This week we are celebrating Women! On Tuesday it was International Women’s Day, a global day to celebrate the achievements of women past and present.
So this week I thought I would try and help debunk some myths around a few areas of women’s health.
There is still a lot of confusion around certain aspects of health which has been sewn into our cultural beliefs over many years. The ones I talk about below, are ones I used to believe too and if I had not questioned what I had been told and carried out my own research, I would be on a different health path. So, I share them with you to help remove some of the confusion in the hope it may help you or your loved ones on their health journey…
1. Women who weight train will develop large muscles:
This is certainly something I used to think in my younger days and now I know more about our amazing body, I know it is certainly not true and the myth can hold many women back when it comes to their exercise. Due to insufficient testosterone production, most women are incapable of developing large muscles unless they are using some form of supplementation which is common in certain sports.
Weight training has so many benefits, including increasing muscle mass which is essential for our metabolism and long-term weight management, it helps to increase our bone density and increase overall strength to name a few.
2. Eating fats will cause weight gain:
It is still popular to follow a ‘low fat’ or ‘no fat’ diet due to the common belief that fats cause weight gain, however what has been missed is that fats are essential for our health – the good fats that is. There are so many benefits of the healthy fats, including for brain health, weight management, heart health and liver function. Try and include fats with every meal, such as avocado, nuts, seeds, eggs, cold pressed oils (olive, coconut, or avocado) and grass-fed beef. The fats you should avoid are the ‘trans fats’ found in processed or packaged foods which are harmful to our body.
3. It is normal to have hormone imbalances:
Throughout a woman’s lifetime, we have wonderful ebbs and flows of hormones which, when you understand why certain things are happening, is quite incredible. It has been estimated however, that 85% of women at some point in their lives struggle with symptoms from hormone imbalances and due to the high number of people impacted, it is seen as normal and often is not discussed, which results in many women suffering in silence. This is not an exhaustive list, but symptoms can include erratic mood swings, anxiety, anger, weight gain, fatigue, cramps, and bloating.
This is a huge topic, but I wanted to touch on it to highlight that experiencing symptoms is a way for our body to let us know that something is not quite right. They may be common, but they are not normal. If you are struggling, please don’t suffer in silence. Seek help, and if you are unsure of where to go please reach out, I’d happily try and assist and guide you appropriately.
4. Heart Disease doesn’t impact women as much as men:
In the past, cardiovascular disease, which encompasses heart-related conditions, used to be seen as something that mostly men experienced, however, as many women as men are impacted, and it has been reported to be one of the leading causes of death for women in the United States. It is never too early to take care of your heart, which is why daily exercise, a nutritious diet, stress management, plenty of fresh water and being mindful about eliminating/significantly reducing smoking or drinking alcohol can have a positive impact on the health of our heart.
I hope this information is helpful and please get in touch if I can be of any further help to your health journey.
With love,
Sarah
