Now, at the age of 58, I’m arguably in the autumn of my life. As the days draw in and the leaves begin to fall, it feels like the right time of year to consider the new symptoms I’ve been dealing with caused by the onset of menopause, such as palpitations, hot flushes and my old foe insomnia, to name but a delightful few. For me, hormonal change has been a trigger for anxiety over the years – and diet has been one answer to my problems.
Research published recently published by King’s College London and Zoe, the science and nutrition company, has found an association similar to what I have long found to be true for myself: that what we eat can help reduce menopausal symptoms. The study looked at 4,287 menopausal women, and found that those that ate a healthier diet with a higher number of plant-based foods, had fewer experiences of hot flushes and mood swings.
However, the research didn’t have a control group, which means a group that did not make the dietary changes, therefore further research is needed to know whether it was diet alone, or other lifestyle changes that contributed. Nevertheless, it is true for me that eating a healthier, high-fibre diet guards against the negative consequences of hormonal changes in midlife.
Men, too, can suffer from hormonal strife. Some men experience their own version of ‘male menopause’, also known as the ‘andropause’. The ‘male menopause’ can affect men in their late 40s to 50s, and whilst the most prominent symptoms can be related to libido, many men also experience changes in energy levels, sleep cycles and mood. It can sometimes be related to the steady, small decline in testosterone. However, more commonly, causes are more closely related to lifestyle and psychological factors.
But, what are hormones?
Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers, which are secreted from various glands throughout the body, and into the bloodstream, which transports them to organs and tissues. We have several different types of hormones, responsible for among other things, reproduction, growth, and, of course, mood.
In women, oestrogen and progesterone are both connected to mood. Recent evidence suggests that serotonin might be the mechanism through which oestrogen affects mood and behaviour, as oestrogen has been shown to increase the concentration of serotonin receptors in the brain. So, we need to keep an eye on our oestrogen supplies.
Similarly, a sharp drop in progesterone after birth has been linked to ‘baby blues’. The baby blues are symptoms such as low mood, tearfulness, and anxiety, which occur in the first week after birth and then subside. Those who have struggled with anxiety or depression before childbirth are especially vulnerable.
How to help our hormonal balance?
I’ve let food be my medicine over the past few years to deal with my mood swings and hot flushes. I’ve written my book The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food with the nutritional therapist Alice Mackintosh. She has helped me stay calm and steady for the past five years and ride the hormonal rollercoaster of menopause. In our book, we include recipes using these ingredients and synthesise the research explaining why they make such a difference to our hormonal balance. I hope eating these foods will help you as much as it has helped me. Here are my top four choices – and a recipe to help too.
1. Brazil Nuts for thyroid health:
The thyroid is an important hormonal gland that plays a major role in the metabolism, growth and maturation of the body. It takes iodine from the foods we eat to make two main hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). In some parts of the world, iodine deficiency is a common cause of hypothyroidism but iodine deficiency is uncommon in the UK and at the moment I don’t suffer from it. However, to protect against iodine deficiency, eating shellfish and white fish can boost your iodine levels, as well as selenium.
Selenium is an essential trace element, which is present in most foods, particularly Brazil nuts, offal and fish. In addition to supporting the thyroid, it plays an important role in the immune and nervous system.
Try our "Five-Minute Raw Chocolates" from our cookbook: they contain Brazil nuts. But be careful not to eat more than a couple a day, as too much selenium can be toxic, and one Brazil nuts contains almost twice what our daily need - one or two a day would about right.
2. Edamame Beans for phytoestrogens:
Phytoestrogens, also sometimes called ‘dietary oestrogens’, are compounds derived from plants with oestrogen-like properties, and are found in a wide variety of foods, notably soy, edamame beans, flaxseed and wheatgerm. Some research has found phytoestrogens may benefit the health and mood of menopausal women by gently boosting their oestrogen supplies.
The only way to find out if these foods will benefit you is to try eating a moderate amount, around three times a week, and keep a record of how you feel. I would start with edamame beans: they are now easy to buy, are a good source of phytoestrogens, and provide plenty of fibre too.
3. Almonds for calcium:
Making sure I have enough calcium has been helpful in my quest to feel steady as a menopausal woman. There is plenty of evidence for its importance in preventing bone loss and reducing fracture risk. Edamame, almonds, green leafy vegetables, organic cheese and natural yoghurt are all useful sources of calcium.
However, I’ve found eating almonds the easiest way to boost my supplies. You can eat them as a snack, or toast them for added crunchiness, not to mention adding to salads or chopped up and sprinkled on soups or yoghurt.
4. Kale for folate:
To best support the delicate balance of oestrogen and progesterone we need a well-functioning liver. Research has suggested that vitamin B12 and folate are essential to the proper functioning of the liver, and also help maintain our hormones, and therefore our moods.
Leafy greens such as kale provide folate. In our cookbook we have a recipe for "Calming Green Broth", which includes kale. Kale is also rich in fibre, which helps support a well-functioning digestive system, so it’s another top choice for a menopausal woman.
Calming Green Broth Recipe
You can be flexible with the green vegetables you use. Cauliflower, for example, works as well as broccoli, and you can replace the cavolo nero, which is Italian for black cabbage, with kale or cabbage. If you can’t find a bouquet garni, bundle up any spare bay, rosemary or thyme with string and make your own.
– Serves 2 –
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, roughly chopped1 courgette, roughly chopped100g broccoli, roughly chopped
Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
500ml vegetable stock
1 bouquet garni
100g cavolo nero, kale or spring greens
100g spinach leaves
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon tamari (optional)
Recipe
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the leek, courgette and broccoli with the parsley and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the stock and bouquet garni.
3. Chop the greens or cavolo nero into strips (the broth won’t be blended, so keep them quite small) and add them to the pan too. Don't stir them in – let them sit on top.
4. Cover the pot with a lid, turn the heat down to low and leave it to simmer for 20-25 minutes.
5. About 4 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the spinach leaves. These will wilt quickly.
6. If you like a little more spice, you can add the tamari and chilli flakes. Remember to take out the bouquet garni before serving.