Nourish the Change: The Power of Superfoods for Menopause

Can you really make menopause more enjoyable with food?

No, I’m not talking about soothing your mood with dessert or getting an energy boost with coffee. I am talking about adding more nutrients to your plate that soothe your worst symptoms.

When I went into early menopause in my late 30s, I was beyond frustrated with the menopause symptoms that seemed to appear overnight – from brain fog to weight gain to hair loss and insomnia.

After working on my own symptoms, I’ve learned that menopause symptoms are influenced by what you eat.

One of the few things that finally started working was getting more alkaline and into ketosis with my Keto-Green way of eating.

Staying alkaline and in ketosis in menopause is even easier when you incorporate specific superfoods that have been shown to cool the hot flashes, tame the bad moods, banish the bloat, and fight the brain fog.

A superfood is a nutrient-dense food that is rich in compounds (for example, antioxidants, fiber or essential fatty acids) that are beneficial to a person’s health.

Menopause superfoods are the foods you can add into your diet that have been shown to ease the typical symptoms of menopause.

Researchers continue to discover (or rediscover) health benefits in ingredients that have been used in ancient remedies and traditional medicine that support hormonal health.

You don’t have to just live with your symptoms. Suffering is optional.

Maca is a radish-like tuber that has been used traditionally by Incans for centuries to boost energy and endurance, support fertility, and regulate hormones. I learned about this superfood when I was traveling in Peru on my own healing journey.

It’s a menopause superfood because it is an adaptogen that supports your adrenals and manages stress, which in turn will help balance your hormones. Maca can also provide blood sugar support to help with weight loss.

Studies have found that maca can also improve libido and sexual function in both women and men. (1) Maca can also help reduce menopause hot flashes and night sweats. (2)

That’s why I use it as the base of my Mighty Maca Plus, and I personally use it and recommend it to patients as a delicious morning drink for hormone harmony.

Turmeric has been called the “poor man’s saffron” for its golden color. But it might as well be Indian gold for its incredible healing properties.

Its active ingredient is curcumin, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient that can protect and improve the health of virtually every organ in the body. Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine Practitioners have used it for over 2,000 years to treat a range of conditions.

If you’re dealing with brain fog and memory issues, maca can help. Research has shown it’s a true superfood for brain health – a double-blind placebo trial of patients taking curcumin daily for 18 months improved their memory by 28%. (3)

Turmeric is also a menopause superfood because it’s been shown to reduce hot flashes. (4)

Why do so many Japanese stay sharp in their older years? It’s quite possible that it has to do with their traditional diet, which includes daily cups of green tea.

The active plant compounds in green tea called catechins, and especially ECGC, have antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. Researchers studying elderly Japanese that drank green tea daily found that over 12 weeks their memory and recall improved significantly. (5) (6)

Green tea is also a menopause superfood because of the compound theanine, which helps decrease cortisol levels. Excess cortisol is one of the major culprits of menopause weight gain especially around the waist.

Spirulina is truly deserving of the name superfood. This blue-green algae is a highly-nutritious plant that grows in the alkaline lakes of Africa, Mexico, America, and Asia.

Spirulina contains numerous peptides that have antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer and immune supportive properties. It is rich in antioxidants, which help reduce free radicals and lower inflammation.

Spirulina is a menopause superfood because it helps promote weight loss while also protecting against metabolic syndrome – the collection of symptoms that cause weight gain, blood sugar issues and cardiovascular conditions. (7)

Spirulina is rich in B vitamins, which can support better moods and more energy.

That’s why I include it in my Keto-Green Protein Shake.

This tiny seed is a mighty superfood to manage menopause symptoms for its fiber content and healthy fats.

Flax seeds can reduce your risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, blood sugar and aid in weight loss.

Flax seeds are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid that the body uses for energy. Flax seed contains high amounts of lingnans, which act as phytoestrogens and can help balance estrogen levels during menopause.

In a study, menopausal women who ate flax seeds daily for 12 weeks had fewer hot flashes and less vaginal dryness. (8)

Medium Chain Triglycerides (or MCTs) are another superfood that I love and use every morning. These health fats that give you a boost of energy like carbohydrates without raising your insulin levels.

They are easier to digest than longer-chain triglycerides, and some research shows that eating them helps you feel fuller for longer – so you end up eating fewer calories. (9)

MCT has also been shown to help clear brain fog and memory issues. Because MCTs convert to ketones, they can provide an alternate source of energy for the brain. Staying in ketosis and training your body to burn fat for energy has been shown to improve cognitive function, memory and focus.

If you want to get more of these superfoods into your daily routine, you could go pick them up at your local health food store or supermarket. I have several recipes on my blog that call for superfoods that will make a difference in how you experience menopause symptoms.

But the easiest way to eat more of these superfoods is to try one of my specially-formulated products:

My Keto-Green Protein shake gives you a daily dose of flax seed, spirulina, MCT, along with other superfoods like ginger, wheat grass, and glutamine. Drinking one of my all-in-one meal replacement shakes per day helps aid weight loss, relieve hot flashes, balance hormones and mood, and supports healthy digestion and removes toxins.