Menopause Nutrition: 3 Simple Habits to Support Your Body

Nutrition through perimenopause and menopause doesn't have to be complicated.

As our hormones change, so can our bodies - and it can suddenly feel like there's a very long list of things we're supposed to be doing differently.

Eat more protein. Look after your gut. Think about your bones. Watch your blood sugar. Take this supplement. Avoid that food. It's no wonder knowing where to start can feel overwhelming.

But supporting your body through perimenopause doesn't require a complete diet overhaul. Instead, going back to a few simple nutrition foundations can be a great place to begin.

Here are three things worth focusing on: eating regular balanced meals, getting enough fibre and prioritising protein.

No complicated rules. Just simple habits you can build into everyday life.

Why Does Nutrition Matter During Perimenopause?

Perimenopause is the transitional period leading up to menopause, when levels of hormones including oestrogen begin to fluctuate.

It's a completely natural stage of life, but those hormonal changes can coincide with changes in body composition, bone health and metabolic health, while many women also experience changes in energy, sleep and mood.

This makes good nutrition particularly important.

Not because there's a special "menopause diet" everyone needs to follow, but because what we eat gives our bodies the protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and energy they need to function normally.

And the basics can make a big difference.

1. Try Not to Skip Meals

When body composition starts to change during perimenopause, it's easy to assume that simply eating less - or skipping meals altogether - is the answer.

But you don't need to skip meals to create an energy deficit if you're trying to lose weight.

For many women, eating three balanced meals throughout the day can instead provide a helpful structure to consistently get the nutrients your body needs - preventing energy slumps and cravings.

A simple formula to remember is:

Protein + fibre-rich carbohydrates + healthy fats + plenty of plants.

Think Greek yoghurt with oats, berries and nuts for breakfast. A colourful lentil and feta salad for lunch. Or salmon with roasted vegetables and wholegrain rice for dinner.

Balanced meals containing protein, fibre and fats also tend to be more satisfying than highly refined foods eaten on their own.

Rather than focusing on restriction, think about what you can add to your plate to make your meals more nourishing.

Build a better breakfast

Breakfast is a good example.

Instead of just toast or a bowl of refined cereal, could you add Greek yoghurt, eggs, nuts or seeds for protein? Could you add berries, oats or wholegrain bread for extra fibre?

Small additions can turn a basic meal into something far more nutritionally balanced.

And that's often much easier to sustain than following complicated food rules.

2. Think About Your Fibre - and Your Gut

Gut health has become a huge wellness conversation in recent years - and there are good reasons why.

Dietary fibre helps support normal digestive health, while certain fermentable fibres provide food for microbes living within the gut.

When gut bacteria ferment particular fibres, they produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate.

These compounds are an important and rapidly developing area of research because of their relationship with the intestinal barrier, immune & metabolic function, and communication between the gut & brain.

This communication network is known as the gut-brain axis.

What does the gut microbiome have to do with menopause?

Researchers are increasingly interested in the relationship between menopause and the gut microbiome.

Hormonal changes may influence the composition of the gut microbiota, while certain gut microbes are also involved in oestrogen metabolism. This is sometimes collectively referred to as the estrobolome, a collection genes which regulate circulating estrogen in the body.

It's certainly an exciting field, but one where the science is still evolving. We don't yet have a single "ideal" menopause microbiome or a specific diet proven to manipulate hormones through the gut.

What we do know is that eating a varied, fibre-rich diet is a sensible foundation for digestive and overall health.

Good sources include:

• Vegetables and fruit

• Beans, chickpeas and lentils

• Wholegrains such as oats, barley and brown rice

• Nuts and seeds

• Fibre-rich plant foods

Variety matters too. Instead of concentrating on one supposed "superfood", aim to eat plenty of different plant foods across the week.

Make fibre part of your daily ritual with Gut Feel

If you're looking for another easy way to incorporate fibre-rich whole-food ingredients into your routine, Gut Feel can sit alongside a varied, fibre-rich diet.

The blend combines baobab, apple, barley grass, Actazin® kiwi and ginger, alongside mineral-rich Aquamin® calcium.

Baobab and apple are a natural source of fibre, including pectin. Actazin® kiwi has also been clinically researched for digestive and bowel function.

Simply add 1–2 teaspoons to water or fresh juice and enjoy before a meal.

Remember: when increasing your fibre intake, do it gradually and drink enough fluids too. Your gut usually appreciates a little time to adjust.

3. Prioritise Protein at Every Meal

If there's one nutrient worth paying particular attention to as we move through midlife, it's protein.

Protein provides amino acids, the building blocks which the body uses to make and maintain tissues, including muscle.

Maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as we get older. Changes in body composition can occur across the menopausal transition, while age-related loss of muscle mass and strength becomes increasingly relevant in later life.

Muscle isn't only about being strong or looking toned, either.

Maintaining muscle helps us stay active and independent, supports physical function and sits alongside weight-bearing and resistance exercise, as part of looking after our musculoskeletal health.

Protein + resistance training = a powerful combination

Nutrition is only one part of the picture.

Research in postmenopausal women supports resistance training as a particularly important strategy for maintaining and improving muscle strength and lean mass. Getting enough protein provides the nutritional building blocks that muscle needs to enjoy those benefits.

Rather than eating most of your protein at dinner or one meal, a practical approach is to include a meaningful protein source across all meals.

Think:

Breakfast: eggs, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu or a protein-rich smoothie

Lunch: beans, lentils, chicken, fish, eggs, tempeh or tofu

Dinner: fish, lean meat, beans, pulses, tofu, eggs or other protein-rich foods

Snacks: Nuts and nut butter, seeds, yoghurt, protein shake or smoothie

The important thing isn't chasing one "perfect" food. It's building a varied diet that consistently provides enough protein for your individual needs.

Where Does Collagen Fit In?

Collagen has become another big conversation around perimenopause and healthy aging.

And there's an important distinction to make here.

Collagen is a protein, but because its amino acid profile differs from complete dietary proteins, it shouldn't replace your main protein sources when your goal is supporting muscle.

Instead, collagen can complement an adequate protein intake by providing collagen peptides rich in characteristic amino acids such as glycine and proline.

Collagen is the body's most abundant structural protein and is found throughout skin, bones and connective tissues. But collagen production also declines with age - starting as early as in our 20s. So supplementing your diet with collagen peptides can help to replenish the body's natural levels.

Research into collagen peptide supplementation has produced encouraging findings around areas including skin hydration and elasticity, while research in postmenopausal women has also explored collagen supplementation and bone health.

Think of collagen as an addition to a protein-rich diet rather than a substitute for your eggs, yoghurt, fish, beans, tofu or other complete protein sources.

Collagen: Bovine, Marine or Both?

Our Bovine Collagen provides 10g of hydrolysed Type I and Type III collagen peptides per serving, sourced from European grass-fed cattle. This is our recommendation to support skin, joints, bones and whole-body health.

Prefer a fish-derived source?

Marine Collagen provides 10g of hydrolysed Type I marine collagen peptides, sourced from wild-caught fish from Norwegian waters and MSC certified. We'd recommend marine collagen if you're looking to target healthy skin, hair and nails in particular.

Both are unflavoured, making them easy to stir into your morning coffee, matcha or smoothie. And both contain 100mg vitamin C per serving, to help promote absorption and utilisation of collagen in the body.

Looking at Menopause Nutrition as a Whole

The most helpful way to think about nutrition during menopause is rarely to focus on one food, nutrient, symptom or supplement in isolation.

Our bodies work as a whole.

Protein helps provide the building blocks for muscle and other tissues.

Fibre supports normal digestive health and feeds the gut microbiota.

A varied diet provides the micronutrients involved in everything from energy metabolism to normal immune and nervous-system function.

Movement helps maintain muscle, bones and cardiovascular health.

And sleep, stress management and mental wellbeing matter too.

 

Three foundations. Small daily habits. Whole-body support through perimenopause and beyond.

 

Erdélyi, A., Pálfi, E., Tűű, L., Nas, K., Szűcs, Z., Török, M., Jakab, A. and Várbíró, S. (2024) ‘The importance of nutrition in menopause and perimenopause—A review’, Nutrients, 16(1), p. 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16010027.

König, D., Oesser, S., Scharla, S., Zdzieblik, D. and Gollhofer, A. (2018) ‘Specific collagen peptides improve bone mineral density and bone markers in postmenopausal women—A randomized controlled study’, Nutrients, 10(1), p. 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10010097.

Li, D., Tong, Y. and Li, Y. (2020) ‘Dietary fiber is inversely associated with depressive symptoms in premenopausal women’, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14, p. 373. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2020.00373.

Pu, S-Y., Huang, Y-L., Pu, C-M., Kang, Y-N., Hoang, K.D., Chen, K-H. and Chen, C. (2023) ‘Effects of oral collagen for skin anti-aging: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, Nutrients, 15(9), p. 2080. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15092080.

Wei, J., Chen, W., Zhu, Y., Huang, Y., Yang, J. and Zhang, Y. (2022) ‘Effect of whey protein supplementation in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, Nutrients, 14(19), p. 4210. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14194210.