The start of menopause doesn’t have to feel bad – try these nutrition tips

Sara started gaining weight around the middle and found herself snapping more quickly at her family. It seemed like weeks since she got a full night’s sleep. She didn’t think it was menopause because she wasn’t having any hot flashes. And she’s only 45, isn’t she too young for menopause?

But could it be the big M?

 Menopause is when your MENstrual cycle PAUSEs—for good. Rather than being something that needs to be treated, it is important to recognize it as a normal stage of life. The start of menopause is “officially” 12-months after your last period. That happens, on average, around the age of 51.

This change doesn’t happen overnight, though. There may be anywhere from a few years to more than a decade of menopausal transition, otherwise known as “perimenopause.” 

Perimenopause often starts in your early to mid-40s. During this time you may start feeling symptoms like: 

•  weight gain—especially around the midsection
•  hot flashes and/or night sweats
•  difficulty sleeping
•  moodiness, increased irritability

Health risks

When menopause officially begins (1-year after your last period), your risks for heart disease and osteoporosis increase.  

In addition to disease risk there are a number of symptoms that occur for many women after menopause (in addition to those that may begin in peri-menopause).

• Vaginal dryness
• Difficulty concentrating or mental confusion
• Stress or urge incontinence
• Headaches
• Depression 

It, of course, may feel frustrating but remembering that this is a normal process in life (like puberty, reproduction, etc.) may be helpful in looking at the symptoms objectively and making choices to create your best health.

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 the start of menopause and sail through these years feeling great.

 What's Your Joyful Menopause Master Plan - Click Here To Take The Quiz

Nutrition tips for the start of menopause

1. Drink adequate 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.

2. 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.

Click and look for the 8-infused water recipes to drink more water and cut back on alcohol (along with other great hormone and diet tips).

3. 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. Hot flashes, night sweats, muscle and joint problems, and bladder issues were all worse for the dessert-lovers.

4. 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.

It is believed that reduced estrogen may lower your metabolic rate, therefore requiring fewer calories to maintain your weight. (see #5 for another idea)

If you are looking to lose weight work with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist to find the best solution for you. Weight loss, particularly through the years of peri-menopause and menopause, can be particularly challenging. Successful, long-term weight loss requires a multi-factorial approach. 

[Pro Tip]: Avoid eating large meals close to bedtime, particularly if you have trouble sleeping.

5. Maintain or increase muscle mass

The slowing of metabolic rate throughout the years of menopause may be impacted by your amount of muscle. Muscle requires more calories than fat to maintain. Therefore, if you have more muscle, you burn more calories making weight loss easier. In addition to cardiovascular exercise (walking, biking, running, swimming), incorporating regular strength training into your exercise routine can help with weight management throughout the years of menopause.

[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).

6. Eat higher quality foods

Eating less food doesn’t mean you need less nutrition, though. That’s why it’s very 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 you’ll increase your intake of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein—all of which are important to maintain your health at and beyond menopause.

Click to grab my free cookbook packed with recipes to get you started.

What about soy and phytoestrogens?

Phytoestrogens are produced by plants and act like estrogens in your body — the hormone that decreases during menopause. Phytoestrogens are often recommended for menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. In addition to having a potential benefit for menopause symptoms, it is believed that phytoestrogens might play a role in preventing chronic disease.    

Soy products have some of the highest levels of phytoestrogens, but these plant compounds can also be found in flaxseeds, sesame seeds, wheat germ, berries, oats, barley, dried beans, lentils, rice, alfalfa, mung beans, apples, and carrots.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to nutrition for menopause a few simple changes can help you navigate the start of menopause and the years that follow while optimizing your health and feeling your best.

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 choose phytoestrogen-rich foods.

If menopausal symptoms are bothering you, book a free call with me to see if my program/service can help you.

 What's Your Joyful Menopause Master Plan - Click Here To Take The Quiz

References

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2018, December). The Menopause Years. 

Mayo Clinic Healthy Lifestyle Women’s Health (2016, April 21). Menopause weight gain: Stop the middle age spread.  

Medscape. (2018, July 27). Weight Effects of Plant-Estrogens May Vary After Menopause.  

Medscape. (2018, March 19). Mediterranean Diet May Help Protect Bones in Postmenopausal Women.

Medscape. (2018, November 6). Diet Rich in Fruits and Vegetables Tied to Fewer Menopause Symptoms. 

Medscape. (2017, October 10). Docs Call Attention to Women Piling on Pounds in Midlife. 

Medscape. (2017, June 8). Heavy Drinking Increases Postmenopausal Sarcopenia Risk.  

NIH National Institute on Aging. (n.d.). Menopause: Tips for a Healthy Transition.  

NIH National Institute on Aging. (2017, June 27). What is menopause?  

NIH National Institute on Aging. (2017, June 16). What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?

NIH National Institute on Aging. (2017, June 26). Hot Flashes: What Can I Do?

NIH National Institute on Aging. (2017, May 13). Sleep Problems and Menopause: What Can I Do?

NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2017, March). Treatment for Bladder Infection (Urinary Tract Infection—UTI) in Adults. 

NIH National Institute on Aging. (2017, May 16). Facts About Aging and Alcohol.  

NIH National Institute on Aging. (2019, April 29). Choosing Healthy Meals As You Get Older.  

NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Clinical Digest. (2016, February). Menopausal Symptoms and Complementary Health Practices: What the Science Says.

Pronob K. Dalal, Manu Agarwal 2015, Postmenopausal syndrome, Indian J Psychiatry. Jul; 57(Suppl 2): S222–S232.

Saljoughian 2007, Focus on Phytoestrogens, US Pharm. 32(12):HS-27-32.