Menopause (menopause) is the cessation of menstruation, which occurs on average at the age of 51 years, associated with a reduction in the ovaries’ production of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.
These hormonal changes are often accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes (a sudden sensation of heat throughout the body accompanied by heavy sweating), brain fog, insomnia, depression, mood swings, vaginal dryness, joint pain, headaches, urinary incontinence and weight gain . In addition, hormonal changes can provoke the development of serious diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Nutritionist and leading expert on nutrition during menopause Emma Bardwell told the Daily Mail about what women need to eat during this period of life to cope with the symptoms of hormonal changes, reduce the risk of disease and avoid the appearance of extra tens of kilograms (or get rid of it if it’s already appeared):
1. Protein, fiber and phytoestrogens against excess weight and hot flashes
Let’s start with the good news. Eating right can really work wonders and significantly improve your quality of life during menopause. And the appearance of fat folds on the waist is by no means inevitable.
Why is my weight increasing? The fact is that with age there is a decrease in muscle mass, and this circumstance, combined with a less active lifestyle than in younger years, emotional overeating, to which women in menopause are especially prone, and age-related slowdown of metabolism, often leads to weight gain, especially in the abdomen and thighs.
As researchers from Semmelweis University (Hungary) have established , the main secret to not losing muscle mass and not gaining weight during menopause is the following: you need to consume enough protein (1-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day), and approximately half of its total should come from plant sources (soybeans, beans, beans, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, nuts, seeds). The second half is lean chicken and red meat in moderation, eggs, low-fat dairy products, fatty sea fish.
As Bardwell explains, plant and animal protein need to be present regularly in your diet to stimulate muscle growth.
Starting your day with a protein-rich breakfast will help you snack less throughout the day.
This could be Greek yogurt, cottage cheese with chia seeds, or an omelet. It is also useful to mix sources of plant and animal protein, this will provide you with all the amino acids that the body needs.
The second most important component of the diet during menopause, and not only that, is fiber. Bardwell calls it “natural Ozempic.” Ozempic is a popular weight loss drug in recent years that causes the brain to reduce the production of hormones associated with appetite. According to Bardwell, fiber does much the same thing, but at a much lower cost—dietary fiber stays in your stomach for a long time, keeping you feeling full for longer, so you eat less as a result.
Sources of fiber (as well as other valuable nutrients):
- vegetables,
- fruits,
- berries,
- whole grain cereals and breads,
- legumes,
- seeds,
- bran.
In this sense, the Mediterranean diet is ideal for postmenopausal women, which includes an abundance of vegetables, fruits, olive oil, nuts, seeds, fatty sea fish and seafood, and moderate consumption of red meat. This type of diet not only helps keep weight under control, but also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.
In addition, the Mediterranean diet is especially rich in phytoestrogens – natural compounds whose effect on the body is similar to the female sex hormones estrogens, which are so acutely lacking during menopause. Phytoestrogens are found in soybeans, nuts, flaxseed, barley and oat grains, apples and berries.
Research shows that regularly consuming these foods reduces the incidence of common menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.
True, unfortunately, only for about 30-50% of women – this is due to the fact that in the intestines of the rest there are no bacteria that convert phytoestrogens into a compound called equol, which plays the role of estrogen in the body.
2. How to calm down and cheer up
Increased anxiety and bad mood are the first signs of approaching menopause. The fact is that the state of the psyche is greatly influenced by the level of glucose in the blood. During menopause, tissue sensitivity to insulin decreases. This means that the body is no longer as effective at regulating blood glucose levels as before, and they may drop sharply, which makes you feel hungry and increases irritability.
Research shows that insulin sensitivity increases in the morning, which is why a hearty, protein-rich, nutritious breakfast is so important to give you peace of mind and emotional stability. You should not start the day with simple carbohydrates – cereals, baked goods, pancakes or pancakes, otherwise the rise and fall of blood glucose levels, and therefore mood swings, are guaranteed for you throughout the day. It’s also worth eating heavily during the day, but you don’t need to overeat in the evening.
As for dark chocolate, which is uplifting and rich in nutrients, it would be correct to eat it not on an empty stomach or between meals, but immediately after a balanced breakfast, lunch or dinner, when proteins, fats and carbohydrates reduce the rate of glucose absorption into the blood. A few pieces of chocolate after a late dinner will help you refrain from snacking until bedtime.
3. Bone Health
After menopause, a woman can lose up to 20% of her bone mass. To prevent this from happening, you need regular physical activity, primarily strength training, and a lot of calcium in your diet. Over the age of 50, you should consume approximately 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day (this is the amount of calcium found in a liter of milk).
If you don’t like or can’t drink cow’s milk, you can get calcium from fortified plant milk, yogurt, cheese, almonds, sardines, tofu, broccoli, white beans, oranges and figs.
4. Good sleep
About 60% of menopausal women complain of sleep problems. The fact is that a decrease in the production of the hormone progesterone negatively affects the synthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid in the brain – a substance that promotes relaxation and sleep. In addition, fluctuating estrogen levels often cause you to wake up in the middle of the night, after which it is very difficult to fall back to sleep.
To combat these problems, Bardwell recommends not eating two to three hours before bed because eating raises your core body temperature, which needs to drop for a good night’s sleep.
You might think that drinking a glass of wine before bed will help you fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night, but Bardwell advises against it because alcohol interferes with deep sleep. You should also not drink tea or coffee shortly before bed, that is, drinks containing caffeine, because it blocks the production of adenosine, a substance that promotes sleep. Try to drink coffee only in the morning.
On the other hand, foods such as chicken, turkey, bananas, oatmeal, milk, and cherries contain the amino acid tryptophan, which is a precursor to melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep.
5. How to support your brain
Brain fog, an inability to concentrate and think clearly, is one of the most common complaints during menopause. It is worth noting here that we very often do not notice that we are dehydrated – as soon as the body begins to lack fluid, brain function suffers. You need to drink 33 milliliters of water per kilogram of body weight per day (about two liters if you weigh 60 kilograms).
Choline and omega-3 fatty acids, found in eggs and fatty sea fish, are also very important for maintaining normal brain function. Additionally, exercise is a great way to clear up brain fog.
6. Some more important recommendations on nutrition and lifestyle during menopause
These recommendations were developed by Hungarian scientists, whose article was published in the journal Nutrients, based on an analysis of data obtained from 134 studies on nutrition and menopause:
- Eat less than 5 grams of salt per day
- Eat at least 300 grams of vegetables and 200 grams of fruit every day, divided into five servings
- Eat no more than 350–500 grams of red meat (beef, pork, lamb) per week
- Eat at least two servings (100–120 grams serving) of oily fish per week
- Sausage, sausages, ham, bacon and other processed meat products should be eaten as rarely as possible, not systematically, and in small quantities
- Eat any legumes at least once a week
- Eat 30 grams of unsalted nuts per day
- One day a week, don’t eat meat at all.
- Eat 30–45 grams of fiber per day
- Avoid simple carbohydrates – sweet soda, sweets, cakes
- It is very important to eat vegetable oils in moderation every day. Use sunflower oil for frying, and olive oil, rapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, etc., for dressing salads.
- Don’t smoke, drink less alcohol and exercise regularly.