The Basics: How Diet Can Influence Menopause Experience

We’re likely all familiar with just how important a balanced diet is to our overall wellbeing. During menopause, however, a healthy and sustainable balanced diet becomes even more crucial to helping women navigate their experiences, playing a key role in promoting ongoing wellbeing, reducing the impact of menopausal symptoms, and supporting key daily internal functions.

As menopause can bring with it a significant amount of discomfort due to its various symptoms, finding ways to reduce its impact is key to maintaining strong and positive physical and mental health. Whether you’re well into your menopause journey or just at the beginning, here’s what you need to consider when it comes to the basics of a menopause-friendly diet. 

What happens during menopause?

As a woman’s transition into menopause begins, oestrogen levels start to decline, leading to disruptions in regular cyclical patterns of the production of oestrogen and progesterone. This can have a significant impact on many regular bodily functions, including adverse effects on the metabolism, influence on cholesterol levels and changes to how carbohydrates are digested.

Bone density can be dramatically impacted by these shifts in hormone levels. As a result, women may be at increased risks of fractures, which can lead to a number of complicating factors throughout menopause. With awareness and planning, however, dietary precautions can help to offset some of these risks, providing integral support throughout this transitional stage. 

What should a balanced menopausal diet include?

Research continues to identify the roles certain foods can play in reducing the frequency and intensity of menopausal symptoms, as well as supporting the body with supplementary nutrients to make up for some of the impacts of reduced hormone production.

These foods include…

Dairy products

Calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins D and K are all present in dairy products, and can provide great support for better bone health. You can make sure you’re getting the benefit of these nutritions through incorporating foods like yoghurt, cheese and milk into your daily intake.

Healthy fats

Sources of fat don’t deserve the bad reputation they’ve struggled against for many years. In fact, good fats are necessary to balanced diets, and can play a crucial role throughout menopause. Healthy fats contribute to better brain functioning, joints, skin health, weight control and hormone production. By choosing eggs for breakfast, a fatty fish for lunch, a sprinkling of nuts for afternoon tea, and healthy oils throughout the day, you can easily support your health with the benefit of these nutritional sources. 

Whole grains

Whole grains, which are packed full of nutrients, should take up a staple position in menopausal diets. Helping to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, whole grains are an easy way to add necessary nutritional support into every meal.

Brown rice, quinoa and rye-based or whole-wheat breads are a great way to easily up your whole grain intake. If you can opt for a whole grain option over a refined carb, you’ll be able to increase the amount of key nutrients your body has access to, all without needing to make dramatic dietary changes.

Fruits and vegetables

It’ll come as no surprise that fruits and vegetables are also cornerstones of healthy menopausal diets – this is true of every life stage! Here, the concept of ‘eating the rainbow’ can be put to work to support menopausal women, with different colours of fruits and vegetables helping to ease various menopausal symptoms. 

A study published in the North American Menopause Society’s journal in February 2020 found that participants who had a higher intake of fruits and vegetables experienced higher levels of energy and physical activity than individuals with a lower intake. Not only can regular fruit and vegetable intakes support the reduction of menopausal symptoms, but they can also improve energy levels, support mental health stability and ensure you’re getting access to a wide variety of key nutrients on a daily basis. 

Foods to limit: what to keep out of your menopause diet

Just as some foods can be a great help through being a regular part of your menopausal diet, others can only make menopause’s symptoms worse, including hot flushes, weight gain, and low-quality sleep. It’s highly recommended to identify which foods may be wreaking havoc on your symptoms and look to reduce or eliminate them entirely from your daily intake. 

These include…

• Added sugars and processed carbs – foods that are high in added sugars include soda, lollies, cakes, and biscuits, while processed carbs are regularly found in white bread, pastries, and pasta. As both of these food types can cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, they can result in mood swings and irregular energy patterns for menopausal women. They can also contribute to weight gain, making it more difficult to maintain a healthy weight throughout each of menopause’s stages.
• Alcohol and caffeine – unfortunately, these commonly enjoyed substances can lead to increases in hot flushes and sleep disruptions, leading many women in menopause to reduce or eliminate their intakes altogether.
• Spicy foods – looking to minimise your hot flushes? Stay away from spicy foods! Foods that are heavy on spices or include spicy ingredients, like chillies, can lead to hot flushes for some women throughout menopause.  
• High-sodium foods – processed meats, canned soup, fast food, and chips will often contain high levels of sodium, which can lead to water retention and bloating. For women in postmenopause, this can also contribute to high blood pressure. By reducing the level of high-sodium food you intake, you can help to protect your blood pressure and ease the pressure on your system through reduced bloating experiences.

Conclusion

Understanding your body and its needs can have a remarkable impact on your ability to navigate menopause’s curveballs. By building a balanced and sustainable approach to your daily diet, you can give your body natural support for the changes and transitions ahead.

For more support, insights and resources for your menopausal journey, connect with the Australian Menopause Centre. We’re here to help at every stage!