Menopause wellness: How to balance nutrition, exercise and heart health

Menopause is a normal life transition. However, a recent survey showed that 54% of Canadian women believe menopause is still a taboo subject. By arming yourself with knowledge, it’s easier to make sense of the changes you are going through while feeling informed and empowered. We’re here to provide education and support so you don’t feel alone.

If you have menopause symptoms that bother you, there are steps you can take to feel better. If you remain symptom-free, it’s still smart to be aware of how menopause affects hormone levels, heart health and cognition. Everything is connected. Your lifestyle choices, including nutrition and physical activity, play an important role in managing symptoms and optimizing your health. Here’s what you need to know.

Peri-menopause symptoms 

Menopause is when you have no menstrual period for 12 months in a row. The average age of menopause is 51. The time before menopause is called peri-menopause. It can start anywhere from your 30s to your 50s and last for a just few months to over 10 years (about four years is average).  

Perimenopause is when symptoms appear, and they vary from person to person. About 25% will experience no symptoms at all. The rest of us may have: 

• night sweats 
• hot flashes 
• itchy or dry skin 
• insomnia and fatigue 
• increased bad cholesterol (LDL) 
• decreased good cholesterol (HDL) 
• high blood pressure 
• weight gain 
• mental health changes (e.g. mood swings, anxiety, depression) 
• brain fog or forgetfulness 
• breast tenderness 
• sexual dysfunction. 

Many of these symptoms are caused by a decline in estrogen. This important hormone relaxes the arteries and protects heart health. A drop in estrogen at menopause increases the risk for heart disease and stroke. 

Estrogen also helps support brain and bone health. Lower estrogen levels may affect memory, attention and processing speed, and may increase the risk of depression. Plus, a decline in estrogen leads to bone loss and increases the risk for bone fractures and frailty.  

The good news is that many of these long-term effects can be combatted with healthy lifestyle choices.

Nutrition and peri-menopause 

You can help manage some menopause symptoms with nutrition. The same eating plan that helps prevent heart disease is also recommended to reduce menopause symptoms, stabilize mood, protect bone health and manage weight. A plant-based Mediterranean style-diet is your best choice.  

Try to create meals with the following plate proportions: 

• Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit. They can be fresh, frozen, raw or cooked – whatever you prefer! People who eat more fruits and vegetables have fewer menopausal symptoms than those who eat less.  
• Fill a quarter of your plate with protein-rich foods such as poultry, fish, eggs, dairy foods and plant-based options like tofu, beans and lentils. Protein helps maintain strong muscles and bones as we age. 
• Fill a quarter of your plate with whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa or whole wheat bread and pasta. People who eat more whole grains have less severe menopause symptoms.  

When you eat this way, you naturally reduce your intake of ultra-processed and fast food, such as chips, candy, fries and soda. Eating too much ultra-processed food is linked with an increased risk of heart disease, cognitive decline and weight gain, which are all conditions we are trying to ward off after menopause. What you eat really makes a difference! 

• What about soy? Soy foods such as tofu, tempeh and edamame may help relieve some perimenopause symptoms, such as hot flashes. But outdated information may caution you against soy foods. Rest assured, soy is safe to eat and does not increase breast cancer risk. Some studies even show that soy helps prevent breast cancer.

Can alcohol impact menopause? 

Drinking alcohol can worsen some perimenopausal symptoms, such as insomnia and hot flashes. Plus, alcohol increases the risk of heart disease and breast cancer. It’s best to avoid alcohol. If you do drink, Health Canada suggests no more than two drinks per day, but newer guidelines from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction suggest two standard drinks or less per week.

Does exercise impact menopause? 

Regular exercise helps protect heart and brain health, and reduces the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer and dementia. Plus, it helps manage many of the symptoms of peri-menopause, including hot flashes, insomnia, weight gain, anxiety and depression. There are a lot of benefits from being active! 

If you are new to exercise, start slowly. You goal is to build up to a minimum of 150 minutes per week of heart-pumping activity such as a brisk walk, bike ride or fitness class. It’s also smart to add strength training with weights, bands or your own body weight (like lunges and push-ups) twice a week.

A note on weight-bearing activities. While all exercise is good, keeping bones strong requires weight-bearing activity. That’s any exercise when on our feet, such as walking, jogging and dancing (swimming and biking are not weight-bearing activities).   

By now, you have started to see that everything is connected. Taking care of yourself by eating well and being physically active creates a cascade effect that helps reduce menopause symptoms and helps reduce the risk of heart disease too.  

If you take these steps and symptoms persist, there are other options available. It’s important to know that about 25% of us will have severe symptoms that require medical support – that’s normal too and you are not alone. If symptoms persist or disrupt your life, speak with your healthcare provider about your symptoms and learn about other helpful solutions.

• Learn more about menopause 
• Learn more about women’s risk factors at different life stages