Tips to bio-hack 5 of the most common Menopause Symptoms

As a women coach and nutritionist I've been working over the past 10 years mainly with women crossing their menopause transition. 

It is a journey that deserves all of our attention, and that happens in one of the most busy periods of our lives. Being open to change and treating our bodies with care, adapting our lifestyle game along the changes of our hormones simply makes us discover a new balance.

Our brains rewire. Our bodies need different strategies to keep strong. And our emotions need support: "mood changes" are nothing but temporary hormonal imbalance, which, with the right approach is rather straight forward to fix for the majority of women. 

The statistics show that the most prevalent menopause symptoms in Europe are the ones in the graph below.

Below are a few bullet-proof tips to reflect on, that will help you eliminate or at least drastically diminish the impact of these symptoms in your life.

1. Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

They are among the most common menopause symptoms experienced by European women. Approximately 70-80% of women report experiencing hot flashes while night sweats also affect about 60-70% of menopausal women.

What to do:

• Make your heart (cardiovascular system) strong, so that the sudden HR variations and the palpitations have a drastically lower impact on you. Get involved into adequate cardiovascular comfort zone and also HIIT training when you're ready. It will also improve your health, immunity and ...mood.

  
  

• Take daily showers at 14-16C (not less!)

  
  

• Installing a swimming practice all through the year is proven to be most beneficial.

2. Weight Gain

Weight gain is a common concern for menopausal women. Studies show that about 60-70% of women in Europe report weight gain during the menopausal transition.

What to do:

• Get guidance to integrate smart physical training, with a main focus on strength and stability (and limited cardio), adjusted to your current condition and non-aggressive. Build-up in a steady way: in 6 months you won't recognize your body. FIT JOY Ladies 40+ physical training online platform will teach you how to train smartly in busy days, and how to adjust your physical training to your own agenda (and not to keep you hooked on the agenda of a sports club) - I launched it at the end of 2023 and it will simply change your life.

  
  

• Smart food to decrease inflammation in your gut and articulations: get enough fiber, protein (very important) and good fats, from clean sources. No crash diets, please - they harm your metabolism and you'll put on more weight.

  
  

• Stress management is crucial - explore what works for you, measure it and make time to practice (you need to find the right relaxation technique that you can practice anytime, anywhere - whether you call it meditation or differently). Below my own results in lowering stress with simple techniques of cardiac coherence or shakti mat:

3. Sleep Disturbances and Fatigue

Insomnia and fatigue are also prevalent symptoms. About 40-60% of menopausal women in Europe report experiencing sleep disturbances, which can lead to fatigue. Insomnia specifically affects around 45-55% of women during this period.

What to do:

• Track your sleep, heart rate recovery and heart rate variability

  
  

• Explore with different timing and type of food for dinner

  
  

• Test your thyroid function (anti-bodies included)

  
  

• Work on blood sugar stabilization

  
  

• Ensure a stable sleep routine all through the week

And here's an article about how to improve sleep that I've recently published, female energy focused.

4. Mood Changes and Depression

Depression is a significant concern for menopausal women, with approximately 20-30% reporting depressive symptoms. The prevalence of mood changes ranges from 30-40%, with irritability and anxiety being the two most common that women report.

What to do:

• Track your cycle and body temperature if you are in perimenopause (Symptoms Tracker free download)

  
  

• Test your hormones every year, no matter in what stage of menopause you are, it will give you great information about how to intervene with natural methods - and if you use MHT (Menopause Hormonal Therapy), its impact can be greatly assisted by your lifestyle

  
  

• Test for a complete anemia panel, Copper and Zinc - I can not state this one enough, please do this! An imbalance between Copper and Zinc and / or a hidden anemia = living with regular emotions of fear and apprehension: this is a symptom, and if you recognise it, you need to diagnose it, so that you treat it correctly and support your body with the right foods and supplements

  
  

• Blood sugar stabilization (...yes, again, this one is highly important - understanding the relationship between your food and your stress levels can save your health, energy, sleep, focus and shape)

  
  

• Personalized cardio in the comfort zone (getting your heart strong + getting more endorphins = better mood, energy and focus)

  
  

• Regular walks in nature, minimum 30min (no phone, please!)

  
  

• Breathing techniques that you connect with (explore and measure, see point 2 above)

If you want to fill in a nutrition journal and receive my feedback on it, you can download the journal and book a 20min free call with me this October - it is the Menopause Awareness Month 💜

5. Memory loss & Cognitive Symptoms 

Memory loss and other cognitive difficulties (difficulty concentrating and brain fog) are reported by about 40-60% of menopausal women in Europe. 

What to do:

• Hydrate well, a simple tip that helps your mind more than you imagine (with effects on your entire energy, on weight loss, skin etc.; if you're well hydrated, your urine should be pale-yellow (not transparent, not intense yellow and definitely not dark yellow/brown))

• Blood sugar stabilization, integrating enough fiber, veggies, protein and omega 3 sources, in a balanced way (read more about journalling your nutrition and download a free journal here)

  
  

• Adequate, personalized intake of phytoestrogens, Mg, Omega 3, Vit D, Vit C, Resveratrol (to be discussed and considered in a personalized way only after your blood test, hormonal panel and gynecological exam)

If you have questions about how to implement these practices, I'm here. 

Let's make this October great and healthier together!

OCTOBER is the MENOPAUSE Awareness Month!