Written by
Stacy Miller
Around age 46, women begin experiencing a natural life transition called perimenopause. During this time, your hormone levels, specifically estrogen and progesterone, begin to fall, causing a range of symptoms like weight gain, mood changes, irregular periods, and sleep issues. While no food can stop these changes, there are nutritional choices you can make that help manage and support hormonal balance. Sticking to a perimenopause diet plan is an effective way to provide your body with the nutritional support you need to feel your best during this transitional period.
When it comes to aging, many women know about menopause but are surprised to learn about the transitional stage leading up to it, called perimenopause. There are three stages of perimenopause: early, late, and menopause, each with varying symptoms. But what causes you to enter perimenopause? As you age, the number of follicles in your ovaries decline, leading to infrequent ovulation and decline in estrogen and progesterone levels. These hormonal fluctuations not only impact your menstrual cycle, but they also cause numerous symptoms like:
Depending on their severity, managing these symptoms can be challenging, which is why it’s important to focus on foods for perimenopause that provide nutritional support for greater hormone health. When you eat a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients, it may aid in balancing your hormone levels and lessen symptom severity.
A perimenopause diet is low-fat, packed with protein, which is good for your heart and overall wellbeing. It also limits sugary and processed foods, which can be beneficial for weight management. The goal is hormone support and giving your body what it needs to stay healthy, which is why knowing which foods to eat during perimenopause can help you feel your best.
Phytoestrogens are plant-based compounds that interact with estrogen receptors and may offer some relief from common perimenopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes. There are three types of phytoestrogens: isoflavones, lignans, and resveratrol. Perimenopause foods that are rich in phytoestrogens include:
Omega-3 fatty acids are an excellent addition to any diet for perimenopause since they may help with mood regulation and sleep support. Additionally, they may help reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes, reduce inflammation, and promote cardiovascular and cognitive health. You can find omega-3 fatty acids in seafood, shellfish, nuts seeds, like:
During perimenopause and menopause, hormonal changes put you at an increased risk of losing bone density, which is why calcium is included in every good perimenopause meal plan. Calcium can help stop osteoporosis and bone loss, reducing your risk of fractures. It may also improve sleep and mood. You can find calcium from many sources, including:
Perimenopause nutrition provides full-body support, which is why it’s important to eat foods that are high in vitamin D. Vitamin D may have a range of benefits, including supporting bone health and immune function, elevating mood, regulating blood sugar levels, and even reducing the risk of developing cancer. Perimenopause foods to eat that are high in vitamin D are:
Magnesium is a crucial mineral that plays a major role in multiple bodily functions, like hormone regulation. Eating the proper nutrition for perimenopause can support better sleep, reduced depression and anxiety, fewer hot flashes, improved bone health, and fewer muscle cramps. The best perimenopause diet would include magnesium-rich foods like:
| Nutrient | Benefits | Foods |
| Phytoestrogens | Reduce hot flashes, Improve mood cardiovascular health, and bone health | Tofu, flax, broccoli, cabbage, berries, peaches, whole grains, beans, lentils |
| Omega-3 fatty acids | Improve mood, support hormone balance, reduce inflammation | Trout, tuna, salmon, oysters, mussels, crab, soybeans, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds |
| Calcium | Maintain bone density, reduce the risk of fractures | Cheese, yogurt , milk, fortified cereal, tofu, spinach, kale, collard greens, orange juice |
| Vitamin D | Support bone and immune health, elevate mood, regulate blood sugar, reduce cancer risk | Egg yolks milk, salmon, cheese, tuna, orange juice, fortified cereal, liver |
| Magnesium | Improved sleep, reduced anxiety and depression, fewer hot flashes and muscle cramps, better bone health | Green leafy vegetables, legumes, potatoes, nuts, seeds, whole grains |
When talking about the best diet for perimenopause, it’s important to discuss the foods you should limit or avoid, as well as those you should focus on eating. Let’s discuss some of the top options below.
Processed foods can wreak havoc on your hormones, causing a range of issues like increased cortisol production, inflammation, insulin resistance, and blood sugar spikes. Additionally, some of the additives used in processed foods that are called endocrine-disrupting chemicals can also interfere with hormone metabolism and synthesis, worsening imbalances.
Excess sugar can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, prompting your pancreas to release larger-than-needed amounts of insulin. Over time, these spikes can cause weight gain and insulin resistance.
Alcohol has no benefits for the body, especially during perimenopause. In fact, it can worsen symptoms like sleep issues and hot flashes and increase your risk of developing some cancers, osteoporosis, and heart disease.
When it comes to perimenopause, there’s no doubt that a nutritious diet can be very beneficial. Unfortunately, for many women, knowing what to eat can be a challenge. Having tailored dietary advice that’s customized to your unique symptoms and lifestyle can make a huge difference in the ease of healthy eating. Hormona offers countless resources that provide comprehensive insights into hormonal health, making it easier to understand how your body works. You have access to in-depth information that explains common issues and questions and provides scientifically-based answers. Having a tool like Hormona empowers you to take control of your hormone health and make lifestyle choices that help you feel your best.
One of the biggest challenges to eating healthy is understanding how the foods you eat impact your body. An easy way to become more mindful is through daily lifestyle tracking. Using a hormone tracker like Hormona, you can input symptoms and weigh them against the foods you eat to see if there are any patterns or connections. Hormona offers numerous insights that make it the leader in personalized health technology. With the information it provides, you can adjust your diet as needed to better support your hormone health.
While your diet plays a large role in how you feel, it’s only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to perimenopausal health. Adding positive lifestyle choices to your daily routine can give your hormones added support and help relieve symptoms. Here are a few changes to incorporate for better health.
Exercising isn’t just good for your body, it’s also great for your mind. Staying active can help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and anxiety, and aid in bone health, sleep quality, and blood pressure regulation.
Getting sufficient rest during perimenopause will help improve your mood, support hormonal balance, reduce brain fog, and promote cognitive and physical recovery.
Stress can wreak havoc on your hormones and worsen perimenopause symptoms like anxiety and depression. Practicing stress management techniques like mindfulness, journaling, and self-care can lower cortisol levels, improve your mood, and improve sleep. Some effective low stress activities you can try during perimenopause include:
During perimenopause and menopause, women are more susceptible to weight gain, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. Eating a healthy diet is one of the top recommended ways to reduce these risk factors of developing these conditions.
Conclusion
Perimenopause symptoms can make the transitional period from your reproductive years to menopause challenging. While there’s no specific food that can stop the decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels, eating a nutritious diet can offer symptom support. Choosing foods that provide nutrients that may lessen symptom severity can give you much-needed relief. Now you can unlock personalized dietary guidance and improve your health management with Hormona.io. Ready to navigate your perimenopausal journey effectively? Join Hormona.io today to start tracking your hormones and gain transformative wellness insights!
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Dr Singh is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center. His research and clinical practice focuses on the myriad of sleep.
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