Diet & Nutrition for Menopause Fatigue
Is there a diet that can help with menopause and fatigue?
As with many of the symptoms that come along with perimenopause and menopause, menopause fatigue can be helped by cutting out refined carbs, sugars and bad fats. When we take out the bad, what do we need to add?
Nitrate-rich foods boost energy levels as they push oxygen around the body. Eat beetroot, radishes, green beans and spinach. Beetroot is also a rich source of iron that can help improve your stamina. Try adding it to a breakfast smoothie.
Lean sources of protein to beat menopause fatigue. Eat more: poultry, lean meats and fish
Be vitamin B savvy, it converts food into energy, less vitamin B means less energy. Eat more: B12, found in dairy, chicken, turkey, eggs, sardines, tuna, cheese, cottage cheese, lamb, milk, and B6, found in spinach, peas, carrots
Essential fatty acids. Eat more: nuts, seeds, avocados, extra virgin and linseed oils, oily fish, such as mackerel, tuna and sardines
Increase your intake of magnesium-rich foods. Eat more: cashews, almonds, spinach, avocados, brown rice
Getting iron in your diet if perimenopause fatigue is caused by anaemia
There are two forms of iron you can obtain from food, haem and non-haem. Sources of haem iron is from meat protein and sources of non-haem iron is found mainly in enriched cereals and pasta, beans, and dark green leafy vegetables.
Iron-rich foods can be a simple measure to combat perimenopausal anaemia.
Iron-rich foods include:
White and red meat
Liver, kidney or products made from these
Sardines are especially good and other fish
Iron-fortified cereals or bread
Tofu, Pulses and beans
Dark-green leafy vegetables, such as watercress and curly kale
Brown rice
Nuts and seeds
Eggs
Dried fruit, such as dried apricots, prunes and raisins
How to improve iron absorption if perimenopause fatigue is due to anaemia?
Some people are not able to absorb iron from tablets as easily as others.
Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron, to aid absorption they may take their tablets with orange juice or vitamin C supplements.
Good sources of vitamin C include fruits and leafy green vegetables. These are at their iron-richest when raw, lightly cooked or steamed. Red meat contains a lot of haem iron and also increases the absorption of non-haem iron. A small portion of lean beef in your stir-fry will work wonders with your iron levels.
The NHS say that the secret to absorbing the most iron is the way you put different foods together. For example – a glass of tomato juice with your cereal, or an orange after a bowl of pasta will help your body absorb the iron in the rest of the meal.
Pass the macaroni and cheese!
Eat more protein foods rich in tryptophan, one of the building blocks of serotonin, a chemical responsible for sustaining a proper sleep cycle. Found in: chicken, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, salmon, turkey, pork, avocado, bananas, yoghurt and cheese. Eat proteins with a healthy complex carbohydrate such as wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta hence comfort foods such as macaroni cheese to get the tryptophan effect. We’re not seriously advocating this as a nightly ritual, but we’re just highlighting how tryptophan-rich foods work with carbs to create a feel-good sensation.
When to eat
Breakfast like a king (or queen!). Try to eat phytoestrogen-rich oats in muesli, and porridge or add them to a smoothie. This low-GI food will prevent blood sugar dips that can cause low mood, fatigue and irritability.
Eat smaller meals
The little and often rule applies here. You’ll avoid the blood sugar rollercoaster ride, which can add to your fatigue.
Take to the bottle - drink water to ward off fatigue
Keep a bottle of water handy. When your body is dehydrated it needs to work harder - the last thing you’re menopausal-fatigued self needs. Drink water an hour before bed to avoid any night sweats dehydrating your body and impacting the quality of your sleep.