| Hi all,
Although I first practiced yoga in the 1980s (one of my best friends was a personal disciple of Swami Satchidananda), I have been yoga-free until very recently. While I'm a full time food writer, I don't actually eat very much (unless I'm reviewing, and that's just once a week and I take a lot of people with me), but my line of work has run headlong into the facts that I sit all day, and am in premature menopsause (I'm 43) resulting in a weight gain of nearly 20 pounds since 2000. I'm five foot one, and now, suddenly, weight 155 pounds. Shocking. My face is puffy, I feel like I'm toting around a sack of potatoes, and I just don't feel or look good anymore. Oh, and I'm also on blood pressure and cholesterol medication.
A few weeks back, I decided to put my gym membership on hold and instead take a few yoga classes in my neighborhood. I was AMAZED at how great I felt, how clear it became to me that my body was very much out of alignment. And then I remembered a piece written by chef/author Rick Bayless, about how his life was changed by yoga; his weight and mindset shifted completely.
But, alas, Mr Bayless doesn't know the joys of menopause. And while my blood pressure is now down to 110/70 (I attribute that mostly to yogic breathing), my weight is staying the same. Any advice? Suggestions? HELP? HELP!
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| first, i would get off statins for cholesterol. there is evidence (i'll link later) that statins are unhealthy and cause a myriad of side effects that are undesirable.
with this, there is evidence that cholesterol naturally rises in women while in menopause (also in menarche, but it used to be that kids weren't tested for these things!). this is to help the thyroid and sexual function throughout the process. my mother's cholesterol jumped and she had no menopause symptoms (nite sweats, hot flashes, etc)--but when she went on statins briefly, her cholesterol got "better" but then the symptoms came on too. she went off statins and onto fish oil (cod liver oil--carlson's is the brand), and her symptoms went away. so, that might be worth looking into.
go to this organization--weston a price foundation--for information about this (westonaprice.org). |
Weight Gain and Menopause
