The ABC’s of supporting a healthy lifestyle postmenopause

Once a woman enters into her postmenopausal phase of life, it becomes more critical than ever to make a healthy lifestyle a top priority. Fortunately, there are a number of steps woman can do to stay healthy making the transition as easy as reciting the ABCs.  When these steps are practiced daily, it greatly enhances the likelihood of avoiding serious chronic health conditions disrupting the quality of her life.  This means less doctor visits, fewer medications, and more time for feeling her best and enjoying all life has to offer.

Follow this list of the ABC’s of supporting a healthy lifestyle postmenopausal:

·      Avoid smoking, caffeine, alcohol, excess salt, and sugar

 ·      Balanced diet – Make every bite count towards supporting good health.  Choose at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, whole grains, lean meat, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes and fatty fish. 

·      Calcium to keep bones strong reducing risk of osteoporosis.  Postmenopausal women (51 and older) require 1200 milligrams of calcium a day.  Good sources include cow’s milk, plant-based milks, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, and some vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, collard greens, white beans, and some fish such as sardines and salmon.

·      Vitamin D – Postmenopausal women require 600-800 International Units or 15-20 micrograms a day.  Good food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish such as tuna or salmon, egg yolks, beef liver, and cheese.  Vitamin D can also be made in the body by exposure to sunlight or can be obtained from a vitamin D supplement.  

·      Exercise – 150 minutes each week (30 minutes 5 days a week) of moderate to vigorous exercise along with lifting weights is strongly recommended to maintain muscle mass and preserve bone strength.

·      Fat – Choose foods low in saturated fat and trans fats. Instead choose healthy fats found in olive or canola oil, fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout, or sardines, all nuts, avocados, and edamame.

·      Get a good pair of sneakers – Taking a daily brisk walk can be more effective than taking a nap or a cup of coffee at fighting fatigue.

 ·      Have social connections – Maintaining an active social life has many benefits from reducing risk of depression, improving cognitive function, improving physical fitness, and reducing stress which can lower blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease. 

·      Insufficient sleep – Lacking sleep not only shows up on a woman’s face but might be a contributor to weight gain.  Most women require between 6-8 hours of sleep each night.  Make it a priority by having a set bedtime, refrain from social media at least one hour before bed, and follow tips on achieving a good night’s rest. 

·      Jump rope – This weight-bearing childhood activity is still good when older as it is perfect for maintaining strong bones.

·      Keep skin well-moisturized – With age, skin can easily dry out. To prevent cracked, dry skin, use a good moisturizer each day applying to hands, arms, and legs right after showering or bathing while skin is still moist. 

 ·      Love lavender – To ease stress and prepare for bed, soak in a hot bath spiked with a few drops of lavender essential oil. 

·      Mammograms are still a recommended screening tool for women from ages 50 to 74.  Currently women in this age group should have one performed every 2 years unless their doctor says otherwise.  

·      Never let google diagnosis you.  Any woman having symptoms out of the ordinary for her, should start with her family physician and from there seek a referral if necessary.  The sooner a serious health condition can be diagnosed and treated, the more likely she can avoid more dire consequences.

·      Observe routine yearly health screenings – Physical exam, eye exam, dental cleaning, blood pressure checks, and skin exam.  

·      Probiotics – Every day include a probiotic food to help restore and maintain a proper balance of good gut bacteria.  Choose naturally fermented foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, dark chocolate, green olives, natto, miso, sourdough bread, cottage cheese, and tempeh.

·      Allow for Quiet time – Each day, turn off the TV, power down electronic devices including social media and enjoy the peacefulness of mind.  Learning to spend a few minutes quietly contemplating your life free from distractions can be one of the most productive times of the day. 

·      Rest and relaxation – Women are doers filling up their days with little down time.  However, each day women need to make time to simply take a break.  Carving out as few as 15 minutes a day just to rest and relax can rejuvenate and reenergize a woman’s psyche to tackle the remaining 24 hours.  

·      Sex is a part of the physical and psychological health of all women of all ages.  Sex benefits postmenopausal women by increasing oxytocin which promotes positive feelings of attachment and trust, reduces incidences of depression, enhances self-esteem, lessens feelings of loneliness and isolation, and is fun and pleasurable.

·      Try a tongue scrapper – This inexpensive device is used for scraping off bacteria at the back of the tongue while aiding in reducing bad breath.

·      Utilize a five minute walking rule for every hour seated. 

·      Vaginal health can be affected after menopause.  Dryness and thinning of vaginal walls are common complaints women may experience.  The vagina does its own self-cleaning but wearing cotton-lined panties and urinating after sex can aid this process.  Having regular sex can also stimulate blood flow to the vagina helping increase moisture and strengthening vaginal walls.

·      Watch abdominal weight gain – After menopause, metabolism slows down promoting weight gain especially in the abdominal area.  Eat a healthy diet and get in regular, consistent physical activity.  Weight gained in the belly can put a woman at risk of having a heart attack or stroke or developing type 2 diabetes. 

·      DEXA or bone density scanning should begin after menopause to measure bone density checking for bone loss or osteoporosis.  Every woman should discuss this procedure with her doctor for their advice when to begin testing. 

·      Yoga is a must for any woman wanting to improve her health.  This ancient form of movement can improve flexibility, build muscle strength, perfect posture, protect the spine, increases blood flow, and eases tension and stress while encouraging relaxation.

·      Zinc – As a woman ages her ability to absorb zinc decreases actually making women more susceptible to a zinc deficiency than older men. All postmenopausal women should include food sources rich in zinc such as oysters, crab, lean beef, poultry, yogurt, and cheese.