Written By Dr Rebecca Hiscutt
Diet is one of the most powerful tools you can use to support your body through
menopause. What and when you eat can amplify symptoms or help steady your energy,
mood and metabolism.
Below are some of the most common menopause symptoms, why diet matters, and simple, evidence-informed strategies to help you feel more like yourself again.
Aches and Pains
More than half of women report joint or muscular discomfort during menopause, with about 20% saying it’s their worst symptom. This isn’t just ageing, it’s often driven by inflammation.
Why diet matters
• Hormonal shifts increase inflammation.
• Fatigue, poor sleep and mood changes can lead to quick-fix eating (sugar, processed carbs) which drives inflammation further.
• Stress depletes key nutrients like magnesium and B vitamins, important for joint and muscle function.
Dietary strategy
• Focus on whole, anti-inflammatory foods: lean protein, non-starchy vegetables, and natural fats. This will help you feel fuller and reduce cravings for sweet or salty carbohydrate foods.
• For the next two weeks spend 15 minutes each week planning meals and writing a shopping list. Take photos of these. Now you have a two week meal plan you can cycle through saving you headspace and time. Just repeat, tweaking one or two meals if you like for variation.
Top tip: omega 3 fats are highly anti-inflammatory. Build oily fish into your weekly meals. e.g. Salmon, broccoli and asparagus tray bake with lemon and garlic. If yon’t eat oily fish consider an omega 3 supplement.
Cognition and Brain Fog
Around 60% of women report memory problems, difficulty concentrating, or that vague ‘cotton wool brain.’ Falling oestrogen affects brain regions linked to focus and recall. Why diet matters • Key nutrients (B12, folate, choline, iron, zinc, magnesium) are essential for brain health.
• Blood sugar instability can worsen fatigue and fog.
• Nutrient gaps can occur in midlife due to busier lives, stress, restrictive diets or increased need (stress, heavy periods).
Dietary strategy
• Prioritise nutrient-dense foods such as: eggs, oily fish, leafy greens, meat, pumpkin seeds
• Check and optimise B12, iron and folate levels if low or borderline.
• Stabilise blood sugar: build meals around protein, healthy fats and fibre to help minimise grazing on sugary snacks.
Hot Flushes and Night Sweats
Around 80% of post-menopausal women experience vasomotor symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats. While hormone changes are the main driver, blood sugar fluctuations can also trigger symptoms.
Why diet matters
• Spikes and crashes in blood glucose can trigger or intensify hot flushes.
• Evening hyperglycaemia worsens night-time sweating and poor sleep.
Dietary strategy
• Make protein the anchor of every meal to reduce glucose spikes.
• Finish eating at least 3 hours before bed to support stable blood sugar overnight.
• Hydrate well as dehydration can increase blood glucose levels.
Sleep Disturbance
Sleep disruption is one of the earliest and most common menopausal symptoms. Just one poor night of sleep increases insulin resistance, making other symptoms worse the next day.
Why diet matters
• High sugar or alcohol at night destabilises blood sugar and cortisol rhythms.
• Magnesium supports relaxation and the production of GABA and melatonin.
Dietary strategy
• Eat a balanced evening meal: protein + natural fats + a small portion of fibre-rich carbs.
• Consider trialling magnesium glycinate supplementation if needed (gentle and well tolerated). • Be mindful of how alcohol and caffeine impact your sleep
Exhaustion
Falling oestrogen makes the body less sensitive to insulin, so it struggles to move sugar into cells for energy. This creates an energy ‘block’, driving fatigue, inflammation, and fat gain.
Why diet matters
• Elevated insulin traps energy in fat stores, rather than releasing it for energy
• Sugary snacks make energy highs and lows worse.
Dietary strategy
• Reduce refined carbohydrates and close your ‘eating-window’ earlier in the evening.
• To help with this start your day with a high-protein breakfast to curb cravings and stabilise energy.
Irritability and Anxiety
Mood swings, irritability and anxiety are often some of the first symptoms to appear in perimenopause impacting quality of life and relationships hugely.
Why diet matters
• Fluctuating hormones affect the production of neurotransmitters that help us feel calm and motivated, such as serotonin and GABA
• Low levels of magnesium, zinc, B vitamins and omega-3s can increase anxiety
• Blood sugar crashes can heighten irritability.
Dietary strategy
• Look for every opportunity to provide your body and brain with the ingredients it needs to produce calming neurotransmitters.
• Support gut health by choosing whole foods over processed, sugar-rich foods, including fermented foods and natural probiotics
• Start by stocking up on unprocessed foods you love to replace processed snacks. E.g apples cooked with cinnamon and creme fraiche or Greek yoghurt, watermelon and feta cubes, your favourite olives.
Weight Gain and Visceral Fat
The combination of falling oestrogen, rising insulin and higher cortisol shifts fat storage to the abdomen, increasing Visceral fat, a more metabolically active and inflammatory type of fat.
Why diet matters
• High refined carb intake keeps insulin levels high, promoting fat storage.
• Adequate protein helps preserve lean muscle mass, increasing metabolic rate.
Dietary strategy
• Adjust macronutrient balance for what you need now. Tweak carbohydrate, protein and fat so you feel full and satisfied but enable insulin levels to come down and burn fat.
• Pair diet with resistance training, steady-state movement, small bursts of HIT and sleep optimisation.
• Put in place a stress management plan as cortisol impacts fat distribution.
Your Personalised Menopause Nutrition Toolkit
Menopause calls for a different nutritional approach. Small, targeted shifts can ease symptoms and build long-term health:
• Eat protein first at each meal.
• Cut back on refined carbohydrates.
• Support key nutrients like omega-3, magnesium and B vitamins.
• Pair food strategies with movement, stress support and sleep.
Note:
Nourishing yourself through diet alongside movement, stress management and sleep is key for symptoms management, wellbeing and long-term health whether as an independent strategy or alongside HRT. Dr Rebecca Hiscutt. PhD is a registered dietitian with a specialist interest in women’s health and works alongside Bristol Menopause Clinic to provide holistic and comprehensive care for their patients. Nutrition support and guidance can be provided in person at Bristol Menopause Clinic on virtually.
References: Donga, E. et al. (2010). A single night of partial sleep deprivation induces insulin resistance in multiple metabolic pathways in healthy subjects. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 95(6), 2963–2968 Dormire S, Howharn C. The effect of dietary intake on hot flashes in menopausal women. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2007;36(3):255-262 Greendale, G. A. et al. (2021). Changes in regional fat distribution and anthropometric measures during the menopause transition. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 106(9), 2523–2533 Lovejoy J.C. The menopause and obesity. Medical Clinics of North America, 2018; 102(2): 305-318 Mauvais-Jarvis, F., Clegg, D. J., & Hevener, A. L. (2013). The role of estrogens in control of energy balance and glucose homeostasis. Endocrine Reviews, 34(3), 309–338 Kim Y., Je Y. Dietary patterns and hot flashes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Maturitas, 2017; 100: 83-90