Tackle Menopause Gracefully With The Right Nutrition Plan
Menopause is when your MENstrual cycle PAUSEs—for good. It’s not a disease to be treated, but rather a normal stage of life. Menopause “officially” starts 12-months after your last period. That happens, on average, around the age of 51. This change doesn’t happen overnight, though. There are usually a few years of the menopausal transition, sometimes called “perimenopause.” Perimenopause often starts in the early- to mid-40s. This is when you may start feeling symptoms like:
● Weight gain—especially around the midsection
● Hot flashes and night sweats
● Difficulty sleeping
● Moodiness
Once perimenopause finishes and menopause officially begins, your risks for heart disease and osteoporosis rise. Why does this even happen? Some of the reasons behind all these changes include your changing hormones, metabolism, stress levels, and lifestyle. Because your body goes through all these changes, its nutritional needs also change. Here are some expert nutrition tips to help you get through perimenopause and menopause gracefully.
Nutrition tips for perimenopause
Drink enough fluids
As you age, you may slowly lose your sense of thirst. This means you can become less hydrated without even noticing it, through no fault of your own. Plus, some key menopausal symptoms may be improved simply by drinking more fluids. If hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, or bladder infections are affecting you, try drinking at least six 8-oz glasses per day to help hydrate you. Ideally, that drink is water or herbal tea. For those of you who “hate” plain water (that is a real thing!) then perhaps this orange-mint infusion may be a better way for you to get in your hydration. You could triple or quadruple this recipe and use that for your water replacement for the day.
Avoid alcohol
You know that alcohol isn’t the best drink for your health—especially too much. Alcohol can worsen hot flashes and make it harder to stay asleep. It can also increase your risk of getting or worsening many health conditions. Not to mention it can make you forgetful and confused, and can even lead to loss of muscle mass, balance problems, falls, and accidents. Plus, it has nutrient-free calories that can contribute to weight gain. This hibiscus sangria is a great drink that you can enjoy sans alcohol. An additional bonus to learning to make more herbal mocktails is that you can incorporate additional phytoestrogens into the mix which may further help to improve your perimenopause symptoms. Hibiscus has been shown to behave as a phytoestrogen by weakly binding to estrogen receptors. Phytoestrogens are thought to possibly reduce menopausal symptoms through their weak affinity to estrogen receptors therefore modulating perimenopausal symptoms. I’ll talk more about phytoestrogens in a bit but for now click here to learn how to make our hibiscus sangria mocktail.
Click here for the recipe for this Herb Seeded Salmon Dish
Cut down on spicy foods, caffeine, and sugar
If hot flashes bother you, consider avoiding common triggers like spicy foods and caffeine. When it comes to sugar, the simplest way to cut down is to replace sugar-sweetened drinks with water or herbal tea. If the thought of cutting out all desserts doesn’t sound fair, try eating smaller portions or even half-sized desserts. A recent study showed that menopausal women who ate more sweets, fats, and snacks suffered from menopausal symptoms more than those who ate more fruits and vegetables. We’re talking hot flashes, night sweats, muscle and joint problems, and bladder issues were all worse for the dessert-lovers. More studies are needed but research is suggestive that adding omega 3 fatty acids, which you can get through foods like wild caught salmon, walnuts and various seeds, may be beneficial in lowering symptoms of depression in menopausal women. For a quick and easy omega rich lunch or dinner click here for the recipe for Herb Seeded Salmon.
Eat smaller quantities of food
Did you know that at 50 years old you need about 200 fewer calories per day than you did during your 30s and 40s? That’s assuming you were a healthy weight and you want to maintain a healthy weight as you get older. This means that by continuing to eat the same amount of food as you did in your 30s and 40s, you’ll start gaining weight. On average, women in their 50s and 60s gain about 1.5 pounds every year. If, on the other hand, you’re looking to lose weight, try to eat about 500 calories less than what you need to maintain your weight. [Introduce and link to a recommended calorie-tracking app or program or your PP sales page]
Eating less food can be really hard! Try having smaller portions and using mindful eating techniques to help you get used to it. One of my favorite apps for mindfulness training is Insight Timer.
Pro Tip! Avoid eating large meals close to bedtime, particularly if you have trouble sleeping.
Eat higher-quality foods
Eating less food doesn’t mean you need less nutrition, though. That’s why it’s really important to eat quality foods with a lot of nutrients (i.e., nutrient-dense foods). These include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. When it comes to protein for your muscles and bones, eat legumes, nuts, seeds, fish, and/or poultry.
A recent study showed that menopausal women who ate the most greens had the fewest complaints about typical menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. By eating more nutrient-dense foods like these ones you’ll get more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein—all of which are very important to maintain your health at and beyond menopause. Check out this video for 3 warm salads that are great example of delicious and high quality food that can be supportive during this transition.
Pro Tip! Your bones love calcium and vitamin D. Some of the richest sources of these are dairy products, fish with bones, and foods fortified with these nutrients (check your labels).
What about soy and phytoestrogens?
Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that mimic the effects of estrogen—the hormone that your body slows down the production of during menopause. Soy is the best-known food containing these phytoestrogens and is often recommended for menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. In addition to food sources, you can also find dietary supplements with high amounts of phytoestrogens. Some women choose to take these supplements instead of hormones. Research shows inconsistent results when it comes to phytoestrogens for menopausal symptoms. That means some studies show a small reduction in hot flashes, while others don’t.
A recent review of 23 studies looked at the effect of phytoestrogen supplements on postmenopausal women. It found that some women (those who had diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol) who took the supplements weighed about 2 pounds more than women who were not taking phytoestrogen supplements. This was the opposite for healthy women taking phytoestrogens, who tended to weigh less about 0.6 pounds less than those not taking phytoestrogens. If you’re interested in taking these phytoestrogens, you may want to speak with your healthcare professional first, especially if you have had a history of hormone-sensitive cancer.
Final thoughts
When it comes to nutrition for menopause a few simple changes can help you navigate this life transition of perimenopause gracefully. Be sure to drink enough fluids, but not alcohol; cut down on spicy foods, caffeine, and sugar; eat smaller quantities of higher-quality food; and have soy if you enjoy it, but don’t expect it to miraculously solve any bothersome menopausal symptoms.
If menopausal symptoms are bothering you, apply for a discovery call with me to see if my services can help you navigate this part of your life journey. You can also join our waitlist for my exclusive menopause community that is currently under development.
References
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