(The Problem with) Friday Night Dinner

Some foods can trigger hot flushes/night sweats

My nephew was in town this week, a special occasion in itself, but as it's also Christmas and the lights in London are amazing, we decided to go for a family dinner in Piccadilly.

I've been managing my menopause symptoms naturally for the last three years or so, to the point where my hot flushes and night sweats have all but disappeared (yay!!!).

So I was like 'Great! I can get back to normal', and ordered a burger with chips and a coke (not even a diet coke!). Absolutely delicious, what a treat!

But boy did I pay for it!

Hot flushes and night sweats can leave you exhausted, lethargic and feeling awful

The night sweats came in endless waves, all night long. I woke up exhausted, lethargic and feeling awful. Luckily I had a yoga workshop the following day, and promptly fell asleep during a Yin class (there was snoring, how embarrassing!)

So if you're heading out to celebrate this Christmas and New Year, and want to avoid making the same mistake as me, here are my top tips to keep hot flushes and night sweats at bay:-

Avoid alcohol at all costs

Menopause and alcohol are like oil and water

As we age, our livers can become inflamed, and can shrink in size. This makes it harder for our livers to clear alcohol from the body, and to get rid of it quicker, the body sweats it out. You may have already experienced a flushed face over a glass of wine, but during menopause this gets so much worse.

If you want to read more about why menopause and alcohol are like oil and water, here's a blog I wrote earlier: 5 Reasons why Dry January is a great option for mid-life women

Ditto for Sugary Drinks

Soft drinks are packed with sugar and are one of the worst things you can consume for your overall health, let alone menopause (what was I thinking??!). Water is your best friend at dinner - you can always opt for sparkling and add lemon & lime slices to pep it up a bit. Sorry, not exciting, but your sleep will thank you.

Ditch the White Potatoes

Ditch the potatoes!

Fried, roasted, mashed, crisps - however they come, potatoes have a high Glycemic Index (GI) value, meaning they require higher levels of insulin in order to be digested. Insulin spikes disrupt your delicate hormonal balance, often resulting in hot flushes and night sweats. If you're really lucky, you may get away with an occasional jacket potato at lunch time with minimal effects, but it's best to avoid anything potato related in the evening.

As an alternative, switch to sweet potatoes, which have a much lower GI value. Many eateries offer sweet potato fries now, and they're also great in curries, soups and stews. The Ivy has a great Thai Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry on its menu that I highly recommend!

Eat Your Greens

A green side salad, or portion of broccoli is always a good choice

Ladies, I hate to admit it, but our Mums were right. 'Eat your greens' is always a good option, be it a fresh side salad, a portion of broccoli or some wilted spinach. Packed full of nutrients such as vitamins, fibre, iron and calcium, eating a wide range of green vegetables is a really easy way to boost your nutritional count, support your gut health and they're usually available on most menus.

But pleeease - stay away from the salad dressings, and drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) over your greens instead. If the restaurant doesn't have any, either take your own in a small container, or you can get sachets to pop in your handbag from Amazon. EVOO is a menopause superfood that deserves a blog post all of its own (I'm working on it!).

Rethink Red Meat

Rethink Red Meat

Red meat requires more energy to digest, which can produce heat, a process called 'diet induced thermogenesis'. So if you're having red meat for dinner, it follows that your body temperature will rise which could result in hot flushes or night sweats.

Try opting for salmon (another menopause superfood), shellfish, chicken or plant-based dishes which are all kinder to your digestive system.

Celebrating Christmas and New Year with friends is a really important and lovely time of the year not to be missed. These days most restaurants offer a wide range of dishes, so it's just a case of making the right choices to keep hot flushes and night sweats at bay, so you can continue to feel at your best and enjoy the Christmas season in full.

Wishing you all a Healthy, Peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Jules xx