MENOPAUSE AND THE GUT
Tips to support gut health and blood sugar balance during menopause
It’s World Menopause Day today, so what better time to share some simple and practical ways to improve our gut health and glycaemic response to food in order to encourage a smoother menopausal journey, with less troublesome symptoms.
As estrogen and progesterone levels plummet when women transition through the menopause, common frustrations include weight gain, digestive issues, insulin resistance, low energy, depression, vaginal dryness and hot flashes.
A key reason behind this is thought to be down to the close interplay between our gut health, blood sugar balance, and hormones. The drop in hormones during the menopause can lead to gut imbalances and insulin resistance, whilst disruptions in the gut microbiome and blood sugar levels can affect hormones, making symptoms of the menopause much worse.
As such, improving both gut health and blood sugar balance is absolutely crucial for women looking to feel their best through this hormonal transition.
Here are my top 4 tips to improve gut health and balance your blood sugar:
Eat a high-fibre colourful diet based on whole foods. By increasing the diversity of colours and high fibre foods on your plate, you are both nourishing your healthy gut bacteria and providing your body with slow release energy. Get creative with different fruit and vegetables, and sprinkle over nuts, seeds, herbs and spices.
Include a source of quality protein with every meal. This will slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, thus balancing blood sugar levels and reducing insulin production (the fat storing hormone!). Load up on eggs, wild fish, grass-fed meat/poultry, nuts, seeds, tempeh, tofu, and yoghurt.
Incorporate fermented foods into your daily diet. These contain live bacteria strains that populate your gut and provide systemic health benefits. Suggestions include kimchi, sauerkraut, live yoghurt (unsweetened), kefir, miso, tempeh.
Minimise ultra-processed foods. These contain chemicals, artificial flavourings, emulsifiers and sweeteners that seriously disrupt the microbiome and blood sugar levels, and are lacking in nutrients that your gut and body needs and deserves.
Safely incorporate fasting into a healthy diet and lifestyle. Introducing varied lengths of overnight fasting can promote insulin sensitivity, weight management, gut repair and enhance hormones during those menopausal years. For post-menopausal women without a cycle this can be done safely at any time of the month, ensuring you are still focusing on nutrient-dense healthy foods in your feeding window. Check out the work of Dr Mindy Pelz for more information and her Menopause Reset book.
Here are some of my favourite recipes to support women during the menopause:
Protein-packed Chia & Flaxseed Breakfast Pot