Did you know that there are foods that you should avoid during perimenopause and menopause? True story. In fact, we’ve just had a few (amazing) ladies go through the 21-Day Hormone Detox program. What we noticed from that is that food changes can be overwhelming. Necessary for best results but overwhelming. That’s why it’s so important to know the whys. Let us explain. 🙂
Hormones help control every physiological process in our bodies. From metabolism to reproductive health, to immune response, to mental health. And of course perimenopause and the menopause transition.
And when your perimenopause / menopause / post-menopause a lot of things change,
That weight gain you can’t shift? It’s usually to do with hormone imbalance ladies!
That’s why we work with creating balanced hormones during menopause because they’re the key to diminishing symptoms and managing weight. When they’re out of whack they can cause all sorts of symptoms. The weight that won’t shift. Mood swings. Acne. Bloating. The list goes on. Sorry! 🤭
A lot of it goes back to nutrition and lifestyle. In truth, MOST of it leads back there. Foods can help or hinder your menopause journey in a big way(!) Huge. So eating a well-balanced diet is key.
Following are seven foods to avoid for a healthy, happy, gorgeous you. (You may be surprised by what makes the list!)
7 Food Offenders During Peri / Menopause
1. Sugar:
Sugar can wreck your health and hormone balance especially during perimenopause. It raises insulin, which puts stress on the pancreas and can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes if left untreated in the long term. Insulin resistance equals weight gain, weight gain that’s super hard to shift. (You can read why here). And when it comes to sex hormones the fat cells in your body secrete estrogen. The more sugar you eat, the more fat cells you create, the more estrogen they secrete. This estrogen adds to the estrogen your endocrine system produces. Add in xenoestrogens (chemicals in cleaning products and personal care) and you’re set up for estrogen dominance (especially if you’re in perimenopause), progesterone deficiency, and hormonal imbalance.
2. Non-organic foods:
Organic foods are grown without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides. They’re typically more nutritious than conventional counterparts and don’t add to the toxic burden on the body. The pesticides and chemicals used in agriculture are known endocrine disruptors. They mess up your hormones and the way your body uses and metabolises hormones. Not good. Not good at all. Especially when you’re body’s dealing with perimenopause. That’s why it’s such a good idea to have a veggie garden where you can. Of course, we realise organic food is often soooo much more expensive. A good rule of thumb when buying conventional?
Wash your fruit and veg in a solution of:
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice
Make it up in a spray bottle and spritz your veggies. Leave for five minutes then rinse. Or double/triple your quantities and put them in the sink for a quick soak before rinsing off.
A great resource for where to spend your money on organics is the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists — they are updated yearly and can help you decide which produce items to buy as organics.
3. Gluten:
According to glutenfreesociety.com, “Gluten is a known hormone disruptor. Grain seeds are sprayed with hormone to enhance growth (note: this is not always the case down under). These hormones interfere with your hormones. The pesticide, fungicide, and herbicide chemicals used on grains are also hormone disruptors.”
Gluten is known to increase intestinal permeability (leaky gut), inhibit thyroid function, stress the adrenal glands, and also affect immunity. Serious issues especially for women post-40 experiencing menopause Those factors lead to a massive decrease in the production of some seriously important hormones, i.e., thyroid and adrenals. Add the innate hormone inhibition to the added factors from pesticides and chemicals often used on gluten-containing grains, and the problem is huge.
For those with celiac disease, gluten is a life-long no-no. Even if you don’t have celiac though, your body may be intolerant to gluten. Removing it from your diet for 4-6 weeks can be an easy way to see how your body responds.
4. Dairy:
The jury is mixed when it comes to dairy and hormones, but it looks like we should err on the side of caution. Especially during perimenopause and post-menopause as our digestive system changes. Caution is particularly advised in places like the United States, however, adding hormones to milk is banned in the EU and down under. As we noted in our skincare article: Love Dairy or Ditch Dairy
“There’s a lot of talk about the presence of hormones and antibiotics in dairy. Cow’s milk apparently contains naturally occurring bioactive hormones like insulin-like growth factor IGF-1. Those in the biz say this is OK though health researchers are exploring it. And unlike the United States, adding hormones to milk is banned down under and in the EU. (Thank goodness, this is awful.) The industry is also not allowed to supply dairy that has been exposed to antibiotics.”
Dairy is also highly inflammatory and as we grow older the lactase enzyme we use to process lactose becomes less agile so many of us can develop an intolerance. As with any of these foods remove them from your diet for a period of weeks and see how your body responds. Take note of your skin too.
Did you know? Your skin is a messenger you should take not of for what’s going on inside you.
5. Alcohol:
Sorry to sound like a killjoy but if you are trying to minimise perimenopause symptoms, cut out the alcohol. Alcohol can impair the functions of the hormone-releasing glands and the way that various organs interact with the hormones they need. Serious consequences can result. Blood sugar, calcium metabolism (bone strength), cortisol, thyroid and insulin can all impacted by alcohol consumption.
According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism “drinking can contribute to a multitude of disorders in women. These include early menopause and increased risk of spontaneous abortions. Alcohol can directly interfere with hormonal regulation.”
On the estrogen front, estradiol naturally decreases in the post-menopausal years, and this increases women’s risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Interestingly, because alcohol increases the conversion of testosterone into estradiol, post-menopausal women who drink three to six alcoholic beverages a week may have a REDUCED risk of cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and certain cancers. Bone integrity may be impacted, however, so those with osteoporosis or osteopenia should be mindful.
6. Nightshades:
While most veggies are a perfect pick for your healthy lifestyle, there are a few that may be troublemakers! It depends on your individual makeup. Nightshades (peppers, white potatoes, eggplant, and tomatoes) are naturally rich in several compounds known to cause inflammation. In some people, these compounds trigger an autoimmune response in the thyroid and joints. Neither inflammation nor autoimmune imbalance is supportive of hormone balance. In general, avoid nightshades when the body is out of balance just in case and gauge your bodies reaction.
Sweet potatoes are a great substitute for white potatoes; peaches and beetroot instead of tomatoes; cauliflower or zucchini in place of eggplant and radishes for that peppery bite!
So, what do you think? Are any of these foods still in your diet rotation? How hard do you think it would be to cut them out… even if it’s for seven days?
Post in the comments and let me know about your experience with dietary changes and how they’ve helped your health. Or, post your questions, and let’s dig a little deeper into the things that interest you!
NEED HELP?
If you would like some step-by-step support to manage these signs and symptoms, do get in touch with me.
I’m Jenna, an accredited holistic health coach with a passion for helping women after 40 with weight gain and bullying peri / menopause hormones.
I do this work because I’ve been there and received no solutions when I searched for help. So I pivoted careers, spent thousands of dollars and hit the (study) books so that I could create a system to kick Menozilla out the door! 🙂
Yours in health & happiness
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
YOURS IN HEALTH & HAPPINESS
Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels
