Written by Jenni Rivett, Health and Fitness Consultant
Jenni Rivett is an expert on women's health and fitness and the creator of the Train Like a Woman programme.. She was the personal trainer to HRH Princess Diana for seven years and continues to teach her method of training worldwide.
The BBC Breakfast recently highlighted and brought to the forefront everything related to menopause and peri-menopause, a much-needed advance that will hopefully put an end to a subject women have previously felt isolated or ashamed to talk about.
Menopause typically begins in the late 40s or early 50s for most women and usually lasts for a few years. During this time, at least two-thirds of women experience severe menopausal symptoms. These include hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, irritability, and tiredness. In addition, menopausal women are at a higher risk of several diseases, including osteoporosis, obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Many women become sad, depressed, and completely lose their confidence.
It’s important to understand that we will all experience this life change differently due to genetics, lifestyle, stress levels, and other factors. The good news is that we have a choice in how we navigate this transition and manage its effects.
As a health and fitness consultant, I’ve chosen to take the natural route and am excited to share with you a strategy that has worked incredibly well for me and many of my clients. However, I want to stress that I am not a doctor but rather an expert in my field as a fitness and nutrition consultant with many years of experience.
This post is primarily aimed at women approaching menopause, but I also believe it’s essential for women in their 30s to start understanding the importance of hormone health and take steps to avoid the inevitable ‘hormone havoc’ that so many experience in their 40s, 50s, and beyond.
Your hormones control most of your basic bodily functions and serve as an internal communication system between cells throughout the body. They coordinate everything from digestion and growth to your appetite, mood, libido, and much more. So when these babies are even slightly out of whack, they can impact your health and well-being in a big way!
However, we can completely nail these hormones down to work in our favor by making a few simple lifestyle changes. Menopause is best managed with what’s easiest and most natural because prevention is always the smartest medication.
It’s all about chemistry, baby!
Healthy eating in menopause
Those of you who know me well will agree that I’m very balanced in my approach to eating and, therefore, not going to get all bossy and tell you that you should never drink wine or have a yummy chocolate muffin. Whoever tells you they don’t veer off track, it’s not true! However, when it comes to menopause, it’s important to start thinking about what your body and mind need to thrive optimally.
And yes, whether we like to admit it or not, our weight can be a huge factor in how we feel about ourselves. When you eat well most of the time, you feel better, and I can assure you, when you feel better, the weight loss always follows!
Avoid these foods
The main foods to avoid are refined carbs, sugar, salt, caffeine, alcohol, and trans fats. Ladies, this is a big one when it comes to hormone imbalances, so you have to make the effort to cut out the junk! There is plenty of evidence confirming that these types of foods are not good for menopausal symptoms, both mental and physical.
Eating too many of these foods will cause unstable blood sugar levels and increase both cortisol and insulin levels, two hormones we do not want out of balance, as they cause weight gain and emotional instability. Stable blood sugar levels = fast and permanent weight loss.
I personally have no more than two caffeine drinks per day (before midday), and I might have a few glasses of white wine on the weekend with a meal (if I feel like it). I avoid sugar (in all forms) as much as possible!
Phytoestrogens, omega-3, and green teas all have amazing benefits before and during the onset of menopause. Phytoestrogens are plant-based components that mimic estrogen in the body. They have been found to be beneficial in combating symptoms caused by estrogen deficiency. These foods are all high in phytoestrogens: nuts, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, walnuts, apples, carrots, pomegranates, strawberries, cranberries, yams, lentils, alfalfa, sprouts, mung beans, red clover, licorice root, olive oil, oats, barley, and wheat germ.
To ensure you get your daily dose of omega-3, eat plenty of oily fish, salmon, sardines, nuts, linseed oil, chia seeds, walnuts, eggs, and, of course, my favorite, avocados! I would also recommend taking a good-quality omega-3 supplement. Good fats are very important as they are needed for joint health, brain function (especially memory), and beautiful skin.
Protein is essential for building muscle, burning fat, metabolism, and concentration. It also helps produce brain chemicals that calm us down and eliminate stress, reduce brain fog, boost energy levels, support muscles and bones, and aid in the absorption of important nutrients. Protein from food is used by every single part of the body to develop, grow, and function properly. Our organs, muscles, tissues, and hormones are all made from proteins.
Suffice it to say, protein is involved in just about every bodily function, and a deficiency can wreak havoc on your body and menopausal symptoms. Eat plenty of good-quality protein daily.
Carbohydrates have certainly had a bad rap over the past few years! And whilst I agree with cutting out all refined carbs, I am very much in favour of eating wholegrain carbs such as quinoa, millet, brown rice, oats, sweet potatoes, and most vegetables. These contain enough fibre, which is important for digestion and elimination. Constipation or sluggish bowels can make menopause worse. Also, for many of us who have sleep problems, eating low-GI carbs at night can help tremendously with sleep due to the release of serotonin.
Eating for bone health
During menopause, it’s especially important to look after your bones to minimize the risk of developing osteoporosis and ensure you’re getting plenty of calcium.
Besides milk and yoghurt, here are some other foods that are rich in calcium, many of which are non-dairy: Seeds, cheese, sardines and canned salmon, beans and lentils, and almonds.
The liver in menopause
The liver is often referred to as the master gland in the body, and in Chinese medicine, it is the undisputed king! The liver regulates hormones, so ladies with hormone havoc, look to your liver. It also has to deal with all the chemicals you are exposed to, perfume, chlorine in tap water, medications, and household products. In addition, the liver must filter excess estrogen produced in the Western world due to rampant stress, environmental toxins, pesticides, and hormones in the foods we eat.
Water and menopause
Since our bodies are at least 75% water, neglecting our intake can cause an array of nasty symptoms: joint inflammation and pain, wrinkly, aging skin, mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks, stress palpitations, fuzzy brain and forgetfulness, headaches, constipation, bloating, and fatigue.
Hot flushes are triggered by the nervous system and caused by dehydration. If you sweat a lot, you will become even more dehydrated, creating a vicious cycle, including night palpitations.
All these bad-ass nasties caused by dehydration are not worth it. Drink at least two litres of filtered water per day.
Exercise and menopause
One very good reason to exercise is the profound impact it has on increasing two powerful hormones: testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH). Both are reputable “youth and lean” hormones that help keep all the other hormones balanced and in check, especially cortisol and insulin. Both testosterone and HGH will also help improve your libido.
Having a strong, lean body gives you a sense of empowerment, improves your confidence, and helps you look younger than your age!
Exercise does not have to be a time consumer. In fact, less is more if you’re smart about your training. Strength training comes out on top because lean tissue is so tightly coupled to your metabolism. It creates stronger bones, reducing the chances of developing osteoporosis, and releases an abundance of testosterone and human growth hormone. Cardiovascular exercise is also great for the endorphin release, and short bursts of exercise are an efficient way to train.
So start moving, find your own pace, then push it up a notch... You will truly begin to see and feel the difference.
For me personally, exercise has been a lifesaver! It’s the best alternative to HRT. In fact, I don’t ever recall having one symptom of peri-menopause or menopause at all! However, when I don’t exercise, I feel terrible, anxious, and very low. My sleep is also affected. So I guess I’m gonna be exercising forever!
Maintaining a healthy weight
Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight may also help alleviate menopause symptoms. One study of 17,473 menopausal women found that those who lost at least 10 lbs (4.5 kg) of weight, or 10% of their body weight over a year, were more likely to eliminate hot flashes and night sweats.
Stress and menopause
Well-functioning adrenals make essential hormones, including DHEA, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and pregnenolone. The menopause complication! The effects of chronic stress and adrenal fatigue can literally empty our tanks and throw us way off balance.
For women going through menopause, this is especially true because not only are our bodies changing, but the stress that comes from all that change, plus the weight of the daily grind, can wreak havoc on our systems. Equally, when our cortisol (stress) hormones are up, testosterone levels go down since they act in a seesaw-like manner.
Although we can’t avoid stress in our lives, how we deal with it and manage it through lifestyle changes is what truly matters. And it’s clear to see how exercise and healthy eating can have a very positive effect on stress and menopause.
Sleep and menopause
Sleep, in my opinion, should be at the top of everyone’s health list. Medical researchers now have substantial evidence proving that both the amount and quality of sleep may silently orchestrate a symphony of hormonal activity tied to your appetite. Studies show that the production of the hormones leptin and ghrelin may be influenced by how much or how little we sleep.
Here’s the connection! When you don’t get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don’t feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food. This double whammy can certainly set the stage for overeating and lead to weight gain.
Since sleep affects every aspect of life, it’s important to be aware that sleep duration not only enhances your weight and weight loss efforts, but it also benefits the quality of your sleep. It’s a two-way street. It may not take much to improve your sleep. In fact, as little as 10 minutes of exercise a day can boost sleep quality by nearly 30 percent. Couple that with eating healthy carbs at night (to release serotonin), and you are on your way to weight loss!
Vitamin D and menopause
Hormonal changes during menopause can cause bones to weaken, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Calcium and vitamin D are linked to good bone health, so it’s important to get enough of these nutrients in your diet. Adequate vitamin D intake in postmenopausal women is also associated with a lower risk of hip fractures due to weak bones.
Vitamin D is also good for your libido, so try to get as much natural sunlight as you safely can, or take an oral vitamin D spray, it works really well. Eat plenty of oily fish, egg yolks, and red meat, all great sources of vitamin D.
Oxytocin: The love hormone
Oxytocin is the powerful hormone of love, bonding, and connection. It’s the hormone we release in abundance during childbirth, overflowing as we look into the eyes of our newborn. It’s also released in abundance with orgasm, laughter, play, hugging, giving, and even when stroking your pets. It’s the hormone responsible for the twinkle in your eyes and the smile on your face.
Unfortunately, if you are like many women in perimenopause or menopause, being hormonally imbalanced (both with cortisol-adrenaline-oxytocin and estrogen) can further complicate things.
To create more oxytocin in your life, try to do more of the following: hug or cuddle, laugh, play, orgasm, give gratitude and thanks, play with a pet, and try to stay in the present moment. Manage your thoughts and control your stress.
HRT or bio-identical hormones
First and foremost, I strongly believe that a lifestyle change (with or without hormone treatment) will have the biggest impact on your menopause journey, and I’d like to think that my experience working with women justifies that statement.
I personally chose to go the bio-identical hormone route when I started with peri-menopause, and it has worked tremendously well for me. Whether or not they would have worked as well without my healthy eating and exercise plan, I doubt it!
I agree there’s a lot to think about in this post, and you may be feeling a little daunted. So, I’m going to sum up my top three tips to beat menopause and balance your hormones. Once you’ve mastered these, you’ll feel the difference and be able to tackle the others in your own time!
Exercise every single day. Even fifteen minutes a day will make a huge difference. Exercise releases happy endorphins, as well as testosterone and human growth hormone, both powerful "lean and youth" hormones.
Sleep. Make this a big priority and aim to get six to eight hours of sleep every night! Without sleep, everything will be out of whack, and you’ll find it difficult to function.
Cut out sugar and refined carbohydrates, and radically reduce your caffeine and alcohol consumption. This will carve the pathway to eating healthier foods.
Happy hormones, happy you!
Read more from Jenni Rivett
Jenni Rivett, Health and Fitness Consultant
Jenni Rivett is a leading health and fitness consultant. Her late mother Adeline Rodd released the first ever exercise LP in South Africa, which led Jenni to persue her career in fitness. She has dedicated her life to helping women to better health through her unique metthod of training. She is a sought after speaker and fitness journalist.
