Feb 29, 20202 min read

EAT EAST MEDITERRANEAN FOR HAPPIER HORMONES

35%–50% of women suffers from some Perimenopause symptoms. The East Mediterranean-style diet can help smooth out symptoms of perimenopause.

When you think of the menopause, an East Mediterranean diet might not be your first thought — but it should be. Research has shown that the food you consume during the perimenopause (up to ten years before the anniversary of your last period) can impact the severity of your symptoms, and influence when menopause actually occurs.

Many typical East Mediterranean foods support female hormone balance. The four food pillars for hormone support are good fats, protein, fibre and phytoestrogens or plant-derived xenoestrogen, all of which are prevalent in the East Mediterranean diet.

Essential fats can be found in oily fish, tahini, hummus, olive oil, nuts and seeds. They are necessary to provide the body with the building blocks to manufacture the female hormones. These fats help to produce cholesterol, which is in turn is required to synthesise our sex hormones — progesterone, oestrogen and testosterone.

Many women ditch fat in their diet thinking it will help with weight loss, but in fact eating a diet high in these supportive foods can actually help reduce perimenopausal symptoms, as well as support weight maintenance. So make sure you’re enjoying full fat hummus, using extra virgin olive oil on your salad, tahini dressing and consuming oily fish twice a week. You’ll feel better for it as good fats support our mood, blood sugar and increase satiety.

East Mediterranean also delight in their Super grain freekeh which is low in fat, high in protein and fibre and lower on the glycaemic index compared to other whole grains and dairy foods which are full of protein and rich on fibre — another essential building block in the body. As oestrogen production declines, women lose its protective benefits so bone density and muscle mass can suffer. A generous and regular helping of labneh, yoghurt or white cheese will provide you with probiotics which can help boost your immune system and enable the body to ‘re-build’.

Not all protein is created equal when it comes to hormone health. When obtained from animal sources it’s easily utilized by the body, but studies do show that women with a vegetarian diet suffer fewer menopause symptoms. So try and restrict meat consumptions to weekend, and during the rest of the week choose eggs, fish and vegetable proteins like freekeh, tahini, chickpeas, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds.

Fibre is also key to hormonal health, supporting our gut bacteria which have an important role in getting rid of old hormones. If our microbiome can’t do this efficiently than those ageing hormones get reabsorbed, which can lead to hormonal symptoms. All plant matter is good, so make sure you pile your plate with fruits and vegetables for every meal.

The menopause happens to all women and it’s natural and normal. Symptoms will vary from woman to woman, but by adding in beneficial, East Mediterranean-style foods in the preceding years, it’s possible for symptoms to be reduced and long term health supported and improved.

East Mediterranean: includes Israel, Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt