As part of our Lunch & Learn series of webinars, we were joined by Antonia de Gier of Hormone Health.
In this session we discussed how nutrition can impact on anxiety, low mood and depression during menopause.
Henpicked: Is it possible that what we eat can affect our menopause symptoms, particularly mood, anxiety and depression?
Antonia de Gier. Quite simply, yes. During menopause, our reproductive hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, are fluctuating and declining. And this can affect the way we feel. Oestrogen has a complex influence on so many things. It affects our nervous system, how we deal with stress hormones and what they do for us. It also impacts our neurotransmitters, which do a similar job to hormones but are derived from different substances. Plus, oestrogen is also involved in the production and release of serotonin, our happy hormone. It helps to balance our circadian rhythm, our body clock, which is the production of cortisol which we need in the morning to wake us up and get us going, and melatonin which helps us to slow down and get ready for bed.
Progesterone has protective qualities, it helps us to calm down. Hormones are made from cholesterol, which needs to come from dietary good fats. Neurotransmitters are made from amino acids which come from protein food sources. On top of that carbohydrates are our main energy fuel for the brain. So we can see the link between what we eat and how we feel.
Henpicked: What are some of the things we should be eating during menopause?
Antonia de Gier. Anxiety is linked to our stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline. These are crucial, we need them to survive. The difficulty is that as our oestrogen levels start to decline our adrenals take over, producing the oestrogen for us, albeit in a different form. And in any hormonal situation our stress hormones will win. Most of us have very busy lives and it can be hard to avoid stress, but we can try to manage it. Once of the best things we can do for our stress levels is try to keep our blood sugar on an even keel.
We can do that by eating protein with each of our meals and eating regularly.
An important amino acid called GABA is a neurotransmitter which helps our whole system to calm down, it helps to relax us. When it’s working it’s fantastic. When we don’t have enough we get irritable, tense and depressed. The good news is that can be derived from an amino acid called taurine. This can be found in animal foods, fish, eggs, good quality meats (this is one area that can be tricky for vegetarians and vegans). The bad news with GABA is that it really thrives on alcohol and tranquilisers, any kind of substance we perceive as relaxing. One glass of wine releases GABA, we feel lovely and relaxed and think ‘I’ll just have another and feel even better’. Unfortunately, the GABA then declines, and we become more anxious because our levels are off balance. So moderation is key.
B vitamins are important for mood, and can be found in a range of foods like chicken, turkey, oily fish, mushrooms, asparagus, potatoes, leafy green veg, root veg, cottage cheese, soya beans and tofu.
Magnesium is a good mineral which helps us with our hormone balance. It’s a muscle relaxant and helps rebuild our brain cells which can become damaged through stress. You’ll find this in nuts and seeds, brazils, almonds, cashews, pumpkin, sunflower, dark green leafy veg, plus a wide variety of fruit.
Henpicked: What about a cup of tea or coffee?
Antonia de Gier. Again, it’s about moderation. If we have a cup of coffee, particularly on an empty stomach or between meals, it releases adrenaline which will raise our blood sugar levels. We get that great feeling of ‘we’re awake, we can keep going’, but then our blood sugar levels crash, making insulin work harder to transport sugar into the cells to be used as energy or stored as fat.
Caffeine only makes us more anxious as opposed to less. The odd cup of coffee is fine but have it with breakfast or with a small snack like nuts and fruits.
Henpicked: Do you have any advice about how to be realistic about what we eat and drink?
Antonia de Gier. This is not a time for attempting to skip meals, to diet or try fads. This is not a quick fix, we’re looking at a transitional period. So be kind to yourself. Rather than starting by cutting back, begin by adding in. If you really want a pastry or a muffin, for example, try having it with a few nuts. Then see if a piece of dark chocolate would do the trick instead. Stress drives cravings, so if you can get your blood sugar balanced then things will hopefully start to fall into place.
I like to tell people about the 3-6-36 rule. It takes about three weeks to break a habit and about six weeks for a new habit to set in place. Then about 36 weeks for that to become the default, like giving up sugar in your tea, for example.
Take things slowly, and in a month or two you’ll start to feel the difference. If you want a glass of wine, have it with food, don’t drink every day, or if you know you’re going to have a big celebration then lay off for a few days before. The same with coffee. If you’re drinking three or four cups of coffee start by reducing one, then a week or so later try to take it down to the next level.
We need to be realistic. Don’t beat yourself up if you have a pastry for breakfast, but just then think about having a better lunch. Planning and preparation can really help. Where possible, in your 30s and 40s start thinking about these things so it won’t feel like you’re having to change too many default habits during menopause.
Henpicked: What about depression and low mood?
Antonia de Gier. At least 20% of women going through this transition suffer from depression, and there’s absolutely a place for getting help. If you can take HRT it can help, if you can’t or don’t want to, there’s a growing trend for GPs to offer antidepressants, which can also help. In some cases where possible, hormone replacement is more helpful than dealing with the symptoms and systems of depression.
If we don’t have much oestrogen we won’t have much serotonin which can make us feel low. This then means we have less melatonin, we can struggle to fall asleep which makes us feel rubbish. It’s a cycle. B6 and tryptophan can help us produce serotonin and melatonin, this is found in nuts, seeds, chicken, fruit, tofu, cheese, peas, tuna and eggs. Sometimes if we’re low in serotonin we can crave sugary foods, so if you can get these good foods in place then hopefully your cravings will start to reduce.
Henpicked: What’s does a good daily diet look like?
Antonia de Gier. Start with a really good breakfast. A couple of eggs, cottage cheese with oatcake or a large teaspoon of nut butter will start your day well. I also recommend getting outside in the morning if you can. Our oestrogen levels respond well to light. Then try a piece of poultry, salmon or tofu at lunchtime and dinner, adding in things like legumes, pulses, kidney beans, lentils, brown rice and so on. A good portion of these with each meal can help put you on the right track.
Henpicked: What about supplements?
Antonia de Gier. I always recommend starting with the food, but this isn’t always so easy for vegetarians or vegans, as we can’t get some of these essential amino acids from non-animal sources. A multi B vitamin is very helpful for mood swings and mental health, and magnesium can be a good one to help you relax and sleep. Do talk to a healthcare professional, especially when looking at supplementing specific amino acids, to make sure any supplements won’t interfere with any medication you’re taking.
Ultimately, I’d say there are two golden rules to getting your nutrition kickstarted: a good breakfast and protein with each meal. If you can get those in place then other good things should follow.
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