"I was never told how crucial estrogen was and how it would affect my body this much when my body is slowly losing it during menopause.” That’s what Cindy, a 50-year-old realtor said during our initial discovery call. She went on to say, “Doing normal things is almost impossible. I have problems drying my hair, making dinner, and driving. Everything seems to hurt. The 15 pounds of weight I’ve recently put on made all of this worse. It never crossed my mind that joint pain was connected with menopause and that a lack of estrogen could cause so many different symptoms including weight gain. Please help."
Many women think that weight gain and other symptoms like bloating, hot flashes and joint pain during menopause are normal and can’t be stopped. But here’s the truth - there are three things that happen during menopause that make these symptoms seem inevitable:
Number one - a drop in estrogen levels. Estrogen helps to regulate metabolism and body weight and reduce inflammation. During menopause, the ovarian cells no longer produce estrogen, so the body starts looking for it elsewhere – one source is fat cells. The body works hard to put things back into balance as it starts converting extra energy sources into fat, which leads to faster weight gain due to lowered metabolism and an increase in fat around the abdomen. The estrogen-level reduction in our bodies may also affect the joints, ligaments and tendons causing tension, swelling, stiffness and creaking.
Solution: Curcumin. Curcumin is a phytoestrogen (a plant source of estrogen) which helps menopausal women to rebalance their estrogen levels healthily and naturally. Natural phytoestrogens like curcumin have been recommended for their ability to manage estrogen levels without other side effects. It is a natural antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory herb that supports weight control, digestion, joint pain & reduces hot flashes. Curcumin is the main active ingredient found in turmeric. For the best effect, make sure to take Golden Turmeric Root Extract (95% Curcuminoids) together with Black Pepper, which helps to increase the absorption of Curcumin.
Number two – inflammation. Estrogen protects joints and reduces inflammation.
When estrogen levels drop during menopause, inflammation can increase, and the risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis increase, and the result can be painful joints. We see this inflammation on the health study in our thermal imaging practice. High inflammation levels can also cause expanded fat cells, increased fat absorption and weight gain.
Solution: Try moringa leaves. Moringa leaves provide an even stronger anti-inflammatory benefit than curcumin and are packed with several essential minerals like iron. A daily dose of moringa replenishes iron levels in the body, reduces inflammation and helps women with low energy feel recharged in the morning. Most functional practitioners suggest at least 350mg of moringa leaf every day.
Number three - Bad gut bacteria. A drop in estrogen levels during menopause can cause bad bacteria to grow faster in the gut leading to a low calorie-burn rate due to bad gut health. Therefore, it’s common to have belly bloating, weight gain, and other digestive issues during menopause.
Solution: Probiotics are great for strengthening the gut with good bacteria. Pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut and kefir are rich in probiotics that introduce good bacteria in the gut.
As always, confer with your doctor and ask them to run the Dutch Test to test your hormones and cortisol levels every year.
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