Happy gut, happy hormones
We all know that a well functioning gut is the cornerstone for good health, but did you know it can benefit your hormones too?
Oestrogen and progesterone receptors are found throughout the GI tract so it’s not surprising that rising and falling levels can have a marked impact on your wellbeing.
Menopause is currently a very hot topic. Thankfully, we are all talking about it much more than previously, and the stigma surrounding it is slowly being chipped away.
While there are several ways to manage the symptoms of menopause, a lot of the conversation is centred on hormone therapy (HRT), which is brilliant as HRT can be a game changing tool for women to have in their menopause toolkit. However, not everyone can take HRT, and not every woman wants to use it.
Nutrition, on the other hand, is available to everyone. All of us has the opportunity to make small dietary changes to help manage existing menopause symptoms, but also to future proof our health going forward. We need to remember that being menopausal, ie not having the buffering effects of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, can put us at increased risk of conditions such as osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
For this reason I am evangelical about getting the message out about the benefits of nutrition and lifestyle when it comes to menopause. In fact, much of what I do day to day is spent cutting through the sometimes confusing dietary guidelines to bring women simple, evidence-based actionable strategies that slot easily into busy lives.
While there’s no such thing as a specific menopause diet, a Mediterranean style way of eating can be a great starting point for women. That means lots of fresh, minimally processed produce where possible, including a range of fruit and vegetables, some lean protein, whole grains, lentils and beans, nuts and seeds, some dairy and healthy fats from things like oily fish, olive oil and avocados.
Fibre from plant foods - vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, whole grains - helps feed our gut microbes which in turn can help manage mood related symptoms and, according to the latest research on what’s called the ‘estrobolome’, may even influence the amount of oestrogen we have circulating our bodies. Our gut microbes, that reside in our large intestine, love diversity, so think about including a rainbow of colour and variety on your plate. In particular, we know that green leafy plant-based foods - think salad leaves, rocket, spinach, chard, watercress - and dark purple coloured ingredients - like beetroot, aubergine and berries - are real powerhouses when it comes to brain health.
These foods are also helpful for filling us up, which can be useful if women are experiencing weight gain at this time (a common lament!) and wanting to lose some body fat. Many people think they need to restrict, reduce and deprive themselves if they’re trying to make changes to body composition, which leaves them feeling hungry, stressed and miserable. I’m a big advocate of adding in to the diet, rather than taking away. Food volume is incredibly helpful for making us feel full and satiated and, psychologically, it can be very appealing to see a plate brimming over with nutritious, colourful, attractive looking ingredients.
My overarching advice when it comes to managing the menopause is to be prepared, not scared. With the right education, support and awareness, it can be an incredibly liberating and positive time of life and there are a wealth of strategies available to women to help them navigate their journey.
I recently teamed up with Florette to develop a range of recipes designed to support gut health during perimenopause and menopause. Head over to https://florettesalad.co.uk/ to check them out.