How To Keep Your Body & Skin Healthy During Menopause
Healthy Body & Skin In Menopause
As a woman enters menopause the changes to her body begin to affect the health and appearance of her skin.
To keep menopause skin looking at its best therefore requires both a change to your normal skin care routine and the type of lifestyle you live.
In this article we will look at how you can do this. So let’s start with how to keep your body healthy during menopause and your hormones functioning properly.
Later we will then look at how to menopause skin in top condition.
Hormone Levels During Menopause
Hormones play many important roles throughout the body, and during menopause the production of some hormones such as estrogen, begin to decline.
It is this decline in hormone production that causes many of the changes and symptoms that are typically associated with perimenopause and menopause.
Therefore in order to keep your body and skin healthy during menopause you need to ensure that your hormones stay at optimal production throughout your lifetime, even if their production has decreased from what they once were.
The following tips will give you some advice on how to do this. Once your hormones are functioning at an optimal level for your age, you should notice a reduction in negative menopause symptoms and an improvement in the condition of your skin.
Maintain A Healthy Weight
Yo-yo dieting plays havoc on your hormones which can then have a negative effect on your health and your skin.
Try to maintain a constant healthy weight (not too thin, not overweight) and try to avoid your weight fluctuating frequently.
Do Anaerobic Exercise
One of the biggest changes that occur to the body during menopause is a decrease in muscle mass and muscle tone.
This subsequently causes an increase in weight gain, because muscle is very effective at helping to keep fat from being deposited in the body.
The ideal body fat range for a woman in her 50s is between 20-30%. At this range you will be in optimal health and have a higher metabolism.
Aim to do anaerobic exercises (such as exercising with weights or resistance exercises against the weight of your body) 3 times a week.
Doing such strength training exercise will also help to keep your bones strong and healthy and more resistant to fractures and breaks.
Do Aerobic Exercise
Glandular activity slows down during menopause which causes you to sweat less. The effect of this is that your body becomes less efficient at excreting toxins from the body.
In order to help your body excrete these toxins it is important to do aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week for 20 minutes or more.
This includes any exercise that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat. In addition to removing toxins from the body, aerobic exercise will also help to keep your joints agile and functioning properly which also reduces your risk of osteoporosis.
Take Essential Fatty Acids
Taking 2 tablespoons of essential fatty acids each day during menopause can help to protect against cancer, reduce menopause symptoms, lower bad cholesterol levels and prevent bone loss. Essential fatty acids are also important for healthy joints, skin, hair and your mood.
Eat Vegetables Daily
Eating green vegetables daily is a great way to ensure your diet is rich in antioxidants, bioflavonoids, vitamins, minerals and fiber. All of which help to keep your body healthy and in top condition.
Progesterone Cream
Using progesterone cream during menopause can help to keep your hormones in balance.
Progesterone cream is available without a prescription, and you can get some at your local health food store or pharmacy.
Eat Foods Containing Phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens act like estrogen in the body when eaten. This can help to reduce menopausal discomfort and support the hormone levels of all the body’s many hormones.
Foods rich in phytoestrogens include figs, dates, pomegranates, fennel, apricot, flax seeds, apples, sprouts, peas, parsley and raspberries.
Some herbs also contain phytoestrogens such as black cohosh, chasteberry, red clover, licorice, raspberry leaf and ginseng.
Maintain An Active Sex Life
Sex can help to improve your mood and it also helps to stimulate the production of reproductive hormones.
If you have had a low sex drive since entering menopause, speak to your doctor about testosterone and its possible benefits.
Skin Care For Menopause
Now that you have a good idea of how to keep your body healthy during menopause, the next step is to take care of your skin.
Use the following tips to keep your skin looking at its best.
Your Skin Care Routine
At a minimum you should continue your regular daily skin care routine of cleansing, toning and moisturising your skin.
If you find that your skin is too dry, then you may need to switch skin care products.
There are now many products on the market that are designed for menopausal skin, so experiment with different products until you find something that works well for you.
Exfoliate Your Skin
Even though your skin may be more sensitive now that you have entered menopause, you still need to exfoliate to remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.
Try to use gentle exfoliants and avoid stronger exfoliants such as scrubs and acids.
Skin Discolouration
During menopause you many find your skin becomes pigmented with dark or light brown spots. To combat this use skin lighteners such as hydroquinone.
Use Sunscreen
Continue to use sunscreen on a daily basis as this will help to keep your skin looking younger for longer and avoid skin pigmentation discolouration.
Skin Cancer
Get yourself checked regularly for skin cancers and have any removed.
Use Products Designed To Reverse Aging
There are now many excellent skin care products and treatments that can help to reverse the signs of aging.
Some of the products you should be looking out for include those that contain alpha lipoic acid, antioxidants, DMAE, bioflavonoids and vitamin C.
Plastic Surgery
Depending on the condition of your skin you may want to consider having plastic surgery. Bear in mind however that plastic surgery won’t make you look like a teenager or stop the aging process.
The idea of plastic surgery is to give your face and body a fresher and more relaxed appearance. This mainly includes the removal of sagging skin and bags. A good plastic surgeon can make you look 10 to 15 years younger.
