Health, Diet, Menopause, Women's Health
As Head of Nutrition at Healthspan, I will be working closely with Tracey and her team at Fighting Fifty by supporting men and women’s health through good nutrition.
Food doesn’t just provide energy and nutrients but can be a used as a tool to help support your health and wellbeing when faced with certain conditions. This might mean avoiding or cutting back on certain foods or opting for others as well as supplements when appropriate. For this reason I will be developing the MPlan with the team at Healthspan to help women through the menopause by taking a natural approach to what they put into their body.
Whilst some women fly through the menopause unaffected, others struggle with a similar set of symptoms. Research carried out by Healthspan last month showed that the most common symptoms women struggle with are hot flushes and night sweats (48%), something where diet and supplements have been shown to be useful. Other symptoms include irritability (27%) and mood swings (27%), which are impacted upon by a diet with poorly regulated blood sugar levels and meal skipping.
The same survey also showed that a high percentage of women questioned (43%) had not sought out any professional advice to help them during the menopause but many had visited their GP (27%) or used dietary changes (22%), supplements (22%) and exercise (28%) which not only shows a willingness amongst women to try alternative ways of managing symptoms but that many women may be unaware of the simple steps they can take to help themselves.
Whilst this approach doesn’t suit everybody’s needs and some opt for HRT or bio-identical hormones, simply adopting a healthy way of eating at this point in a life is advantageous for many other reasons including heart health, bone health, reduced cancer risk and weight maintenance.
Watch our video where Tracey McAlpine and Rob Hobson discuss food choices for menopause
I have listed below my top foods to tackle the menopause:
Soya foods including tofu, edamame beans, milks and yoghurts. Whilst these foods have been received with controversy over the years it is generally agreed that in moderation as part of a balanced diet (free of over processed foods that use soy protein) they offer a nutritious addition. Their benefit is attributed to soy isoflavones that mimic the effect of oestrogen but with much less potency so helping to lessen the symptoms of reduced oestrogen such as hot flushes. Fermented soya foods have been shown to be most effective so try miso or tempeh.
Dairy foods provide calcium, which is essential for women during the menopause as one of the consequences of reduced oestrogen levels (and progesterone levels during peri-menopause) is bone loss (up to 10% reduced mass). Oestrogen helps to preserve calcium and prevent bone breakdown and low progesterone is thought to disrupt the natural process of bone breakdown and repair, which can reduce mass by up to 10% leaving you exposed to the risk of osteoporosis.
These foods also contain phytoestrogens (plant oestrogens) that can help to lessen the effect of dropping oestrogen levels by binding with oestrogen receptors in the body. They also contain a rich source of fibre, which can help to rid the body of excess hormones. Try chickpeas and lentils.
Probiotic foods such as yoghurts, milks and supplements can be a really useful addition to the diet as they can help to convert dietary isoflavones into a more active version, which is more readily available to the body. If you’re considering a supplement then look for strains such as lactobacillus and bifidobacterium with no less than 20 billion per serving.
Omega 3 foods such as oily fish may help with hot flushes and help to reduce inflammation in the body. The menopause is not just about tackling symptoms but adopting dietary changes that can protect your future health. Oestrogen helps to protect against heart disease and as levels drop your risk increases. Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to help protect the heart against disease. Try salmon, tuna, herring and trout. If you don’t eat fish then try eating plenty of green veggies and chia seed oil but also consider a supplement such as Healthspan opti-omega 3, 1000mg, £10.95 for 60 capsules.
Unrefined starchy foods such as brown rice, quinoa, wholemeal bread and pasta are high in fibre and help to balance out blood sugar levels which can affect moods and cause irritability if significantly spiking and dropping. High fibre is also good for heart health as it can help remove bad cholesterol and aid with weight maintenance.
Brightly coloured foods such as berries are bursting with antioxidants that help to protect the body from disease and foods such as red and purple berries as well as dried apricots contain phytoestrogens that may help to contribute to the reduction of hot flushes.
Find out more about Healthspan the MPlan menopause advice and visit Rob Hobson’s website here purchase The Detox Kitchen Bible* from Amazon
*Affiliate link
