3 Foods To Absolutely Avoid During Menopause

If you are in the throes of menopause, you will be well aware of the huge changes that are taking place in your body (and mind). Menopause occurs, on average, around the age of 45-55 but, for some women it can start much earlier even in their late thirties. 

Did you know that what you eat plays a huge role in how you navigate your way through this challenging period of change. The food choices you make will affect hormonal balance, your mood, energy levels, body temperature and weight fluctuations.

Albeit common sense eating habits should prevail when choosing your daily diet during menopause, there are some foods that really won’t do you any favours and should be avoided at all costs.   

Caffeine

That cup of java to get the blood pumping is never more appealing than when your energy is flagging after a terrible night’s sleep and chances are, bad sleep is a common menopause symptom you are experiencing. However, even if you are running on empty, turning to caffeine won’t help in the long run. 

Studies have shown that caffeine consumption (even moderate) is associated with increased vasomotor symptom bother in postmenopausal women.

This basically means that your night sweats and hot flashes will get worse and intensify. No thanks I hear you say!

My Advice:

• Limit yourself to one cup of coffee per day.
• Drink your coffee in the morning (to least affect your bedtime routine).
• Explore natural coffee alternatives. 
• Try decaffeinated coffee.

Whilst natural coffee alternatives don’t offer the same results as the real deal, the benefits of reducing your caffeine intake could be just what you need to feel so much better and ensure a good night’s sleep.  

Sugar 

During menopause, your estrogen and progesterone levels drop which can cause an increase in cravings for sugar-rich foods. Sugar-rich, calorie laden foods like baked goods and processed produce not only offer zero nutritional value, they eat heavily into your daily caloric allowance, which should be slightly reduced anyway due to the fact that your metabolism slows down during menopause.   

Cookies, cakes, and other sugary foods can trigger hormonal changes, dips in energy and definitely can increase weight gain. Studies have shown that a 20% increase in the occurrence of hot flashes was noted in menopausal women with a diet high in sugar. Ask yourself, is it worth it? 

After age thirty, women burn 10 fewer calories a day every year therefore, by the time they hit menopause, that equates to around 200-220 less calories that they burn each day than when they were younger. So it makes sense that a reduction in calories during this time is essential to help maintain a healthy, balanced body and reduce weight gain. 

My Advice:

• Snack on protein rich foods such as nuts (they will leave you feeling full for longer),
• Stop the home baking sessions! Full stop.
• Replace sugar with honey or cinnamon.
• Consider a supplement that helps reduce the leptin and ghrelin hunger hormones.

Making these few small tweaks can ensure your blood sugar is stabilised and help balance insulin leaving you feeling more energised for longer. 

Alcohol

Women during menopause often report that healthy sleep becomes something of an enigma as decreasing levels of estrogen, and aging can reduce natural levels of melatonin which can affect the quality, depth and duration of sleep. Melatonin is the body’s natural hormone that helps balance your circadian rhythms (sleep/wake cycle) and it is this hormone that is affected when you suffer with jet lag.  

Research has shown that alcohol can negatively affect the production of melatonin in the body. Even 2 or 3 alcoholic beverages consumed an hour before bedtime can decrease melatonin levels as much as 19 percent in females and is linked to an increase in hot flashes. As our body changes during menopause, ethanol tolerance will alter and even though we may still have the same drinking habits, how our body deals with it is not the same.

According to the National Institute of Aging, there is evidence to suggest alcohol consumption can negatively affect the aging process by speeding up and prematurely adding on the years. When most women are doing everything that they can to stay looking younger, is that glass of vino really worth it?

My Advice:

• Quit the wine and/or beer or at the least reduce it. 
• Drink long drinks that are diluted with ice or soda.
• If you are going to drink, do so earlier in the evening to reduce the chance of disrupted sleep. 
• Consider taking a quality melatonin supplement (3mg is a safe recommended dosage) to support reducing levels. 

Take Home Message

Sounds pretty grim right – no coffee, ditch the cookies and worse, no wine – why bother living?! The take home is this…everything in moderation, including moderation. Each one of us is different, so listen to your body and if it lets you know something doesn’t suit you – listen to it and take action.