PART 1: What Happens to Your Body During Perimenopause and How Nutrition Can Help
5 ways to improve your health with ideal perimenopause nutrition
What is Perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the transitional phase leading up to menopause. It is a completely natural transition, but for many women it can feel like their body has changed overnight. Energy levels fluctuate, clothes fit differently, and weight can seem harder to manage, even when nothing in your diet or routine has changed.
The good news? With the right nutrition for perimenopause and lifestyle strategies you’ll be able to support your body and ease many common symptoms.
What is Happening to your Hormones?
During perimenopause your levels of oestrogen and progesterone begin to fluctuate before they eventually start to decline. These hormones not only play a key role in your reproductive health but they also affect your metabolism, how your body stores fat, sleep, stress, appetite and how your body uses energy. In particular, fluctuating levels of oestrogen mainly influence your metabolism and bone health, whereas your progesterone levels will have an effect on your mental health and sleep quality.
Since these hormones are fluctuating rather than gone, your body is constantly trying to adjust. These ups and downs can trigger a mix of symptoms, including:
- Mood swings
- Irregular cycles
- Bloating and fluid retention
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Increased hunger
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
How Perimenopause Nutrition Can Help
While we can’t prevent these hormonal shifts, we can make them feel less extreme and more manageable. Supporting your body during perimenopause is all about giving your hormones the nutrients they need to stay in sync. During perimenopause we want to be able to reduce the effects of these symptoms, and we can do that by:
- Stabilising blood sugar levels, to improve mood swings, hot flashes and energy crashes
- Reducing inflammation, since inflammation can intensify symptoms of joint pain and bloating
- Supporting your liver, which processes and clears hormones
- Maintaining muscle mass, which naturally declines as oestrogen drops
For ideal perimenopause nutrition, you want to ensure you are eating a well balanced, nutrient dense diet. However, the nutrients that will specifically help manage your symptoms include protein, omega 3, fibre, calcium, vitamin D and water.
Key Nutrients During Perimenopause
Protein
Your muscle mass starts to decrease during perimenopause so getting enough protein in your diet becomes essential. Increasing your protein intake will not only help to maintain your muscle mass but will help stabilise blood sugar levels and reduce cravings.
The best way to consume protein is by spreading your intake throughout the day during all your meals and snacks, while aiming for around 20-30g per main meal.
Good sources of protein include chicken, eggs, lean meats, lentils, Greek yoghurt, cheese
Omega 3
Omega-3 fatty acids help to decrease inflammation as well as reduce feelings of low mood and depression, both of which are common during perimenopause.
Foods high in omega-3 include fatty fish, salmon, flaxseed, chia seeds, avocados and nuts.
Fibre
Fibre is crucial for your gut health. It not only helps you feel fuller for longer and helps curb your cravings, but it assists in removing excess oestrogen from the gut, supporting digestion and reducing bloating.
Good sources of fibre include: fruits, vegetables, oats, wholegrains
Calcium and Vitamin D
Bone loss increases with age, especially around the time of perimenopause. To look after your bone health the consumption of calcium is essential. Calcium provides the structural building blocks for strong bones and getting enough through food can help slow down bone loss. For best results, it is recommended to pair calcium rich foods with vitamin D as vitamin D helps with the uptake of calcium.
Calcium rich foods include dairy, tofu, leafy greens, fortified milks and cereals. Sunlight is the main natural source of vitamin D but it can also be found in fatty fish, egg yolks, cheese and fortified products.
Water
Staying hydrated during perimenopause is key for managing symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. The fluctuating levels of oestrogen can affect our body’s temperature regulation leading to increased heat and fluid loss. Hydrating with water will help our body cool down and replace lost fluids.
You should be aiming for at least 2L of water a day.
As perimenopause gradually transitions into menopause, your hormone levels will continue to change and so will your nutritional needs. Perimenopause nutrition doesn’t have to feel out of control. With the right combination of balanced meals, and mindful nutrition choices you can support your body through the transition and regain a sense of stability and confidence in how you feel.
At SportsFit Physio & Health, we have been servicing Glen Iris, Malvern East and Ashburton for over 10 years. We provide 1:1 consults for a more tailored education for perimenopause nutrition and meal planning.
Issy White
Nutritionist
This article is one of a series on nutrition through the menopause transition. Catch up on the earlier stages below:
