Health, Diet, Menopause, Nutrition, Women's Health
Here at Fighting Fifty we are more than a little excited that Rob Hobson, Healthspan Head of Nutrition and author of new book ’The Detox Kitchen Bible’ by Bloomsbury Publishing, will share with us each month a new recipe and look at the latest nutrition news.
New research from Healthspan the UK’s online vitamin and supplement supplier found that the 40s and 50s is sadly a time of anxiety, low mood and zero libido for many women. The research which was commissioned ahead of launching a new website that is solely focused on addressing women’s concerns around the menopause (healthspan/menopause-advice*) discovered that over a third of women are now going into perimenopause as early as 40, which means that women are spending, on average, ten to twenty years suffering from a range of symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, mood swings, anxiety, depression, sore joints and a weak bladder.
The findings also showed that the perimenopause and menopause is also affecting women’s mental state of health and that women in Northern Ireland and the West Midlands are struggling the most. Dr Hilary Jones said: “The research showed that sixty one per cent of women are suffering with anxiety due to the symptoms of the perimenopause and that women in their fifties are especially struggling with this. Fluctuating hormones can lead to low mood and three quarters of women stated that they suffer from low mood and over a third of those surveyed have had to adjust their lives to deal with the affects that the perimenopause has on their bodies. Trouble sleeping is a big problem, which further lends itself to mood swings and irritability. Crashing fatigue is something a quarter of women said they suffer from.”
The perimenopause can also undermine the hard-won self-confidence that women have built up by their 40s and 50s, says Sally Brown, psychotherapist said: “The research showed over half of the women questioned said that they had lost their self-confidence. It’s not known why hormonal upheaval should have this effect but it may be linked to the drop in oestrogen, which helps make serotonin, the feel-good chemical in the brain. What’s surprising is how many are suffering in silence – 78 per cent said they don’t discuss it even with other women.”
Rob Hobson, Head of Nutrition at Healthspan says: “The menopause is a perfect time to re-assess your diet, especially as the drop in oestrogen also puts you at an equal risk of heart disease as men of a similar age as well as poor bone health. Including mostly unprocessed foods in your diet and basing meals around low GI carbs (such as wholegrains, pulses and certain starchy vegetables), lean proteins, healthy and plenty of fruits and vegetables is ideal.
Omega 3 (found in oily fish) is important for its protective effect on the heart and can also help reduce inflammation within the body. As bone health is a key issue, it’s also important that you ensure an adequate intake of minerals that include calcium, vitamin D and magnesium. Dairy foods are a great source of calcium although this mineral can also be obtained from dark green vegetables, fortified plant milks, nuts and sesame seeds. Whilst the most important source of vitamin D is the sun you can obtain a little from the diet by including foods such as salmon, eggs and mushrooms. Magnesium can be obtained from foods such as nuts and seeds.
Components of certain foods may help with symptoms of the menopause (such as hot flushes) by balancing out the fluctuations in oestrogen. One such component is phytoestrogens which can be found in certain plant foods and these behave in a similar way to naturally occurring oestrogen only with much weaker effect. One group of phytoestrogens are known as soy isoflavones and can be found in soya foods including beans, tofu, miso, milk and yoghurt.
Try including a few servings of soya into you daily diet. The aubergine and pomegranate recipe served with soya yoghurt dressing (click here for recipe) is from my new book, The Detox Kitchen Bible (co-authored with health chef Lily Simpson) and is the perfect way to add some soy isoflavones into your diet. This dish is also high in fibre which is not only an essential for maintaining a healthy heart but can help to remove excess oestrogen from the body.
Dr Brewer author of ‘Overcoming Low Sex Drive’ said: “The perimenopause affects most areas of women’s lives. More than one in two women say their partner would definitely be up for more sex but sadly, more than half of women asked said they have no libido anymore. Nearly a third said weight gain meant they no longer felt attractive.” Worryingly nearly three quarters of all women interviewed admitted that the perimenopause is affecting their relationships.
Dr Hilary Jones says: “There is an education job to be done on helping women overcome the symptoms of the perimenopause as this can be a decade of anxiety and depression in the lead up to and after the menopause. Don’t be afraid to go to your GP and discuss your symptoms, there is a range of both natural and conventional treatments out there to help significantly.”
For further information and advice on the menopause visit: Healthspan*
The Detox Kitchen Bible* is available from Amazon
Follow Rob Hobson on Twitter @RHNutrition
*Affiliate links
