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Entering menopause can be a confusing time for everyone. For many, we spend decades understanding how our body works. From body weight, and appetite, to dietary requirements and menstrual cycles, we develop a strong connection.
However, when the signs of menopause begin, it can feel like we are losing control. This can leave us feeling helpless.
Fortunately, we can educate ourselves on these changes and re-establish our connection and control. One of the best ways to implement these changes is through diet and nutrition.
But where do we start?
Today, we will discuss the best diets for menopause. We cover the impact nutrition can have on menopause, the top diets for menopause, and tips to equip you with all the tools you need to navigate menopause.
Understanding Menopause and Its Impact on Diet
Menopause signals the natural end of our body’s menstrual cycle. This is due to the cessation of our reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone. Typically occurring between the ages of 45 and 56 years, it brings on various symptoms that can impair our health and quality of life.
Signs of menopause can begin during our early 40s, and even as early as 35 during perimenopause. Below is a list of common menopause symptoms. By identifying these changes early, you will be able to adjust your diet to accommodate the shift in your physiology to improve your function and quality of life.
Common menopause symptoms:
- Hot Flashes
- Night Sweats
- Poor Sleep
- Weight Gain
- Increase Appetite
- Depression/Anxiety
- Mood Changes
- Decrease Bone Density
- Increased Inflammation
- Impaired Cognitive Function
- Fatigue/Brain Fog
- Skin Wrinkling
How Menopause Affects Weight and Metabolism
One of the biggest struggles many women face is an increased appetite and sudden weight gain. The decrease of estrogen can lead to a reduction in satiety.
During menopause, we may also encounter poor sleep due to symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes, and feelings of anxiety. Sadly, poor sleep not only makes us feel tired the following day, but it can also increase the hunger hormone ghrelin while decreasing the satiety hormone leptin. This creates a swing, which increases our appetite, which can increase weight gain.
This combined with the slowing of appetite that comes from reduced estrogen can make it feel like we are fighting an uphill battle against our weight.
Because of this, we shift our diet to a calorie deficit. This is consuming fewer calories than you are burning each day, enabling you to gradually lose weight. This can increase hunger, which is why we need to consume a balanced diet, prioritizing various nutrients to improve satiety and curb hunger and cravings.
Common Menopause Symptoms and Dietary Needs
Menopause symptoms can affect all facets of our health. Fortunately, the nutrients in food can address a range of symptoms. Below we list a range of nutrients and the symptoms they can alleviate.
The information shows how a balanced diet of nutrient-dense, high-protein whole foods can alleviate menopause symptoms. What makes this even better is that many nutrients can be found in each food, which enables us to consume larger amounts.
Top Diets for Managing Menopause Symptoms
Now that we understand just how much of a positive impact nutrition has during menopause, it's time to discuss suitable diet plans to manage symptoms.
Below, we list a range of diets based on different dietary preferences, and ethical beliefs. This will help you select the correct nutrition plan for you.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet for menopause is based on European-based nutrition centered around eating lean meat, whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables, and moderate alcohol intake.
Many adopt the Mediterranean diet because it focuses on nutrient-dense whole food and the practice of eating in moderation. This diet has the makings of a great diet for addressing menopause symptoms.
It contains fish, poultry, and red meat which are rich in protein and omega-3 which are excellent for maintaining muscle mass. While whole grains, nuts, fruit, and vegetables improve satiety, and provide us with sustainable energy. These foods alleviate symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes, and inflammation.
However, just because we are eating in moderation does not mean we will automatically lose weight. To optimize the Mediterranean diet for weight loss, we recommend eating in a calorie deficit, while following aligning your macronutrient ratio below. This will ensure you are getting the correct balance of nutrients to reduce the impact of menopause symptoms and improve weight loss.
Mediterranean Diet Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 50%–60%
- Protein: 15%–20%
- Fats: 30%
Mediterranean Diet Pros & Cons
Mediterranean Diet Common Foods
Paleo Diet
The paleo or paleolithic diet for menopause adopts a hunter-gatherer style of eating. Because of this paleo macronutrient ratios are adjusted with fats and proteins being the major energy sources. This reduction of carbohydrate intake encourages the consumption of animal and plant foods.
Because these diets place major emphasis on protein, they will also likely benefit from increased thermogenesis, which is the increase of body temperature, and energy expenditure. Certain studies have indicated as much as 200 to 300 calories burned, during low-carb diets.
There is no set carbohydrate limit, rather just a general reduction based on food preference, typically amounting to 130 grams per day or less than 26%.
Paleo diet has been shown to decrease weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure
Paleo Diet Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 25%
- Protein: 25%
- Fats: 50%
Paleo Diet Pros & Cons
Paleo Diet Common Foods
Keto Diet
The keto diet for menopause is a little more aggressive as it requires a significant decrease in carbohydrate intake, aligning with a very low carbohydrate intake of 20 to 50 grams per day or less than 10%. This induces ketosis, where the body burns fat instead of glucose.
The keto diet can improve metabolic health, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
However, the inducing ketosis doesn't come easy. During the switch, many people experienced the keto flu, characterized by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches, and fatigue, which lasted a few days to a couple of weeks. Moreover, this aggressive style of dieting is more susceptible to vitamin and nutrient deficiencies due to the significant dietary restriction.
Keto Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 5%–10%
- Protein: 25%–35%
- Fats: 70%–80%
Keto Diet Pros & Cons
Keto Common Foods
Intermittent Fasting Diet
The intermittent fasting for menopause is characterized by a period of eating and fasting. This can come in the form of daily fasting windows, complete calorie restriction, or entire fasting days. This enables us to reduce our calorie intake into a deficit, leading to weight loss.
Long periods of fasting can lead to feelings of hunger, fatigue, irritability, and headaches. However, one of the main benefits is it suitable for all types of diet. This ensures that we can meet our nutrient and vitamin requirements which are vital for managing symptoms of menopause.
If you are considering trying intermittent fasting, we recommend starting with a smaller fasting window such as 12-hours fasting, 12-hours eating. This will help you build up toward durations of fasting, allowing you to build toward longer durations. Additionally, consider doing the majority of your fast overnight when you are asleep. This will reduce feelings of hunger as you will be asleep.
Common Fasting Methods
- 5:2 - Reducing calorie intake for two days each week
- 12:12 - Fasting for 12 hours, eating for 12 hours each day
- 16:8 - Fasting for 16 hours, eating for 8 hours each day
- 24 Hours - Fasting for 24 hours one to two times a week
Intermittent Fasting Macronutrients Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 50%–60%
- Protein: 15%–20%
- Fats: 30%
Intermittent Fasting Pros & Cons
Intermittent Fasting Common Foods
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
The anti-inflammatory diet is centered around foods that have anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is our body’s natural process which vital to our survival. It responds to trauma, viruses, or bacteria, by repairing damaged tissue and eliminating foreign threats.
However, when there is chronic inflammat
ion, it can lead to negative outcomes chronic illness, immune impairment, and ongoing inflammation symptoms.
When our estrogen levels decrease, inflammation in our body can rise leading to menopause symptoms including night sweats, and hot flashes. Sustained over a long period of time can lead to chronic illness and prolonged symptoms.
The anti-inflammatory diet aims to eat foods rich in omega-3 such as fish, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Avocados, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds are all excellent sources. These have anti-inflammatory properties, great for heart, and brain health.
This diet also requires an increase in fruit and vegetables, as they are linked to the reduction of chronic illnesses, such as cancer.
We also recommend consuming food rich in phytoestrogen, an estrogen-like compound that can boost estrogen levels, further alleviating inflammation.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 50%
- Protein: 20%–30%
- Fats: 30%
Anti-Inflammatory Pros & Cons
Anti-Inflammatory Diet Common Foods
Vegetarian Diet
The vegetarian diet is characterized by eating plant-based food sources. This diet does not strictly remove animal food products, but rather occasional consumption based on dietary and ethical preferences, such as animal welfare
Vegetarian diets are fantastic during menopause as they can decrease visceral fat, and the risk of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and hypertension.
However, the decrease in fish, meat, and poultry in certain vegetarian diets can result in low protein intake, and decrease vitamin B, and other nutrient deficiencies.
If you are considering switching to a vegetarian diet, speak to a nutritionist or dietician. They will be able to identify possible deficiencies based on your dietary requirements. You may need to boost your protein and vitamin B12 will supplements to meet nutritional requirements.
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian — excludes meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs, allowing dairy. Lacto-vegetarian — excludes meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and eggs.
- Ovo-vegetarian — excludes meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, allowing eggs.
- Pescatarian — excludes meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy, allowing fish.
- Vegan — excludes animal products such as meat, seafood, poultry, dairy, eggs, and honey.
Vegetarian Diet Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 40%–45%
- Protein: 25%–30%
- Fats: 30%–35%
Vegetarian Diet Pros & Cons
Vegetarian Diet Common Foods
Vegan Diet
The vegan diet for menopause is strictly plant-based. Like the vegetarian diet, many adopt this diet for health or animal welfare reason. This is also a viable diet for during menopause as supports weight loss, and decreases visceral fat while reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Those who begin the vegan diet should also monitor protein intake. This is because the elimination of animal-based foods can result in decreased protein and vitamin B12 intake.
Fortunately, vegan meal options have increased in recent years. These can contain additional protein and vitamin B12 to meet nutritional requirements. Moreover, supplementation can be take in the form of tablets and shake to boost intake.
Vegan Diet Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 40%–45%
- Protein: 25%–30%
- Fats: 30%–35%
Vegan Diet Pros & Cons
Vegan Diet Common Foods
Plant-Based Diet
The plant-based diet is centered around consuming plant-based foods as the main nutritional and fuel source, with the occasional consumption of fish, red meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs.
This diet is excellent for those who want to decrease animal-based foods, for health and ethical reasons, but do not want to cut them out completely. It can be used as a stepping stone to eliminating animal products.
Going plant-based has been associated with weight loss, a decrease in visceral fat, improved insulin resistance, and the reduction of chronic health conditions. Like the vegan and vegetarian diet, there is a risk of decreased protein, and vitamin B12, which can be supplemented.
Plant-Based Diet Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 40%–45%
- Protein: 25%–30%
- Fats: 30%–35%
Plant-Based Diet Pros & Cons
Plant-Based Diet Common Foods
DASH Diet
The DASH Diet or diet approaches to hypertension prioritizes unprocessed, nutrient-dense fresh foods to promote cardiovascular health. Its focus is to limit fatty meats, full-fat dairy, and sugar while reducing sodium intake to 1500 milligrams per day.
This diet provides daily and weekly nutritional goals based on your recommended daily calorie intake. You will be asked to hit weekly and daily intake of meat, fruits, vegetables, dairy, nuts, and seeds. This simplifies nutritional goals without the need to account for macronutrient.
DASH Diet Daily and Weekly Nutrition Goals Sample
Tips for Choosing the Right Diet During Menopause
When it comes to selecting a meal plan, we can be influenced by the opinions of our friends, family, and the media. Sadly, when this happens we can choose one which does not match our needs, leading to poor adherence and failure.
While menopause requires a diet containing of protein, fiber, and omega-3, we must select the one that aligns with our eating style and values. Below, we share tips on choosing the right diet for menopause, to ensure long-term health and wellness.
Considering Lifestyle and Preferences
Your lifestyle and dietary preferences will be one of the biggest determining factors when choosing the right diet for menopause.
For example, women who go through menopause will need quality sources of protein and omega-3 to maintain muscle mass and reduce inflammation. This can be achieved by eating fish, meat, and poultry. However, if they are vegan then they won’t choose animal-based food diets. This eliminated all animal food diets.
While addressing symptoms and nutritional requirements needs considering, it will not override ethical beliefs. Fortunately, nutrient and dietary needs can be boosted with supplementation.
Choosing the right diet based on your preferences and lifestyle choices will help you adhere to your diet, setting you up for long-term success.
Assessing Your Symptom Management Needs
The next best way to select your menopause diet is to base it on your current symptoms. As mentioned, different nutrients can be used to alleviate different menopause symptoms.
For someone experiencing symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and joint aches, a diet rich in omega-3. This will help reduce inflammation. Those with decreased bone density will need to eat a diet containing protein and calcium. This comes in the form of lean meat, and low-fat dairy. This will improve bone health.
Fortunately, the diets above contain unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods loaded with symptom-alleviating nutrients. This means you can easily choose one and modify it to address your current symptoms.
Balancing Nutritional Requirements
Balancing your nutritional requirements is essential when choosing your diet for menopause. For many women, the shift to a menopause diet needs to address the symptoms of menopause, while helping them lose weight.
Weight loss requires a calorie deficit, which is consuming fewer calories than you are burning each day. While this can be achieved by eating less, we won’t be meeting our nutritional goals to manage menopause symptoms.
To remedy this, we need to create and select a diet that allows us to decrease calorie intake, while maintaining vital nutrients such as protein, fiber, omega-3, vitamin B, and calcium.
Balancing nutritional requirements can seem difficult in the beginning. But once you begin your menopause diet, you will start to identify food that helps alleviate symptoms, improve satiety, and support your goals.
Potential Challenges and How to Overcome Them
In the beginning, changing your nutrition can feel relatively easy. However, as time goes on, challenges such as weight loss plateaus, navigating social situations, and rising symptoms can make it difficult to stick to the plan. We want to assure you that this is completely normal. Below we share some tips on how to overcome potential challenges, to help you stick to your plan.
Dealing with Weight Gain
Altering our nutrition for weight loss can be a difficult task. Those first few weeks are often met with feelings of restriction, as our pallet adjusts, and we battle cravings and feelings of hunger.
Sadly, even with these adjustments we can face weight loss plateaus and weight gain. When this happens, it can be tempting to abandon your diet.
Before you go ahead and derail your diet, stop, and understand that this is completely normal. Weight loss is rarely straightforward, as many factors which influence our weight.
When this happens, assess what factors may have contributed to your weight gain. This could be poor eating, drinking, or even just a simple plateau. Once you have identified the cause, you can either get back to your diet or make adjustments.
Navigating Social Situations and Diets
Navigating social situations can make it difficult to stick to our menopause diet. Those moments when our friends or family will be eating and drinking without restriction while trying our best to stick to our diet and kill a night out.
Fortunately, struggling through a night out isn’t our only option. During these moments it is completely acceptable to allow ourselves to relax.
However, if you want to adhere to your weight loss plan, and continue alleviating your menopause symptoms, there are a few things we can do.
If you are in a calorie deficit, consider eating fewer calories during the day, and save them for your evening meal.
For those of you who need to meet nutrient requirements to continue controlling menopause symptoms, select the dish that meets your nutritional requirements.
The key is to remember that this is your nutrition plan, and you are in complete control of making it work for you. This will help you stick to is long term.
Conclusion: Choose the Diet that suits you Best
Adjusting our diet and nutrition is an excellent way to alleviate the symptoms of menopause. A well-balanced diet consisting of omega-3, protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamin B can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
The diets above are all viable ways of alleviating menopause and enhancing your overall health. We recommend selecting the diet that suits your ethical and dietary preferences. From here, you can add different foods to treat your current symptoms.
This will improve your chances of choosing the correct diet for you, improving adherence, for long-term success.
FAQs
What is the best diet for a menopausal woman to lose weight?
Choose more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, especially those that are less processed and contain more fiber. In general, a plant-based diet is healthier than other options. Include legumes, nuts, soy, fish, and low-fat dairy products. Eat meat in limited quantities.
Can certain foods help alleviate menopause symptoms?
Yes, incorporating phytoestrogen-rich foods like soy products, flaxseeds, and legumes may help balance hormones. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats can also support overall health and potentially reduce symptoms.
Should I avoid specific foods during menopause?
Limit processed foods, sugars, alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods, as they may trigger hot flashes or disrupt sleep. Reducing high-sodium foods can help maintain healthy blood pressure and bone density.
How can I manage weight gain during menopause?
Focus on a balanced diet with plenty of fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Incorporate regular physical activity, including aerobic exercises and strength training. Practice mindful eating and ensure you get adequate sleep to support weight management.
Is taking supplements beneficial during menopause?
Supplements like calcium and vitamin D can support bone health, and omega-3 fatty acids may benefit heart health. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any new supplements to ensure they're appropriate for your needs.
