Menopause and the Whole30

[Michaela Zangla Leonard WingParent]

How does the Whole30 effect women who are suffering from Menopause?

I'm 49 and have hot flashes, irritability, brain fog, insomnia and weight gain that will not budge. I walk 40 minutes, 6 days out of every 7. I found that walking in the evening is my sleeping pill. If I don't walk I don't sleep at night.

I take extra strength Estrovan and Estrovan night time which has reduced the severity of the flashes and helped with the brain fog a bit. I've been on that for a year.

I started on Dukan in April, the merged into the Zone diet around July because the Carb Flu/constipation was more than I could stand. I dropped 15 and have not lost any weight since September. I have lost a total of 15 pounds but the flashes, irritability brain fog are still with me, though the severity has reduced.

It takes me a month to loose half a pound because out of every 30 day I have 3 weeks of wonky pms, which includes heavy bloating and drinking water does not seem to help. I had a hysterectomy in 2003 and the Doctor left my ovaries. So I have a faux period every month.

I drink 6 cups of green tea mixed with Ideal sugar (xythinol) daily, water, and hot black tea with milk.

Through this journey I continualy felt that I need to learn how to eat food that heal and then my body will begin to balance itself if only someone would show me the way. Then I found the Whole30. I'm hoping this will help because I'm tired of feeling fat, foggy and frustrated with my mind and body.

I plan on starting next week when life returns to normal and I can get my menus and shopping in place.

[kb0426]

How does the Whole30 effect women who are suffering from Menopause?

I'm 49 and have hot flashes, irritability, brain fog, insomnia and weight gain that will not budge.

Hi! I am 46, and pre-whole30 I had the exact issues. Well, not insomnia as much as poor quality sleep, and it took me a while to unwind.

Post whole30? All are gone! Since reintroduction, I learned that the hot flashes as triggered for me by wine and refined carbs. The brain fog seems to be related to sugar/crashes. The irritability was no doubt due to peaks and valleys in my blood sugar previously. As for sleep, I cannot begin to tell you how great it is to fall right to sleep and even if I wake to pee, go right back to sleep.

At my physical in June, my doctor told me my 10 pound gain over a 2 year period was likely due to perimenopause and my age. (the bitch ). I lost those 10 pounds during my whole30 so it certainly wasn't my age!

I no longer need caffeine in order to function. You may want to consider dropping or at least dramatically decreasing your consumption during the whole30, especially since your beverage additions are non-compliant.

So, in summary, the whole30 ROCKS for menopause in my opinion!

[Michaela Zangla Leonard WingParent]

There is hope. Thank you. Should I stop ingesting the Estrovan too?

[kb0426]

Honestly, I think estroven is non-compliant as I believe it has soy? I may be wrong but you may want to check the label or repost a new question for the mods under "Can I have...?"

[kb0426]

I had to google it out of curiosity. It contains soy isoflavones.

[Michaela Zangla Leonard WingParent]

I suspected as much. It's going to be a bumpy ride but I'm going to push through to better health.

[bonnynancy]

Good luck! I'll be interested in hearing how you are doing, so post!

[Michaela Zangla Leonard WingParent]

I will. I'm starting on this coming Friday. Company and family will be leaving this week and I need to go grocery shopping etc.

[bonnynancy]

I hear ya. The last holiday guest is leaving early tomorrow, and I will have two days to get things prepared for my first W30 starting January 2. Mentally.... I am ready!

[DVeep]

I suspected as much. It's going to be a bumpy ride but I'm going to push through to better health.

I started experiencing heavy - really heavy - periods with mega cramps around age 38. Back then, I started taking 400iu of VitE a day, and 800iu during my periods. In 3 months time all cramping went away and I never had them again. Whenever I hear young women complain of mentrual cramps, I always ask them if they are taking Vit E daily. Well, that was then. I am now 56. For several years I was on Prem-Pro or "natural" HRT, until I read studies about the negatives of HRT. Maybe because of the Vit E I was taking, I only had mild menopausal symptoms.

Since changing my lifestyle to paleo a year ago, I have eliminated most of my daily supplements, and that's saying a lot! Now I take 500mg Lysine a day rather than Valtrex, and I take 5000units Vit D3. If I'm in the sun a lot one day I skip the VitD supplement the next. I no longer take Vit E, primarily because it is made from soy, and trust now that I get sufficient E from the awesome foods I eat. All of my blood work is fantastic. Since I was already eating paleo prior to my W30 last September, I did not notice any menopausal changes from the diet. But I totally noticed last February, after a month of eliminating ALL grains and processed foods, that I no longer had bouts of depression, my moods were stable, my blood sugar levels were stable, I slept better and had more energy. So yes. I would definitely agree that Whole 30 improves or eliminates most or all symptoms of menopause!

P.S. Whenever I start to experience stuffiness, I immediately take 500mg each of quercetin and bromelain twice a day. Over 1-3 days it clears my head. They also act as anti-inflammatories. I used to get sinusitus regularly, in fact one season I had 9 infections in 7 months, thus I was on anti-biotics half that time and sudafed. That was before I knew better. Now I know the first symptoms. Plus, since I no longer eat dairy, most of those problems are history.

[Michaela Zangla Leonard WingParent]

Last week I stopped taking the Estroven and my flashes are brutal. If I were a snowman I would be a puddle on the floor. The Estroven reduced the intensity significantly. As soon as I go through the whole 30 I'm going back to regimine.

Tomorrow starts my first day on the Whole30 journey. I have hope.

I like in south FL and walk daily for 40 minutes so I'm not lacking in the VIT D department.

DVEEP, I'm going to research the lysine, quercetin and bromelain since this is new information to me. Thank you for your thoughts.

[Terez]

What worked for me for hot flashes (and I've recommended it to other women and it has worked for them) is Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) found in Evening Primrose Oil, Borage Seed Oil or Black Currant Oil. (GLA is an omega-6 fatty acid and these sources are plant seed oils, therefore not W30 compliant. But taking GLA eliminated hot flashes for me and others.)

The dosage is important. Two 500mg capsules with each meal (meaning, six capsules spread over the course of a day). Just taking two capsules a day will not make a difference. Taking 2 capsules three times a day (with meals that include fat) does the trick.

If it works for you, you'll notice a difference within a day or so.

My test group is very small. Over the years I've told four women about it, and it worked for all of them. You'd be the fifth. Among us we used Evening Primrose and Black Currant Seed.

Terez

[ecodolly]

I have read that organic Black Cohosh root is very effective for hot flashes - worth a try as that will certainly be W30 compliant

[Michaela Zangla Leonard WingParent]

Black Cohosh is in Estroven and I think it was working but when I stopped taking that for the Whole 30 the flashes came back with a roar.

I'm in day 5 and I still have hot flashes but they are not as often or as intense. We shall see how thing progress.

I will look into the Primrose Oil, which I have on hand but decided to just focus on the Whole30 first. This will allow me to determine what I truly need in my diet.

Has anyone noticed a reduction in hot flashes after the Whole30?

[Melelina]

I am on Day Five and for the past few days, I have been experiencing hot flashes. This is not something I am normally bothered with since I am on bio-identical hormones. I am guessing - at least in my case - that the hormones are doing some funny stuff?

[Coffeeandshoes]

Could it be that it is withdrawal from the supplements? Maybe it takes time for your body to revert to "normal"? And a big maybe--Maybe it takes time for your hormones to adjust to the Whole30, and no supplements. (and it could be your body's way of "detoxing")

I didn't have hot flashes, but last January I had had 8 months of crazy heavy periods that lasted weeks, stopped for one week and then returened for weeks. It was awful, I was scared, even though its normal part of life. I'd tried some different herbs, and know this is a part of life so didn't want medical intravention. Usually this lasts for a year or so as your body is "winding down"

I did three things in January.- 1. Whole 30, 2. kombucha, 3. "Michaels Female Reproductive Factors", (they make one for menopause also, but that wasn't what I needed).

Within a month. I had NORMAL peroids. I continued the Whole 30 about 80/20, the kombucha and I took the Michaels for about 6 months. I dropped the Michaels and I am still doing whole30 and kombucha (when I remember to drink it) and I have normal periods still.