What to Eat to Take the Bite Out of Menopause

I’m Perimenopausal —a little early if you ask me, but it’s happening. It’s due to my previous thyroid issues. Because I’m so passionate about food as medicine, I want to share a few things that are helping my menopausal patients and me through this change while staying healthy and happy.  

Menopause is something I know quite a bit about since I did my master’s thesis on menopause and Asian medicine. Interestingly, I discovered that some Asian countries don’t have words for hot flashes or other menopausal symptoms because no one gets them. They don’t exist! In exploring why this is the case I learned that nutrition, lifestyle, and culture play a significant part. Diet and lifestyle made sense to me, but it was the cultural factors that were a pleasant surprise. 

In China, your first birthday is the day you are born, not a year later as in the west. Culturally speaking, as an Asian woman ages she becomes revered as a wise elder. Here in America, we worship youth while banishing our older women to retirement homes that smell of urine where they are forgotten and rarely visited by loved ones. Sadly, we do not take good care of our elderly. Life experience and wisdom are not valued in the same way as they are in Asian cultures. The approach we choose impacts how we age and the symptoms we experience. Appreciate your wisdom and bring awareness to all that you’ve learned in life. These are essential elements in your transition through menopause. 

In one study I discovered, a female researcher was permitted to evaluate Tibetan monks who were meditating in isolation. She took a series of tests including their saliva, blood and body temperature. What she found was shocking. When the monks were in their most profound states of meditation, their bodies physically mimicked that of a menopausal woman. Wow! I interpreted this to mean that this time of hormonal transition is powerful. During menopause, we can access profound wisdom and insight, and if we acknowledge and harness it, we can alter the view of older women in our society.  

The transition of menopause is a powerful time to finally get to the root of symptoms and prevent any future dis-ease patterns. I recommend undergoing a functional blood chemistry analysis (FBCA) to find out what is going on with your body. Because FBCA is individualized, I consider it the ultimate prevention tool in identifying potential disease and illness.  

Additionally, the right kind of nutrition plan for you can support your health and wellness through the menopause. Here’s how I use food as medicine to address any hormone imbalances that may influence symptoms during this powerful time of transition. 

Let’s start with what foods to avoid: 

1. Avoid caffeine. It is important for hormonal balance, especially vasomotor issues —blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature control. Science shows caffeine, especially coffee, can increase the frequency and severity of hot flashes and none of us want that. Caffeine inhibits calcium absorption, which is essential for our bone density as we begin to go through “the change.” Caffeine also increases homocysteine in the body, a toxic amino acid, which in turn increases the risk of osteoporosis. It’s a marker of disease and inflammation, so the higher it is, the sicker you are. Your hormonal system is already feeling stressed; therefore, when you add caffeine to the mix it can cause more stress and discomfort in the form of exacerbated menopausal symptoms. 
2. Avoid alcohol. It can increase moodiness and fatigue while stressing your liver. People who love wine are always looking for an excuse to drink it, but the fact is that the tiny number of antioxidants you may get from a glass (you’d need to drink a barrel to get a beneficial dose of antioxidants) are toxic to your body. Your liver conjugates estrogen—this is super important—and when you stress it out with alcohol, it can’t do its job well. 
3. Avoid spicy foods which may increase hot flashes. If you start to have a hot flash, then it’s probably a good idea to stay clear of hot and spicy foods. You may also want to decrease the number of hot liquids you consume as they may cause the same reactions. Track your body and notice what triggers it. 
4. Avoid refined carbohydrates. Pasta, potatoes, bread, and donuts, for example, can cause blood sugar instability and weight gain, while putting you on a roller coaster of moodiness and fatigue—a recipe for hormone hell. 
5. Avoid sugar. It will lead to more weight gain, moodiness, and fatigue. You may crave it, so let’s deal with the deeper roots of blood sugar imbalance and stress management – you don’t feel worse. One trick for cravings and to help balance blood sugar is to take gymnostema, an herb known to cut cravings in about 30 minutes or less. 
6. Avoid iron supplements. Your need for iron decreases as you age. Get a comprehensive functional blood chemistry analysis with a full iron panel on it to appropriately assess your individual needs. 

Let’s talk about foods that will support you during this potent transition:

1. Eat more carrots and beets.Your body is going through a lot and you need the tens of thousands of plant-based nutrients that only veggies can offer you. Eating carrots and beets together can help balance hormones, a sure way to stop many PMS and menopausal symptoms. Consider eating beets and carrots together 2-3 times per week for a month and see how you feel.
2. Try flax seeds and meal.They contain phytoestrogens (plant-based) and can help balance hormones. Beware: they can also trigger estrogen symptoms like cystic breasts so listen to your body.
3. Increase your intake of leafy green vegetables—collard greens, dandelion, and parsley are all high in bioavailable calcium. You get very little calcium from dairy due to the high phosphorus content, and it’s likely you can’t even digest it. Get it from your greens—your bones will thank you.
4. Increase your intake of fresh vegetables and low sugar fruits like apples and berries.They are a great way to increase fiber, keep your calories low and your nutrient levels high. If you allow yourself to eat processed foods and you stop moving your body, then, of course, your metabolism will slow down—but that doesn’t have to happen.
5. Drink more spring water!Vaginal dryness and hot flashes will be worse if you’re dehydrated. As we age our skin needs more moisture and water is a sure way to help.
6. Take Omega 3 fish oils from small fish like sardines which accumulate fewer heavy metals.If you eat wild salmon or sardines then occasionally get the kind in a can with bones and gobble them up, it will support your healthy calcium levels as well as adding necessary Omega 3s for your happy brain.
7. Take Vitamin D3 with a healthy carrier oil such as MCT or olive oil;avoid soy, safflower and corn oils. Begin with 400IU/day and get tested with a comprehensive functional blood chemistry panel to see if you need a higher dose.
8. Take wild yam capsulesbut don’t put the prescribed wild yam cream on your body. Your body knows how to utilize the food sourced to balance your hormones. When you use the cream, you are encouraging your body not to make and process the natural hormones you have —it confuses the body and also further throws off your other hormones. Wild yam cream might treat symptoms, but it ignores the root of your imbalances. If your healthcare provider recommends this, please consider finding someone else who will individualize your treatments and work to find the source of your health issues. 
9. Exercise!It helps keep you maintain a healthy weight and relieves stress. Resistance training or weight training is vital during menopause and beyond because it helps keeps your bone density healthy. Don’t slow down because themedia labels you as getting older. There is no reason why you can’t do vigorous exercise when you’re 50 and 60. It’s incredibly important as you age. Plus, exercise helps to decrease the chance of suffering from cognitive dysfunction or Alzheimer’s disease. Stretching and core exercise such as gyro-tonics will also help your joints stay healthy and lubricated as you age. 
10. Finally, find time for self-care.Menopause is a huge transition, and it’s important to recognize that this change is more than just physical— it’s emotional and spiritual. Get support, see friends and read books that acknowledge and honor these profound changes in your body and life. I honor you and the essential shift that is taking place in your body and life. I hope you feel more empowered and inspired to step more fully into your beautiful and wise self.