Menopause Weight Gain and Chronic Inflammation | Galveston Diet (2023)

FAQs

How can I lose weight with chronic inflammation? ›

Exercising regularly will help you lose excess weight and naturally fights inflammation. Getting plenty of quality sleep will help you feel more energetic and balance your hormones so you can stay active and reduce inflammation.

Eating a good diet is extremely important for peri and post-menopausal women, for managing inflammation symptoms, protecting against longer term health conditions, and preventing weight gain.

Choose more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, particularly those that are less processed and contain more fiber. In general, a plant-based diet is healthier than other options. Legumes, nuts, soy, fish and low-fat dairy products are good choices.

There is an association between increased weight gain and increased inflammation. More weight can mean more inflammation. However, reducing excess weight also tends to mean less inflammation. Gut inflammation may also be a contributing factor and can lead to weight gain.

Based on visual observation, the ancients characterised inflammation by five cardinal signs, namely redness (rubor), swelling (tumour), heat (calor; only applicable to the body' extremities), pain (dolor) and loss of function (functio laesa).

Starting an anti-inflammatory diet isn't a magic pill. Your results will vary based on the severity of your intolerance and inflammation. “Drastic changes never lead to long-term success, so give yourself three to six months to make diet changes and to begin to see results,” Zumpano advises.

Also, an anti-inflammatory diet was not developed with weight loss in mind, but it is likely that eating a diet high in many low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods, like fruits, vegetables and beans, and low in processed foods and added sugars, will lead to weight loss.

Menopause is also linked with an abundance of additional changes, including increased central adiposity and inflammation.

In contrast, foods which promote inflammation (pro-inflammatory diet) include foods that have low nutrient content, as well as refined foods such as high sugar, high fat and high salt foods. These types of foods trigger chronic inflammation and also promote weight gain, which can also induce inflammation.

Contributors to weight gain at menopause include declining oestrogen levels, age-related loss of muscle tissue and lifestyle factors such as diet and lack of exercise. Treatment options include a healthy diet, regular exercise, strength training and menopausal hormone therapy.

How do you get rid of menopause belly fat? ›

Start with a mix of moderate and vigorous exercise to burn off menopausal weight gain. Your routine should include aerobic exercises like swimming, walking, bicycling, and running, as well as resistance or strength training. “What you want to employ now is high-intensity interval training (HIIT),” Dr. Peeke says.

Additionally, improving dietary choices, increasing physical activity, getting more sleep, managing stress levels effectively, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol are all ways to decrease and avoid hormonal weight gain.

Possible Causes

The most common reasons for chronic inflammation include: Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus, where your body attacks healthy tissue. Exposure to toxins, like pollution or industrial chemicals. Untreated acute inflammation, such as from an infection or injury.

Vitamin C. Vitamin C, like vitamin D, is an essential vitamin that plays a huge role in immunity and inflammation. It's a powerful antioxidant, so it can reduce inflammation by neutralizing free radicals that cause oxidative damage to your cells ( 55 ).

Practice makes perfect, at home or eating out

More good news: Making a few changes — like choosing whole grain breads instead of white bread, or adding a few fruit servings — can start making an immediate difference, though it may take up to six weeks for some people to see a significant change.

How do you know if you have chronic inflammation? A blood test measures a protein produced by the liver, C-reactive protein (CRP), which rises in response to inflammation. A CRP level between 1 and 3 milligrams per liter of blood often signals a low, yet chronic, level of inflammation.

The Mediterranean diet is ranked high among doctors and dietitians, and for good reason. Studies show it protects against diseases linked to inflammation, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.

Do eggs cause inflammation? ›

Consuming eggs regularly can lead to an increased amount of swelling and joint pain. The yolks contain arachidonic acid, which helps trigger inflammation in the body. Eggs also contain saturated fat which can also induce joint pain.

Eat a diet rich in natural anti-inflammatory foods. Be sure to include nutrient rich fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and omega-3s.

High levels of prostaglandins are produced in response to injury or infection and cause inflammation, which is associated with the symptoms of redness, swelling, pain and fever. This is an important part of the body's normal healing process.

Conclusion. There is increasing and compelling evidence showing that estrogen decline during the menopausal transition drives a systemic inflammatory state.

Eat good fats daily

Eating good fats is essential for hormone production as it is these fats that build our hormones as well as reduce inflammation. So always include a portion of fat in each meal which can come from olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocado oil, raw unsalted nuts or seeds, nut butter and avocados.

Most people gain 5-8% of their baseline body weight in the first two years of menopause. This is due to slower metabolism and lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise. Prevent fat gain by eating smaller portions, avoiding added sugars and adding fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your diet.

If you've noticed weight gain during this transition, rest assured that you're not alone. It is quite common during menopause. In fact, the average woman gains about 5 pounds during this time. Your hormones change during menopause, and this may contribute to weight gain, but there are also other factors.

Why can't I lose weight in menopause? ›

As your estrogen levels decrease, your metabolism slows down. This makes you gain weight — even if you haven't changed a thing about the way you eat or move — and makes it harder to lose weight.

This is likely due to a decreasing level of estrogen, which appears to influence where fat is distributed in the body. The tendency to gain or carry weight around the waist — and have an "apple" rather than a "pear" shape — might have a genetic component as well.

Speaking of calories: A sedentary older woman in her 50s and 60s should consume about 1600 calories per day. If you're more active, bump that up to 1800 calories. To lose one pound per week, you need a daily 500-calorie deficit, either through diet or exercise.

Yet another hormone found in the gut that has to do with appetite control, PYY needs to remain at relatively high levels in order to prevent overeating. Make sure you focus on a low-carb diet, with plenty of protein and fiber. This type of eating ensures the healthy balance of PYY to help prevent weight gain.

Eating enough protein causes the creation of peptide hormones, some of which decrease hunger and make you feel full. Other ways to reset hormones include regular exercise, reducing sugar consumption, minimising stress, and getting enough sleep.

Research suggests that coffee does not cause inflammation in most people—even if your norm is more than one or two caffeinated cups. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Coffee may have anti-inflammatory effects in the body.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids , which are abundant in fatty fish such as cod, are among the most potent anti-inflammatory supplements.

What removes inflammation from the body? ›

Magnesium has been shown to help fight inflammation by reducing markers such as CRP and interleukin-6.

To reduce inflammation fast, limit your intake of sugar and processed foods. Perhaps, more importantly, though, pursue exercise, stress-reducing behaviors, a good night's sleep, and a diet full of colorful, anti-inflammatory foods.

Apple cider vinegar is a strong anti-inflammatory so it can help decrease pain associated with an inflammatory condition, such as the multiple types of Arthritis. It also prevents lactic acid buildup in the muscles, which not only keeps energy high but also decreases soreness and achiness in the muscles.

Inflammation can also interfere with the body's response to leptin, a hormone that tells the brain when you've had enough to eat. If your brain doesn't receive this signal, it can cause you to eat more than necessary. Resistance to leptin is now thought to be a major driver of weight gain in humans.

There are three distinct differences between acute inflammation that's a healthy part of your immune response and unhealthy chronic inflammation that is associated with disease: duration, cause and symptoms. Acute inflammation will only last a couple days to weeks, whereas chronic inflammation lasts months to years.

People with long-term inflammation may experience water retention.

The most common reasons for chronic inflammation include: Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus, where your body attacks healthy tissue. Exposure to toxins, like pollution or industrial chemicals. Untreated acute inflammation, such as from an infection or injury.

What is a low inflammation diet? ›

To fight inflammation, go for whole, unprocessed foods with no added sugar: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils), fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, a little bit of low-fat dairy, and olive oil. "To these, many people add herbs and spices like cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric.