If you’re wondering, “Can nutrition help with menopause?” the answer is a resounding yes. Our registered dietitians work with a lot of women in the menopause transition. It’s a season full of change, and too often, silence. We’re here to remind you that you deserve space.
Space for feeling validated. Space to use this time (often framed in a negative light) as a moment to reconnect with yourself and your body. Space to lean into nutrition as a form of self-care.
In this blog, we’ll talk about what happens to your hormones during menopause, how it affects your health, and which nutrition strategies can help preserve metabolic health, bone strength, heart health, brain function and mood, gut health, and reduce diabetes risk.
But First: Gaps in Menopause Care
At Dietitian Driven, we are passionate about menopause. Why? Because women are often dismissed or misled in healthcare.
- Over 80% of women report symptoms during menopause. More than half say they don’t talk about them with their doctor.
- And the misinformation doesn’t help: “Take this supplement!” “Try a weighted vest!” “Just lose weight.” 🙄 As if it was that easy.
- Up to 30% of women in menopause struggle with disordered eating. The constant messaging to lose weight may be well intended, but it can be seriously harmful.
It also doesn’t help when every concern is brushed off with a “Well, you’re getting older, nothing you can do!” Ladies, we can do better.
What is Menopause?
Perimenopause usually starts in your mid to late 40s and lasts about 4 years, but it can stretch to 10. It’s marked by shifts in estrogen and other sex hormones and is associated with a wide range of symptoms. (Yes, like those hot flashes.)
Menopause means 12 straight months without a period. The average age in the U.S. is 52, but some women reach it earlier due to surgery, drug or radiation therapy, or certain health conditions.
How is Menopause Diagnosed?
Some of our patients ask if we do hormone testing. That’s something we defer to your OB. Blood hormone levels can fluctuate throughout the day and from day to day, so testing isn’t always reliable for diagnosing perimenopause.
Hormone testing may be helpful if periods stop before age 40, but in most cases, diagnosis is based on symptoms, which may include:
- Weight gain, especially in the belly
- Irregular periods
- Mood swings, depression, and anxiety
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Sleep disturbances
- Vaginal dryness
- Constipation and bloating
How Estrogen Loss Impacts Your Health
As estrogen levels decline during the menopause transition, the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, insulin resistance, and cognitive changes increases. This hormonal shift also impacts body composition.
According to the SWAN study (Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation), which tracked over 3,000 women for 18 years, women in their 40s and 50s experience the following changes each year:
- Gained an average of 1 pound of fat mass
- Lost approximately 0.45 pounds of muscle mass
These shifts in body composition persisted until about two years after the final menstrual period.
Important: These changes are a normal, biological response to hormonal shifts, not something you caused or did wrong!
This blog will provide strategies to optimize metabolic health, bone strength, heart health, brain function and mood, gut health, and reduce diabetes risk.
Metabolic Health
When the conversation is always about weight loss, it’s time to flip the script to metabolic health. Sure, low-calorie dieting might shrink the number on the scale, but it also:
- Breaks down bone and muscle tissue
- Raises the risk of depression and anxiety
- Triggers binge eating cycles
- Piles on shame and blame on women (and honestly, who needs more of that energy?)
What helps:
- Eat protein at every meal (aim for 1-1.2g/kg/day, which is about 20–30 grams per meal) to preserve muscle
- Include fiber and healthy fats for blood sugar control
- Strength train at least twice a week
- Avoid repeat dieting
The goal isn’t to shrink yourself. It’s to support strength, energy, and metabolic health.
Bone Health
Women lose up to 20% of bone density in the first 5–7 years after menopause. Estrogen protects bones. Without it, bone breakdown speeds up.
What helps:
- Calcium: 1,200 mg/day from dairy, tofu, leafy greens, sardines, fortified plant milks
- Vitamin D: 600–800 IU/day from sun, fish, fortified foods or supplements
- Magnesium and vitamin K from nuts, seeds, greens
- Weight-bearing and resistance exercise
Most women with osteoporosis don’t know they have it until they fracture. Food and movement are early defense!
Heart Health
Estrogen helps keep blood vessels flexible and cholesterol levels in check. Emerging research also links hot flashes to heart disease risk.
- In the SWAN study, women with frequent hot flashes had a 50% higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Those with persistent symptoms over time had a 77% higher risk.
Bottom line: hot flashes may be a risk factor for heart disease. Women with frequent or long-lasting hot flashes deserve attention.
What Helps:
- Aim for 50 to 100 mg/day of isoflavones (for reference, ½ cup soybeans offers about 50 mg)
- Reduce caffeine and alcohol
- Mediterranean-style meals lower inflammation and support vascular health
- Omega‑3 fatty acids help reduce triglycerides
- Soluble fiber helps lower LDL cholesterol and supports gut health
Brain Fog and Mood
Estrogen helps fuel the brain and supports neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. As levels drop, so can mood and clarity.
Try:
- Regular meals with carbs, protein, and fat
- B vitamins from greens, legumes, and whole grains
- Omega-3s from fish, walnuts, and flax
- Hydration
- Managing food noise, which could be draining your mental energy
Many women report memory lapses or trouble focusing. It’s not just stress, it’s valid physiological changes.
Gut Health
As estrogen levels decline, the gut barrier may weaken, letting inflammatory compounds sneak into the bloodstream. Many women notice more constipation and bloating.
There’s also something called the estrobolome, a group of gut bacteria that help break down and recycle estrogen back into circulation. A diverse gut leads to a better-regulated estrogen cycle.
Your gut bacteria also produce vitamins, short-chain fatty acids, and may even boost calcium and magnesium absorption in the colon.
What helps:
- Fiber: Aim for 25–30 grams per day (minimally!)
- Hydration: 2–3 liters daily
- Fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut
- Plant diversity: The more variety, the better your microbiome thrives!
A healthy, diverse gut supports hormonal health.
Diabetes Risk
Menopause increases the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and it’s more common than most people think. Over 38% of U.S. adults have prediabetes, and many don’t even know it!
This isn’t just about blood sugar. Insulin resistance increases the risk for:
- Heart disease
- Heart attacks and stroke
- Kidney, eye, and nerve damage
- Cognitive decline and dementia
- Certain cancers
Lifestyle shifts make a real difference!
What helps:
- Eat earlier in the day when your insulin is most sensitive
- Build meals around protein, fiber, and healthy fats
- Skip the crash diets
- Move daily, even a 10-minute walk after meals helps
Final Thoughts
We’re not here to sell you a cleanse, a “menopause diet,” or a shelf full of supplements. We’re here to encourage you to take space to connect the dots between your body, your emotions, and the cycles of life (an attunement women are uniquely blessed with).
Menopause doesn’t need to be hidden, minimized, or managed with shame. You deserve support that’s rooted in science. And that science points to a plant-forward, protein-focused way of eating that helps preserve energy, strength, and vitality.
If you want help building that plan, let’s connect 💛
