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Perimenopause, Menopause, and A Healthy Diet

Weight gain during menopause, hot flushes, and other issues can be an uncomfortable truth for many people going through perimenopause and menopause. Balance during menopause can be tough to find but our registered dietitians have some advice for you.

What about a nutritional diet? During menopause, cholesterol is easier to avoid with a balanced plant-based diet. We’re here to help you make balanced plant-based meals to support you through perimenopause and menopause, with many more benefits besides.

What can I do to feel better during perimenopause and menopause?

Many people find they gain weight and struggle to lose weight during and after menopause. This is the result of a cascade of hormonal changes that occur with ageing. Lower estrogen slows metabolism, reduces muscle mass, and changes where your body stores fat. Night sweats and hot flashes can lead to poor sleep, which in turn causes a rise in cortisol and fat storage. Other hormonal changes such as decreased leptin can increase hunger and cravings.

a woman sitting fanning herself

Although weight loss can be challenging, here are some basic diet and lifestyle changes we can make to promote and maintain weight loss, in addition to our general advice for losing weight:

  • Make healthy eating a priority and build a plant-based plate for a balanced menopause.
    • Shift your diet towards more legumes and non-starchy vegetables. Protein and fiber help us feel full, and beans are among the few foods that are rich in both.
    • Enjoy soy foods daily. Include tofu, edamame, tempeh, unsweetened soymilk, and/or soy yogurt in your diet. Choosing soy foods may also help reduce the frequency and/or intensity of hot flashes. Soy is a nourishing, affordable legume that can promote health and can be prepared in lots of delicious ways.
    • Satisfy your thirst with water. Drinking water instead of juice, soda, and coffee drinks is an easy way to cut down on calories while staying hydrated.
    • Limit fast foods, chips, ice cream, and packaged cookies and pastries. Even if they are labeled “vegan” or “plant-based” they still often contain “empty” calories: foods which have many calories but not many nutrients. As we age we need fewer calories but still have the need the same amount of nutrition, so nutrient-dense plant-based foods are the best option. (In the case of protein, we actually need a little more protein as we age to prevent the loss of bone and muscle.)
  • Strength train. Schedule in some kind of resistance training two to three times a week to protect muscle and bone in menopause.
  • Do aerobic movement most days. Aim for 150 minutes weekly of a physical activity you enjoy.
    • Struggling to find exercise that suits you? Think back to what you liked to do as a child, and you will likely still enjoy it. Walking, dancing, and swimming all count!
    • Remember that even small changes make a difference. Park in the back of the parking lot when you go shopping. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Prioritize sleep. Hormonal changes affect the sleep of over 50% of women during perimenopause and beyond. Insufficient sleep promotes weight gain by triggering hormonal imbalances that effect hunger, increasing cravings for high-calorie foods, and reducing energy to exercise.
    • What can we eat to help with sleep? Eating foods rich in magnesium and tryptophan can help with sleep. While some people choose to take magnesium supplements for improved sleep, magnesium supplements sometimes have the unwanted side effect of diarrhea. Instead, eat magnesium-rich foods daily. Green vegetables, seeds and legumes are all good sources of magnesium. 
    • The essential amino acid tryptophan may help with sleep by contributing to an increase in melatonin, the hormone managing the sleep-wake cycle. Plant foods high in tryptophan include soy, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, nuts and legumes.
    • Avoid late night meals and snacks, limit or avoid alcohol, and do not drink caffeine after midday.

So, while the occurrence of weight gain and other issues like muscle and bone loss during perimenopause and menopause might seem inevitable, you can help protect yourself from these challenges through a healthy diet and exercise choices. 

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