Foods That Help Your Hormones during Menopause (Part 3)

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” ~Hippocrates

Understanding the Systems in the Body That Play a Role During Menopause

There are several systems in the body that produce hormones, and they must function well in order for your body to work properly. 

The Adrenals: You may think your brain is in charge, but the truth is that the adrenals rule the roost. They decide if you’re going to function as designed or if any of your normal functions need to be rearranged so you can deal with stress. As far as the adrenals are concerned, stress for any reason is a danger, and you must be protected. Think of the adrenals as having a powerful brain of their own. They can increase your appetite or shut it down. They can signal the liver to drive up your blood sugar levels. They can stimulate your metabolism and thyroid function or slow it down. They can convert testosterone to estrogen and blunt progesterone production, or convert DHEA, a master endocrine hormone, to testosterone. All of this is to allow for the production of more cortisol, the number one hormone the adrenals like to use to help you feel energized enough to deal with stress. Unfortunately, they aren’t designed to do this all the time.

A surplus of cortisol is linked to many symptoms including fatigue, blood sugar problems, weight gain, depression, mood swings, anxiety, and menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and low sex drive. It’s also linked to the development of degenerative illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Excess cortisol can suppress thyroid function, put extra pressure on the liver, hinder sex hormones, and inhibit digestive and intestinal function.

There are many stress-reducing strategies that you can employ, but what and when you eat can make a big difference. This allows the body and the adrenals to have all the nutrients they need to function appropriately.

Key Adrenal Foods: Schisandra, reishi mushrooms, goji berries, and maca are all adrenal adaptogens, which means they balance the adrenal function. This will be very helpful for menopause. They’re usually taken as supplements, but since they’re foods, they can easily be added to your diet. 

Schisandra is a berry that is often available in the form of dried berries or powder. It helps by supporting the functions of the adrenals and the liver, stabilizing blood sugar and energy levels, and supporting the nervous system. This can then help with sleep issues, hot flashes and mood.  

Maca is a root vegetable that can be found as a powder. It also helps menopausal issues, such as sex drive, vaginal dryness, and energy.

Reishi mushrooms can be used in any recipe that calls for mushrooms, or they can be added as desired. Goji berries are easy to add to recipes and consume as a snack.

Licorice root (avoid if taking high blood pressure medicine) and Korean ginseng teas are also great for the adrenals and helpful for hormones.

Supporting the Liver During Menopause

No organ is as hardworking as the liver. With over 500 functions to accomplish, it’s very busy and requires plenty of nutrients. The liver aids the thyroid and helps regulate metabolism. It’s critical to hormonal health since it produces cholesterol, which is a building block for estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and cortisol. Cholesterol is needed to produce bile, which is essential for digesting fats and helping to remove toxins from the body. The liver is the main detoxification organ. Not only does it remove toxins –  the kind we ingest and the kind that our bodies make– but it detoxes out excess hormones as well. This is helpful for women who have been estrogen dominant prior to menopause. There are many foods that support liver health and the detoxification process.

Key Liver Foods: These are all key liver foods: cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage or kale; calcium-D-glucarate foods such as apples and grapefruit; bitter foods like dandelion or collard greens; sulfur-rich foods such as garlic and onions; and high antioxidant foods like berries, carrots, tomatoes, asparagus and other fruits and vegetables. Jerusalem artichokes are extremely good for the liver. Milk thistle tea is also very beneficial.

Supporting the Digestive System During Menopause:

The digestive system is where everything starts, good and bad. If you eat foods that your body needs and you digest and absorb them properly, you will benefit from the nutrients. If you don’t have proper digestion and absorption, the foods will not be as effective. This can be improved by practicing proper eating habits, reducing stress, improving good bacteria levels, eating enzyme-rich foods, and taking digestive enzymes with each meal.

Key Digestive-System Foods: Fermented foods, herbs and spices, and raw foods (if tolerable) for enzymes can all be helpful.

Supporting the Thyroid During Menopause:

The role of the thyroid is to control your metabolism. It helps regulate breathing, heart rate, the central and peripheral nervous systems, body weight, muscle strength, menstrual cycles, body temperature, and cholesterol levels. Since cholesterol is correlated with healthy hormones, a healthy thyroid is necessary. 

Thyroid Foods: Sea vegetables like nori or arame, Himalayan sea salt, seafood, and coconut oil are all good choices for the thyroid.

Supporting Your Digestive System & Microflora During Menopause

The good bacteria in your gut help regulate everything. They support liver function, thyroid function, adrenal function, digestive and intestinal function, as well as reproductive function. A hormone-balancing food plan must include probiotic and prebiotic foods that help stabilize the gut bacteria. We are all unique, so the quality and quantity of our good bacteria varies. This means that gut bacteria can play a small role or have a huge influence in any health issue. Gut health is complicated and may require extra guidance from a nutrition professional. However, supplying the gut with the right foods will work well with any protocol.

Key Intestinal-System Foods: Fermented foods, prebiotic foods, fiber-rich foods and water (preferably non-chlorinated – don’t drink reverse osmosis or distilled) are all good for the intestines.

All these systems directly affect the health of your hormones as well as the health of each other. Because of that, it’s ineffective to work on only one of the systems. You have to work on all of them. You can do this by working on your stress levels, managing your lifestyle, and taking any necessary supplements to compensate for what you’re not getting through your food. 

The goal of this mini-program is to show you simple but effective ways to support the systems that impact your hormonal health, and have a healthy menopause. This is best accomplished by:

• Improving lifestyle habits, including stress management and exercise
• Providing specific support to your adrenal glands
• Eating specific foods that will support the functions of each system

Additional support can be provided by determining which supplements you need to support your specific needs. My goal is to help you through menopause or any other health challenges. As a Registered Nutrition Therapist, I am dedicated to helping clients with their health journey. 

Don’t miss Part 1 of this series: Understanding Hormones in Menopause: What You Need to Know, and Part 2: Signs and Symptoms of Abnormal Menopause: A Focus on Your Adrenals

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at info@nancyleehall.com