Day 38: Guide to Nutrition

Like exercise, nutrition plays a really significant role in your health. Nutrition is the way we fuel our body. The kinds of nutrients we take in have a huge effect on how our body functions and combats health risks.

Now, we know what’s on everyone’s minds when we’re in menopause – what the hell is going on with my weight??

Here’s the rundown:

Right now, our metabolism is slowing down. The number of calories we need is decreasing. We’re physically slowing down a bit too, and can’t always exercise as intensely as we used to. When we don’t adjust for these changes, the weight creeps on.

Add menopause into the mix and things get dicey. As estrogen falls, your body wants to hang on to body fat. Unlike the way your body stored fat earlier, fat now tends to accumulate around the middle as opposed to the typical hip and thigh distribution pattern. Your shape may start to change from the pear to the apple. We know we should be eating more fruit, but we don’t want to turn into them! So what are we supposed to do?

Fluctuating hormones just means you have to work smart. You need to know your nutritional needs and make nutrition a priority in your health and fitness plan.

Paying attention to your nutrition doesn’t just help you manage your weight. It has so many benefits for your all aspects of your health. You might be surprised to learn how intertwined what you eat is to your symptoms too. Good nutrition can actually help you manage things like hot flashes.

So what do I mean by “good nutrition”? The important thing is to pay attention to what’s on your plate. A simple and good way to start is to focus on consuming whole, unprocessed foods. Let’s talk about some foods you should have in mind while you’re doing your meal prep these days.

First, there’s dairy products, which contain calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and vitamins D and K. These nutrients are essential for keeping your bones strong, and can help offset the loss of bone mineral density that happens around this time.

You should also start becoming friends with Omega 3 fatty acids – These good fats have been found to reduce hot flashes and night sweats in some women. They might not end your hot flashes, but they’re definitely worth incorporating into your diet, especially if you have other health issues such as high cholesterol. Foods highest in omega-3 ‘s include fatty fish, such as mackerel, salmon and anchovies, and seeds like flax seeds and chia seeds.

Then there’s fruits and vegetables. And some of us might roll our eyes when we hear we should be eating more fruits and vegetables. Yes, we all know that, even if we don’t do it! But here’s an interesting research finding – In a study of over 17,000 women, those who consumed more vegetables, fruit, fiber and soy, reported almost a 20% reduction in hot flashes. Now if that’s not a reason to eat more veggies, I don’t know what is!

Lastly, there are lean Proteins – lean meats, poultry and fish, eggs and legumes have all been associated with improving bone health and maintaining muscle mass.

Now we know what you’re thinking, “Well this is all great and all, but where do I find the time and energy to figure out what I should be eating?” That’s why meal plans and recipes are part of your program on this app – to make eating well as easy as possible. No need to rack your brains to figure out how you can combine all these “nutritional” foods I keep talking about into something edible and delicious that you’ll actually enjoy (and if you share meals with a partner or kids – what they’ll enjoy too). That’s hard work! But that work’s been done for you. The recipes are both delicious and healthy, using ingredients that will help you target your symptoms, and take good care of your health.

Lastly, don’t forget that your nutritional needs will depend on your particular circumstances. It’s a good idea to check with your doctor, or even a nutritionist, who can help you make choices that are right for you.