5 diet and lifestyle hacks to make menopause symptoms more manageable

Menopause symptoms can be overwhelming. We share five diet and lifestyle tips to help make menopause more manageable

Menopause can be a difficult time. Research shows around 85% of women experience menopause symptoms, though these can vary in type and severity. Common symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats can lead to trouble sleeping, while reducing hormone levels can leave you with mood changes, feeling forgetful, irritable, and tired. 

So, what can you do to help reduce symptoms and feel prepared to face this new life stage?

1. Eat a balanced, healthy diet

Eating certain foods – and reducing your intake of others – can help ease symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. We all know the benefits of eating a balanced, healthy diet. Ensuring you get all of the nutrients you need helps your body to function optimally. That means eating at least five portions of fruit and veg each day, trying to include at least two portions of fish each week, having protein with every meal, ensuring you have a healthy breakfast, and drinking plenty of water. 

During menopause, some people find that it can be helpful to reduce their caffeine and alcohol intake, as well as how much spicy and sugary food they eat. This can help ease night sweats (hot flashes) which can disturb your sleep.

Ensuring your diet has enough carbohydrates can help keep your energy levels high to combat exhaustion you may feel due to hormonal changes, while making sure you have enough omega-3 fatty acids can help with menopause symptoms including hot flushes and vaginal dryness. Increasing your calcium intake can also be important to help improve bone health and reduce the risk of fractures as you age. 

Find out more about what to eat during menopause and perimenopause. 

2. Have more foods high in phytoestrogens

During menopause, dropping estrogen levels can cause many different symptoms from hot flashes to mood changes. What you eat may be able to help balance your hormones. Phytoestrogens can mimic the effects of estrogen in your body. Occurring naturally in plant compounds, eating foods rich in phytoestrogens may be able to help. Research suggests food containing phytoestrogens (e.g. soybeans, tofu, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, beans) naturally may be better sources of phytoestrogens than supplements. 

3. Look after your gut microbiome

Looking after your gut can have a big impact during perimenopause and menopause. Lucia Stansbie, Registered Nutritional Therapist, Dip CNM, mBANT, mCNHC, explains more about the importance of supporting your gut microbiome. 

“Studies show that during perimenopause and menopause, the variety and number of “good” bacteria in our gut reduces. This can have an impact on our metabolism but also on digestion and nutrient absorption.

“Including fermented foods such as live yoghurt and kefir, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh and kombucha can help increase the number and variety of bacteria in the microbiome, as well as having plenty of fibre to ensure the health of our gut microbiome.”

4. Sleep well

Ensuring you get plenty of rest, keep a regular sleep routine, and develop healthy bedtime habits is important for your overall health and wellbeing. Sleep helps your brain to stabilise and regulate your emotions, improves your immunity, and helps you to feel rested and ready to face the day ahead. 

During menopause, oestrogen and progesterone both start to decline. This can affect your internal body clock (circadian rhythm, or sleep-wake cycle). This means that you might find yourself waking up more times during the night, leading to a less restful night’s sleep. With hot flushes being another common menopause and perimenopause symptom that can disturb sleep, give yourself the best chance of a restful night by resetting your sleep schedule and trying these expert tips from therapist Jacqueline Connaughton on how to improve your sleep quality. 

Making small dietary changes can also impact your sleep. As Dr Lisa Gatenby, RNutr PhD MMedSci BSc (hons) FHEA explains, when you don’t get enough sleep, it can have a negative affect on your body. Eating carbohydrates with your evening meal can help release serotonin and calm your body, while drinking warm milk, rich in calcium, can help your muscles relax and help you get ready for a more restful night’s sleep. 

5. Exercise regularly for health and relaxation

Exercise is important at any age, but during menopause, it becomes particularly important. Menopause causes bone density to decrease as estrogen levels drop, meaning you can be at greater risk. Exercise can help to build back up bone density and muscle strength, as well as to help control your blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing your risk of heart disease.

Ensuring you are regularly getting active can also have a positive impact on your mental health and wellbeing. Exercise has been shown to help reduce anxiety and low mood thanks to releasing endorphins. Exercising with others can also have a positive social impact, helping you to make connections while building routines that are healthy and fun. Many people find it tough to exercise regularly as they don’t enjoy it. Finding something you can actually enjoy, rather than just tolerate, can be a huge help. 

The NHS recommends tai chi and yoga for menopause and perimenopause, as these can both promote physical health and help you to feel more relaxed. Combining physical movement, mindfulness, and breathwork, yoga can help to improve flexibility and mobility while building strength, stimulating natural healing, and reducing stress. Try these five yoga poses for menopause and discover more about how yoga can help support menopause. 

With the right knowledge, help and support, perimenopause and menopause can be a transformative stage in your life. Sometimes, having someone you can talk to about these changes can be helpful. Working with a counsellor or therapist specialising in perimenopause and menopause can help you to better understand the physical and emotional changes you are going through. 

Speaking with others who have or are going through the menopause can be a big help. Finding a local menopause support group can help to put you in contact with others going through similar experiences. 

Working with a professional menopause counsellor can help you to talk more about your experiences openly without fear of judgement. A trained counsellor can help you to learn how to identify causes of anxiety, low mood, and negative thinking, rebuild confidence, build new, healthier habits, and start exploring this new life phase. Find out more about how menopause counselling can help.