As we age, our bodies produce less estrogen. So it is no wonder that menopause symptoms arrive, and they can be uncomfortable. It’s been discovered that a specific group of nutrients can support healthy estrogen levels.
Over the next two weeks I will be sharing some information and recipes related to key nutrients, found naturally in food, that may benefit you in perimenopause and beyond. They certainly helped me in my medical menopause and with all estrogen blocked in my body!
We will look at nutrients like:
๐คฉ Phytoestrogens
๐คฉ Fibre
๐คฉ Omega3
๐คฉ protein
๐คฉ Probiotics
๐คฉ Antioxidants
๐คฉ magnesium & calcium
๐คฉ vitamins
Phytoestrogens are plant-based substances that mimic the actions of estrogen. They're found naturally in foods like soy and flaxseed. This are a great way to keep your ๐โ body functioning at its best while you transition into menopause.
Phytoestrogens are thought to balance out the lower levels of naturally occurring estrogen that ๐ฉ๐ฆฐ women experience as they age. This can help reduce symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.
Phytoestrogen rich foods include:
๐ฅSoy beans (inc edamame beans and soy containing foods e.g. tofu, miso)
๐ฅFlaxseeds
๐ฅLentils
๐ฅDried fruit
๐ฅSesame seeds
๐ฅCruciferous veg (e.g broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts)
๐ฅGarlic
๐ฅnuts
๐ฉ๐ณRecipes like my edamame salad, lentil ragu, lentil salad, flaxseed bars, flaxseed bread, granola, sauerkraut, garlic sprouts, dahl, power bars, rendang curry, broccoli two ways.
Most of these recipes are on my website, youtube channel or social media.
๐คDo you include these foods in your diet?
Why not try my
chocolate flaxseed bar recipe, a super tasty way to get your phytoestrogens!
Happy Cooking
Fibre is a necessity for our bodies, especially during perimenopause or menopause. It helps to improve the metabolism and excretion of excessive estrogen and this is especially helpful if you are in perimenopause. ๐คฉ
The best thing you can do to support your menopause symptoms is to eat healthy, exercise, and have fun.
Green leafy vegetables are stacked full of vitamins and minerals, plus the all important fibre so eat your greens! The benefit of getting fibre from plant sources rather than grain sources is that they also help feed the good bacteria in our gut!
Some fibre rich foods to include in your diet
* Leafy greens
* Bean & lentils
* Wholegrains
* Nuts
* Berries
Get your daily dose of nutrients with our recipes, for example:
Broccoli two ways cavolo nero, dahl, aubergine walnut & lentil ragu, chocolate seed bars, vegan bolognese, kale salad, salad jars, rendang curry, lentil salad.
Why not try my
vegan Bolognese recipe!
Could you increase your fibre? I hope some of the foods and recipe ideas above inspire you in the kitchen.
๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ ๐ fatty acid ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ค๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐.
It contributes to heart health, joint health, boosting brain health, skin health and may help with anxiety and mood.
I follow a food first approach, it you don’t eat enough of these foods regularly then you might want to think about supplementing your diet with Omega 3.
โ Wild salmon
โ Anchovies
โ Mackerel
โ Herring
โ Oysters
โ Sardines
โ Caviar
โ Flaxseed
โ Chia seeds
โ Walnuts
I love my @shinesseafood mackerel and sardines, so handy in a tin to add to any number of salads. (use code Fiona25 for 25% off). If I don’t have enough omega 3 in my daily diet I supplement with @gosomega nice-tasting omega 3 supplements, it makes a great base for a salad dressing (fiona10 will get you 10%off). Consult your health practitioner to find the best supplement for you!
Recipes I have that include these ingredients are flaxseed bars, flaxseed bread, chia berry compote, aubergine, walnut & lentil ragu. Panfried mackerel, anchovies in many dishes, and miso cabbage salmon.
๐๐ช๐ฅ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ข๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ด๐บ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ด ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ช๐ณ 40'๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ 50'๐ด?๏ธโ๏ธ
Calcium and magnesium are mineral nutrients that are important for many body functions including bone health & nerve and muscle function during menopause.
Springing into action with a balanced diet, healthy lifestyle and lots of exercise can help balance your hormones. Calcium and magnesium are two nutrients that play an important role in helping you adjust to menopause stages.
๏ปฟ
Are you getting enough calcium & magnesium in your diet or do you need to look at supplementing it?
๐๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ข๐ญ๐ค๐ช๐ถ๐ฎ & ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ด:
โ Dairy
โ Avocados
โ Nuts
โ Legumes
โ Tofu
โ Seeds
โ Whole grains
โ Bananas
โ Leafy greens
โ Dark Chocolate
โ Sardines
Calcium is needed to maintain strong bones, which are especially important during menopause. Magnesium plays many crucial roles in the along with bone health it is supports the nervous system.
We've got lots of amazing recipes ๐ and tips on how to put 'em together. Recipes like toasted seeds, lentil salad, aubergine, walnut & lentil ragu, banana & blueberry pancakes, Cavolo nero with ginger & garlic, tuna stuffed avocados, chocolate seed bars, labneh cheesecake, sardine & quinoa salad
Do you prioritise protein in your daily diet in menopause? ๐คทโ๏ธ
Protein is essential for keeping our bodies in top shape. Menopause is a time of change and often leads to a decreased intake of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Be sure to have protein with every snack & meal.
๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฆ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ช๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฆ๐ต. ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฆ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ณ๐บ:
โ Eggs
โ Almonds
โ Chicken breast
โ Cottage cheese
โ Greek yogurt
โ Milk
โ Lentils
โ Lean beef
โ Fish
โ Quinoa
I love to make Dahl & quinoa salad, to have ready in the fridge. frittata or omlette with greens are quick and easy recipes, Greek yoghurt with chia berry compote or with any fruit as a snack is a good way to have protein in a snack. Adding toasted seeds to dishes can help increase protein. The recent chicken with mustard & mushroom, seed bars or chowder are all recipes that have a good quantity of protein per portion.
Adding protein to a smoothie either as a whole food (e.g. edamame beans, nut butter, seeds, yoghurt, kefir or milk) or a good quality powdered supplement can be a great grab & go meal option.
๏ปฟ
Probiotics are a great way to keep your health in โ check, especially when you need all the support you can get in menopause. ๐. Probiotics cannot be stored in the body so they need to be consumed daily.
70% of your immune system is in the gut so focusing on optimal levels of beneficial bacteria is important. Think of fermented foods as natures probiotics providing your body with the beneficial bacteria you need. Start consuming them slowly to allow your gut time to adjust!
๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ rich foods ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐๐ญ:
โ Yogurt
โ Kefir
โ Sauerkraut
โ Tempeh
โ Kimchi
โ Miso
โ Kombucha
๏ปฟ
What fermented foods do you include in your daily diet?
Antioxidants- Eat the rainbow!
Think of the colours in your food and this will help to ensure you get antioxidants you need to help reduce oxidative stress which is linked to ageing and reduced estrogen levels.
Antioxidants are vitamins (e.g.A,C,E) and nutrients (e.g.zinc, selenium) that protect your cells from damage, reduce stress, and ๐ชpromote healthier joints and bones.
๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ง ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ , ๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ฌ.
๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ด๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ข๐ด:
โ Beetroot
โ Blueberries
โ Strawberries
โ Artichokes
โ Goji berries
โ Raspberries
โ Kale
โ Red cabbage
โ Dark Chocolate
Some recipes I think of that are rich in antioxidants are Kombucha mocktail, Kimchi, Beetroot soup, Roast vegetables, red cabbage with apples, kefir smoothie/ice cream, smoothie
๏ปฟ
A daily dose of Vitamin D, C, A and B3 can help ensure your bones stay healthy, your skin stays clear and your mood stays bright—all while you're going through those hormonal changes that come with menopause. ๐ฅฐ
As you age, your body can struggle with vitamin deficiencies and symptoms of menopause. With a Menstrual Support and Menopause healthy foods like these, you can feel your best this month and every month ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ
The main source of Vitamin D is the sun, supplement if you don't get enough!
if you eat the foods below regularly you should have most of the vitamins you need!
โ Salmon
โ Tuna fish.
โ Citrus (oranges, kiwi, lemon, grapefruit)
โ Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower)
โ Strawberries.
โ Leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli), orange and yellow vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and other winter squash, summer squash)
โ Red meat: beef, beef liver, pork.
โ Fortified cereals and breads.
โ Bananas.
HAPPY COOKING
Fiona
