The E in the P.L.E.A.S.E Yourself! Six Tips For An Easier Menopause Transition is for

 

Eating nutritiously

 

Eat a variety of foods each day to get the nutrients you need for good health.

 

Eating is an act of self-preservation but it should also be an act of self-respect, self-love, and self-care. You should strive for giving your body what it needs in the form of good quality and nutritious food.

 

Many women gain weight during the menopause transition, mostly due to aging (muscle mass naturally decreases with age) and lifestyle (your having less energy during this phase of life can lead you to becoming more sedentary).

 

Menopause symptoms like night sweats that disturb sleep may affect weight indirectly.

 

Mood changes can interfere with healthy lifestyle habits and weight-management behaviors.

 

Body composition and fat distribution change and fat tends to accumulate in the middle, around the belly.

 

Here’s a quiz to see how well you know about nutrition.

 

Pay attention not only to what you eat but also to why, when, where, how, and how much you eat.

 

WHAT

 

A well-balanced diet includes a variety of vegetables and fruit and lots of fibre each day, protein, healthy fats, little added refined sugars, and very few processed foods. It should include 2 litres (8 cups) of water, especially important for brain and skin health, and no soft drinks, juice, or alcohol.

 

This type of diet is associated with lower risk of heart disease and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is protective against cancer.

 

Weight gain during the menopause transition may increase hot flashes and night sweats.

 

Eating a protein, fibre, and a healthy fat at each meal increases satiety, you won’t feel hungry soon after, limits the amount of food you eat, and cuts down on snacking.

 

Proteins

 

Proteins are made of amino acids which are essential for every function that takes place in your body and brain. You can get your protein from animal or plant sources. These foods contain proteins that provide all essential amino acids: fish, milk, eggs, chicken, pork, and beef. Plant-based foods like legumes, grains, soybeans, and some nuts and seeds also contain good amounts of protein. For more information about proteins good for your brain I highly recommend that you read Brain Food by Dr. Lisa Mosconi, a Neuroscientist & Neuro-Nutritionist.

 

Fibre

 

Carbohydrates, particularly sugars and refined grains (pasta, white flours, and rice), are quickly broken down into sugar which your cells use for energy. If your cells don’t use it all, it is stored as fat in your fat cells.

 

Instead of getting glucose (energy) from white foods (pasta, bread, sugar, and baked goods) get it from onions, turnips, rutabaga, dried apricots, kiwi fruit, grape, red beets, and honey. Three tablespoons of honey will give your brain the energy it needs for one day!

 

If you have a sweet tooth you don’t have to give up sweets. Instead of refined sugar use sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and stevia in beverages and baking.

 

Eat carbs that are rich in fibre and have a low glycemic index foods (raise your blood sugar levels slower). Dietary fibre can be divided into soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre (dissolves in water to form a gel-like material) slows down your digestion, helping you feel fuller longer, and it can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. It’s found in oatmeal, blueberries, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley, Brussel sprouts, and psyllium.

Insoluble fibre helps your digestive tract eliminate waste quicker, may prevent constipation, and it’s found in wheat bran, whole-wheat flour, nuts, beans, dark leafy greens, cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes.

 

Healthy fats

 

The type of fat you eat is more important for health than the total amount of fat you eat. Choosing foods that contain mostly healthy fats instead of foods that contain mostly saturated fat prevents heart disease, which is the number-one killer of postmenopausal women.

 

Healthy oils include olive, avocado, flaxseed, grapeseed, sunflower, sesame, canola, and coconut.

 

Foods that contain healthy fats include nuts, seeds, avocado, fatty fish (salmon, salmon roe, sardines, anchovies, arctic char).

 

Limit foods that contain saturated fat: cream, beef, processed meats, canned coconut milk or cream, ice cream, cheeses, some desserts and bakery products, fried foods.

 

 

WHY

Are you reaching for food because you’re hungry? Or sad? Nervous? Anxious? Lonely? Bored?

 

Negative emotions like stress, anxiety, nervousness, boredom, worry, and loneliness may lead to a feeling of emptiness or an emotional void. Food is believed to be a way to fill that void and falsely gives you a temporary feeling of fullness or wholeness.

 

Could you engage in some other activity other than eating to address the emotion you’re feeling? Like drinking water, breathing deeply, going for a walk, taking a 20-min nap, doing yoga, meditating, calling a friend, reading a few pages of a book or magazine?

 

Food journaling can help you to reach your healthy eating goals. In addition to tracking what and how much you eat and drink, consider tracking your thoughts, feelings, and emotions before and after eating.

 

WHEN

 

Sugar can only enter your cells with the help of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Your insulin levels will go down and your fat cells can then release their stored sugar to be used as energy when you don’t eat for a few hours. The idea of intermittent fasting (IF) is to allow the insulin levels to go down long and far enough to burn off fat and it also gives the pancreas a rest which reduces the risk of developing diabetes.

 

This can be as easy as limiting the hours of the day when you eat, for example, from the evening till the morning (7 PM to 9AM) by avoiding snacking or eating at nighttime, all the time.

 

 

WHERE AND HOW

 

Sit at a table when you eat. Research shows that when you treat a meal like a meal instead of a snack you feel more satiated and eat less often.

 

Look at your food, smell it, and appreciate it. Savour it; eat slowly, taking the time to chew properly since digestion starts in the mouth. Chewing breaks down the food into smaller particles and mixes them with saliva to help digestion. And it takes the brain 20 minutes to register the food you ate, so if you eat too fast you’ll still feel hungry after you finish and will be more likely to eat more.

 

HOW MUCH

 

The new theory about weight loss is that counting calories isn’t the only thing that matters to maintain healthy weight. I believe healthy weight is not just about doing one big thing right it is about doing a lot of small things properly, regularly, and consistently.

 

Don’t eat more than you need for your body needs. Example: if you are out walking or biking you will need more calories than if you’re sitting at your desk for 8 hours.

 

Make half of your plate vegetables and fruit. The protein should be the size of the palm of your hand and the carbs should be rich in fibre and take up ¼ of the plate only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canada’s Food Guide Healthy Food Choices

 

Small, gradual changes to what you eat and how active you are can make a big difference over time.

 

Learn 7 Ways to maintain health body weight from cancer.ca

 

Teresa Isabel Dias is a pharmacist and Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) who provides education and support on symptom management for women at work and at home so they’ll feel like themselves again and enjoy a vibrant and productive life.

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If would like to know how Teresa can improve your menopause transition then schedule a complimentary Discovery Call at MenopausED.org.