Brain fog, difficulty sleeping, fatigue that even espresso and 100% dark chocolate can’t revive, night sweats, increased muscle stiffness and soreness, these are just a handful of the 36+ symptoms of menopause. Fortunately, these symptoms can be less severe if you eat 6 key nutrients for menopause on most days.
“Gah! Why am I feeling like this?” I thought as I desperately tried to keep up with my friends. We were only 5 days into hiking the entire 210+ mile John Muir Trail in the NE Sierra Mountains of California.
Sure, we were hiking above 7,000 feet most days and carrying 30-pound packs, but I had trained for this all summer. My legs felt great. My heart and lungs were strong. What was wrong with my head?
My head felt faint and dizzy even on flat or downhill trails. My hiking poles had become essential extensions of my body as I focused on pounding them into the ground with every step, in case my view of the world all of a sudden went sideways. If the dizziness was tied to me being in perimenopause at 46 years old (I’d already started skipping periods), what could I do about it? Was there a food, a combination of foods, or a supplement I could take to get my head back in the game of being a mountain athlete?
While I continue to explore solutions with my care team, I’m also focusing on gentle nutrition with more key nutrients to support my overall health during the hormonal chaos of perimenopause and menopause.
Here are my top 6 nutrients for menopause
Calcium:
Calcium supports bone health and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. The recommended daily intake is 1200 mg/d for adult women.
Food sources include: milk, fortified non-dairy milk, aged cheeses, yogurt, leafy greens, dried Nettle, almonds, figs, canned sardines or salmon with the bones included (hello salmon burgers!)
If you need to supplement your diet, calcium citrate is an absorbable form. It’s best to take no more than 500 mg at one time to increase absorption.
Vitamin D and Vitamin K2:
Both work with calcium to support bone health. K2 diverts calcium away from the heart and into the bones, decreases cardiovascular disease risk, and increases bone density – win, win!
- Food sources of vitamin K2 include: egg yolks, dark leafy greens like spinach and kale, fermented vegetables like unpasteurized sauerkraut, and aged cheeses..
- Exposing your skin to 20 minutes of direct sunlight can increase your Vitamin D levels, but only if you have fair skin and live at lower latitudes. Food sources of Vitamin D include fortified soy or other non-dairy milk. Fortified dairy milk, or milk from 100% pastured animals (animals get vitamin D from the grass they eat). Salmon with skin on, sardines, and eggs from free-range, pastured-raised chickens are also good sources of vitamin D.
- If you need to supplement these nutrients, look for a combination of K1 and K2 for a total of 120 mcg/d. For Vitamin D3, aim for 1000-5000 IU/d. It’s important to check your vitamin D blood levels annually to avoid deficiency or toxicity.
Iron:
If you experience crime-scene periods with heavy bleeding, you’re at risk for iron deficiency and anemia. You may need to supplement with iron to avoid feelings of fatigue, improve mental health, and help reduce the flow of your period.
- Animal food sources of iron are highly absorbable heme iron. Red meat and dark poultry meat are good examples. Plant foods like black beans, spinach, blackstrap molasses, sesame seeds, and beets provide non-heme iron, which is best paired with good sources of vitamin C (fruits, bell peppers, citrus, tomatoes) to increase absorption.
- Consider testing your ferritin blood levels 1-2 times per year to assess iron stores in your body. You may feel best with a ferritin level of around 50-75 ng/ml
- If you need to supplement with iron, especially during your period, aim for 25-45 mg/d of Ferrous Bisglycinate. This highly absorbable form of iron tends to have fewer GI side effects like constipation. Look for a supplement blend with B Vitamins and Vitamin C plus Ferrous Bisglycinate to increase absorption and energy levels.
Omega-3s:
These essential fatty acids are found in flaxseed, walnuts, cold water fish like sardines, albacore tuna, salmon, mussels, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and edamame.
- The recommended daily intake is 250-500 mg/d from food. Fish is the most bioavailable source of both EPA and DHA omega-3s.
- Plants have ALA, which can convert to EPA and DHA if consumed daily in enough quantity. For example, 1-2 TBSP of flaxseed on oatmeal, ¼ cup of walnuts on a spinach salad for lunch, and 3 TBSP of hemp seeds (hearts) mixed into brown rice at dinner.
- If you choose to take a supplement, look for a max of 1500 mg/d of combined EPA/DHA.
Magnesium:
The recommended daily intake is 200-400 mg/d for women aged 19-55+. I recommend 2 forms to choose from, depending on your situation. Magnesium citrate can have a laxative effect, which is helpful for constipation related to hormone fluctuations or times of stress. Magnesium glycinate promotes relaxation, sleep, and stress tolerance without impact on the digestive tract (i.e., less loose stools).
Food sources of magnesium include pumpkin seeds, leafy greens, legumes, whole grains, and chia seeds.
Want to learn how to easily incorporate more of these key nutrients into your daily meals and snacks?
Click here for my Gentle Nutrition Made Easy for Menopause online course.
