258. Over 40? What Works Now: Perimenopause and Menopause Food and Exercise 101

May 31, 2023

Dive into the hormonal shifts that start around 35 and how they impact nutrition and exercise needs as you approach 40. Explore essential dietary changes and the surprising role of carbs at night. Discover tips for managing common symptoms like insomnia and weight gain through practical strategies and personal anecdotes. Strength training takes center stage, emphasizing its importance for resilience and overall wellness during this transformative phase. Join a community-focused discussion to redefine health narratives for women.

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ANECDOTE

Ali's Perimenopause Experience

Ali Shapiro experienced significant weight gain, insomnia, and plantar fasciitis postpartum.
She later realized these were perimenopause symptoms, not solely postpartum issues.

INSIGHT

Hormonal Impact on Inflammation

Decreasing estrogen and progesterone after 35 lead to reduced anti-inflammatory benefits.
This causes increased joint soreness, impaired gut health, fluid retention, and lower pain tolerance.

INSIGHT

Estradiol's Role

Estradiol, a type of estrogen, supports lean muscle, mitochondria, and serotonin.
Decreases in estradiol increase insulin resistance, mood swings, and cortisol levels.

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Part of what’s been hard for me the last three years was I didn’t understand how drastically the hormonal shifts that start for women around 35 and accelerate in our mid-40s affects ALL THE THINGS.

And I’m someone who knows that our physiology and psychology are in a constant feedback loop.

Yet because perimenopause and menopause are women's health issues, they don’t get the attention they deserve. Nor do doctor’s really understand them all that well (the horror stories I hear from clients 😮‍💨).

I’m doing my part to change that with this special Insatiable episode. I’m sharing the major nutrition and exercise realities I wish I knew about perimenopause and menopause.

I had to learn about them through a lot of suffering with plantar fasciitis, insomnia, irritation/anger/rage, and grappling with significant weight gain that felt like it came out of nowhere.

While some menopause symptoms are inevitable, there's also a lot you can do to reduce and better manage symptoms through this profound threshold and beyond.

In this podcast, I discuss:

How decreases in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone affect your nutrition and exercise needs and why what worked before 40 often backfires now (and what I did to lose 20 pounds).
The 2 key nutrition shifts I needed to make and why adding more of these foods in is more important than ever for your health and weight
Why women need carbs at this stage (especially at night), a starting point of how many carbs you need, and the best time to eats something sweet if you’re struggling with sleep
Why Intermittent Fasting (IF) often backfires and things to consider if you want to experiment with IF (and how eating a snack before bed actually helped my insomnia for a year!)
The biggest exercise shift I made to support my health, weight, and peace of mind
The simple lifestyle shift I didn’t know I needed to support my insomnia

Episode Links

Free Health Coaching Disruption Hour for Rebel Practitioners

Free Truce with Food community gatherings

Truce Coaching Certification

On Our Best Behavior by Elise Loehnen

Send me (Ali) a text message.