better first, for example, at the correct dose of estrogen, hot flushes and night sweats are often much better after 4-6 weeks. However psychological symptoms, such as low mood or anxiety, can take a few more months to improve.
Sometimes it is necessary to change the type of HRT to minimize side effects. Here is a list of the more frequently experienced side effects: Side effects related to the hormone Oestrogen – breast tenderness, leg cramps, skin irritation, bloating, indigestion, nausea, headaches.
HRT is also known to help women maintain softer, smoother skin, resulting in a younger look. In addition to—and, often, as a result of—these physical changes, HRT often changes how you see yourself. In very real ways, using HRT to address symptoms of hormonal change can help you feel younger.
There is no easy answer, but rebalancing the hormones, exercise routine and diet can help to increase your metabolic rate, which will ensure fat is burned more efficiently. Reducing overall stress in your life can help too, because stress can cause increased amounts of cortisol to be released.
You may feel bloated and uncomfortable like having trapped wind. This can be due to the progesterone and usually settles with time.
In fact, a recent study found that women who used HRT had one point lower on the BMI scale and also about three pounds less of body fat compared to women who didn't use hormone replacement therapy.