Confused by what to eat in Menopause?

If, like me, you’re now in your 50s, you will be part of the generation that has seen our food habits significantly change since the 1970s.  When I was a child, we had an allotment and grew our own fruit and vegetables.  Food was mainly home cooked, with the occasional fish & chip supper from the local chip shop. The small town I grew up in didn’t even have a McDonald’s until I was 14! 

But now, with our increasingly busy lives, ultra processed food is everywhere and can even be delivered straight to your door.  When you’re tired and short of time, it’s an understandable choice to grab something that’s readily available, or order something to be delivered.  Unfortunately, ultra-processed food has significantly contributed to weight gain across the population and is particularly a bad option for ladies going through menopause.  

At the same time, what’s good for us to eat, or bad for us to eat has got increasingly confusing.  Information is often contradictory and can quickly change.  Coffee is good, no it’s bad.  High fat diets are good, no low fat diets are good.  Eat carbs, don’t eat carbs.  There’s no wonder we’ve reached a point where we no longer know what a healthy diet looks like, or how we can incorporate it into our busy lives. 

This is particularly difficult for menopausal women, whose bodies are changing, and who need to eat the right nutrients to support these changes, so they can feel at their best. 

Take Control 

Fortunately, what we do or don’t eat is completely within our control. So, let’s strip this right back to basics and focus on a tried and tested eating regime that has been around for years, is well researched and proven to be a healthy diet, especially as we age. The Mediterranean Diet can be easily adapted for menopause women to ensure our changing bodies are supported with the right nutrients. 

The Mediterranean Diet is based on fresh fruit and vegetables, grains and legumes, healthy fats and proteins, and steers away from ultra processed foods.  It can also provide benefits to some of the health issues that women going through menopause are more at risk of. 

Reducing Inflammation 

The changes to our bodies that menopause brings can cause inflammation, leading to symptoms such as brain fog, anxiety, depression and aching joints.  If left unchecked, inflammation can lead to chronic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes.  The Mediterranean Diet helps to reduce inflammation in the body (Harvard Health, 2020), whilst delivering the nutrients we need to eat well. 

Bone Health 

High levels of alcohol, acidic foods and insufficient Vitamin D can lead to changing bone health during the menopause transition.  Focussing on foods containing calcium, Vitamin D (as well as sunshine), magnesium and Vitamin K, together with exercise, can help to protect bones. 

Cardiovascular Health 

Heart health and arterial stiffness are the biggest risk to women transitioning through the menopause.  Cardiovascular disease is highest in countries that have high intakes of animal protein – such as the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand.  The Mediterranean diet reduces this risk as it is rich in fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, low-fat dairy products, fish, beans and lower amounts of red meat. 

Stress, Anxiety and Hot Flushes 

Folate (found in chickpeas, black beans and lentils) and B vitamins from a range of fruits and vegetables, can help to calm your nervous system, and reduce your stress levels.  This in turn can reduce hot flushes, as stress can be a trigger. 

Liver Health 

Our livers perform many vital functions, such as eliminating toxins from the body (including alcohol), digesting fats, absorbing vitamins etc, but as we age, our livers reduce in size and functionality by up to 40%!  We need to help them to continue to work hard for us, by reducing alcohol and fat consumption and eating to reduce inflammation.  Citrus fruits, alkaline vegetables, and drinking around 2 litres of water per day can help the liver to decongest.  Try lemon slices in warm water on rising to give the liver a boost in the morning. 

Gut Health 

Gut health seems to be a hot topic now, as more studies are uncovering the importance of gut and the gut microbiome to overall health.  Many women experience gut issues such as bloating or constipation during menopause.  The Mediterranean diet’s focus on fruit and vegetables and wholegrains, such as brown rice, provides the right fibre to help the gut stay healthy. 

Where to Start? 

To get started on your healthy eating journey to support your menopause transition, these are the three basic principles of the Mediterranean Diet you should follow. 

Eat Most 

• Try to fill 80% of your plate with plants including fruit and vegetables (up to 10 servings daily), beans and legumes. 

• Eat nuts, seeds and grains daily 

• Only use Olive Oil for cooking and Extra Virgin Olive Oil for dressings – up to 20-30mls daily.  Stay away from other fats, or shop-bought dressings. 

• Replace white potato, with sweet potato, which has a lower Glycemic Index score (a measure of how much a specific food increases blood sugar levels) 

• Swap white bread for wholegrain sourdough 

• Choose brown rice instead of white rice 

  
  

Eat Occasionally 

• Eat fish (especially oily fish such as salmon) or seafood twice per week 

• Eat poultry, eggs or dairy twice per week 

• Choose fermented dairy products where possible, like yoghurt 

• Eat organic animal products if you can 

• Dark chocolate as an occasional treat, a couple of squares at a time 

Eat Least 

• Consume red meat no more than once per week 

• Avoid cakes, sweets, crisps, chips, soft drinks and processed foods 

• Avoid processed grains, such as white rice, or white flour 

Changing eating habits can be a tricky process as you start to move away from what you know and like, to finding new dishes and different tastes.  If you need support on your journey, including sample menus and recipes, I would love to support you.

Please get in touch by E-mail: RediscoverYourInnerGlow@gmail.com 

Stay well 

Jules xx