Stress is really bad during menopause and perimenopause, it is worse than bad food and lack of exercise. You probably have read things like this: Eat this, eat that, do not eat that cake, it will kill you. Yes it has sugar, bring the priest we need an exorcist to get the sugar out and the gluten and the milk and the joy. No doubt sugar is bad, but the stress produced by the scary headlines is worse, at least for your hormones.
Stress is really bad during menopause and perimenopause because as you know those pesky menopause and perimenopause symptoms are the result of hormonal imbalance. In order to alleviate or eliminate the symptoms we have to balance our hormones. In the natural community there is a lot of emphasis on food to control or manage the hormones.
Without a doubt food is important; however, I think stress is equally or more important to balance your hormones.
Do you know anybody who eats super clean, super healthy and that person is bitter, judgmental, and she or he looks stressed out or with anxiety? I know more than a few. Food alone is not the answer. And more importantly, food should not create stress or deprive us of joy.
Why is stress really bad during menopause and perimenopause?
Let me simplify it: every time we stress out, two hormones rush out, adrenaline and cortisol. The one that keeps lingering to help us escape danger is cortisol.
In the past, we used these hormones when we needed to escape from a predator, in other words we ran to save our lives. Stress is a response to danger. In the present time, stress is caused by many factors, which are mainly harmless or at least nonlethal. In fact most of our stress is caused only by our thoughts. However, the body’s stress response is the same as if it were in danger.
The organ that creates cortisol are the adrenal glands. These glands are depleted in many people in our age bracket. They are depleted and not working properly because of a few factors: we have had too much stress throughout our lives, we may have taken hormones such as birth control pills and our lifestyle is not very healthy. So we may not be producing enough cortisol to support a lot of stress.
More cortisol less estrogen
Our body is always trying to protect itself. It will always give priority to immediate protection than to other bodily functions. Since the body believes that the stress hormones are so important for survival, when it does not have enough cortisol, it uses other hormones, including estrogen, to make more cortisol. During menopause and perimenopause, we have less estrogen and if we have stress it may be used to create cortisol instead of working as estrogen.
In conclusion
During menopause and perimenopause we have lower levels of estrogens and progesterone. We also have a lower capacity to make cortisol. If we have a lot of stress our body maybe using our little estrogen to make cortisol in order to supply fuel for our useless stress.
In other words your stress is depriving you of your estrogen, and we feel it in the form of all the menopausal symptoms.
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Stress is really bad. And the good news is….. you can control it, no prescription required.
The short answer is yes, many of us do. The next question is why some women experience a symptomless menopause and others (the majority) experience many symptoms during perimenopause and menopause. And what can you do if you are already experiencing some unpleasant symptoms? Can you improve? Yes, you can, and it is not difficult or expensive and you do not have to join a cult.
Most women who do not experience a bad perimenopause and menopause share some attributes and it does not look to be a genetic thing. The attribute most of these women share is a healthish, happish life. It is not necessarily super healthy or super happy. Many women who are experiencing perimenopause and menopause symptoms can benefit by copying “our secrets.”
Let me start by saying that there are some symptoms, but they are fewer and not severe. For example I started to gain weight and my body shape changed (but I stopped it), other women experience lack of sleep, depression, etc., these symptoms are not as bad or as many as in most women.
It is not difficult to avoid most of the perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms and I am going to tell you some the most important things you can do to avoid them. This is not a complete list, but I think it includes the most important aspects.
What you eat
Model Christie Brinkley is a lacto-vegetarian. She has a very active life, but nothing crazy. She has said that her menopause was painless. I have a friend who eats very healthy, but eats everything and works out moderately; she did not experience any bad symptoms. I know many other women who follow different types of diets and their menopause has been good. I am a fishetarian (or pesco vegetarian), a vegetarian who eats fish occasionally. So there is no one diet, but most of us eat a healthy diet without processed foods and rich in nutrients. Read Menopause and microbiome
Movement
An active life is important but most of us are not gym rats or super fit.
Don’t worry
A happy, healthy attitude is important, but life does not need to be perfect. What matters is the attitude.
Help
Some of us take supplements and vitamins, but not all of us. I rotate supplements, right now it is a multivitamin, omega 3, K2, calcium, magnesium, liver support and adrenal support. The adrenal and the liver support are not permanent and sometimes I take a thyroid support supplement.
More about the food
A woman like me who does not experience bad symptoms during menopause or perimenopause can be healthy vegan, a healthy vegetarian, a healthy omnivore, a healthy Paleo, Keto or other. The key here is to eat healthy.
Eating healthy means different things to different people. These are the most important aspects of a healthy diet during perimenopause and menopause:
Nutrients
The first characteristic is that the food has to be nutrient-rich. Many women in our age bracket have a mineral deficiency and they may be low in some vitamins. This is not about protein, it is about minerals and vitamins and most of them are in fruits and vegetables.
We need good fats.
Do not go on a low fat diet at this time of your life; your liver needs good fats. Avocados, nuts, good quality olive oil, good quality coconut oil, high quality butter (pasture raised and organic) and high quality, preferably fermented ghee.
Fresh and home made
When we eat out a lot we are eating low quality foods with lots of salt, bad fats and artificial ingredients. Processed foods are worse, they have all of the above and even more salt and ingredients that are not found in nature and many of them lack natural nutrients.
Lower the sugar
This is super important. I am not saying eliminate it, because that is difficult, but at least lower it to the lowest level possible without creating stress. Sugar is not only in sugar, but pastas and breads are processed like sugar in the body. All of those ingredients need to be consumed in moderation. Sugar alters insulin and this causes major hormonal imbalances in the body. You can eat whole grains and preferably as a grain and not as a flour. You can also have healthy normal bread in moderation.
Timing
Try to eat during a 12 hour or less window. Your body, especially your liver, need time to process food and eliminate toxins.
Other aspects
Low stress
Worry, stress, frustrations etc. have a very important effect on hormones. We can eat super healthy and become sick if our emotions are negative.
Thoughts
If we have a negative views of menopause or aging, we are more inclined to get bad symptoms.
Healthy environment
This is a big topic but in general avoid environmental risks such as candles and fragrances with artificial ingredients. Prefer essential oil burners or diffusers. Avoid anything that smells of plastic. Choose natural cleaning products.
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Imagine something in your body that can help you maintain your healthy weight, make you happier and keep you healthier. That is the role of the microbiome or good bacteria in our bodies. It is found all over the body, but especially in the digestive system (gut bacteria) and the mouth. During perimenopause and menopause the bacteria can suffer changes and it may have an effect in weight gain, depression, lack of sleep, hot flashes and other symptoms.
As you know we are full of bacteria, we have more bacteria than cells, about 10 times more.
That bacteria is critical for our wellbeing. Our microbiome, microbiota, or just bacteria, has a direct effect on our health, both physical and emotional. For this reason the microbiome is important for everyone, and at the time of menopause or perimenopause a healthy microbiome can help us have and easier transition. A non healthy microbiome can make us sick.
The microbiome can have an effect on the development of diabetes, obesity, depression and other illnesses common during midlife. It is very important to keep our bacteria happy. .
Microbiome and hormones during menopause and perimenopause
It can get very complicated when talking about endocrinology, in other words hormones, but we will keep it simple. The good bacteria in our bodies contribute to the composition of our blood which influences hormone levels. This has a direct effect on our immune system.
The microbiome influences the hormones, and the hormonal levels also influence the microbiome, it is a give and take relationship. During menopause and perimenopause the lowers levels of estrogens change the bacterial composition in the body, and this affects other hormones.
Many scientists suspect that this has a direct effect on belly fat accumulation.
The microbiome becomes one more very important aspect in bringing balance to our body. When talking about bacteria, we are talking of a new medical frontier. There is still much to be discovered and proven. But it has become accepted that it has a role to play in many of the menopause and perimenopause symptoms. .
Keeping the microbiome healthy after 40
Some practical tips to keep the microbiome healthy during post menopause and perimenopause. .
Old fashion
Our bacteria is very old fashioned. It does not like anything modern, including any foods that are not found in nature. Preservatives, artificial colors or flavors and processed foods alter the microbiome, destroying the good guys and helping the bad ones.
Our bacteria is very old fashioned. It does not like anything modern, including any foods that are not found in nature. Preservatives, artificial colors or flavors and processed foods alter the microbiome, destroying the good guys and helping the bad ones.
The good bacteria does not react well to animals raised with antibiotics and hormones and with vegetables full of pesticides. Organic produce and ethically raised animals are better.
From food
The bacteria also prefers nutrients from foods instead of vitamin pills and this could be a reason why many vitamins are not absorbed well by our bodies. .
Loves plants
Our bacteria is very health conscious. It loves plants. It prefers non soluble fiber. Some of its favorite foods are onions, garlic, asparagus, leeks and similar foods. These foods have non digestible fibers. The fibers reach the big intestine and there the bacteria interacts with them and as a byproduct creates some important nutrients and it reproduces keeping the colony healthy.
The good bacteria’s favorite nutrient seems to be glutamine. This is an amino acid found in meats such as poultry, beef, and fish. It is also found in vegetables like the ones mentioned above.
Our bacteria loves vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. These are the prebiotics, in other words the food for the micro-biotics. Some foods like onion and garlic and some spices also help to kill bad bacteria, helping the good one.
Loves a healthy lifestyle
The good bacteria thrives with nutrient-rich foods, low stress levels, regular exercise and sleep. In return the good bacteria help us sleep better, lowers inflammation, and regulates our stress levels. .
Likes good fats
Omega 3’s are also important for the microbiome. These fats help us keep the intestinal lining healthy and this avoids the overgrowth of bad bacteria. .
It doesn’t do drugs
The microbiota does not like medicines, especially if they alter the balance of acidity-alkalinity in the body. Most medicines are not microbiome friendly but some are more damaging than others such as anti-acids, and the worst are the antibiotics.
Antibiotics kill all bacteria, bad and good. Even natural antibiotic substances can have a very negative impact.
Fermented foods
We can include foods that naturally contain good bacteria such as lacto-fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, miso and kombucha to add more friendly bacteria to out gut.
We are all different and for that reason some of us benefit more with some types of foods containing bacteria. You can rotate between yogurt, sauerkraut and other foods to see which help you improve your digestion and bowel elimination. For me that food is sauerkraut, for you it maybe a type of yogurt.
Kefir is one the richest sources of bacteria, but try to have the non-sugar version.
What to do if you suspect your bacteria is under attack
We are constantly eliminating bacteria so we need to keep feeding the one we have. If you incorporate some of the advice above, especially when it comes to food, your microbiome will be healthier.
In normal circumstances there is no need to take probiotic pills. The bacteria depends on our health and for that reason we need to improve our lifestyle in general. Follow some the advice above and you should see some improvement. You may try a macrobiotic supplement, but usually they only work if you make lifestyle changes.
In extreme cases a few doctors are recommending fecal transplants in order to improve menopause symptoms, but this is rare. .
Keep it real, peaceful and easy
Many people recommend radical healthy diets for menopausal women, I do not. There are a few reasons for this, stress is bad, and a new diet will create stress and bad hormones. We first need to love ourselves so we can listen to our intuition because we have too many choices. How do you find the real diet? Who are you going to believe?
There are a lot of diets out there, most of them by people with little science background. Some of those people become fervent preachers promoting their diet to a level of extreme fanaticism. This scares away a lot of people. For those reasons I recommend to go slow and steady.
What I told you in this article is scientifically accepted by almost all the scientific community. It includes things that are easy to incorporate in our lives and most of them are pleasant.
Our bacteria wants the best for us, by doing the best for our bacteria we are also affecting in a positive way our hormones and with that our energy levels, sleep, capacity to concentrate and mood. It is a win-win situation.
In conclusion
Our microbiome plays a crucial role in our health and it is affected by the hormonal changes that occurred during menopause and perimenopause. During this time we have to be more consistent in helping our bacteria so we can be healthier and even happier. Just a few changes can have enormous benefits.
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