Perimenopause and menopause can be daunting for many women. From fluctuating hormones to symptoms like hot flushes, weight gain and sleep disturbances, this transitional phase presents unique challenges.
Although medical interventions and lifestyle changes often help, it’s essential to understand the significance of diet in both reducing menopausal symptoms and enhancing overall well-being.
Or if you prefer, read on for the main points:
Understanding Menopause:
As women approach menopause, we produce less estrogen and progesterone, leading to hormonal fluctuations.
Hormonal changes can cause a wide range of issues including: weight gain, brittle bones, increased risk of heart disease, hot flushes, sleep disturbances and mood swings.
- Weight gain: Women are more susceptible to weight gain and obesity as they approach menopause.
- Estrogen plays a role in body fat distribution. As estrogen levels decline, women may experience a redistribution of fat, with more fat accumulating around the abdomen rather than the hips and thighs.
- Decrease in estrogen can also lead to a decrease in metabolic rate, making it easier for women to gain weight, especially if their calorie intake remains the same or increases.
- Bone Health: Loss of estrogen-related bone protection contributes to the increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures in menopausal women.
- Estrogen helps stimulate the activity of osteoblasts – cells responsible for building new bone tissue.
- Estrogen helps inhibit the activity of osteoclasts – cells responsible for breaking down of old bone tissue.
- Estrogen plays a role in maintaining calcium balance in the body by enhancing calcium absorption in the intestines and reducing calcium excretion in the kidneys.
- Heart disease: Lower estrogen levels affect how our body handles fats and sugars. This disruption can lead to more harmful fats circulating in the blood, which can damage heart blood vessels and contribute to weight gain.
- Hot flushes: Experts don’t know exactly what causes or triggers hot flushes, but think changing hormone levels affect the hypothalamus, which is the part of your brain that regulates body temperature.
- Insomnia: Difficulties getting to sleep as well as nighttime awakenings are attributed to changes in hormones related to sleep, night sweats, low mood, being overweight and too much alcohol & caffeine consumption.
- Insulin resistance: Lower estrogen levels can mess with insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar. As we age, our body becomes less responsive to insulin, leading to less sugar being used for energy and more being stored as fat, causing weight gain. This problem, called insulin resistance, gets worse with diets high in sugars.
Research shows that diet can play a vital role in reducing menopausal symptoms and supporting long-term health.
What should menopausal women be eating?
“Evidence suggests that staying on the typical highly-processed Western diet during the transition to menopause at around age 40 to 50 will result in excess energy intake, leading to weight gain and increased risk of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases.”
Professor Stephen Simpson, lead author and academic director of the Charles Perkins Centre.
To reduce menopausal symptoms, protect our bones, prevent insulin resistance, reduce the risk of heart disease, prevent weight gain and obtain overall good health…. here’s what we need to eat and also to avoid:
1. Fruit & Vegetables:
Fruits and vegetables are rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which can regulate insulin production and stabilise blood sugar levels.
Our 4 Week Challenge fuel plans follow a plant-based diet, which means that the main volume of your food comes from a plant source.
2. Protein-Rich Foods:
Researchers at The University of Sydney suggest that the body’s appetite for protein increases during perimenopause (due to hormonally-induced tissue protein breakdown) but if protein requirements aren’t met, women overconsume other forms of energy.
A diet high in protein reduces hunger helping you eat fewer calories. This is caused by the improved function of weight-regulating hormones.
Eating good sources of protein will help promote the development and maintain lean muscle. This is also essential for preventing fat gain.
High protein intake has been shown to significantly boost metabolism and increase the number of calories you burn.
Our 4 Week Challenge fuel plans are high in protein (the exact amount will depend on your specific long-term weight loss goal).
3. Low-Sugar / Low Glycemic Index:
The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly foods raise blood sugar levels. Foods that have a high GI are rapidly digested and absorbed, while foods with a low GI are digested and absorbed more slowly.
Choosing whole grains and Low GI foods over processed carbohydrates can help stabilise blood sugar levels, aid in weight management, help stabilise energy levels and mood as well as reduce the severity of hot flushes.
- Non-Starchy Vegetables: Such as broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce, carrots, and capsicum.
- Legumes: Such as lentils, chickpeas, black beans and kidney beans.
- Whole Grains: Such as quinoa, barley, oats, and whole wheat products (like bread and pasta).
- Nuts and Seeds: Such as almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and pumpkin seeds.
- Fruits: Some fruits have a low GI, such as apples, berries, oranges and pears. However, it’s essential to consume them in moderation due to their natural sugar content.
- Dairy: Dairy products like yogurt and milk (low-sugar and low-fat versions) have a relatively low GI.
- Lean Proteins: Such as meat, poultry, fish, tofu, and eggs.
Our 4 Week Challenge fuel plans are low in sugar and prioritise Low GI foods
4. Omega-3 Fats:
Omega-3 fats play several important roles during menopause:
- Heart Health: Omega-3 fats have been shown to reduce triglyceride levels (type of fat in blood), lower blood pressure, and decrease inflammation, all of which can help support heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Brain Function: Omega-3 fats are crucial for brain health and cognitive function. During menopause, women may experience cognitive changes and an increased risk of cognitive decline.
- Mood Regulation: Hormonal fluctuations during menopause can contribute to mood swings, anxiety, and depression. Omega-3 fats have been shown to have mood-stabilizing effects and may help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- Bone Health: Research suggests that omega-3 fats may help improve bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
- Inflammation: Omega-3 fats have anti-inflammatory properties, which can be beneficial for managing symptoms associated with menopause, such as joint pain, muscle aches, and hot flashes, which may be exacerbated by inflammation.
Good sources of Omega-3 Fats include: fatty fish, flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, soybeans and soy products omega-3 fats Aim to include sources of omega-3 fats in your diet several times a week for optimal health.
Our 4 Week Challenge fuel plans include sources of Omega-3 fats to ensure these are consumed several times a week.
5. Calcium:
Calcium is a vital mineral for maintaining bone density and strength.
- Consuming enough calcium during menopause can help preserve bone mass and reduce the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures later in life.
- If not enough calcium is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, calcium will be taken from the bones.
- If your dietary intake of calcium is constantly low, your body will eventually remove so much calcium from the skeleton that your bones will become weak and brittle.
- Calcium is also involved in muscle contraction and relaxation, nerve transmission, and hormonal secretion. Adequate calcium intake helps maintain proper muscle function, which is important for overall mobility and physical activity levels, especially as women age.
Good sources of calcium include dairy foods like milk, yoghurt and cheese, calcium-fortified foods (such as soy products) and, to a lesser degree, some leafy green vegetables and nuts and seeds.
Our 4 Week Challenge fuel plans contain approx. 1300mg calcium per day.
What should menopausal women be avoiding?
1. Alcohol:
Menopausal women should avoid alcohol for several reasons:
- Bone Health: Excessive alcohol can interfere with calcium absorption and metabolism, leading to decreased bone density and an increased risk of osteoporosis.
- Hot Flushes: Alcohol can trigger or exacerbate hot flushes and night sweats. Alcohol acts as a vasodilator, causing blood vessels to widen and increasing blood flow to the skin, leading to feelings of warmth and flushing.
- Breast Cancer Risk: Alcohol has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, and this risk may be higher in postmenopausal women.
- Weight Management: Alcohol is high in calories and can contribute to weight gain if consumed in excess.
- Sleep Disruption: Alcohol can disrupt sleep patterns and contribute to insomnia. Poor sleep quality can exacerbate other menopausal symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, and fatigue.
2. Caffeine:
Menopausal women should limit caffeine consumption for several reasons:
- Hot Flushes: Caffeine is a known trigger for hot flushes and night sweats.
- Sleep Disturbances: Caffeine is a stimulant that can interfere with sleep quality and quantity.
- Bone Health: High caffeine intake has been associated with decreased calcium absorption and increased calcium excretion in the urine, which can negatively impact bone health.
- Anxiety and Mood Swings: Caffeine can exacerbate feelings of anxiety, irritability, and mood swings.
By prioritising fruits, vegetables, protein-rich foods, low GI foods, healthy fats and calcium, plus avoiding alcohol and limiting caffeine, women can reduce the symptoms of menopause.
If you’re struggling with menopausal symptoms, let me help YOU. Join me on our next 4 Week Challenge:
