(Naturalhealth365) Of all the discomforts that can accompany menopause – including insomnia, mood changes and hot flashes – the most frustrating of all may be unintended weight gain. The fact is: the lifestyle choices women successfully used to maintain healthy weight in their 20s and 30s may begin to fail in menopause.

According to nationally recognized metabolism expert, Dr. Jade Teta, natural solutions do exist – and they involve a complete change in attitude toward diet, exercise and other lifestyle habits.

Don’t let menopause get you down or control your life. On the next NaturalHealth365 Talk Hour, Jonathan Landsman and integrative physician Dr. Jade Teta discuss the in-depth science behind menopausal changes – and offer practical tools to change your body and optimize your health. If you are struggling with menopausal distress and weight gain, you won’t want to miss this (vitally important) show.

Metabolic fatigue and hormonal imbalances fuel the problems linked to menopause

According to Dr. Teta, there is a profound difference in the way women 40 and over respond to diet and exercise, as compared to women in their 20s and 30s. In other words, a “low-calorie” diet is often not enough. In order for weight loss to occur, calories must not only be reduced – but, hormones (particularly insulin and cortisol) must be balanced.

“Insulin and cortisol,” notes Dr. Teta, “are a bad hormonal combination for fat loss.”

Dr. Teta notes that estrogen is an insulin-sensitizing hormone that helps to control the negative effects of cortisol – a “stress” hormone with fat-storing effects. Progesterone can work together with estrogen in controlling this negative impact.

However, levels of estrogen and progesterone recede at menopause, causing the metabolism to slow down and the body to become more stress reactive – and more sensitive to carbohydrates.

To learn more about the best foods and lifestyle habits – while going through menopause – join us for the next NaturalHealth365 Talk Hour with Jonathan Landsman and Dr. Jade Teta.

The metabolic fix involves making intelligent changes to diet, exercise and other lifestyle habits

Dr. Teta advises using an “insulin-centric” approach rather than a caloric approach. This involves controlling not only refined sugars, but all foods that have potential insulin-promoting effects – even if these foods are regarded as “healthy.”

These insulin-promoting foods include whole grain breads, sweet fruits and dairy foods. While nothing is particularly wrong with these foods, Dr. Teta reports that they may work against you in menopause – even if they formed a central part of your diet in younger, leaner days.

The answer is to reduce consumption of these foods – while increasing intake of low-starch vegetables, low-sugar fruits (such as berries, apples and pears) and healthy amounts of high-protein foods, such as ethically-raised (chemical free) chicken and wild-caught fish.

Because long-duration exercises can exacerbate the negative effects of cortisol, Dr. Teta advises short – but intense – exercise sessions for menopausal women. It is also important to balance intense training with moderate training – and alternate both with periods of rest and recovery.

In addition to balancing hormones, eating the correct diet and getting proper exercise, Dr. Teta might advise managing menopause with the use of natural supplements and a detailed program to improve the quality of your sleep. (so important)

If you know anyone suffering with the natural process of menopause – tell them to join us for this informative program.

Find out how to lose weight and balance your hormones – even during menopause – Sun. Feb. 11

This week’s guest: Dr. Jade Teta, an expert on metabolic issues and natural health

Dr. Jade Teta, integrative physician, author and fitness expert, completed his undergraduate training at North Carolina State and received his doctorate in naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University. The founder of Metabolic Effect, an online health and fitness company, Dr. Teta is the author of the books “Metabolic Effect Diet” and “Metabolic Aftershock,” and has contributed exercise and sports chapters to “The Textbook of Natural Medicine.”

Dr. Teta writes a monthly column for the international alternative medical journal The Townsend Letter, and has been a contributing expert on Lifetime TV and Fox News. Dr. Teta has spent the last 25 years immersed in the study of strength and conditioning, hormonal metabolism and the psychology of change and success – and seeks to transforms lives through mind, muscle and metabolism.

About the author: Jonathan Landsman is the host of NaturalHealth365.com, the NaturalHealth365 Talk Hour – a free, weekly health show – and the NaturalHealth365 INNER CIRCLE, a monthly subscription to the brightest minds in natural health and healing.

Reaching hundreds of thousands of people, worldwide, as a personal health consultant, writer and radio talk show host, Jonathan has been educating the public on the health benefits of an organic, non-GMO diet along with high-quality supplementation and healthy lifestyle habits, including exercise and meditation.