Female Baby-boomers Health, Hormones & Happiness. Why this Topic? Who are the Baby-Boomers? 28/02/2015

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1 Female Baby-boomers Health, Hormones & Happiness Please note that all images including graphs have been removed for copyright purposes. These notes represent a summary of the session only. Filex, 2015 Wendy Sweet (PhD Candidate; MSpLS; B.PhEd) REPS Registered, NZ Why this Topic? Women who are currently in their mid-life years are the next generation of older persons. In an ageing world, women will out-number men (WHO, 2012) Research shows that women in their mid-life years have a number of barriers that impact on their ability to participate in exercise and manage the health risks associated with menopause. Women between years are the fastest growing sector of the gym-market in the USA (IHRSA, 2011) Who are the Baby-Boomers? Boomers are tomorrow s seniors and interest is gathering from government agencies about how to prevent the economic burden of illhealth arising from an ageing population, especially in the lifestyle diseases (obesity, diabetes, CHD, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia). 1

2 Why are mid-life females an important demographic in Australasia? Lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, obesity as well as depression are on the rise in women (all ethnicities) between the ages of 50 and 60 years (Aust. Bureau of Statistics, 2006; MOH, 2012). Over ½ of Australian & NZ women between years do not do the recommended amount of exercise to mitigate these lifestyle diseases, (Heart Foundation Australia, 2011; MOH, 2012). Australian Baby-boomers Given the high prevalence of obesity and sedentary behaviour, it seems reasonable to hypothesize that many baby boomers will experience a significant decrease in HRQoL as they age. This is contrary to popular rhetoric, which persistently tells us that future generations of older people will be healthier and more active than in the past. Buckley et al, (2013). The Australian Baby-boomer Population: Factors influencing changes to health-related quality of life (QoL) over time. Journal of Aging & Health, 25(1), Menopause Menopause is defined as a woman s final menstrual period & occurs at an average age of 52 years. A woman can enter the peri-menopause stage in her 40 s & start to experience menopausal signs. Symptoms include: - Hot flushes (exacerbated by insulin) - Dry & ageing skin; Vaginal dryness - Bladder problems - Aches & Pains, Inflamed joints, brittle bones - Cardiac arrythmias why? - Weight gain, especially around mid-riff. - Poor sleep Oestrogen production by ovaries decreases from mcg/day down To 20 mcg/ day. 2

3 Implications of Low Oestrogen Cholesterol (LDL) increases as the liver manufactures more to try to keep making hormones. This increases the risk of HEART DISEASE in postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis - low oestrogen (as well as removal of ovaries) increases the leaching of calcium from bones. This is exacerbated by low Vitamin D levels in many post-menopausal women. Brittle nails & deterioration of teeth are often a clue. Menopause Changes Blood Lipids & Hormonal Profile Age of Female (2012) = 52 years Hormones & Health Understanding the Physiology Hormones are chemicals that carry messages from one part of the body to another. All glands work in harmony to keep cells functioning. Thyroid gland = thyroid hormones Adrenal glands = adrenaline & cortisol Ovaries = oestrogen & progesterone Hormones are like chemical keys that turn important metabolic locks in our cells. When one hormone is lowered e.g. oestrogen, a negative feedback system operates to increase levels of other hormones. The body is always working hard to maintain homeo-stasis or equilibirum. 3

4 Hormonal Control in Menopause Four hormones to focus on in menopause: 1. Insulin (reduce sugar) 2. Adrenaline (relaxation is important) 3. Cortisol (reduce stress & busy-ness ) 4. Oestrogen (short-term HRT may be indicated) The Insulin Response & Menopause If we eat too many starchy, sugary, refined foods, these turn to blood sugar very rapidly, creating an overload on your LIVER. In response, insulin levels spike abnormally high, which drives the sugar out of the blood and into the FAT cells, thus by-passing the liver. Blood sugar levels nosedive and so does MOOD & ENERGY! Weight packs on! SLEEP is IMPORTANT Sleep enables insulin to function better. While sleeping, our bodies produce growth hormone, which we need for sustaining energy levels and lean muscle tissue, and for avoiding unnecessary fat gain as we age. Further, our adrenal glands are replenished during sleep. Adrenal glands produce cortisol BUT if we produce elevated levels of cortisol over prolonged periods of time, the glands may become exhausted. This leads to fatigue-related cravings, bloating, low libido, sluggish metabolism, dry, brittle hair, constipation and mood changes. 4

5 Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Long-term use has become controversial may be implicated in breast cancer Short-term use indicated by some GP s for hot flushes Helps to decrease Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) Improves bone strength Improves immune strength Improves collagen integrity & elasticity (Wing et al. National Weight Control Registry, USA) Training Peri or Post Menopausal Women A study of particular interest to the fitness industry is a study from the University of Michigan (Segar, Eccles, Peek & Richardson, 2007) which identified that mid-life women (age years) were more interested in exercising for health benefits and weight-reduction goals rather than any sense of exercising because it made them feel good or for stress release or due to any influence from government health promotion campaigns. With over 250 mid-life women taking part in the study, the findings confirmed that these mid-life Baby-boomers had, over many years, internalised cultural, gender and media norms on the ideal weight and, despite not feeling entirely positive about the exercise experience, felt that they needed to exercise for appearance and body-shape motives than for any other reason. In this same study, exercising for competitive purposes or for fun were the least important reasons for being physically active. Common Obstacles to Achieving Success in Baby-boomer Women Low energy from symptoms of menopause Lack of time (esp. Care-giving roles) Hormones not optimised for fat loss Poor knowledge & understanding of issues from Exercise Professionals (Tulle, 2013) 5

6 Making a Difference: Supporting Babyboomer Women Towards Improved Health & Happiness! Nutritional Considerations 1. Reduce the impact of the insulinresponse low or no sugar & low GI foods 2. Reduce the risk of weight gain, especially abdominal & diaphragmatic weight gain (Diogenes Diet) 3. Reduce heart disease & hypertension risk = low dairy, low cholesterol, low trans (processed) fats, low salt 4. Reduce the risk of breast cancer = low dairy, high fibre, anti-oxidants & cancer reducing phyto-chemicals from certain vegetables Role of Fats for Menopausal Women All fats, including saturated fats, provide us with a concentrated form of energy. 1. Fats are also essential to carry the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K into the body. 2. The heart prefers stearic acid over carbohydrates for energy 3. Saturated fats are needed to assimilate calcium effectively 4. Fats are needed for hormone production. They function as signalling messengers. 5. Saturated fats assist in immune protection by enabling white blood cells to do their job (Myristic acid in butter helps to keep the gut healthy by preventing candida) 6. Fats increase satiety therefore are helpful in preventing over-intake of carbohydrates. 6

7 Saturated vs Unsaturated Fats? Emerging research suggests that individual saturated fatty acids have their own important biological functions in the body: Butyric acid regulates the expression of several genes and may play a role in cancer prevention by stopping the development of cancer cells (Coconut Oil) Palmitic acid is involved in the regulation of hormones (Meat & Dairy) Palmitic and myristic acids are involved in cell messaging and immune function. Types of Fats to Eat in Mid-Life What About Protein? The turn-over of proteins into amino-acids occurs in the liver. If your liver isn t functioning effectively, then too much protein intake will contribute to weight gain. The current recommendation for healthy menopausal women is 45-50gms per day of high quality protein. In weight loss, this may go up to 1.5gm per kg body weight per day. 7

8 Amino Acids Definition: The building block for proteins containing a central carbon atom with nitrogen & other atoms attached. Branched Chain Amino Acids Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine these are the primary a. acids used by muscles for energy needs. These proteins are contained in whey based products such as milk. HOWEVER Dairy products in SOME mid-life women may be inflammatory & contra-indicated & the liver may not be able to cope with Protein turn-over if METABOLIC SYNDROME present Complete & Incomplete Proteins Animal & plant proteins differ in their proportions of essential & non-essential a. acids With the exception of soy protein, plant proteins don t match our need for essential a. acids i.e. Incomplete Animal proteins (except gelatin) are considered high-quality ( Complete ) & contain the 9 essential a. acids Summary: The human body uses 20 different amino acids from protein-containing foods. A healthy body can synthesize 11 of these. Water Amount & Quality is HUGE! 8

9 1. Nutrition for your mid-life years means going back to basics. Think, vegies and lean meats, with only small amounts of dairy for those suffering from menopausal weight gain! Summary 2. Find out the lowglycaemic index foods that work for you. 3. Keep your foods as alkaline as possible to help to reduce the inflammation present in your myocardial cells. Health, hormones & happiness Putting it all together...your road map for success Thank you for attending this session. Any queries please contact me on: On-job training workshop or seminar enquiries welcomed. 9