Happy Monday! I was chatting with a bunch of ladies in my monthly live office hours I host for monthly online cooking class subscribers and the conversation went to the M-word and stayed there for quite a bit. Menopause. Many of you might not be there yet and some of you are on the other side of it, but my friends and I are in the thick of it and it’s no picnic. The good news is that we are talking about it and we are not alone. But my struggles are likely different from your struggles and I do not have all the answers. As with everything in life, it’s up to you to figure out what works for you. Experiment and evaluate. Here is my advice:
Speak with a practitioner who is knowledgeable about menopause and up to date on the data. Discuss with her/him if you are a candidate for bioidentical hormones.
Exercise | Do something, anything that you can stick to as many days a week as you can. My practitioner says that one of the reasons menopause has not kicked my butt is because I exercise 6 days a week and always have. I may not exercise the hardest, but I do something 6 days a week.
Sleep | My first newsletter ever was about sleep and I am doing pretty well with my sleep now. There is no magic bullet. Alcohol, eating late, watching the news, caffeine late in the day, bright lights after sundown all wreck my sleep. An eye mask, cold room, lightweight pajamas, total darkness, a nighttime multimineral vitamin, white noise (we have an air purifier from Alen Breathe Smart 45I in our bedroom), and my Apollo wearable all help my sleep. Also, reminding myself when I wake up during the night that the bed is for sleeping, not for thinking, has helped me a lot. 10:00 pm is my witching hour because my best sleep is between 10:00 pm and 2:00 am.
Stress Management | This has been tricky for me because I did not struggle with stress or anxiety until menopause and I sometimes feel overwhelmed by things that didn’t used to overwhelm me. I don’t like it LOL! I take solace in the fact that I am not alone. Talking to friends helps, taking a minute to breathe, using the calm setting on my Apollo, identifying what gives you joy and doing more of that.
Probiotics | Hormone health is tied to the gut and the gut needs diversity and nourishment. I have noticed a major improvement in my digestion, bloating and gut health with a high quality probiotic and prebiotic. I like Seed but you can also supplement with probiotic-rich foods such as kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt and probiotic cottage cheese.
Fiber | Consuming fiber also helps gut health by feeding the good bacteria in the gut and can help with staying regular. Many practitioners recommend 25 grams of fiber a day, but I think in menopause we need more like 35-40 grams a day. Legumes, flax meal, vegetables, berries are all rich in fiber.
Stabilize Blood Sugar | I cannot get away with some of the things I used to do pre-menopause. Keeping stable blood sugar helps my brain function better and keeps me more even-tempered. I prioritize protein, fat and fiber at each meal. I sneak ground flax into yogurt, and pulsed chickpeas into soups and salads (see the nourish bowl recipe in the paid section of the newsletter.) I have played around with different proportions of macronutrients and I have also found that I do well with a lower-carb lunch. I also realized that I was not eating enough protein and have upped that a bit.
Supplements | You need to find out what your deficiencies are. I take a multivitamin for women over 50, Vitamin D, and Vitamin C + a probiotic. I am going to start experimenting with magnesium at night. Magnesium Glycinate, Magnesium Citrate, and Magnesium Threonate are the typical derivatives that are recommended for ladies in menopause.
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