Menopause – Take control back through your diet.

First some basics

Menopause is the time that marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It's diagnosed after you've gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause usually happens between 45-55, although there are women who start much earlier or later, lasts on average 7 years but can take up to 14.

Now a little jargon

There are three stages of menopause: perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause.

• Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause. It describes a time when hormones start to decline and menstrual cycles become erratic and irregular. You may start to experience one or many of the various symptoms:
  

  • Hot flashes, flushing, and sweating at night

  • Weight gain

  • Thinning hair

  • Dry skin/lips

  • Irregular menstrual cycles (which may even stop completely)

  • Mood changes, such as depression, anxiety, brain fog, etc.

  • Trouble sleeping and fatigue

  • Low sex drive

  • Low bone density (risk of osteoporosis)
    

• Menopause occurs when you’ve stopped producing the hormones that cause your menstrual period and have gone without a period for 12 months in a row. Once this has occurred, you enter postmenopause.
  

• Postmenopause is the time after menopause has occurred. Once this happens, you're in postmenopause for the rest of your life. People in postmenopause are at an increased risk for certain health conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease.

It’s all about the Estrogen!

Menopause is a natural biological process. During menopause, your estrogen levels begin to decline. This can negatively affect your metabolism, which may cause unwanted weight gain for many women – sound familiar? There are various natural methods through which women can find relief from their menopause symptoms, including one that you can control yourself – what you eat! Choosing the right foods to eat can provide relief to the menopause symptoms you are experiencing.

Food choice is important

A diet rich in vegetables, fruit, fish and olive oil offers the best results (some might refer to this as the Mediterranean diet). Limit red meat (saturated fat) and enjoy plant proteins (increase antioxidants) is the ideal mix. Want a few scientific facts to back this up? Check out Benefits of diet on menopause, the Harvard School for Public Health has reported that the Mediterranean Diet may decrease menopausal symptoms.

Top foods to grab:

• Up your consumption of anything fresh and colourful – fruits, vegetables, greens (flood your body with antioxidants and magnesium).

• Up your consumption of calcium – cheese, milk, yogurt both animal and plant (decline in estrogen puts you at risk of osteoporosis).

• Boost your vitamin D – get out and about is the obvious one, however this alone might not fill your Vitamin D tank. The following foods can help boost Vitamin D intake:
  

  • Salmon, mackerel, tuna fish, sardines, caviar, fish roe.

  • *Fortified Cheese, Milk, Yogurt, to include plant based, almond or coconut milk

  • *Fortified cereals

  • Orange juice

  • Eggs (particularly yolks)

  • Mushrooms, particularly shiitake, oyster and morel.

  • Healthy fats – fish, tuna, salmon, mackerel, chia and flax seeds.

  • Cod liver oil (1 tablespoon)

  • *Fortified is where micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) have been added to the product.

Don’t ignore the benefits of plants! Why? Plant estrogens or phytoestrogens, are plant-based compounds that mimic estrogen in the body. They have been found to be beneficial in combatting symptoms and conditions caused by estrogen deficiency. Not all scientific studies are conclusive however many suggest that consumption of such foods can be of particular benefit to premenopausal and post-menopausal women.

Some examples are:

• Flax seeds

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Soybeans and edamame

• Chickpeas

• Dried fruits

• Sesame seeds

• Garlic

• Peaches

• Berries

• Wheat bran

To Close - a few words

If you find yourself in 1 of the 3 phases of menopause you are not alone and perfectly normal (although you may not feel like it). Around 85% of women at some point experience negative effects of the menopausal process.

Taking an honest look at your diet and what foods your consume and how they make you feel can be game changing for some.

You have already made the first step, you have read my article. Try and experiment with some of the suggestions above and see if they help.

As a qualified nutritionist and coach, if you feel you need further support you know where to find me.