This week is International Stress Awareness Week (7th – 11th November 2022) and without a doubt midlife is one of the most stressful time in a woman’s life. Throw in menopause and you may feel like a volcano ready to erupt.
You probably have a busy professional life, hormonal teenagers at home, maybe you have aging parents to take care of. Either way, I’m sure you are spinning lots of plates and feeling increasingly out of control, which makes the hormonal rage you feel (followed by crippling guilt) all that much worse.
There are strong links between stress and your menopause symptoms. If you are starting to feel overwhelmed by it all, read on for some easy to implement diet and lifestyle changes to help you feel calmer and improve some of the symptoms you might be experiencing.
What is the link with stress and menopause symptoms?
As oestrogen levels begin to decline your adrenal glands provide a type of back up oestrogen to offset that which you are losing from your ovaries. The issue is, your adrenals are also responsible for producing cortisol and adrenaline. If you are chronically stressed, these stress hormones are prioritised, meaning that back up oestrogen is put on the back burner. For you this means increased menopause symptoms.
This constant drip effect of stress hormones, typical of chronic long term stress, are known to lead onto sleep disruption, impaired insulin control (hello weight gain) and digestive issues as blood is diverted away to help you run away from that imaginary lion, but really you are just stuck in a traffic jam going nowhere.
What can you do?
Work on blood sugar control
It is essential to have a good balance throughout the day to help with both symptoms and sleep. Its normal for blood glucose to fluctuate over the course of your day as you eat your meals. However, what you need to avoid are large swings, which are caused in the main by eating refined carbohydrates – white bread, pasta, sweets and pastries. As blood sugar drops this releases more cortisol and increasing stress (and cravings) for you.
Your stress hormones, are closely intertwined with your insulin response and together can also result in that weight gain around your middle.
You might be thinking “but I haven’t changed anything, I’ve always eaten in this way”. Research is showing us that the swings in blood sugar are greater in menopausal women. So something you have always eaten will now be having a greater impact on your body.
Anxiety, mood swings, hot flushes & sleep issues can all be triggered by the rises and subsequent sharp drops in your blood sugar. You can avoid this by eating 3 balanced meals per day. Typically, we eat far too much carbohydrate and not enough protein. The balance of your plate should look roughly, half vegetables, a quarter carbohydrate and a quarter protein. Avoid snacking if you can, but this is dependent on you eating nutritious and satisfying meals.
Interestingly, women who take HRT have been shown to have a better blood sugar response. So you may want to consider this as part of your menopause tool kit.
Alcohol & caffeine
Steer clear of alcohol as it is packed with sugar (see above), it’s also dehydrating and impacts sleep. I also find that many women simply don’t get on very well with their favourite tipple anymore.
Keep caffeine to a minimum. Two to three cups of tea or coffee per day is generally suitable for most. Just be sure to stop by around 1pm, or this could well disrupt your sleep (and increase stress).
Magnesium
If you exercise regularly/sweat a lot or are highly stressed, you may need to look at supporting your intake of magnesium. Some good food sources include:
- Dark chocolate
- Green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach
- Pumpkin seeds
- Nuts
You can also look at using a magnesium supplement at bedtime (I like City Survivor), have an Epsom salt bath or foot soak or use a cream you can massage on as part of your bedtime routine.
Lifestyle considerations
Getting out and enjoying nature is a really simple way to help you improve your physical and mental wellbeing. Even sitting out in the garden for a 5-minute breather can be helpful.
Breathwork – becoming aware of your breathing patterns and using breath to bring you back to a state of calm. You can use this anywhere and is a really easy way to tell your brain that you are safe, that you can relax. Using calming breathing techniques engages your parasympathetic nervous system and helps your body come back into balance. This helps you return to a state where you can think clearly and feel less overwhelmed. (more coming on this as I complete my professional breathwork coach award). Make time to see friends, have a good belly laugh, enjoy your hobbies and take part in movement that makes you feel good.