Menopause often comes with its share of challenges, from hot flushes and night sweats to mood swings and sleep disturbances, the symptoms can be overwhelming. But the good news is adopting a few simple lifestyle changes can significantly improve your overall wellbeing during this transition. Our team members Vicky and Marie share four key tips to help you navigate menopause gracefully:
1. Focus on good sleep hygiene
Sleep is crucial for overall health, and it becomes even more important during menopause. Hormonal fluctuations can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to insomnia or frequent awakenings. To improve your sleep quality:
Establish a consistent sleep schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine: Engage in calming activities like reading, taking a warm bath, or practicing gentle stretching before bed.
Optimize your sleep environment: Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Invest in comfortable bedding and pillows.
Limit caffeine and alcohol: These substances can interfere with sleep, especially in the evening. For Vicky, cutting out caffeine completely has really helped. Instead she has herbal teas and has chamomile tea as part of her relaxing bedtime routine.
2. Embrace calming exercise
Exercise is a fantastic way to help manage menopausal symptoms and boost your mood. Try:
Yoga or Pilates: These low-impact exercises can help improve your flexibility, balance and reduce stress. Both Marie & Vicky use yoga classes as their time to de-stress.
Swimming: A great way to get a full-body workout without putting too much strain on your joints.
Walking: A simple but effective way to get moving.
Strength training: This is especially important during the menopause as the drop in progesterone and oestrogen levels cause bone density and muscle mass to decrease. You don't need to join an expensive gym to do this - simple body weight exercises are equally as effective! We'll be sharing some exercise ideas in our next blog.
3. Nourish your body with a healthy diet
A balanced diet can provide essential nutrients to support your body during menopause. Focus on incorporating:
Protein:
As women age, we need more protein. It is essential for maintaining muscle mass and bone health.
1.4–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day is recommended, so most women will end up needing the equivalent of 20-30g (palm-size) servings of high-protein foods per day, or roughly 1–2 servings per meal.
Eggs, lean red meat, poultry, fish and vegetable sources of protein like beans, pulses and nuts are great sources.
Vicky recommends including protein in your breakfast to help stabilise blood sugar levels. A great protein-packed breakfast could be this chia seed pudding, or eggs and avocado on toast.
Fibre:
One of the symptoms for perimenopause and menopause can be bloating, cramps and other irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. Eating a diet rich in fibre helps support a healthy gut and keeps bowel movements regular. You should aim for 30g/day of fibre, which is the equivalent of:
At least 2 servings of fruit. One serve is 1 medium piece of fruit (banana, apple, orange etc.), 2 smaller fruits (kiwi, mandarin, plum etc.), 1 cup of berries or 30g dried fruit.
Fruits and vegetables:
Healthy fats:
Calcium and Vitamin D:
4. Find your support network
Talking to others who are going through the same thing can be really helpful!
Join a support group: There are lots of online and in-person groups for women going through menopause.
Chat to your friends and family: They'll be there to listen and offer support.Menopause is a natural part of life, but it doesn't have to be a negative chapter! By making a few lifestyle tweaks it can be a time to reclaim your health.