Perimenopause & Food
Referred to as the second puberty, perimenopause can last up to 10 years before full menopause (no period for 12 consecutive months). Perimenopause is a gradual loss of hormones which can make fat gain and muscle loss easier. Women can feel an increase in or onset of ADHD symptoms, anxiety and depression, as well as poor sleep, hot flashes, mood swings, brain fog, migraines, hair loss and bloating also being common symptoms.
It’s no picnic. I’m in the thick of it now and I am soooooooo grateful for the diet and lifestyle changes. The shifts I made in my early 40s are supporting me through this rollercoaster of a transition. By changing our diet, exercise and lifestyle we can decrease or even eliminate a lot of these difficult issues. These are my top dietary changes:
1. Cut the Carbs!
Specifically Flour and Sugar and especially before noon! We become more insulin resistant in perimenopause - meaning we are more likely to flood the body with insulin when we eat carbohydrates. Insulin is a storage hormone and it LOVES to store fat! So, we want to have less insulin, not more. Have belly fat? That’s high insulin and carbs. Our brain becomes more vulnerable with hormone changes, and dementia and depression are far more likely to begin during this transition. Suicide rates in women are 7x higher during perimenopause, and ⅔ of patients in the US with Alzheimers are women. Studies show this may be related to less ability to get glucose to brain cells.
2. Less Alcohol! Frequency & Quantity.
Alcohol during this transition disrupts sleep, digestion and has a direct correlation of increased risk of breast cancer. Consuming more alcohol means increasing your risk with every drink.
3. Eat More Animal Protein.
It should be the star of your plate at every meal. After 35 it is much harder to maintain muscle, which impacts our ability to process carbohydrates, decreases our metabolic rate, and testosterone (sex drive and zest for life). The amino acid taurine, which helps with many of these symptoms, especially anxiety, is only found in animal protein.
For many women, Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement (BHRT) is profoundly helpful but I would not recommend medications until you get your physiology dialled with the lifestyle changes listed above. If you are hitting your head with a hammer, you can take Motrin to relieve the pain but it will work a hell of a lot better if you stop hitting your head with a hammer.
If you struggle to make changes or stick with it long-term, hire me. I support and guide you every step of the way. It is amazing what you can accomplish with someone who believes in you and has walked this exact road!
Message me or book a call with me below.
Xo.S