Protein for Menopause

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Protein is a macronutrient essential for all living organisms and plays a crucial role in many biological functions. Protein consumption becomes particularly important during peri to post menopause due to various physiological changes that occur in a woman’s body during this life stage.

Getting adequate high-quality protein for menopause is crucial in addressing several key aspects listed below.

1. Muscle Mass and Strength

Aging and hormonal changes can lead to a natural decrease in muscle mass and strength, a condition known as sarcopenia. This can also contribute to lower metabolic rates and may make it more challenging for women to manage their weight during menopause when hormonal changes can already influence metabolism.

This decrease in muscle mass and strength can even happen in the pelvic floor, leading to prolapse.

For muscle mass repair, maintenance and growth, it is important to introduce protein after weight training. A 30-minute window after exercise is ideal: however, research is now showing that protein can be eaten 1 to 3 hours after exercise to still be beneficial.

Why is protein important?
Protein is crucial for muscle protein synthesis (building muscle) and maintenance. Adequate protein intake helps preserve lean muscle mass, increase metabolic rate, and support overall strength and mobility.

2. Metabolism and Weight Management

Hormonal fluctuations during menopause may lead to changes in metabolism and an increased likelihood of weight gain.

Why is protein important?
Protein has a higher thermic effect, meaning the body uses more energy to metabolize it. This can aid in weight management by promoting a feeling of fullness and supporting the preservation of lean muscle mass.

3. Satiety and Appetite Control

Hormonal changes during menopause can influence hunger and satiety signals (aka feeling of fullness), potentially leading to changes in appetite and eating patterns.

Why is protein important?
Protein-rich foods contribute to a feeling of fullness and can help control appetite, including sufficient protein in your diet may assist in managing fluctuations in hunger and satiety signals that can occur due to hormonal changes. Protein also takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, so keeps you full longer.

The Protein Leverage Effect is a concept in nutrition and evolutionary biology that suggests people have a biological drive to consume a target amount of protein. When protein intake is insufficient, the body begins craving more food and sends hunger signals to encourage us to consume more food in the quest to hit the protein target. This can lead to increased overall calorie consumption and potential weight gain.

4. Hormonal Regulation

Hormonal imbalances, including fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone, are common during menopause and can contribute to various symptoms throughout the body.

Why is protein important?
Amino acids from protein are essential for hormone synthesis (building hormones) and regulation. Ensuring adequate protein intake supports the body’s ability to maintain hormonal balance, potentially mitigating symptoms like mood swings and sleep disturbances.

5. Bone Health

The decline in estrogen during menopause is associated with decreased bone density and an increased risk of osteoporosis.

Why is protein important?
Adequate protein intake is essential for maintaining bone health. Proteins, along with calcium and vitamin D, contribute to bone strength and density, helping to reduce the risk of fractures.

6. Brain Health and Mood

Adequate protein intake supports overall cognitive function by providing the necessary building blocks for brain cells and neurotransmitters.

Balanced neurotransmitter levels are crucial for emotional well-being and mental health. For instance, a deficiency in the amino acids needed to produce the neurotransmitter serotonin can lead to mood disorders like depression. Serotonin also acts like a hormone and is a feel good, mood boosting hormone. The amino acid Tryptophan is converted into serotonin, Tryptophan can be found in turkey, chicken, nuts, and and seeds.

Seratonin is converted to melatonin by a series of enzymatic reactions in the body. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythms. It signals to the body that it’s time to sleep, and its levels typically rise in the evening and fall in the morning.

Pin this post to remind yourself to get good quality protein in your daily diet for all the many benefits it does for your body during menopause!

How Much Protein Do We Need

For women who are in perimenopause, menopause, or post menopause and want to stay active, healthy, and strong, 1.4-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day or an average of 0.8 grams per pound of body weight per day is recommended. Example, if you are 150 pounds, you should be eating 120 grams of protein per day.

Protein Powder

Protein powders, both animal and plant based, can help boost your daily protein intake and often contain other important nutrients. But not all protein powders are created equally. Read the labels carefully and look for good quality ingredients that have been tested by a third-party lab. You can look at the websites ConsumerLab.com and Labdoor.com for test results on some products.

For delicious and healthy Protein Smoothie recipes, with a protein powder guide, smoothie template, and perfect smoothie tips, pick up this Smoothie Recipe Ebook.

Practical Tips

1. Include a variety of protein sources in your diet, such as lean meats, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, legumes, nuts, and seeds. It is important we get a wide variety of protein for a large nutritional profile and more beneftis. A variety of protein types is good for the gut microbiome.
2. Spread protein intake throughout the day to support muscle protein synthesis.
3. Starting the day with protein helps regulate appetite. If it is difficult to get protein in your morning, prep food in advance. Some breakfast ideas to prep that are easy to grab in the morning: hard boiled eggs, smoothie bags, overnight oats, protein muffins or protein granola bars, egg or tofu scramble wraps.
4. Try batch cooking, so protein and healthy meals are readily available. Some ideas are a bunch of chicken breasts that could be made into a variety of meals throughout the week, big pots of turkey chili frozen in meal size tupperwares, big pot of quiona or brown rice, beans prepped and soaked, big pots of soup frozen in meal size containers, home made hummus for healthy snacks.
5. Check out the recipe Chicken and Mango Stirfry for a delicoius high-protein meal or Quinoa and Chickpea salad for a vegan protein meal.

Conclusion

Protein is important for everyone, but even more so for women during menopause. As estrogen levels decline, so too does our muscle mass and bone density. Protein is also imperative for menopausal women for brain health and mood, metabolism and weight managment, and hormonal regulation.

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