Menopause

Menopause is defined as your last menstrual period, and is confirmed when you have had 12 months without a period. Menopause usually happens naturally between the ages of 40 and 58, with an average age of 51. (It can also happen before then as a result of surgery or other medical intervention).

Perimenopause refers to the time before the menopause, and can last for anything from 0 to 10 years. During the perimenopause your body starts to produce less of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which can lead to a range of symptoms.

Symptoms of perimenopause:

• Irregular periods
• Hot flushes and night sweats
• Difficulty sleeping
• Vaginal dryness
• Pelvic floor weakening
• Urinary incontinence and infections
• Mood swings, memory loss and depression
• Changing body shape (putting on weight around your tummy)
• Loss of muscle tone
• Breast changes (breasts become less dense)
• Skin changes (skin gets thinner and you may get acne)
• Hair changes (more hair where you don’t want it, less where you do)
• Aching joints
• Loss of libido

Tips

Change your diet to reduce hot flushes and night sweats

Unfortunately, it’s best to cut down on all the usual suspects: sugar, white bread, white rice, white pasta, caffeine and alcohol. Instead, a Mediterranean type diet (eating lots of fish, vegetables and whole grain pasta) is said to be good for reducing hot flushes and night sweats.

You can also try increasing soya based foods in your diet, like tofu, edamame beans (you can buy these frozen) and soy sauce. These contain phytoestrogens which mimic the oestrogen that your body is producing less. Flaxseeds (you could try adding a small amount to your morning cereal) are another good source of phytoestrogens.

Research has also suggested (sadly) that losing weight may help to reduce hot flushes. This is further supported by research by ZOE, which has found that eating a high-quality gut-friendly diet can reduce hot flushes and sleep disturbance. Another good reason to incorporate lots of healthy plants in your diet.

Change your diet to reduce vaginal dryness, and joint pain and improve skin

Oestrogen and progesterone are both anti-inflammatory, and your body starts to produce less of them during menopause. Omega 3 fats are also anti-inflammatory, and help ensure hormones are produced properly, so try to include lots in your diet. Great sources of omega oils are salmon, mackerel, anchovies, edamame beans and other soya products, olive and rapeseed oil, walnuts, flaxseeds, hazelnuts and green leafy vegetables.

Foods high in omega 3 fats can also help improve skin dryness, reduce vaginal dryness, and improve libido.

Change your diet to protect your brain

Falling oestrogen levels can have an impact on your brain health. Women are more likely to develop depression during the menopause. The risk of developing multiple sclerosis also increases, as does the risk of stroke. Eating more of a ‘Mediterranean’ type diet can help also help to reduce this risk.

In particular, legumes, green leafy vegetables and sweet potatoes are all great choices for brain health. Make sure you eat plenty of fibre from whole grains. Omega 3 fats and flavonoid rich foods (strawberries and blueberries) also help to protect the brain.

Yoga

The stretches that you practice in yoga can help to improve hot flushes, low mood, irritability and sleep disturbances. Ask your yoga teacher to recommend poses to open your hips, and breathing exercises to reduce anxiety.

Herbal remedies

St John’s Wort helps some women who suffer from depression and loss of libido during the menopause

Maca root (also known as Peruvian ginseng) can be taken for hot flushes and vaginal dryness.  Try adding it to a smoothie, or to your morning cereal. 

Wild Yam contains phytoestrogens, and can help with hot flushes, dry skin and low mood. Try moisturising with a Wild Yam Cream every night to reduce hot flushes.

Red Clover also contains phytoestrogens, so is another alternative you could try.

Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic treatment for menopause. Research suggests that it can help with hot flushes, headache, irritability, depression, mood swings and sleep disturbance.

Remember with all herbal remedies to think about safety before buying. See our tips for taking supplements here.

Drink water

It sounds obvious, but you can get more dehydrated during the menopause, particularly if you suffer from night sweats, so drink more water to help combat dry skin and headaches.

Do more exercise

Doing more exercise can help avoid age-related weight gain and loss of bone density, which come along like the evil twins of menopause. Weight bearing, aerobic exercise is particularly important to improve bone density, and could help to reduce the weight you seem to be piling on around your tummy. But avoid excessive exercise, like marathons, as this can increase inflammation.

Carrying more weight around your middle is also linked to inflammation, so that’s another good reason to start doing more exercise. Again, ZOE research has suggested that a diet high in gut-friendly foods can help to reduce weight gain around your middle during menopause.

Ideas to help prevent osteoporosis

A study in 2017 by Trinity College Dublin showed that eating yoghurt could help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in menopausal women.

As noted above, high impact exercise like running or Zumba will also help strengthen your bones, as will a balanced diet with plenty of calcium and vitamin D. Stopping smoking and reducing your alcohol intake can also help to improve your bone density.

Latest NICE guidance also confirms that exercise is an excellent way to treat osteoporosis.

Do your pelvic floor exercises

Your pelvic floor is only going to get weaker during menopause, so start doing your pelvic floor exercises today! See our tips on urinary incontinence here, to find out more.

Have more sex

Along with vaginal dryness, there is a risk that your vagina can get shorter and narrower during menopause, if you don’t have enough vaginal sex. Having lots of vaginal sex will help to keep your vaginal tissues thick and moist and help to maintain your vagina’s length and width.

Volunteer or get a pet

Menopause tends to come along just as your children may be becoming more independent, or your career or love life is stuck in the doldrums. This can leave some women feeling as if they have lost their purpose, which can compound the feelings of depression associated with the menopause.

Why not try volunteering to give yourself a new sense of purpose? Or you could get a pet. There is no shame in turning into an old cat lady – the stereotype is there because it works for so many people. Or get a dog, to encourage you to go out walking every day.

Cold water swimming

More unusually, the BBC has reported how a group of women in Wales have found that cold water swimming has helped improve menopause symptoms such as night sweats and anxiety levels.

Embrace your new life

Try reading Darcey Steinke’s take on the menopause in her book Flash Count Diary. She takes inspiration from the animal world. Killer whales are one of the few animals apart from humans that experience a menopause. The post-menopausal whales lead their pods and teach the younger whales hunting skills. Why not search out new opportunities to embrace a role leading your community or passing on your skills?

The following links may also be helpful:

The North American Menopause Society website gives a comprehensive guide

The BDA have produced a helpful factsheet here about the impact of diet on the menopause.

See our tips on Vaginal Health here.

See our tips on Urinary incontinence here.

See our tips on Anxiety and low mood here.

See our tips on Joint pain here.

Menopausal women are at increased risk of suffering a hemiplegic migraine, especially if they drink wine. See our tips on Headache and Migraine here.

See our tips on Sleep here.

See our tips on Weight loss here.