Dear Friends,
Dr Marie Claire Haver's The New Menopause is on the New York Times Bestseller list!
Many of the stats in the book blow my mind and lend factual credibility to what I see anecdotally in my nutrition practice and hear in my conversations with friends and family.
Here's a big one I'd like to share with you today:
In the average pre-menopausal woman, 8% of her body fat will be visceral.
Visceral fat refers to the fat around your waist -- and that is the most dangerous fat because it stifles your organs, messes up your blood sugar and insulin regulation, which then puts you at higher risk for other chronic disease, like Type 2 diabetes, dementia and cardiovascular disease.
After the menopause transition, this number increases to 23% of body fat being visceral.
And this number can increase without a change in diet or exercise -- which is what I hear and see all the time.
We're eating the same way, have the same level of activity -- but suddenly, we burgeon.
And I'll tell you another thing I see in practice all the time:
Many women who then try to lose weight by increasing their exercise (i.e. strength training or HIIT), will definitely see their body fat composition change - but their weight stays largely the same.
And while they're happy that their gaining muscle and losing fat, they're confused as to why they are not losing weight.
I mean, we all know that muscle weighs more than fat but...really? Not even a 5lbs drop? It's frustrating.
I have yet to find proper scientific explanations as to why this is so.
But clients who have come to me with this frustration, have one or more of the following things in common:
High levels of inflammation
Be it because they've been in a prolonged state of burnout. Be it because blood sugar and insulin levels are out of whack. Be it because of an undiagnosed condition like high urate levels. Be it because of food intolerances.
Many of the women who struggle to lose weight despite eating healthy and exercising have high underlying levels of inflammation. Once we can empty that inflammation bucket, the weight comes off.
Digestive issues
Anecdotally, I definitely see an increase in digestive issues rooted in liver & gallbladder issues in women after the age of 40yrs old. This could partly be due to the increase in visceral fat. But these organs are also where emotions like anger, frustration and resentment are stored.
Sometimes, in order to let go of the weight that's holding us back, we also have to support our digestive system through anti-inflammatory protocols so that it's able to let go of the crap and toxic emotions that are holding it back.
Alcohol & added sugar
Increasingly, I find that if these aren't completely eliminated - and I mean completely, as in zero units of alcohol and no added sugar - women struggle to meet their weight loss targets.
I am fairly certain that this phenomena is deeply intertwined with the inflammation story and the liver & gallbladder issues. But I do find that those women who are able to cut alcohol & added sugar out of their life for at least 3-4 months (and yes, I know 3 months is a long time!), stand a much better chance of losing weight (as opposed to just gaining muscle).
Metabolic Balance - the program I use to help clients struggling with weight loss - addresses these issues. That's why it works even on the most stubborn weight loss cases.
The menopausal transition impacts our body's metabolism in ways that we are only beginning to understand.
Finding the right nourishment practices that result in weight loss requires a new alchemy to catalyze the transformation you're looking for. Metabolic Balance could be the answer you're looking for.
Book in your free 15min discovery call with me to assess your fit.
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Much love,
Cristina