Dr. Florin Ioan Bălănică: “The menopausal woman is a new woman, and nothing from the previous behavior no longer corresponds”

After 40 years, the woman's body goes through a profound transformation. The change is not only about aesthetics, but about the entire hormonal, emotional and metabolic balance. Dr. Florin Ioan Bălănică, doctor specialized in psychonutrition, explains why today's woman must completely rediscover herself at this stage of life and how she can prevent diseases associated with menopause through a scientific, realistic and gentle approach to her own body.

At the age when the body begins to respond differently to stress, food and sleep, a woman needs not restrictions, but knowledge. From estrogen receptivity to how the body processes sugar or fat, every detail counts in maintaining energy, weight and well-being, says Dr. Bălănică. This is a doctor with competence in PsychoNutrition and Eating Behaviorwith over 22 years of clinical expertise in therapy of the metabolic consequences of Menopause and Adolescent health, through Psychonutrition techniques, identification of Eating Behavior and Nutritional Medical Therapy.

Dr. Florin Ioan Bălănică will take the stage at the “I'm getting old and I'm not sorry” conference, organized by SmartLiving, on November 22, 2025, at Unirii Commons, Bucharest, alongside Iulia Barca (psychologist and psychotherapist), Dr. Anca Sultan (obstetrics-gynecology specialist), Dr. Tatiana Niță (dermatologist), Dr. Alina Lemeni (cardiologist) and Ioana Ginghină (actress). The event proposes an honest discussion about the transformations that begin after 40 and how they can be lived with balance, courage and self-acceptance. More details and tickets HERE.

Beyond the numbers in the bulletin, active aging is about preserving vitality through simple habits: regular meals, adequate sleep, constant exercise, and a healthy relationship with food. “Sarcopenia – loss of muscle mass – means old age, and keeping the optimal ratio between muscles, bones, water and fat means internal anti-aging,” adds the doctor.

HotNews: What happens to a woman's metabolism after 40 years?
Dr. Florin Ioan Bălănică: The woman's body has receptors for estrogen, the main female hormone, receptors that, “satisfied” by the amount of estrogen, determine behaviors, the secretion of some hormones, digestive juices, including eating behaviors. When the amount of estrogen decreases, all these hormonal secretions change and lead to changes in insulin secretion, body shape through the central disposition of fat and less on the thighs, the preference for sweet and sometimes salty taste.
All these changes prepare the woman for the menopause period, being recognized over 100 manifestations as a consequence of the drop in estrogen levels. Early recognition leads to preventive actions, both for consequences considered “mild” and for severe ones, such as cardiovascular diseases, oncology, obesity and gonarthrosis.

Why does it become harder to lose weight, even if you don't eat more?
The menopausal woman is a new woman, and none of the previous behavior fits. If she chooses to eat the same, forget that she is no longer the same. It requires an adaptation of behaviors, preferences, choices and food routines, but not only. The menopausal woman needs adapted scientific information and easy-to-implement solutions to maintain her physical and emotional fitness.

How do hormones relate to body weight?
Everything changes, and menopause management is good to start around age 35–40, depending on the age at which the woman's mother entered menopause. Hormones are not “to blame”, they just work adapted to the physiological moment in a woman's life. Thyroid hormones, for example, are often blamed for weight gain, but in fact less than 5% of women with thyroid disease are obese.

What advice would you give to women who are always on the run and “eating off their feet”?
Women are a social model, the manager of the family and of their own person! As the woman understands health, so will the society in which she lives. It is a responsibility that makes the difference between healthy and sick.

How can you rebuild a healthy relationship with food after years of restriction?
The 3 P's: Progress, not performance, i.e. small steps. The glass is half full – validates success and organizes the rest of the journey. Perseverance – I don't stop until I reach the goal!

How can we “eat mindfully” in a busy life?
It is a complex, educational process that starts even before conception! The Gold 1000 Days is the concept that gives us time for intervention, starting with getting pregnant and until the child is 2 years old. The mind goes through six mental stages in the process of change, and reaching the fourth stage is what leads to the individual's ability to effect change and become conscious.

What myths about diets should be forgotten?
Diets do not exist, they are inventions that affect our metabolism in the long term and that appeared to satisfy people's need for “fast”. No diet in the world works in the long term, but we fall into the confusion with the lifestyle in the belief that “it can work for me…I'm special, so it will work!”. In the long term, we are talking about metabolic, hormonal, digestive imbalances, unpleasant skin appearance, etc.

What simple habit has the biggest impact on longevity?
Three meals reduced in quantity, consumed at most until 7 pm!

What does active aging mean?
Sarcopenia, i.e. loss of muscle mass, means old age, and preserving an optimal muscle-bone-water-fat-visceral fat ratio means internal anti-aging. Simple things like sleep, nutritional guidelines, consistent physical activity make a difference.

How do you see the 40+ woman: vulnerable or strong?
Both, with the observation that the vulnerability recognized and felt by the woman is one of the most powerful weapons of the female sex. Warmth, empathy, love, emotional intelligence are feminine attributes that can be transformed into tools of personal, family and societal balance.

Conference “I'm getting old and I'm not sorry”

The conference “Growing old and not sorry”, organized by the publication SmartLiving, is a space for answers and inspiration. Here you will find clear and useful medical information, as well as stories from women like you. It's the place where specialists will talk openly about health, balance and prevention and answer specific questions from the audience in an enlightening Q&A.
Find tickets HERE. Come with a friend and benefit from the special offer.

Speakers

• Dr. Alina Limeni, cardiologist – on how to protect your heart and prevent cardiovascular diseases after 40 years
• Dr. Tatiana Niță, dermatologist – about skin, aging and the most effective anti-aging solutions
• Dr. Florin Ioan Bălănică, psychonutritionist – about intelligent nutrition and the relationship between mind and body
• Ioana Ginghină, actress and activist for women's rights – about femininity, inner strength and freedom of choice
• Dr. Alina Sultan, gynecologist, will openly address essential topics for women's intimate health
• Iulia Barca, psychologist and psychotherapist, will bring a realistic but gentle perspective on how you should approach the new experiences you face during (peri)menopause

Agenda
10.00-10.30 – Welcome coffee
10.30-11.15 – Pre-menopause without taboos: what happens to your body and how you can stay in harmony with it, Dr. Anca Sultan, gynecologist
11.15-12.00 – The woman you become: about meaning, balance and acceptance during (peri)menopause, Iulia Barca, psychologist and psychotherapist
12.00-12.15 – Coffee break
12.15-13.00 – Emotions, stress and the heart: invisible connections that can save your life, Dr. Alina Lemeni, cardiologist
13.00-13.45 – Anti-aging with meaning: how to love your skin at any age, Dr. Tatiana Niță, dermatologist
13.45 – 14.15 – Lunch break
14.15-15.00 – From metabolism to mentality: how to recalibrate your life after 40 years, Dr. Florin Ioan Bălănică, psychonutrition doctor
15.00-15.45 – The beauty of vulnerability: about how to remain you, regardless of age, Ioana Ginghină, actress

Let's meet on November 22 in the Commons of the Union and say together, loudly: I'm getting old and I'm not sorry!