Nutrition After Menopause

Posted on 6-02-2021

Mood swings, night sweats, hot flashes, insomnia, and weight gain are personal annoyances, but experiencing them together is a physical, mental, and nutritional challenge. Welcome to life during menopause.

Menopause is natural and expected, even if the symptoms aren’t welcomed. In addition to the usual suspects, women’s nutritional needs also change during the change of life. The good news is that symptoms generally last only about five years, and during that time, they decrease substantially. Once the worst part has subsided, nutritional changes will be with her for the rest of her life—and women often live half their lives post-menopause.

Embracing the changes and adjusting your eating, exercising, and sleeping habits can minimize the negatives of post-menopause life. Learn more about how to support post-menopause health with this guide to nutrition after menopause.

Decrease Calorie Intake

Due to declining estrogen levels, women’s calorie intake needs to decrease substantially, and eating the same amount as before can lead to weight gain. Choose foods with higher nutritional value and avoid highly processed or sugar-packed foods with empty calories.

Increase Fiber

Fiber helps keep you fuller longer and has cardiovascular benefits. Adding more fiber supports a healthy microbiome—the collection of bacteria living in the gut that helps humans stay healthy—and, according to a recent study, can decrease symptoms of depression.

Increase Calcium

Before, during, and after menopause, decreasing estrogen causes loss of bone mass. Combined with the natural bone breakdown during aging, bone density is a significant concern for women post-menopause. Osteoporosis, a disease that weakens the inside of bones, can set in and lead to fractures and breaks. Calcium, however, provides the body with nutrients to continue building bone. More calcium and vitamin D offset these changes.

Increase Supplements

With a lower calorie intake, it may become more challenging to get the nutrition the body needs. Consider a multivitamin or supplement with vitamins D, E, and A, such as Kyäni Sunset, to give the body what it needs to stay healthy.