Hormones are the chemical communicators within your body that direct the cellular building process. Hormones and the messages they send are essential for breaking down old cells and making new cells. When a particular hormone system breaks down as with  the loss of estrogen from the ovaries, it affects all the other processes in the entire physiological system because the systems of the body are interconnected. As your body loses cells and hormone levels decline, your body breaks down more than it build up and the end result is aging.

Weight Gain and the Aging Process

 “Imagine a clear a clear glass filled with clear marbles. If you could reach into the middle and pluck out a marble, all the other marbles would move, would re-adjust themselves to compensate for the missing one. The marbles or variables that control the positioning of all the marbles- sleeping, eating, and reproducing – we will call 1,2, and 3, respectively.”

“How much you sleep(1) is reported by melatonin to cortisol and prolactin; (2) or how much carbohydrates you eat is determined by (1)  and reported insulin levels to (3) ; (3) is how fast you age or your reproductive status in terms of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels. The formula for existence is then, 1+2=3. Sleeping and eating equal how fast time passes metabolically.”

Excerpted from T.S. Wiley,Sex, Lies and Menopause, Harper Collins, 2004.

Carbohydrates and Estrogen

 “As we age, our bodies begin to develop a sensitivity to carbohydrates as our estrogen levels start to fall, around the age of 40.”

“Insulin causes fluid retention by making us more sensitive to salt and expands the tissue surrounding these cells. Cortisol speeds up the intestines ability to transport fat and this makes it harder for fat depots to clear out glycerol and free fatty acids, the products of at breakdown, which prevents further mobilization of fat.”

“Abdominal fat has significantly stronger relationship with insulin sensitivity than peripheral non-abdominal fat, making women with the spider body (meaning Buddha belly and thin arms and legs) more insulin resistant than those with fat on their thighs. Scientists say abdominal fat may be a major reason why women develop insulin resistance.”  

“…Another way to keep your blood sugar under control is to eat frequent small meals instead of one big meal. Snacking on 250 calorie “mini meals” can keep your insulin levels down, which in turn lowers your cholesterol.  As an added bonus, small meals relieve the stress on your body, as evidenced by lower cortisol and cholesterol levels and make it easier for your stomach to empty. By simply reducing the rate at which you present food to our digestive tract you can dramatically reduce the rate of lipids or fats appearing in your blood regardless of what you eat.”

Excerpted from The Menopause Diet by Larrian Gillespie, MD.

https://menopausediet.planetnet.com/cgi-local/redirect.cgi?goto=/Store/store.htm&code=RuthGantman

"The excess carbohydrates and stimulants you consume to alleviate the symptoms of a low serotonin state all contribute to chronic high insulin levels. Stress also causes the release of insulin. It is essential to correct all of the behaviors and factors that cause our low serotonin state in order to keep insulin levels balanced and our mood level. These two conditions are interrelated and essential if you desire overall health and extended longevity.

Look at the list of foods to eat and set up a pattern of what you eat each week so that you have a plan. When you shop in your supermarket, shop the periphery first. Try to avoid the aisles that are loaded with packaged carbs.

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Consider these helpful products. 

Acorns
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Chinese chestnuts
Coconut
Cottonseed kernels
European chestnuts
Filberts
Hazelnuts
Ginkgo nuts
Hickory nuts
Japanese chestnuts Lotus seeds

Bleu
Brick
Brie
Camembert
Caraway
Cheddar
Cheshire
Colby
Edam
Port de salut
Parmesan

Fontina
Gouda
Gruyere
Limburger
Monterey Jack
Roquefort
Swiss
Tilsit
Omano

Arugula
Asparagus
Bamboo shoots
Bean sprouts
Beet greens
Bell peppers
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Raw carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chives
Collard greens
Coriander
Cucumber

Eggplant
Endive
Fennel
Garlic
Ginger root
Green beans
Hearts of palm
Horseradish tree
Kale
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard greens
Onions
Parsley

Peppers
Radishes
Radicchio
Snow peas
Shallots
Spinach
Spaghetti squash
Summer squash
Swiss chard
Taro
Tomatoes
Tree fern
Turnip greens
Watercress
Zucchini