FIGHTING the bulge in mid-life can feel like an uphill struggle. You’re eating less, but it still piles on – plus fatigue and brain fog from the menopause can make it even harder.
What worked for you before might not anymore, because hormones are now involved. Weight loss jabs might seem like the only feasible option left – but before embarking on that risky (and expensive) route, try these three simple rules.
The 30/30/3 rule, designed by Dr Amy Shah, MD, author of Hormone Havoc, is a simple nutritional framework that’s easy to follow and can help healthy habits stick.
“Women could potentially lose as much as 6.8 kg (15lbs) in just 8 weeks when following the protocol outlined in the book,” she tells Sun Health.
Perimenopause – when menopause symptoms start, before periods have completely stopped – can start as early as your 30s.
Dr Amy says: “Hot flushes, mood swings, anxiety, weight gain, brain fog – the hormonal flux that comes with perimenopause and menopause may bring side effects, but that doesn’t mean you have to feel miserable or settle for debilitating symptoms.”
It may feel like weight loss jabs like Mounjaro and Wegovy are your only option left. For many people, these injections are a life-changing solution to obesity.
But there are potential side effects or complications everyone must consider before taking them. A reduction in muscle mass and bone density are potential impacts of weight loss jabs – which women in mid-life are already at risk of due to depleteing oestrogen.
Post-menopausal women are already more at risk of osteoporosis – an increased risk of broken bones and fractures – before adding drastic weight loss measures on top.
Dr Amy says while on a hormonal rollercoaster, you can improve symptoms AND you weight by supporting your gut microbiome.
“A strong gut and smart lifestyle will keep you clear-minded and energised as your hormones change,” says Dr Amy.
“We cannot stop the clock, but we can definitely make choices today that will create better tomorrows.”
Here we reveal the 30/30/3 rule all women should be following to keep brain fog and weight gain at bay.
30g protein in your first meal to curb cravings
It’s out with the granola, cereal bars and toast. If you’re not having protein at breakfast, you might be setting yourself up for failure.
“If you implement only one facet of the 30-30-3, it should be setting a target of 30 grams of protein in your first meal of the day,” says Dr Amy.
“A high-protein breakfast is one of the most underrated ways to improve all the uncomfortable things you’re feeling in perimenopause, including poor gut health, weight gain, muscle loss, cravings and mood swings.”
Protein early will improve energy and gut health by stimulating the release of hormones that manage blood sugar balance and hunger levels.
“We all love sugar, but it does not love us back,” says Dr Amy.
“Sugar is an inherently addictive ingredient because of the way it influences the brain’s reward system, making us feel hooked.”
Sugar at breakfast may look like croissants, cereal, jam on white toast, flavoured yoghurts or even a fruit smoothie.
Generally, diets with low protein intake often lead to overeating and can accelerate muscle loss, especially in middle age, Dr Amy says.
Dr Amy says: “Maintaining good muscle mass supports mobility, healthy ageing, metabolism and lowered risk of disease or injury.
“Training your legs, for example, has been shown to specifically improve neurological health.
“A study of women suffering from insomnia, chronic fatigue, depression and anxiety found that training exercises with body weight contributed significantly to symptom relief.”
A recent study found that, on average, women lose 1 to 3 per cent of their muscle mass every decade until they hit perimenopause, and then it accelerates to 1 to 3 per cent per year into menopause and after.
Tips for 30g of protein:
- “For me, 30 grams of protein looks like scrambled eggs with cottage cheese, berries and nuts,” says Dr Amy. “A single egg has 6 grams of protein, so does an ounce of almonds.”
- Greek yoghurt is another example of high-protein breakfasts, with 9.2 grams of protein per 100 grams.
- If you’re struggling to hit it, protein shakes and bars can be useful. “But try as much as you can to avoid ultra-processed sources of protein,” says Dr Amy – instead, stick to lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds and tofu, for example.
30g fibre to diversify and strengthen the gut
Fibre isn’t just Weetabix and brown bread. It’s found in dozens of foods that should make up lots of your meals.
Why? For a start, it’s the unsung hero of weight loss.
But Dr Amy also says: “Fibre is the food our gut bacteria needs to help reset our hormones and regulate our bowels – meaning we go to the toilet regularly.
“Fibre-rich foods like berries, fruits and vegetables all contain polyphenols, which are beneficial to the good bacteria in your gut.”
What’s more, through the process of fibre being broken down in the gut, short-chain fatty acids are produced. As a result, cholesterol and glucose in the blood decrease, which improves metabolism and heart function.
“It also makes us feel happy, motivated and energised,” says Dr Amy.
Tips for 30g of fibre:
- Incorporate fruits and vegetables in every meal and snack. “Easy ways to hit your target include adding pre-cut or frozen vegetables into your meals and adding nuts to salads or having them as a snack,” says Dr Amy.
- Other ideas include using more spices and adding more beans and lentils to your diet, says Dr Amy.
- “Oatmeal is a great, quick and inexpensive source of fibre to incorporate into your morning,” says Dr Amy. Top with fruit and some nuts.
- “Popcorn (preferably without loads of butter and salt) is another fibre-rich food that makes for a quick snack throughout the day,” says Dr Amy.
Every day habits harming your gut
Several factors can negatively influence gut health, either by altering its function or wiping out the beneficial bacteria (allowing bad bacteria to thrive). Here are some common ones:
A poor diet
High sugar and high-fat diets can lead to an imbalance in gut bacteria. This typically means processed foods, like cakes, biscuits, fried foods and more. Artificial sweeteners may also disrupt gut flora, and alcohol – particularly cocktails and mixers with high sugar – aren’t beneficial either.
Lack of fibre
Dietary fiber is essential for healthy gut bacteria and therefore, a diet low in fiber can negatively impact gut health. Fibre is in foods such as wholmeal bread, oats, jacket potato, fruits and vegetables.
Antibiotics
We all need to take antibiotics now and again, sometimes they are necessary. But antibiotics can kill beneficial gut bacteria along with harmful ones, leading to imbalances in the gut. Other medications like NSAIDs and proton pump inhibitors can also affect gut health. Make sure to implement gut health habits – or take a probiotic – during antibiotic use.
Stress
Stress affects us all but some are better than dealing with it than others. Stress can alter the gut microbiome and increase gut permeability, leading to a “leaky gut”. Symptoms include diarrhoea, pain and gas.
3 probiotic foods to balance the microbiome
Probiotic foods have bacteria in them, which heal, strengthen and create diversity in the gut.
“A healthy gut is the greatest response to fluctuating hormones,” says Dr Amy.
“Gut health and hormone health are closely intertwined and are connected in a way that when we take action to improve gut health, hormone health improves along with it,” says Dr Amy.
“Research shows us that the ingestion of probiotics resulted in significantly lower levels of stress-induced hormones.”
Dr Amy adds: “A serving of probiotic food could look like a spoonful of sauerkraut, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water or tea, a serving of probiotic cottage cheese or Greek yoghurt, adding fermented vegetables like kimchi to your meals, or having a probiotic beverage like kombucha.”
The 4-3-2-1 hack to banish the bloat
Dr Amy says: “With a poor diet of processed foods, additives and preservatives, your gut can’t catch a break, and it becomes inflamed, even more so during perimenopause and menopause.
“Your gut bacteria aren’t as balanced as they should be, the system breaks down, you can’t properly digest food, and a host of problems set in, one of which is bloating.
“There are tons of ways to minimise bloating, throughly effective nutrition and exercise.”
FOUR TIMES A WEEK: MOVEMENT FOR ENDURANCE
Move for 45 minutes to an hour at least four times a week. It could be walking, jogging, swimming, dancing or playing tennis.
THREE TIMES A WEEK: BUILDING MUSCLE
Engage in weight-bearing exercises three times a week. This might be squats at home, a session in the gym doing free weights or a Pilates class.
TWO TIMES A WEEK: HEAT THERAPY
Traditionally, this means sauna, but heat therapy also includes hot yoga, sitting in a hot bath or exercising in hot weather. Anything that raises your core body temperature for 15-20 minutes at a time.
Heat therapy has the power to increase your human growth hormone by up to 500 per cent, claims Dr Amy.
“The growth hormone, somatotropin, is released by the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland and has the power to repair muscles; it’s basically behind what we call beauty sleep,” says Dr Amy.
“The growth hormone is something that naturally decreases with age, and it isn’t something that can be fully replaced by adding more synthetically.
“You capitalise on your natural growth hormone by simply getting enough sleep and exercise, eating a healthy diet and using heat therapy!
ONCE A WEEK: SPRINT
Try sprinting on a treadmill or outside on the grass or pavement. The aim is to be able to sprint for 30-second bursts, totalling up to four minutes of maximum effort.
This is an edited extract taken Hormone Havoc: A Science-Backed Protocol For Perimenopause and Menopause by Dr Amy Shah, MD (Piatkus, £16.99) out now
