Menopausal Weight Gain: Possible Causes & Natural Remedies

Why does Menopause cause Weight Gain? 

All women experience hormonal changes during various stages in their lives. 

The hormones at play during the menopause phase are:

1. Oestrogen - During menopause, levels of oestradiol - a kind of oestrogen, become low. This hormone plays an essential role in regulating metabolism and body weight. When its levels are low, it causes weight gain. 

2. Ghrelin - Also known as the “hunger hormone”, ghrelin impacts your appetite and calorie intake. The levels increase during menopause which causes you to eat more and yet not feel satisfied enough. This creates a vicious cycle, ultimately leading to weight gain.

3. Leptin - Leptin, the “satiety hormone”, and neuropeptide Y control fullness and appetite. Low estrogen levels in the late stages of menopause impair the functioning of leptin and neuropeptide Y. This drives women in the late stages of menopause to eat more calorie-rich foods.

What are the Other Causes of Weight Gain during Menopause?

Are hormonal imbalances the only cause of weight gain during menopause? Not really.

Several other factors also contribute to this.

1. Ageing - Since menopause comes at an older age when your activity decreases, it can lead to a decrease in metabolism rate, which causes unnecessary accumulation of weight. When you become more sedentary, you tend to pile up excess calories that make your weight shoot up.

2. Stress - During menopause, you can be affected by unforeseen stressors such as staying away from children, financial emergencies, losing someone close to you, or other psychological changes. This leads to excess production of the stress hormone known as cortisol, resulting in weight gain.

3. Genetics - Weight gain may be hereditary too. If your parents were overweight, you too might be susceptible. 

4. Other factors, such as unhealthy diet and lack of sleep, can contribute to menopausal weight gain.

Weight Gain or Fat Gain: The Greater Evil?

It’s common for most women to gain 5-8% of their baseline body weight during menopause. As per a study, the average weight gain for European women within 42-50 years was 2.2 to 4.1 pounds.

Many women seek clarification on weight gain and fat gain. 

Weight gain is inherently an increase in muscle mass and is not always bad. Higher muscle mass boosts your strength and protects your bones. Fat gain, on the other hand, builds up around your stomach or heart and releases inflammatory substances that increase the chances of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

For women, a healthy proportion of body fat is 15-23%, and a healthy lean body mass is 77-85%.

Menopausal Weight Gain: An Ayurvedic Perspective

According to Ayurveda, menopause is a phase of life primarily dominated by the Vata and Pitta doshas. However, menopausal symptoms with Kapha imbalance have recently been on the rise.

For example, weight gain and excess fat are signs of Kapha imbalance, specifically the Manda Agni or slow-digestive fire. 

Manda Agni is a metabolic imbalance caused due to Kapha Dosha that disrupts the water and earth elements in the body. This leads to symptoms such as reduced metabolism, excess weight gain, and an overall physical and mental heaviness: common issues menopausal women experience. This is why they witness a feeling of lethargy, heaviness, and congestion after every food intake.

Another related problem that Kapha imbalance induces is sluggishness. This manifests in menopausal women as health complications such as depression, hypothyroidism, and water retention.

Ayurveda identifies various common causes of Kapha imbalances:

• Sedentary lifestyle
• Lack of nutrition
• Excess stress
• Lack of sleep

Menopausal Weight Gain Treatment: Natural Remedies from Ayurveda

The Ayurvedic system contains various holistic solutions for managing menopausal weight gain. Menopause symptoms such as weight gain can be easily treated by detecting and addressing the underlying causes of the problem.

The first step is to take stock of the mind-body constitution and align them to the present problem, i.e., weight gain. Every person has a unique body system that aligns with their Doshas. These are

• Vata bodies – Thin and agile bodies with dry skin. Reflect the elements - Air and Space. A menopausal woman with Vata imbalance may be anxious and overactive.
• Pitta bodies – Fit and broader bodies with oily skin. Reflect the elements, Fire and Water. A menopausal woman with Pitta imbalance may be irritable and have frequent emotional outbreaks.
• Kapha bodies – Heavy, overweight, and sluggish bodies. Reflect the elements Water and Earth. A menopausal woman with Kapha imbalance may witness weight gain, depression, and respiratory problems.

Identifying the body's system helps detect the root cause of the symptoms quickly. Although menopausal weight gain can be primarily associated with Kapha bodies, in some cases, the underlying problems can also relate to Vata and Pitta bodies.

Ayurvedic treatment aims to balance the Vata and Pitta doshas, improve Agni (the digestive fire), and flush out toxins (ama) from the body.

In the next section, we look at various natural remedies for menopause weight gain from Ayurveda.

Ayurvedic Diet

Making long-term shifts in your diet and eating habits can significantly reduce unnecessary weight gain. This doesn't mean you need to starve yourself or avoid eating the things you like but make subtle changes in the categories of foods you eat and how you eat them. 

Since menopausal weight gain is a Kapha imbalance, following a Kapha-balancing diet and routine can be an ideal solution.

Here are some dietary considerations to boost metabolism and reduce weight gain:

1. Check your calorie intake. Your metabolism gets affected as a result of menopause. Hence it's important to counterbalance this by eating mindfully, managing meal portions, and avoiding calorie-rich foods.

2. The digestive fire, or Agni, is at its peak at 12-1 pm. Hence you should coincide your largest and heaviest meal with that time.

3. Avoid unhealthy eating habits such as snacking or grazing. They add unnecessary calories and rob your body of essential nutrients, putting excessive pressure on the digestive fire. This causes the toxic food to accumulate in the form of fat.

4. Stay away from Kapha-increasing foods. Kapha usually gets aggravated by heavy and oily foods. So dry, warm, and light foods are ideal for pacifying this Dosha. For example, 'Clear vegetable soups with beans and diced vegetables, vegetable stews, bean casseroles, lentil soups and light grain/vegetable combinations are ideal for balancing Kapha, especially when combined with Kapha-balancing spices.

5. Walk a bit after every meal. This post-meal activity is a great way to boost your digestive fire and speed up your metabolism.

6. Another Ayurvedic food rule you must follow is to avoid eating after 7 pm. Your metabolism is already low during menopause; it's at its lowest in the evening and night. Therefore, consuming food during this time increases the risk of indigestion and weight gain. It's ideal to have a light dinner before 7 pm, which gives the body ample time to digest the food before you sleep.

7. Stress is an essential factor that affects your diet. It increases cortisol levels that add to the menopausal belly. High stress depletes your digestive fire and leads to toxic accumulation. There are several ways to reduce stress, such as yoga and exercise (we discuss these in the following sections).

8. Getting plenty of sleep is also a prerequisite to keeping unhealthy weight gain in check. Good sleep positively impacts your appetite and metabolism and keeps stress levels down.

Here’s a simple chart of foods to consume and avoid:

The best diet to manage menopausal weight gain is consumed at the correct times and intervals and contains all the proper nutrients.

Here’s a sample diet chart you can follow:

Workout

Regular physical activity is one of the best natural remedies for treating menopausal weight gain. Exercise is an integral part of the excess weight loss strategy since it helps balance the hormones that lead to surplus weight gain.

When you work out, you burn the extra calories in your body—which would have otherwise accumulated as excess fat. It also helps work up the muscles and relieves their tension. This is why a consistent workout regime can be highly beneficial for you to burn excess belly fat.

Brisk walking is a great activity. You can complement that with workout and fitness regimes as per your choice.

Here are some positive routines you can focus on

• Try walking briskly for about half an hour every day.
• Avoid becoming sedentary. Include some form of movement or activity in your daily routine
• Try to take the steps instead of the elevator.
• Make sure you take a short walk after every meal.
• Avoid engaging in stressful activities.

Exercise is also a great way to get rid of your belly fat. Here are some workouts that you can include in your routine:

• Jumping rope (cardio exercise that helps strengthen your belly muscles, tone your calves, and build overall stamina)
• Pilates (Builds core strength by bringing down the fat-burning ability of the body)
• Bicycle crunches (an abdominal exercise that helps tone your waist and boost flexibility)
• Plank (a core-busting exercise that makes your tummy tight and helps burn calories)
• Leg raise (a strength training exercise that helps tone your tummy and strengthens your muscles)
• Cardio exercises (help improve the body’s ability to burn fat)
   

“With my children moving out, I felt so lonely and sad. I had stopped cooking, and we were surviving only on takeouts. I couldn’t recognise myself in the mirror. I felt a need to make a change. My husband suggested we get a dog. Taking care of Bruno was indeed no less than exercise. I felt a renewed sense of joy. I looked forward to walking him daily. As I started shedding the excess pounds, I wanted to eat healthy too. Thus I discovered my Ayurvedic diet. What a transformation it was. If anyone asks me how to manage weight during menopause - I smile and say, “Get a dog...the rest will follow!"                      
                                                                                                                                                   - A Nirva Client

Yoga for Menopause Weight Gain

Yoga is a holistic and positive way to reduce stress, balance the hormonal and endocrinal systems in the body, and reduce the weight gain symptom of menopause. 

Research shows a direct relationship between stress-induced high cortisol levels and menopausal weight gain. 

Yoga is a healthy activity that has been found to reduce stress and have a calming effect on the body. Yoga helps achieve a beautiful harmony of the body, breath, and mind.

Here are some of the best yoga asanas that help reduce belly fat:

1. Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Dog) - Helps build core strength, boosts flexibility, and improves blood circulation.

How to do Adho Mukha Svanasana

2. Naukasana (Boat pose) - Helps tone your side and middle belly muscles.

How to do Naukasana

https://youtu.be/8KsyQvwi85Q 

3. Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) - Helps balance your metabolism and improves the digestive system.

How to do Surya Namaskar

https://youtu.be/38GTnjg_aBA 

4. Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) - Helps improve spine flexibility and supports spine muscles.

How to do Bhujangasana

https://youtu.be/cL7n4_y_PHo 

5. Sethu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge pose) - An ideal asana for glutes, thyroid, and weight loss.

How to do Sethu Bandha Sarvangasana

https://youtu.be/g78vfuC4QBI 

6. Utkatasana (Chair pose) - Helps improve the stability of your core.

How to do Utkatasana

https://youtu.be/4xyTmX_OMiM 

7. Phalakasana (Plank pose) - Helps improve abdominal, upper body, and spine strength.

How to do Phalakasana

https://youtu.be/0E95dDDV4yw 

8. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) - Helps reduce belly fat, but avoid this if you have spine injuries.

How to do Dhanurasana

https://youtu.be/hT-6doTLUvw 

Herbs and Supplements

Herbs and supplements are a part of the holistic approach to treating menopausal weight gain. Choosing the correct type of herbs helps alleviate the belly fat problem too. These menopause weight gain supplements help lower stress, support liver function, regulate blood sugar, and support gut health. Their healing properties help flush out the poisonous toxins in the body.

Below are the various herbs and supplements that can help treat menopausal weight gain:

1. Amla helps release toxins from the gastrointestinal tract and cleans the colon. Consuming amla regularly helps reduce cholesterol levels. Amla is also known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Taking amla with lukewarm water early in the morning can support bowel movements.

2. Ashwagandha and Shatavari, also known as women's health tonics, are menopausal weight gain supplements that help restore vigour and vitality in women. Shatavari herb is primarily known to help balance hormones and has antioxidant properties. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that helps lower cortisol levels and balance thyroid hormones. They are best when consumed with milk.

3. Triphala, a powerful Ayurvedic Rasayana, helps cleanse the body and eliminate harmful toxins. Triphala's antioxidant properties help inhibit inflammation and promote healthy blood cells.

4. Fenugreek seeds have natural hormone-balancing properties and can help prevent menopause symptoms such as bloating. The best way to consume this is to soak ½ teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in water overnight and have it the following morning on an empty stomach.

5. Guduchi, also known as Giloy, is highly effective for removing toxins from the blood and liver. Guduchi has a detoxifying and cleansing effect on the body.

Conclusion

An Ayurvedic intervention will help treat menopausal weight gain and make you healthier, stronger, and immune to diseases. The best part is that these natural remedies are devoid of any side effects. They are free from artificial substances and are not expensive as well.

Going back to nature through Ayurveda is key to leading a holistic and healthy lifestyle and gaining longevity and a better future.

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