#1 Menopause Mistake: Not Eating Enough

How eating less harms you during menopause

Eating less can affect your:

Metabolism and energy: You burn fewer calories and have less energy.

Muscle mass and bone density: You lose muscle and bone, which affects your balance, mobility, posture, and metabolism.

Hunger and cravings: You feel hungrier and crave more food, especially carbs.

Thyroid function and sex hormone levels:

You have less thyroid hormones, which regulate your metabolism and energy, and less sex hormones, which affect your reproductive health, libido, mood, skin, hair, and bones.

Mood, sleep, cognition, and immunity: You have less serotonin and dopamine, which regulate your mood and pleasure, and more cortisol, which is a stress hormone. This affects your sleep quality, memory, concentration, learning abilities, and immune system.

Risk of chronic diseases: You have higher blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation levels. This increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, etc.

How to eat enough and right during menopause

To avoid these effects, you need to eat enough calories and the right foods. You may need to eat more:

Protein: It helps build and maintain muscle mass and makes you feel full. Aim for at least 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day from lean sources such as poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, soy, beans, nuts, and seeds.

Fiber: It helps regulate your digestion, blood sugar, cholesterol, and appetite. It also feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Aim for at least 25 grams per day from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Phytoestrogens: They are plant compounds that have a weak estrogen-like effect. They may help balance your hormones and reduce symptoms such as hot flashes. Some sources are soybeans, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, lentils, chickpeas, alfalfa sprouts, and red clover.

Healthy fats: They are a source of energy and nutrients. They also help you absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. Choose healthy fats such as monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds) and omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts). Avoid unhealthy fats such as saturated fats (found in red meat butter cheese and coconut oil) and trans fats (found in margarine shortening baked goods and fried foods).

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