This was me in the years leading up to menopause. I was 243 pounds, and I was hangry. If you can relate, you may be wondering, “Is this increase in appetite an effect of menopause, or is it my imagination?” And if it is a real thing, why does it happen in the first place? To stop the hanger, you need to understand why your body is reacting this way and what you can do about it. A 2009 study4 of 40 pre-, post-, and perimenopausal women found that the levels of ghrelin increased in some women during midlife, while at the same time, their levels of leptin declined. In other words, their hunger hormones shot up just as their “I’ve-eaten-enough” hormone levels went down. This is part of the reason that many women gain weight during perimenopause and menopause5 and have a corresponding increased risk of stroke and heart disease6. While it is not necessarily menopause that causes that weight gain, research suggests a correlation between hunger hormones and menopause. But that’s not the whole story. While they may not be directly associated with menopause, insulin and cortisol can become off-balance in midlife. Research shows that this, too, can contribute to an increase in appetite7. That wouldn’t be so bad if you developed a craving for leafy green vegetables. Unfortunately, these cravings usually send us straight to the cookie jar as we look for easy-to-digest, simple carbohydrates. Insulin and cortisol are like the bookend hormones that control blood sugar and stress. And unfortunately, in our modern Western society, most women have accumulated significant cortisol dysfunction8 by the time they reach midlife. What’s more, because cortisol and insulin levels are not routinely checked in mainstream medicine, many doctors are unaware of the relationship between these hormones and appetite changes in midlife women. That makes it difficult for them to offer any meaningful help. We often don’t realize how unbalanced our hormones are until it becomes a problem. So we continue on the “stress train” of overwork and over-worry, both of which contribute to even higher cortisol levels and insulin resistance. I call this the blood sugar roller coaster, and I was on it when I weighed 243 lbs. I couldn’t stop eating cakes, cookies, ice cream, chocolate—all the high-sugar, quick-carb junk. I should have known better. I did know better. Every day I told myself, “no sugar today,” and every day I failed. The solution is to get off this amusement park ride once and for all. And don’’t buy another ticket! You may be thinking, it’s all well and good to say that I want to get off of the roller coaster, but what can I do to make it a reality? Here are a few tips to naturally balance your ghrelin, leptin, insulin, and cortisol hormones to keep your appetite in check: Take your time when eating. Stop putting stress on your stomach by forcing it to deal with huge chunks of food. Chew each bite 30 times until it’s virtually a liquid when you swallow. True, you’ll have to concentrate on doing this, and it’s bound to make mealtimes longer. But it will also make meals much easier for your digestive system and give you time to enjoy your food. Imagine going through your day so focused on your work that you forget to eat. You look up and it’s an hour past lunchtime. Of course, you might be hungry, but it’s not the first thing on your mind. Your friends and family will no longer have to hide from you at mealtimes, and you won’t have to watch the clock to make sure the hanger doesn’t take over. Envision the peace that will descend on your life when you hop off the blood sugar roller coaster at last. Leading by example OBGYN Dr. Kyrin Dunston lost a life changing 100 pounds and healed herself from chronic disease using natural treatments. Now, she specializes in helping women heal, lose weight and regain energy at midlife naturally by treating the root cause in her digital clinic. She hosts the weekly Her Brilliant Health Revolution podcast, the Her Brilliant Health Secrets YouTube channel, and the Stop the Menopause Madness Summit where 53 experts share their top strategies to lose weight, regain energy, balance hormones and moods, feel sexy and confident, look great and master midlife.
