Menopause Diet Checklist

1. It's important to allow your digestive system time to rest and digest. Ideally, there would be a minimum of 12 hours without food every day. This can be easily obtained if you finish dinner before 7 pm and do not have breakfast before 7 am. These hours can be moved around depending on your life, as long as there are a minimum of 12 hours free from food.
2. Stop grazing. You should focus on eating meals and not constantly snacking. If you are hungry, consider having a drink.
3. Are you getting adequate fluid? Filtered water and herbal teas count towards your minimum 2 litres daily. Coffee in moderation is allowed, but as a diuretic, it doesn’t count towards your water count.
4. Add in menopause-specific teas like sage, fennel and green tea to your daily routine.
5. Did you eat fruit today? Check your fruit intake, as it’s an important source of fibre.
6. When planning your meal, start with the protein source. Good examples include fish, chicken, beef, lamb, and eggs.
7. Do you want to add a salad or vegetables to your meal? Look at what’s seasonally available. Is your garden abundant with leafy salad greens or is time to pull out the winter vegetables?
8. Is there a good fat in the meal or do you need to add one? Some meals naturally contain a good fat source such a seafood dish, while others require more thought. You may want to drizzle some olive oil over the meal or add avocado to your dish.
9. Add in a daily serve of phytoestrogenic foods. LSA is a delicious and handy addition to most meals. LSA is ground linseed (flaxseed), sunflower seeds and almond. You can sprinkle this over your salad. My daughter uses this as a coating on her homemade chicken schnitzel instead of breadcrumbs.
10. Leave space for soul food. This isn’t a 30-day meal plan; it's a lifestyle. Life contains special events that deserve celebrating and moments where indulgence is wanted. Allow yourself two servings of guilt-free soul food a week.

Recipes and meal plans are available in the Menopause Makeover Program - Starting 1st of June 2024.

Also in this series:

Menopause Nutrition Basics - Part 1

Menopause Nutrition Basics - Part 2 - Macronutrients

Menopause Nutrition Basics - Part 3 - Drinks

Phytoestrogens

Menopause and Digestion