Seed’s Nutritional Therapist in Marlow, Kristina Carman, is passionate about supporting women’s health by nutrition. When we asked her if she’d like to be involved in our Menopause & Peri Menopause Campaign she overwhelmed us with the information that she collated to share with you 🙂
Read on for a detailed explanation of the impact that nutrition has on menopause. The hormones that play a key role in menopause, understand what happens when those hormones are thrown out of balance, the symptoms you can expect during menopause, the importance of gut health & supplements AND crucially the foods to eat & those to avoid.
Kristina has also provided lots of menopause friendly, delicious recipes 💚
Nutrition & Menopause: Hip and Happy Hormones
Key Hormone #1: Oestrogen
The first hormone is oestradiol – this is the form of oestrogen produced in the greatest amounts by women of childbearing age. Oestrogen is considered the happy hormone, because it boosts neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which gives us a sense of pleasure and motivation. It is also great for:
Post-Menopausal women no longer produce Oestradiol E2- but produce Oestrone E1 (mostly from adrenal glands and muscle tissue) this is where sugar and particularly controlling cortisol and insulin becomes even more trivial to be aware of. Excessive fat around the middle is of particular concern as this is insulin driven generally.
Key Hormone #2: Progesterone
The second key hormone is progesterone (which comes from the word “pro” – “gestation”) – the key role of this hormone is to sustain pregnancy; therefore, it is involved in sustaining a healthy uterine lining which is shed in the form of your period if your egg is not fertilised. Some of the benefits of progesterone include:
Key Hormone #3: Testosterone
The third key hormone is testosterone. Although testosterone is usually associated with men, women need it too. In healthy levels, testosterone supports:
Key Hormone #4: Insulin
The final key hormone for your menstrual cycle is insulin. The role of insulin is to stabilise blood sugar levels, support energy production and distribution, and support your metabolism. When blood sugar levels are not stabilised (think chronic indulgence on high starch and sugar foods), insulin becomes less responsive in the body and can cause the following:
When things get out of balance
Hormones have a profound impact on mental, physical and emotional health. Younger women suffering from PMS or middle-aged women during the menopause are good examples of common hormone imbalances that can affect mood or more specific symptoms such as hot flushes or night sweats. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition in women that causes a set of symptoms due to elevated testosterone such as excess body hair, irregular periods, adult acne and difficulty getting pregnant.
What causes a fluctuation in hormones?
Hormonal fluctuations may be cause by any number of reasons such as:
How are hormonal imbalances dealt with?
Mostly, hormonal imbalances are treated with medication such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), birth control pills, insulin (the hormone that controls blood sugar) injections or fertility drugs. How effective these are can differ between persons.
Diet, however, is vitally important as it provides the body with raw materials and the fuel it needs to make hormones. If someone’s diet is not very good and they’re making poor lifestyle choices alongside leading a stressful life, then it’s little wonder that they may be affected by some sort of endocrine (hormone) or metabolic disorder.
The level and consistency of oestrogen and progesterone generally starts to become more irregular starting in a woman’s early to mid-30s. She may not have any symptoms yet, but hormonal changes are happening. Most women start to report symptomatic changes of peri-menopause during their ’40s. I must stress that these changes in hormones are apart of life and apart of our beautiful story as women. This is natural, wonderful and should be celebrated. Peri-menopause, menopause and beyond isn’t a disease a lot of in comes down to mindset and awareness of what YOUR body needs.
Besides the cycle and mood issues mentioned above, other symptoms include:
And now FOOD: what to eat!
Phytoestrogens foods include: soy beans, tofu, tempeh, linseed (flax), sesame seeds, wheat, berries, oats, barley, beans, lentils, rice, alfalfa (and all sprouts), mung beans, apples, carrots, wheat germ, rice-bran, linseed breads.
Superfoods Can Help Balance Your Hormones and Reduce Inflammation
1. Apples
2. Blueberries, cherries
3. Wild Caught Salmon
4. Spinach and Leafy Greens
5. Green Tea
6. Avocado
7. Almonds (nuts and seeds)
8. Broccoli and all Cruciferous Veggies
9. Spirulina
10. Quinoa
11. Chia Seeds
• Avoid, sugar and refined carbs: Completely shun sugar, refined carbohydrates, bad fats and processed meat/foods out of your diet for at least 6 months and load your plate with low-glycemic fruits, complex carbs, protein, good fats, natural herbs and organically fermented foods to see how this anti-inflammatory diet eases out your hormone issues.
Gut Health for hormones
When gut health isn’t optimal, hormones become imbalanced. For example, there is new research showing that the microbiome plays a big role in oestrogen regulation. These studies indicate that poor gut health increases the risk of oestrogen-related diseases such as PCOS, endometriosis, and even breast cancer.
Key Supplements:
Vitamin D: is actually a hormone that communicates with your other hormones, making it especially essential to help balance hormones. So, ensure you’re getting enough vitamin D2 and D3 to ease and prevent hormonal fluctuations. I’d suggest getting a year test for this.
Magnesium: Magnesium is one of the most essential minerals to help balance hormones. It’s actually natures tranquilliser. While you can take a supplement, and even spray your skin with magnesium spray, look at diet to get that magnesium in that need from the foods you eat. To ensure you’re getting enough magnesium, be sure to eat plenty of dark leafy greens. You’ll also want to fuel your hormones with seeds like flax, pumpkin, and chia. They’re full of magnesium and other hormone-healthy nutrients.
B-Vitamins: Taking a high-quality B-complex supplement is a really good idea when you’re in the throes of hormonal ups and downs. This is one group of vitamins that you might want to supplement with in addition to eating foods high in these vitamins. There are nine B vitamins in total, and certain foods contain specific B vitamins.
For example, salmon is an excellent source of many B vitamins. It contains B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12. Leafy greens like spinach, kale, collard greens, and even romaine lettuce contain B9, also known as folate. They’re best eaten raw or lightly steamed to keep B9 intact.
Liver Support: Your liver is the primary organ that breaks down and rids the body of excess oestrogen, a common cause of hormonal imbalance. Therefore, you need to support the liver with supplements like turmeric, vitamin C, and alpha-lipoic acid.
Eat plenty of vitamin C-rich foods like oranges and strawberries. Cook with turmeric, take a turmeric supplement, or drink golden milk. As far as alpha- lipoic acid goes, you’ll get the most from a supplement, but you can also eat organ meats, red meat, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and tomatoes.
Omega 3: You probably know by now which foods are highest in omega-3s — fatty fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, cod liver oil, walnuts, chia seeds, herring, flax seeds, hemp seeds, anchovies, and egg yolks are some of the best. If you don’t eat a wide array of these omega-3 rich foods, take a high-quality fish oil or vegan omega 3 supplement.
Probiotic: Your gut bacteria play an important role in the breakdown of hormones and their removal from your blood. This is especially important for women because, if this process slows down, imbalances in oestrogen are likely. Too much oestrogen contributes to conditions such as PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), endometriosis, reproductive cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
Research also suggests a correlation between low thyroid function, thyroid autoimmunity and gut health disorders. Correlations were found for SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and H. pylori overgrowth. Since we know that probiotic supplements can be effective for treating gut imbalances, it’s save to say that improving your gut health with probiotic supplements may be helpful for those with low thyroid function as well.
LIVER SUPPORT:
Seed Cycling Energy Bites
HOW TO MAKE SEED CYCLING ENERGY BITES:
To make these seed cycling energy bite recipes, simply…
INGREDIENTS
FOLLICULAR PHASE ENERGY BITES (DAYS 1-14)
• 1 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons raw pepitas/pumpkin seeds
• 1 1/3 cup toasted shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) • 1 cup
• 2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (or vegan chocolate chips) • 2/3 cup honey
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extractLUTEAL PHASE ENERGY BITES (DAYS 15-28)• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 1/3 cup toasted shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) • 1 cup
• 2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (or vegan chocolate chips) • 2/3 cup honey
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Bars/scoops alternative: See notes above for how to make energy bars or scoops instead, if you prefer not to roll the mixture into energy balls.
Prep time: The prep time listed does not include the extra (optional) time recommended to chill the mixture, which simply makes it easier to roll into balls.
Disclaimer: This is not intended to be medical advice, just natural health support. (Please consult your doctor if that’s what you need.) Seed cycling is simply a naturopathic practice that has been adopted by many.
POSSIBLE VARIATIONS:
There are many ways that you could customise this seed cycling energy bites recipe, so please get creative and adapt whatever works best for you! For example, feel free to…
Use a food processor: If you would like to save yourself the stirring and make the bites a bit easier to scoop/roll, just add all of the ingredients to a food processor and puree until smooth. Then scoop the mixture into 28 equally-sized bites, roll and store.
Make energy bars: If you don’t want to roll the energy bites into balls, you can make them into easy energy bars instead. Just line an 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment, press the ingredient mixture firmly and evenly into the base of the pan, refrigerate until chilled, carefully lift out the parchment and transfer the bars to a cutting board, and use a knife to cut the bars into 14 (1 per day) or 28 (2 per day) equal servings.
Make energy scoops: Alternately, you can just keep the ingredient mixture in a bowl in the fridge, then scoop out approximately a 1/4-cup serving to eat each day.
Make them vegan: Use vegan chocolate chips and maple syrup (instead of honey).
Make then gluten-free: This recipe is already gluten-free. But as always, be sure to double-check the labels (especially with the oats) to be sure that each ingredient is certified gluten-free.
Use a different sweetener: As mentioned above, you are welcome to sub maple syrup or a different natural sweetener in place of the honey. But please note that they bars may be more crumbly if you do.
Use a different nut butter: Natural cashew butter or almond butter would also work well in this recipe, in place of peanut butter.
RECIPES
Lentil Bolognese Ingredients
Sauce
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium shallot (minced // or sub 1/3 cup diced onion)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2-3 medium carrots (finely shredded // 1 cup or 110 g I use the grater attachment on a food processor)
• 1 pinch sea salt (plus more to taste)
• 26 ounces favourite marinara sauce (or sub tomato sauce or tomato basil sauce)
• 1 pinch red pepper flake
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp coconut sugar (for sweetness // plus more to taste // or substevia) or leave out completely
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup dry split red lentils* (rinsed and drained)
• 2 medium zucchini (rinsed and both ends sliced off)
• Pasta of choice: I sometime use spirallised courgettes (pasta), or gluten free brown rice pasta
FOR SERVING optional
• Vegan parmesan Cheese
Instructions
Veggie Chilli
Ingredients
• 30 ml avocado or coconut oil
• 110 g white or yellow onion, diced
• 119 g red pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper (divided // plus more to taste)
• 1 jalapeño jalapeño, diced with seeds (remove seeds or reduce or omit for less heat)
• 12 g garlic (4 cloves yield ~2 Tbsp)
• 24 g chilli powder blend (NOT chilli flakes, cayenne pepper, or pure chilli)
• 14 g ground cumin (divided)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 425-g cans diced tomatoes (if unsalted, add more sea salt)
• 50 g tomato paste
• 420 ml water (plus more as needed)
• 148 g dry red lentils thoroughly rinsed in cold water + drained
• 1 425-g can kidney beans (slightly drained)
• 1 425-g can black beans (slightly drained)
• 12-24 g coconut sugar (or maple syrup)- Note: I often leave this out!
• 1 425-g can corn, drained (optional)
Instructions
One-Pan Salmon and Broccoli Bake
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Combine the shallot, garlic, chilli, ginger, soy sauce, honey and sesame oil in a large glass or ceramic dish. Add the salmon fillets and turn to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes to marinate.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200C/ 180C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the broccoli in a bowl, toss with olive oil and season. Place on the prepared tray and roast for 15 minutes.
Push the broccoli to the sides of the tray. Place the salmon fillets in the centre of the tray and drizzle with the marinade. Roast for a further 12-15 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through. Sprinkle with the extra green shallot and chilli. Serve with steamed rice.
Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
This recipe for Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes is an amazing way to pack in a ton of plant-based protein in a tasty, gluten-free and simple meal!
Ingredients
Instructions
Best Plant Based Burgers
Ingredients
Instructions
Some more ideas for breakfast and lunch…..
Breakfast:
Homemade gingerbread granola
3 cups of jumbo porridge oats
1 cup of pumpkin seeds
1 cup of organic unsweetened desiccated coconut 3/4 cup of pecans or brazil nuts
3 tsp ginger powder
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/3 cup of almond/oat or any unsweetened milk 3 heaped tsp of coconut oil melted
2-3 tsp of maple syrup or honey
Method
Mix all ingredients together then Spread onto a baking sheet evenly and bake for 20 minutes at about 180°C then turn the oven off and open the door slightly and leave in the oven till cool! This makes a good size batch.
Smoothie:
Note: We probably have a smoothie daily in our house as its a quick and easy breakfast on the go, plus with a busy family I know my kiddos (and my hubs and I) are getting lots of plant goodness to fuel the days. Make the night before if mornings are hectic.
Ingredients:
I large handful of greens – Kale, spinach or summer greens
1/2 cup of berries – can be frozen
1 banana
2 Tablespoons of protein powder – whey (just be aware this is dairy), hemp, rice or pea – avoid ones with sweeteners
2 tablespoons of oats, quinoa flakes
1 tablespoon of healthy fat such as coconut oil, avocado, nuts and seed butters
250ml of dairy alternative milk such as coconut or nut milk or coconut yoghurt for a richer texture and flavour.
Method
• Blend in nutri bullet or vitamix or alternative. Enjoy!
Breakfast:
Homemade gingerbread granola
3 cups of jumbo porridge oats
1 cup of pumpkin seeds (or any seed mix)
1 cup of organic unsweetened desiccated coconut 3/4 cup of pecans or brazil nuts (rich in selenium)
3 tsp ginger powder
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/3 cup of almond/oat or any unsweetened milk 3 heaped tsp of coconut oil melted
2-3 tsp of maple syrup or honey
Method
Mix all ingredients together then Spread onto a baking sheet evenly and bake for 20 minutes at about 180°C then turn the oven off and open the door slightly and leave in the oven till cool! This makes a good size batch. Serve with plant yoghurt like almond, oat or cashew or plant milks.
Lunch:
Best Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
Instructions
Note: A lot of these ingredients you can pre-cook or prepare ahead of time. Then easy to grab a quick and nutritious lunch. Also falafels are great and we probably go through a 1g of hummus a week- these are super to include to lunches and snacks.
With love and light Kristina x
Kristina Carman
Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist (Adv.NT.dip, ANP, NNA, FNTP) E-RYT Yoga/Barre Instructor
Nutrition & Menopause
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