Wies: “If it's not to lose weight, do it for your health”

It’s crucial to mind what you eat, especially now. This is what the menopause consultant said when I first came to see her and hardly had any menopausal symptoms. I thought this was taking it a bit too far. As far as I was concerned, my diet was healthy and I wasn’t overweight. She gave me some diet tips, most of which I already knew. I wasn't too impressed with her expertise to be honest. I still think about my initial reaction sometimes. She was right, and I badly needed that humbling reminder.  

Proper nutrition is crucial, especially as we age and hormones fluctuate. Eating a healthy diet has benefited me in many ways, and for reasons you may not expect.  

Weight and health

We all know that menopause makes it more likely that you will gain weight, on average, one to two pounds per year between the ages of 50 and 60. Oestrogen plays a role in metabolism: low oestrogen slows down metabolism. This means that – if you want to maintain a healthy weight – you need to eat less.  

In menopausal women, the decline in oestrogen levels is associated with loss of muscle mass. Muscle tissue burns fat for fuel (energy). So, the less muscle tissue you have, the less fuel you need. As a result, most women need to work hard not to gain weight during and after menopause.  

Heart and blood vessels

Here’s another reason why eating a healthy diet is especially important for menopausal women. Oestrogen's decline during menopause makes women more susceptible to heart and vascular disease. Up to 30 percent of women develop high blood pressure during menopause, and 60 percent have raised cholesterol, which drastically increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. So minimising sugar, fat and processed foods is a good idea in general, but it’s especially true for women in menopause.  

Feel better!

Let's get back to why a healthy diet was important for me during menopause – and still is. For me, it actually wasn't about losing weight. I haven’t gained a pound since menopause, but I guess that is more or less just the luck of the draw, genetically speaking.  

No, I switched to a healthier diet because I noticed it significantly reduced my menopausal symptoms. Since menopause, I had been struggling with feelings of rage, stress and low mood. And I can tell you, stuffing myself with chocolate and fast food definitely did not do my mood any good.  

For me, being food conscious and eating more healthily not only felt good, but also helped with my hot flashes and sleep. I would recommend it to anyone.  

These are some of my golden tips: 

• Rather than depriving yourself, try eating more fruit and vegetables (500 grams a day, but you can eat more if you want).  
• Make sure you eat enough protein to build muscle. Strive for 0.8 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. There are various tracker apps to help keep track of your daily protein intake, such as Protein Pal.  
• Challenge yourself to eliminate as many processed foods as possible from your diet. (This means no canned, preserved or packaged foods.)  
• Put a handful of oats in your yoghurt or incorporate oats in your dinner. Research has shown that eating oats helps reduce the chance of arteriosclerosis and obesity, and has a blood pressure- and cholesterol-lowering effect due to a type of soluble fibre. 

Read more: Tips for a healthy lifestyle during menopause 

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