Approaching Menopause

It was only when my blood pressure started going up that I realized I am approaching menopause.  I can't think of any other reason for my hypertension because I steer clear of fatty and salty foods and I exercise regularly.  I remember my mom's blood pressure started going up too when she was my age.

I started reading about the symptoms of menopause and that's when everything made sense.  Aside from hypertension, there's bloating; irritability; memory lapses; itchy or crawly skin; and weight gain.  Quitting smoking a couple of years ago played a big part with my weight gain; that I am sure of.  But it puzzled me that no matter how much I work out and eat so little, I couldn't shed off the pounds.  The only thing that didn't stop me from working out is it makes me feel healthy and stronger.  Now I know the reason why it is so hard  for me to lose weight.

To battle hypertension, I started stretching my exercise time.  Instead of half hour, now I'm doing an hour a day.  I am also preparing for the other symptoms of menopause that I'm sure are about to come.  They say eating healthier is the easiest way to battle most of the symptoms; I will be doing just that.