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Intermittent Fasting And Menopause

It should be no surprise that intermittent fasting and menopause have a complicated relationship.  For women, menopause is a natural biological process that signals the end of childbearing years. However, the transition to menopause can also bring various physical and emotional changes. These symptoms may include weight gain, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep problems, and mood swings. While some women sail through menopause with little disruption, others find it a difficult time.

 

Not a Diet

When it comes to intermittent fasting, there’s a lot of misinformation out there. So let’s set the record straight: intermittent fasting is not a diet. It’s simply an eating pattern that involves a cycle of fasting and eating. And, intermittent fasting can be incredibly beneficial for women, especially after they have gone through menopause.

When done correctly, intermittent fasting can help to boost metabolism, which slows down after menopause.  It can also help to boost mood and lessen fatigue, although this effect happens over time and not immediately. Low mood and lack of energy are other symptoms that some postmenopausal women experience. This can be caused by sleep being disrupted, which could be due to night flashes, and the effect of the woman’s hormones changing.

As women and men age, they can start to get forgetful and not be as mentally sharp as they were when they were younger. Intermittent fasting can play a role here too, as it can also help to improve brain function and reduce the risk of age-related diseases.

 

Weight Gain and It’s Negatives

Despite stating that intermittent fasting is not a diet, one of the issues that the majority of postmenopausal women face is weight gain. Even a few pounds of extra weight carries with it health risks for women after menopause. This time of life can be upsetting for a woman, not least due to the hormonal changes, but also because she feels less attractive as she ages. Sadly, this can lead to depression. Therefore, losing weight and keeping herself slim can make a lot of difference to her mental health as well as her physical health.  This is where intermittent fasting can be helpful.

When following an intermittent fasting plan, women automatically eat fewer calories as they are cutting out at least one meal. So it makes sense that it will promote weight loss.  However, there is a lot of information, some conflicting, regarding intermittent fasting for postmenopausal women. Therefore, here are a few tips for women that have gone through menopause to follow when starting an intermittent fasting plan.

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Make and Follow A Plan

First, it’s important to find the right fasting schedule for you. If you’re new to intermittent fasting, start with shorter fasts, such as twelve hours of fasting followed by twelve hours of eating. Actually, just to clarify, that doesn’t mean eating continuously for twelve hours! It means eating is allowed within that twelve hour period. Once the postmenopausal woman is comfortable with that, she can gradually increase the duration of her fasts. With all the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body, taking it slowly is strongly advised. Being impatient and not eating for too long could disrupt a woman’s hormones further causing unpleasant side effects.

Postmenopausal women need to make sure they’re getting enough nutrients. When fasting, the body will be burning stored fat for energy, so it’s important to make sure enough vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are coming from other sources. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is a great way to do this.

If looking to lose menopausal weight, when planning meals, postmenopausal women should reduce their intake of carbohydrates. This will boost weight loss and, if continued, reduce weight gain that women experience after menopause. Carbohydrates to be avoided or eaten sparingly include white bread, rice and pasta; foods that contain sugar, such as biscuits, cakes and desserts; and chips, crackers and crisps.

 

Hydrate

It is very important to drink plenty of water during both the fasting and eating hours. Eating hydrating foods like soups, stews and vegetables is another good way to ensure water intake. It is especially important for a woman to drink plenty of water after menopause as it helps replace moisture lost during night sweats and hot flashes. In addition, as both men and women age, they find it harder to recognize thirst. This can lead to dehydration which, in turn, can cause dizziness, leading to falls and reduced kidney function. Lack of water can be the cause of death in an older woman, so this recommendation is extremely important.

 

Bone Density

Women in their postmenopausal years may be concerned that restricting their diet by fasting may affect their bone density, leaving them vulnerable to osteoporosis and broken bones. However, intermittent fasting does not affect the bones. With that said, postmenopausal women should not follow an intermittent fasting plan for too long. It is also important that they eat a diet that includes plenty of dairy products, leafy greens, tinned fish and small oily fish such as sardines. This will ensure the woman is taking in plenty of calcium and vitamin D, which are necessary for strong, healthy bones.

 

Gentle Exercise

.In addition, exercise will not only help the woman stay healthy and fit after menopause; it will also help keep her to lose that menopausal weight and improve bone density.

With that said, it is important that postmenopausal women do not over exert themselves, especially when following an intermittent fasting plan. Gentle exercise is enough to support health and well-being as well as boost the weight loss effects of intermittent fasting.

 

Next Steps

Finally, postmenopausal women should be patient. Their bodies have already gone through quite a few changes, so it can take a few weeks for their bodies to adjust to intermittent fasting. But women should remember not to give up if they don’t see results immediately.  And remember, prior to undertaking any major change to your lifestyle or health regimen, consult your physician!

For an information article from the Cleveland Clinic overviewing post menopause, click here.

To access our section of articles on Intermittent Fasting, click here.

 

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