There are several ways to manage the symptoms of menopause through nutrition. The best way for you will depend on your symptoms and preferences. Talk to your Hertility Menopause Nutritionist to get a tailored approach to managing your menopausal experience. Quick facts: Nutrition for menopause symptoms Nutrition and diet can play a big role in managing menopause symptoms. Eating a healthy diet can help to reduce hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and weight gain.  Importantly, it can also reduce your risk of associated health conditions, like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. These can result from low levels of oestrogen postmenopausal.  As people progress through the stages of menopause, it’s common for body weight to fluctuate. There are several ways to manage the symptoms of menopause, including lifestyle changes and hormone replacement therapy. 3 lifestyle tips to help with menopause symptoms Exercising regularly Exercise can help to reduce hot flashes, night sweats, and improve sleep. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week. This includes weight training and light cardio activity. Getting enough sleep Getting enough sleep can help to reduce hot flashes and night sweats. Try to create a comfortable sleep space with a separate sheet and duvet. This is in case you need to remove one at night.  Try to keep your room cool and avoid blue light in the hours before bed. You can get some glasses that have blue light reflectors in them. Also, avoid caffeine after midday. Reducing stress and unhealthy habits Stress can worsen the symptoms of menopause. Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as yoga, meditation, or spending time in nature. Counselling sessions can also help with stress management. Try to cut back on any unhealthy habits like smoking. Smoking can worsen the symptoms of menopause.  7 ways nutrition can reduce menopause symptoms Healthy eating and exercise may seem obvious when it comes to managing menopause and perimenopausal symptoms. However, approaches to this may vary depending on your symptoms and how much they are affecting your daily life.  Here are some tips for using your diet for menopause symptom management. Try the Mediterranean-style diet The Mediterranean-style diet is a great place to start. Well researched in its positive effects on heart health, managing menopausal symptoms and reducing heart disease risk.  This way of eating is rich in heart-healthy nutrients such as healthy fats and fibre. The Mediterranean diet is rich in fish, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans and unsaturated fats such as olive oil and oily fish.  It includes smaller amounts of dairy, eggs and lean meat and limits processed and red meats and ultra-processed foods. Eat more oily fish  Oily fish like trout, sardines, herring, anchovies, mackerel and salmon can help to reduce inflammation that is associated with menopause. The risk of heart disease increases after the menopause due to the decrease in oestrogen which is an important hormone as it works to reduce inflammation in the blood vessels.  Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish are beneficial to heart health and in maintaining normal cholesterol levels. Therefore, taking HRT containing oestrogen and or optimising your diet and lifestyle can lower your increased risk of heart disease that is associated with the menopause and also reduce cholesterol.  Plant-based sources include flax, hemp, chia and pumpkin seeds, walnuts, rapeseed and linseed vegetable oils and soya products such as beans, milk and tofu also contain omega-3’s.  It should be highlighted that plant-based sources are not as rich as a source and should be consumed in addition. Therefore you may consider supplementing if you do not consume oily fish. Eat more pulses and beans Lentils and chickpeas are a great plant-based source of protein, fibre, and iron. They help to maintain energy levels and support healthy weight management. A decrease in oestrogen in menopause impacts where fat is stored and the rate of body fat gain.  Oestrogen increases the storage of fat around our bums and thighs, which is associated with a ‘pear-shaped body’, whereas increased androgens after menopause increase the accumulation of visceral abdominal fat causing weight gain and redistribution of body fat to the middle and around the organs, including our heart.  This is what’s sometimes known as an ‘apple-shaped body’ and in turn can have negative effects on our health.  Resistance and weight-based training are also beneficial for central adiposity – that’s weight found around your tummy.  Try some soya products Soya is a great way of increasing your calcium intake and works well for anyone with diet restrictions. It helps maintain healthy bone density and around 2 to 3 portions of soy per day may reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes.  There is also some evidence that isoflavones improve symptoms of vaginal dryness. Soya beans are the main dietary source of isoflavones. A large glass of soya milk (250ml) will provide approximately 25 mg of isoflavones, but not all soya foods contain isoflavones due to some processing methods removing them.  Isoflavones do not behave like the human hormone oestrogen, therefore you could consider adding in some isoflavones into your diet such as tofu, tempeh, soya milk or yoghurt and edamame beans. Dairy or calcium-fortified alternatives  These provide a wide range of benefits including protein, calcium, vitamin D and probiotics, which are important for our bone health, mood and gut health. During menopause, oestrogen, a hormone that protects and maintains our bone density rapidly declines, increasing our chances of osteoporosis.  50% of women or people assigned female at birth over the age of 50 will suffer a fracture due to poor bone health. Changes to your bone health are silent and may go unnoticed so it’s really important to keep your bones healthy.  It’s essential to live an active lifestyle, including implementing weight-bearing and strength-building exercises to strengthen bones so that you limit your risk of falling and breaking your bones, but also it’s so important to eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. Up your intake of […]