8 Simple Lifestyle Changes To Help Prevent Early Menopause

Menopause is one of the ugly realities of our lives that come with age. Its manifestation is inevitable, but with careful planning and a lifetime of simple precautions, you can safely delay the onset of menopause. Menopause is confirmed when you do not experience a menstrual cycle for at least 12 months straight. It gradually transitions from having regular or slightly irregular periods to no periods at all. This process may take up to 8 years or more in some women. Several factors determine when you will begin to experience this transition, like genetics, race, socioeconomic condition, lifestyle and diet.

There isn’t much we can do about genetics or race, but there’s a lot we can do to change our lifestyle and dietary habits, so menopause doesn’t just manifest later but also have a delayed onset of symptoms. Click pharmacy health experts bring you vital information that can help you in your search for ways to help delay menopause and retain your youth for years more than your counterparts in the community.

What can you do to put it off?

When you near that age when the periods are expected to end, most people think there’s not much you can do to change the timing other than silently accepting the inevitable. However, this assumption is not true. Over your lifetime, many factors contribute towards the eventual onset of menopause, and you can influence those factors to delay this condition. Consider the factors given below, educate yourself, and apply them in your life as soon as possible to achieve the desired results.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Pregnancy and breastfeeding both stimulate your reproductive system to the maximum degree, thereby strengthening it. This stimulation is enough to delay your menopause onset for a few more years in most cases. A full-term pregnancy significantly lowers the risk of early menopause, and multiple pregnancies progressively decrease the risk even further. Similarly, breastfeeding an infant between 7 and 12 months of age also lowers the risk of menopause occurring in the mother before the age of 45. 

Birth control and period delay pills

Use contraceptives, period delay pills or other techniques to delay your period during your reproductive age to delay the onset of menopause for years. The research is not clear on why this occurs, but the results speak for themselves.

Education

This is one of the most perplexing factors that determine your menopause onset. The reasons are not yet clear, but highly educated women often experience menopause several years later than their uneducated counterparts. Perhaps educated women live a healthier lifestyle or keep better hygiene; whatever the reason, educating yourself is a good way to remain fertile for a long time.

Alcohol use

Excessive alcohol use is not suitable for the reproduction system in either males or females. However, there is some chatter about moderate use of alcohol helping delay the onset of menopause. Moderate consumption of alcohol may constitute 1-3 drinks a week. Regardless, using alcohol with this express purpose is not recommended because its side effects far outweigh the potential benefits. In fact, alcohol is strictly forbidden when trying to get pregnant, already pregnant, or breastfeeding. 

Healthy weight

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is indicative of excellent health. Proper body weight can be achieved through a variety of lifestyle changes, diet regimen, exercise and care. Gaining excess body fat is not suitable for health because it contributes to cardiac problems and diabetes, in addition to helping manifest menopause symptoms early. Moreover, when your menopause does manifest itself, having excessive body weight and fats may also cause a frequent occurrence of hot flashes and night sweats. 

Fruits and vegetables

Instead of focusing on fast food and other packaged food products, start eating fruits and vegetables as much as possible. Such a diet that majorly consists of fresh fruits and untreated vegetables may help delay menopause onset for several years. Fruits and vegetables also have a low-calorie count; hence they make you feel full when you eat less. That’s how they can help you lose or manage a healthy weight. In addition, fruits and vegetables may also help prevent countless other health disorders, including heart disease and bone loss. 

Exercise

Exercising is essential for maintaining good health in people of all ages, but it is crucial for women at menopausal age. Exercise helps relieve a number of menopause symptoms, including depression and fatigue. Exercise doesn’t just keep the body in an optimal condition; it also tires you enough to get a full night’s REM sleep, which also helps delay the menopause symptoms. 

Weight gain during menopause is also somewhat common, which can be avoided with regular exercise and a careful diet regimen. The exercises that help build core strength and pelvic muscles may prove especially beneficial in menopause.

Smoking

Smoking is an extremely harmful activity that increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, skin disorders, lung disorders and much more. When it comes to menopause, smoking increases the occurrence of hot flashes in women. Cutting back or completely eliminating the smoking habit may decrease the occurrence of hot flashes.