Nutrition’s surprising role in balancing menopause symptoms
Turns out, menopause symptoms are a lot broader than many women realise – and show up earlier than many expect. Are you over 35? Here’s how you should be eating.
Dr Linia Patel, performance nutritionist, dietician and author of Food for Menopause, is contemplating a slice of cake. After some deliberation, she decides against it – not because of the calories, the carbs or even the sugar. Rather, it’s because the restaurant’s selection is somewhat underwhelming and if you’re going to enjoy an occasional treat, you need to make it count. Instead, she orders a soy latte (plant protein) and a water (hydration, hydration). That’s three nutrition tips for women in perimenopause and she’s only just sat down.
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Signs of perimenopause
Menopause and its tumultuous predecessor are all about hormone levels and imbalances (you can read more in Dr Linia’s book). In the latter stages of perimenopause, these cause many women to experience classic menopause symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. Early perimenopause symptoms are more varied and less obvious. They include:
- Fatigue
- Low mood
- Anxiety
- Vaginal dryness
- Allergies
- Insomnia
- Shortened menstrual cycle
- Joint pain
- Weight gain
- Brain fog
It was these seemingly unrelated symptoms that prompted Dr Linia to research and ultimately become an expert in perimenopause.
Hold on… what is perimenopause?
Menopause – what your grandmother may have called “the change of life” – is when you haven’t had a period for a year. “Technically, menopause is one day,” says Dr Linia. “It’s the day you haven’t had a period in 12 consecutive months. After that, you’re in post-menopause.” The transitional phase before that, often referred to as “menopause”, is actually its opening act – perimenopause. It can start as early as your mid-30s, even though you’re still fertile and having regular periods. By your 40s, most women are in it – they just don’t know the signs.
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Is perimenopause sabotaging your career?
Born in Zambia and completing her undergrad degree at the University of Cape Town, Dr Linia had relocated to the UK where she was working as the dietician in a multidisciplinary wellness consultancy whose clients included top athletes and executives. “I was 28 years old and sitting in front of CEOs, so you can imagine the impostor syndrome,” she says.
When women in mid-life started coming to her complaining of brain fog, Dr Linia quickly realised the dietary guidelines that worked for men weren’t working for women. “I realised there was a hormonal factor and that we’d never covered menopause at university,” she recalls. What these women were experiencing – at the peak of their careers – were early menopause symptoms. They had trouble concentrating, lost their train of thought mid-sentence and suddenly lacked the energy and focus that had got them to the senior positions they now occupied.
When Dr Linia tried to read up on the subject, she discovered an alarming absence of literature – something that has thankfully begun to change in the last decade. This started her down a path of advocacy and research that would see her becoming an authority in the field of nutrition for menopause and ultimately releasing a book on the subject.
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6 nutritional guidelines for (peri)menopause symptoms
While good nutrition is not a substitute for hormone replacement therapy (HRT), eating intentionally in perimenopause goes a long way towards alleviating menopause symptoms. Here are some of Dr Linia’s key guidelines.
1. Drink lots of water
“Hydration is a factor that is so understated and makes a huge difference,” says Dr Linia. She recommends getting most of your water early in the day. This will minimise middle-of-the-night trips to the loo, which disrupt sleep. To boost memory and cognitive function, aim for 1.5 to 2 litres daily – more if you’re very physically active, it’s hot, or you’re a heavy sweater
2. Eat more protein
Women in perimenopause need more protein to help reduce muscle loss, regulate appetite and blood sugar, and balance mood. Be sure to include plenty of plant protein sources in the mix.
Read more: Why protein is important in perimenopause.
3. Limit alcohol
You don’t need to be a teetotaller, but drinking less alcohol less frequently will alleviate menopause symptoms – especially hot flushes and night sweats. Make low-sugar mocktails your friend.
4. Manage blood sugar
Uncontrolled, fluctuating blood sugar levels may lead to mood swings, low energy, poor sleep, weight gain and increased risk of chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes, says Dr Linia. “It’s about eating in balance – managing carbohydrates, protein and fat. This looks like half a plate of veggies, a quarter low-glycaemic, whole, higher fibre, less refined carbohydrates, and a quarter protein.” Bonus points if that protein is fatty fish, such as salmon or mackerel.
Tip: Eat carbs earlier in the day. Recent research shows that women metabolise carbohydrates slowly later in the day and night as they get older, says Dr Linia.
5. Eat lots of plants
A diet that contains a diverse variety of plant sources (some research says at least 30 a week) is good for gut health, which supports mental and physical health, and helps with menopause symptoms. “Women have a more varied gut microbiota and, while we’re still learning about this, we know that diversity is king – you want to have a diverse microbiota,” says Dr Linia. “However, as you go through the menopause transition, some research shows that a woman’s microbiome changes to become more like a man’s. So, we may have less variety in our bacterial species if we’re not proactive about it.”
Read more: Make these changes to improve your gut health
6. Follow a Mediterranean diet
Reducing inflammation is key to managing menopause symptoms. “Inflammatory markers have an impact on short-term symptoms,” says Dr Linia, “like how well you’re thinking, and your mood. They also have an impact on joint pain and irritable bowel syndrome, and the risk of long-term diseases – like type-2 diabetes and dementia. Ironically, the hormonal flux creates more inflammation in women.”
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A Mediterranean diet helps – and it’s not only what to eat, but also how to eat that you can learn from the Med: eat slowly and mindfully, take lunch breaks away from your desk, and be mindful of portion sizes.
Nutrition is one pillar in your toolkit for menopause symptoms. While menopause is inevitable, suffering through it doesn’t have to be. If you are struggling with any menopause symptoms, contact your healthcare professional who will be able to provide practical and nutritional advice.
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