What is NESS?

Can a healthy balanced lifestyle help me with my menopause symptoms? The answer is YES, YES AND YES!

A happy and healthy menopause is not just about replacing hormones, there is so much more to consider. Lifestyle and medicine should not be presented in opposition to each other, rather as complementary.

The 4 most important things to focus on are NESS. There are the pillars of good health, the foundation for a healthy and long life.

NESS is Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep and Stress Control. These elements are the basics which we all need to follow, irrespective of age.

Nutrition – What we eat during the perimenopause and menopause directly impacts on the way your body and mind deal with the challenges of the change, as well as impacting on your future health. A good diet is about getting the balance right and having lots of variety, think fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain foods, unsaturated fats and oils, and good quality lean meat and fish to name a few. Staying away from processed and convenience foods that are high in sugar, salt and unsaturated fats which will undoubtedly leave you feeling worse. It is not about a quick-fix diet, or calorie counting, it is all about looking at the vital nutrients and food choices that your body needs at this time. We must also be careful not to demonise individual foods because what we are looking at here is a whole lifestyle approach. Quite often there is a long list of habits that we have picked up over our twenties, thirties and forties, habits that could be detrimental to our health as we get older and habits which now need to go. Our diet is so fundamentally vital to our health that it simply cannot be ignored.

 

Exercise – We have to remember that the body you have now is totally different to the one you had in your twenties and thirties. Managing your weight back then is probably not going to work now. You will need something different and it is important to bear in mind that whatever you decide to do is a lifestyle change. This is all about much, much more than trying to lose a few pounds for that special occasion. In terms of exercise think weight bearing exercises and strength training to prevent muscle loss and to increase your metabolic rate. With menopause we need to think about our hearts, bones, weight management and our muscle groups. Regular exercise not only helps with weight loss but also reduces hot flushes and the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. It will also help keep stress and mood swings under control, and boost sleep.

 

Sleep – Sleep disorders are recognised as one of the most widely reported problems associated with menopause. Changes in hormone levels as we age can cause sleep disturbances, and sleep disturbances can alter hormone levels, turning into a vicious cycle. Shifts in hormones can cause changes to your appetite, mental wellbeing, heart health and even fertility. Maintain a regular sleeping pattern and ensure that there is sufficient time to wind down before bed. Keep a cool bedroom temperature and use light, cotton bed linen and nightwear. Create a restful environment, keep your bedroom quiet, cool and dark. Avoid late night meals and spicy foods, this could have an effect on your body temperature. Disconnect from devices, tablets, laptops and phones. Avoid alcohol and caffeine too close to bedtime. Practice relaxation techniques, mediation or mindfulness to help reduce stress and worries of the day. Include a quality supplement like Magnesium to aid a restful night’s sleep (always seek advice from your health professional). Never underestimate the power of a good night's sleep!

 

Stress Control – When we experience stress, the body becomes primed for attack, and the adrenal glands choose to produce cortisol and adrenaline over the production of oestrogen and progesterone. This is bad news for menopausal women, as we need these hormones for our health and emotional wellbeing. There are many factors that can trigger the stress response that relate to food, lifestyle, physical and emotional factors. All of these factors can increase cortisol levels which in turn may exacerbate perimenopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, digestive upset, weight gain and anxiety. Talk to family and friends, or a menopause specialist, simply having someone to talk to that understands what you are going through, can be enough to put your mind and body at ease. Learning to acknowledge stress and handle it in a way that is right for you will help to reduce anxiety and enable you to cope better.

 

 

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