Improve Mood, Sleep and Metabolic Health

Menopause is a time of major hormonal shift in every woman’s life.

It is often unpredictable, with symptoms ranging from barely noticeable to deeply life-changing.

If you are in your forties and early fifties, you may have noticed changes happening in your body. Mood swings, creeping weight gain, love handles, muffin top, low energy, hot flashes and brain fog. It can be a frustrating and stressful time, especially if you are unsure about whether or not you’ve even entered in the menopause or perimenopause phase.

Women officially reach menopause the day after which you haven't had a period for 12 months consecutively. It is the permanent end to the reproductive life of a woman which marks the end of monthly periods of bleeding. But sadly it does NOT mark the end of many of the symptoms of menopause.

Since every woman is biologically different, menopause symptoms and strategies can change with the wind. Weight gain, low libido, irritability, hair loss, skin conditions and other mental and emotional shifts create frustration and angst even when diet and exercise regimens stay the same.

The hormonal fluctuations that precipitate menopause can significantly alter women’s perspectives on our otherwise normal and happy lives. Beyond these unpleasant symptoms, there can be more serious metabolic risks that increase with every year into your 50's and beyond. Once you reach menopause, your risk for heart disease, diabetes, digestive problems, cancers, autoimmune conditions and osteoporosis all increase.

metabolic and emotional shifts are frustrating and often are out of our control.

But are they?

Menopause and perimenopause can wreak havoc in our otherwise normal lives, but it can also be a time of new freedom, empowerment and even magical thinking. During this time, many women learn more about themselves emotionally and connect more deeply to what they value in life. Some women decide to take on major life changes as a result. What many women fail to consider however, when addressing menopause, is the impact of good diet and nutrition. Gluten, refined sugars and processed foods all can exacerbate menopausal symptoms.

How can the food we eat impact menopause symptoms exactly?

Largely because our dietary needs change as our hormones change. Our energy and calorie needs decrease as we advance into middle age, and our metabolism slows. This is largely because women become less sensitive to insulin during menopause, meaning we have trouble processing sugar and refined carbohydrates—a metabolic change called insulin resistance. The decrease of certain hormones, like estradiol, can trigger insulin resistance in women who never experienced it before. One way to find out if you are having trouble with hormone and/or insulin regulation is to monitor your glucose at home with a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) and have your primary care physician run hormone-related lab work.

Meno Mood Food: Legumes, greens, lean fish

.

The average age of menopause in the United States is 51. In other countries the age of onset is similar, but doesn't produce the intense symptoms many American women experience with menopause, largely due to diet differences. Middle Eastern and Japanese women by contrast consume a diet much higher in foods like legumes (chickpeas and soybeans) which are dietary phytoestrogens (foods that can promote estrogen activity) but studies show that in postmenopausal women, they do not create a problematic imbalance of estrogenic activity in the body. Instead, recent study results suggest that phytoestrogens may lower the risk of osteoporosis, some cardiometabolic diseases, cognitive dysfunction, breast and prostate cancer, and menopausal symptoms by modulating the endocrine system. Various clinical studies have been published about the positive effects of shifting your diet to healthier foods like legumes, greens and lean fish. Blood levels of important anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting nutrients can increase. Bowel movements can become more regular, and you might find you are five pounds lighter. You might feel clear-headed, have a bit more energy throughout the day, or find you can think faster.

the benefits of intermittent fasting to help with symptom relief in menopause.

Fasting for twelve hours or more can also be beneficial in menopause because it can increase insulin sensitivity, which makes your body better at processing sugar and carbohydrates, and may reduce your risk of certain metabolic diseases.

Other benefits of intermittent fasting can include a reduction in inflammation and joint pain. Diets higher in legumes and greens, lean grass-fed meats and fish, combined with intermittent fasting can reduce inflammation which helps cells release stored fat. Inflamed cell walls struggle to release stored fat, which lingers, making optimal weight maintenance difficult to maintain. Changes from intermittent fasting can be noticed in as little one week.

Clean ketogenic diets are also correlated with decreasing menopause symptoms and increasing fat-burning metabolism due to the way our bodies burn fat instead of glucose on a keto diet. By clean keto I am referring to a ketogenic way of eating that is primarily plant-based, high in green leafy vegetables and quality fiber. Dr Anna Cabeca has recently written two great books on the topic of clean keto to reduce menopause symptoms.

So if you suffer from unrelenting menopause symptoms, you might consider committing to one week of a green keto or anti-inflammatory diet, combined with intermittent fasting.

Your body, gut and brain will thank you!

Do Menopause Better