These changes affect various aspects of health, including metabolism, bone density, mood, and cognitive function. Understanding menopause is crucial for managing both its immediate and long-term effects on a woman’s well-being. By being informed about this transition, women can make empowered choices to support their health during this important stage.
There are many misconceptions and fears surrounding menopause, and we’re going to dispel those myths and help you feel supported and empowered.
A quote from Lisa Mosconi, the author of The Menopause Brain, captures this idea well:
“We need to shift the conversation around menopause from one of fear and loss to one of empowerment and proactive health.” This mindset is what I hope to encourage, helping women approach menopause with confidence and strength.
Fact or Fiction: Weight Gain is Inevitable During Menopause
Fiction: While menopause does bring hormonal shifts, particularly a drop in estrogen, it doesn’t mean that weight gain is unavoidable. Estrogen plays a role in maintaining muscle mass and regulating metabolism, and its decline can lead to changes like increased abdominal fat and muscle loss. However, weight gain can be effectively managed.
Dr. Stacy Sims, in her book The Next Level, argues against the traditional focus on low-intensity workouts during menopause. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of incorporating heavy lifting into your routine to counteract the muscle-regenerating benefits lost due to decreased estrogen. This approach helps preserve muscle mass and manage the metabolic changes that often contribute to weight gain during this life stage.
In addition to strength training, Dr. Sims highlights the importance of consuming high-quality protein, particularly post-workout. She recommends 35 to 40 grams of leucine-rich protein within 30 minutes of lifting to support muscle maintenance. While protein is essential, balanced nutrition as a whole is key to managing weight and overall health during menopause.
By emphasizing strength training, balanced nutrition, and regular physical activity, women can not only preserve muscle mass and manage the metabolic shifts of menopause but also feel empowered and in control of their health. This proactive approach helps women navigate this life stage with confidence, ensuring they don’t feel overwhelmed or helpless by the changes they experience.
Fact or Fiction: Metabolism Slows Down After Menopause; Therefore, You Need to Eat Less
Fiction: The idea that your metabolism automatically slows down after menopause, meaning you need to eat less, is a common misconception. While hormonal changes, particularly the drop in estrogen, do affect your body, they don’t mean you need to drastically cut calories.
The drop in estrogen can lead to changes like decreased muscle mass and increased fat around the abdomen, but you can manage these changes without simply eating less.
What to Focus On Instead:
- Strength Training: As you lose muscle with age, strength training helps maintain it, keeping your metabolism active.
- Balanced Nutrition: It’s not just about eating less; it’s about making sure your diet includes enough protein, healthy fats, and fiber to support your muscles and overall well-being. I encourage my clients to approach their meals with an abundance mindset. Instead of focusing on reducing calories, ask yourself, “What can I add to this plate to better nourish my body?”
- Staying Active: Regular exercise, both aerobic and strength-based, is key to managing your weight and metabolism during and after menopause.
Instead of cutting calories, focus on an active lifestyle and a balanced diet to support your muscle and metabolic health.
Fact or Fiction: Supplements Can Help Prevent Bone Loss and Osteoporosis During Menopause
Fact: Taking certain supplements during menopause can help prevent bone loss and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, but they are not a standalone solution.
During menopause, the decline in estrogen levels accelerates bone loss, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Supplements like calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K2 are commonly recommended to support bone health. Calcium is essential for maintaining bone density, while vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Vitamin K2 plays a role in directing calcium to the bones and away from the arteries.
However, supplements alone aren’t enough. A comprehensive approach that includes a balanced diet rich in bone-supporting nutrients, regular weight-bearing exercise, and lifestyle changes like avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption is crucial for bone health during and after menopause.
Fact or Fiction: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Causes Cancer and Should Be Avoided
Fiction: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) doesn’t automatically cause cancer and can be a safe and effective option for many women during menopause, though it does come with some risks that need careful consideration.
HRT involves using estrogen alone or with progesterone to manage menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. Concerns exist about an increased risk of certain cancers, particularly breast cancer, but this risk varies based on factors such as the type of HRT, duration of use, when HRT is started, and individual health history.
Long-term use of combined estrogen-progestin therapy may increase breast cancer risk. However, for many women, especially those starting HRT close to menopause, the benefits of symptom relief and osteoporosis protection might outweigh the risks. Estrogen-only therapy, usually for women who have had a hysterectomy, has a different risk profile and may have a lower risk of breast cancer. Talking with your healthcare provider about this option can provide significant relief from symptoms related to hormonal changes.
Fact or Fiction: Soy Should Not Be Consumed During Menopause
Fiction: Soy products are not only safe during menopause, but they can also help relieve symptoms like hot flashes and bone loss. Soy is high in phytoestrogens, which are plant compounds that may be beneficial. Other foods rich in phytoestrogens include flaxseeds, sesame seeds, chickpeas, lentils, and whole grains. For daily intake, aim for 1-2 servings of soy, 1-2 tablespoons of flaxseeds, and include a variety of these other foods in your diet.
Fact or Fiction: Alcohol Should Be Limited During Menopause
Fact: Alcohol should be limited during menopause. Excessive consumption can exacerbate symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, and negatively impact bone health. Additionally, alcohol can disrupt sleep by shortening REM cycles, which are essential for restorative rest. Poor sleep quality can further affect metabolism, leading to increased cravings for sugary foods, compounding the challenges women may face during this transition.
Fact or Fiction: Menopause Causes a Decline in Quality of Life
Fiction: Menopause does not inherently lead to a decline in quality of life. While it can bring challenging symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances, many women effectively manage these and continue to live fulfilling lives. Quality of life during menopause is influenced by individual health, lifestyle, and support systems. With the right management strategies, including lifestyle adjustments and medical treatments, many women maintain or even improve their quality of life during this transition.
In fact, several studies have shown that postmenopausal women often report better mental health and greater contentment. For example, the Australian Women’s Healthy Aging Project found that postmenopausal women experienced improved moods, more patience, less tension, and felt less withdrawn as they entered their 60s and 70s. Similarly, a study in Denmark reported that postmenopausal women experienced a stronger sense of well-being after menopause. The Jubilee Women Study in the UK found that 65 percent of British postmenopausal women were happier than before menopause, feeling more independent and enjoying better relationships with their partners and friends.
Thriving in Life During Menopause
Menopause is a natural and inevitable phase in a woman’s life, bringing both physical and emotional changes. While these changes can be challenging, they don’t have to diminish your quality of life. With the right knowledge, tools, and support, this stage can be navigated with confidence and even become a time for enhanced well-being.
By dispelling common myths—whether about weight gain, metabolism, or hormone therapy—we can change the conversation from one of fear and uncertainty to one of empowerment and proactive health management. Menopause isn’t the end but a beginning, offering new opportunities for personal growth, self-care, and a renewed focus on your health.
Our Peri+Menopause Program is perfectly designed to help you thrive in peri-menopause and menopause – helping you understand your body and your options, relieve common menopause symptoms, and have a community supporting you through it.
If you need personalized guidance through this transition, Starkel Nutrition providers are here to support you every step of the way.
References:
https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/menopause-and-bone-loss
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