Weight gain is commonly experienced during perimenopause and menopause. Around 50% of perimenopausal women experience weight gain of up to 10kg by the time their periods stop. Medical herbalist and senior nutritionist Corin Sadler shares her tips on how you can help to control your weight naturally by making small changes to your routine.
What causes weight gain during menopause?
During menopause when oestrogen declines, the body’s ability to respond to insulin and manage blood glucose including how cells use glucose takes a dip. The areas the body stores fat also change, (this is also due to increased androgens or testosterone) leading fat to be stored around the abdomen and viscerally and a tendency to overall weight gain.
Maintaining a healthy weight can be challenging. A next generation holistic weight support programme combining long-term diet and lifestyle changes is central to maintaining a healthy weight, whilst nutrients and botanicals can be really helpful allies.
Reframing how you think about diet
Rather than approaching your journey as a way to specifically lose weight, try to think of changes you make to your diet as a move towards a healthy way of eating for life. This helps to create a healthier mindset around your relationship with food. Not only does this encourage healthy weight maintenance, but it also improves other areas of health such as hormone balance, skin, energy levels, and risk of other diseases including heart disease. Helping to keep this in focus reinforces why you are making the changes, even when it seems tough.
Avoiding weight gain through diet
Increasing protein sources and fibre with each meal and reducing sugary foods and drinks and fast releasing carbohydrates help blood glucose management and insulin sensitivity. As well as a beneficial effect on weight, this helps banish ‘hangry’ feelings, which arise because blood glucose is out of whack. It also helps quell feelings of hunger and cravings and increases satiety.
Adding fibre, especially prebiotic fibre such as baobab and acacia helps your gut microbiome to thrive too. Your microbiome composition is known to influence metabolic health and weight. Baobab fibre increases the gut bacteria Akkermansia, higher levels of which are seen in those with a healthy weight.
Avoid ultra-processed foods which are often sugar and additive laden, addictive and provide fewer nutrients. Instead look to simple, whole food recipes with weight support in mind to help instill new habits and ditch the junk.
Keeping hydrated is essential. This not only helps the body to let go of excess fluid retention, but it also ensures the thirst signal isn’t misread as hunger, helping curb cravings.
How Movement and Sleep can help weight management
Movement - whether it’s running, walking, yoga, dancing, Pilates, gardening, or a HIIT class, it’s regularity that’s important so pick something you like to do. Enjoyment is key to making exercise sustainable.
Exercise improves insulin sensitivity, blood glucose control, and muscle mass. Improved muscle mass escalates the numbers of mitochondria in your cells. These cellular powerhouses directly influence and increase metabolism. During menopause and post menopause muscle mass becomes harder to keep, so exercising helps reverse this natural tendency.
Poor sleep can lead to sugar and carbohydrate cravings. Conversely a good sleep/wake cycle improves insulin resistance. Prioritising sleep can therefore help improve body composition. If you struggle in this area, taking California poppy herb can be helpful for calming a busy mind and relieving nervous tension, helping to achieve more restorative rest. Studies also find Lemon balm to help improve sleep in menopausal women.
Other nutrients and botanical allies to help maintain or avoid weight gain
Better blood glucose management means less chance for glucose to be converted to fat and stored. Cinnamon is excellent for supporting blood glucose control and encourages insulin sensitivity. Consuming cinnamon in supplement form has been shown to reduce body mass index (BMI) and body weight. Chromium can also be helpful here too.
Carob has fibre rich seeds and fruit and has been used to help reduce appetite as it increases feelings of fullness and satiety by improving blood glucose control. Olive fruit extract contains hydroxytyrosol which studies show can reduce weight around the middle or abdomen by improving insulin signalling and increasing production of GLP-1, the hormone the body produces to signal satiety and reduce hunger. Curcumin may also help, with studies showing it can reduce body weight and BMI. Fenugreek extract has been shown to increase GLP-1 activity by over 40-fold as well as enhance GLP-1 signalling and can improve overall blood glucose control.
Saffron is also an ally. Studies show it reduces the desire to snack in women who experienced stress-related overeating. It’s well-known to improve insomnia and restorative sleep, and low mood, which often plays a role in weight gain.
Low magnesium levels are linked to insulin resistance, whilst magnesium is integral to metabolism so add leafy green vegetables, whole grains, and oily fish to the diet or consider supplementing.
Other factors
Finally, it’s always worth checking if an underactive thyroid is a factor. Declining ovarian hormones can trigger hypothyroidism, and lead to weight gain if not addressed.
Whilst weight gain is a natural tendency during the perimenopause and post menopause years there is much you can do to help minimise these effects and maintain a healthy weight. Look for supplements that support your journey choosing those with no artificial additives, binders or fillers. For advice on suitable supplements for you, visit your local independent health store.
Author: Corin Sadler, BSc DipION, FDSc is a Medical Herbalist and Nutrition Manager at ethical vitamin company Viridian Nutrition. She has a Degree in Clinical Herbalism, and a Diploma in Nutritional Therapy. Corin has a wealth of clinical experience in natural and wellbeing, and using nutrition and herbs to optimise overall wellness.
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The information contained in this article is not intended to treat, diagnose or replace the advice of a health practitioner. Please consult a qualified health practitioner if you have a pre-existing health condition or are currently taking medication. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet.
