A nutritionist has revealed six diet hacks that can help to ease the symptoms of menopause.
Juliette Kellow, the resident nutrition expert at Closer Magazine, shared with readers how paying careful attention to what you eat could alleviate hot flushes and mood swings.
The NHS also promotes healthy eating during perimenopause and menopause, but don’t forget it’s equally critical to regularly exercise and look after your mental well-being, reports Gloucestershire Live.
To assist in managing menopausal discomforts, Juliette suggests the following:
1. Don’t avoid carbs
If erratic meal times or skipping meals seems familiar, consider changing your habits to avoid the risk of dipping your blood sugar levels.
Such dips can exacerbate menopause symptoms, such as fatigue, irritability, concentration issues and a low mood, making it crucial to eat consistently.
However, ensuring you “choose wisely” when it comes to carbohydrates is key, according to Juliette. She warns against indulging in high-sugar refined carbs like chocolate and biscuits as they can spike blood sugar levels quickly.
Instead, she recommends incorporating high-fibre carbs such as wholemeal bread, whole grain cereals, porridge, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, potatoes (skin-on) and pulses into your diet.
2. Include soya
According to Juliette, there’s ongoing discourse around whether instances of night sweats and hot flushes can be lessened through intake of soya due to its phytoestrogens, which closely resemble oestrogen.
Soya has been found to have beneficial effects in some studies, though it showed minimal impact in others. Regardless, it might be worth incorporating it into your meals.
Consider adding soya milk to your breakfast cereal or porridge, mixing soya yoghurt with fruit, using tofu in your stir-fries, including soya mince in dishes like lasagne or chilli, tossing edamame into salads or adding soya beans to curries and soups.
3. Eggs and fish maintain flexibility
The magazine emphasised that oestrogen is crucial for bone strength, which can decrease during menopause as levels drop, potentially leading to osteoporosis.
Calcium can help mitigate the loss of bone mineral, with excellent sources being lower-fat dairy, calcium-rich plant milks, pulses, seeds and nuts.
It’s also vital to ensure you’re getting enough vitamin D (found in oily fish and eggs), and consider taking a daily 10mcg supplement.
4. The Mediterranean diet isn’t just a trend
Juliette warned against fad diets that limit food intake as they can result in fatigue, stress, and headaches, but praised the Mediterranean diet for its heart health benefits.
Heart disease risk can increase when oestrogen levels drop, but the diet has been shown in some studies to combat hot flushes, night sweats, low mood and depression.
Try incorporating more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, oily fish, nuts, seeds and olive oil into your meals. You can also include some dairy, poultry and eggs, but reduce red meat, butter, sugar, and processed food consumption.
5. Stay hydrated
It’s a simple fact, but staying hydrated is essential. Even mild dehydration can exacerbate menopausal symptoms, such as headaches, brain fog, fatigue and irritability.
Women should aim to consume approximately two litres of fluid per day. While water is the best choice, all fluids (except alcohol) contribute to this total.
If certain hot or caffeinated beverages trigger your symptoms, it’s best to avoid them, and opt for foods with high water content.
6. Limit alcohol consumption
While it might be tempting to unwind with a few drinks, alcohol can intensify hot flushes, disrupt sleep, and lead to feelings of anxiety and depression – not to mention the dreaded hangovers.
Juliette recommends limiting yourself to no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. She also suggests that going teetotal can be an effective way to manage weight.
