The Top 10 Foods That Naturally Support Whole Body Balance During Menopause (Utilizing Functional Nutrition)
1. Legumes
Legumes such as soy, lentils, chickpeas, and beans are rich in plant compounds called phytoestrogens.
Phytoestrogens are compounds in plants that bind to the same receptors as your natural estrogen, only activating the system much more weakly. In this way, they can gently support estrogen activity in the body, something that becomes increasingly important as natural estrogen levels decline.
Soy is the most well known and potent of the phytoestrogen source in the legume group, however, this plant family as a whole contains these beneficial compounds. Frequent consumption of soy products, but not soy milk, is associated with a decreased likelihood of hot flashes and may protect bone health. However, it also makes good sense to incorporate a number of other legumes in your diet for similar reasons.
In addition to their phytoestrogen content, legumes also provide fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar and supports gut health, both of which are critical for hormone balance.
I have been recommending women get a minimum of 3 servings of legumes a week, for the better part of a decade. However, eating some every day (in variety) is a solid move during the menopausal transitional years and beyond.
The challenge: Many women don’t consume them consistently enough to see meaningful benefits. Frequently and consistently is key.
Recommendation: Legumes daily as a fiber and phytoestrogen-rich protein source. Minimum of 3 servings a week.
Supplementation: If you supplement with phytoestrogens, soy isoflavones are one effective option. Another option with good research behind it for menopause symptoms is Rhapontic Rhubarb extract. I also like to combine it with hops flower extract because these two plants have compounds that bind different types of estrogen receptors.
2. Almonds
Almonds are a powerhouse food for peri- and postmenopause. 1 ounce of almonds contains approximately:
- 18% daily value of magnesium
- 27% daily value of manganese
- 48% daily value of Vitamin E
- 6g of protein
- 3.5g of fiber
1 ounce of almonds is ~23 nuts. That is easy to get in a handful. These affordable and easily accessible nutrient dense nuts are truly a superfood for the menopausal transition.
Magnesium plays a key role in over 300 enzymes in your body. It is essential for stress regulation, sleep, antioxidant balance, and the calming part of your brain known as the GABA system.
Manganese (not to be confused with magnesium) is a nutrient I always think about for women going through menopause, and it is often overlooked by healthcare practitioners. It is one of the most antioxidant regulating minerals in your body, especially inside the mitochondria of every cell in your body - the energy producing components that make you either fatigued or equipped for your day. At 48% of the daily value, these nuts are a must in menopause.
Vitamin E is another key antioxidant, but may also decrease hot flashes in some women.
Recommendation: Eat a handful of almonds a day for a mid-afternoon snack to stabilize blood sugar and get some essential vitamins and minerals in food form.
If you want to combine your functional nutrition change with a science-backed, doctor formulated herbal menopause formula, check out our Phyto-Adapt formula.
3. Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts are one of the richest natural sources of selenium, a trace mineral that supports thyroid function and is also a key antioxidant.
Since inflammation and oxidative stress can increase during menopause, Brazil nuts are an excellent food source of this crucial mineral. In fact, Brazil nuts contain so much selenium that it is only recommended to eat 1-3 a day.
That is a pretty amazing food as medicine approach!
They also contain magnesium, vitamin E, and healthy fats that can beneficially influence blood lipid levels. However, at the lower dose recommended for the high selenium content, the levels of this mineral stand out as the primary benefit for the purposed of this intake.
For similar reasons as mentioned with almonds, I always recommend women combine herbal medicine with robust vitamin and mineral support for the best results.
While the foods are easy to get, it gets expensive to source individual herbal ingredients. That’s why we put the most effective herbal remedies in one formula, so you can get it all in one capsule in our Phyto-Adapt formula.
Recommendation: One to three nuts per day is enough.
4. Berries
Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are packed with antioxidants, but there is another secret to these superfoods - they are wonderful prebiotics.
The gut microbiome takes a big hit during the menopause transition and by postmenopause, the microbiome has typically undergone a complete reorganization. If you don’t take care of the changing and evolving bacterial ecosystem of your gut during this time, you could end up with dysbiosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or intestinal permeability (i.e. leaky gut), and this can further increase inflammation and decrease circulating estrogen levels.
Feeding healthy gut bacteria well is a great preventive against these issues and helps ensure a robust gut microbiome. The bioflavanoids in berries act as a food source for commensal (healthy) gut bacteria and is an easy regular way to support gut health.
Recommendation: I’ve been recommending my patients eat 1 cup of frozen blueberries a day for many years. This is an easy way to incorporate berries regularly and they often help with overcoming sugar cravings as well.
If you want to learn more about adding other antioxidant herbs to your daily routine, you can check out the ingredients in Phyto-Adapt, which includes Schisandra berry, a potent antioxidant adaptogen.
5. Resistant Starch
Resistant starch is found in foods like cooked and cooled potatoes, rice, legumes, as well as green bananas.
Resistant starch is a prebiotic that feeds a very wide variety of healthy gut bacteria. It is one approaches I use clinically to support gut restoration when it’s wrecked from antibiotics and gastrointestinal illness.
I recommend incorporating resistant starches for the same reasons berries, except resistant starches support the growth of an even greater diversity of healthy gut microbes.
Recommendation: Get resistant starch a few times a week. Taking cooled rice or potato from the fridge and incorporating it into a stir fry or other dish is an easy approach. You can also just eat it straight out of the fridge.
6. Fermented Foods
This is yet another gut supportive measure that I recommend every woman going through the menopausal transition incorporate into their diet.
Hopefully by this point, the message is loud and clear that you need to support your gut health during this time of your life. A shout out to the fact that there is much more than hormones to consider for whole woman menopause care.
Foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, and kefir contain beneficial bacteria that support gut health, but they also contain pre- and postbiotics. These have additional gut health benefits.
A fermented food that is easy to make at home that is less well known is beet kvass. It is as simple as adding salt and letting it sit for a few days. It’s sweet, salty, and packed with fermented goodness that also supports liver health.
Recommendation: Consistency is key. Get some daily, even just a quarter of a cup. Add sauerkraut or kimchi to a salad, or as a side. Drink a bit of dairy kefir.
7. Walnuts
Walnuts are rich in the omega-3 fatty acid alpha linolenic acid, which help reduce inflammation and support brain health. This may help with joint or muscle pain, as well as brain fog over time.
Walnuts are also a great source of Vitamin B6, Copper, Manganese, Vitamin E, and Folate.
Walnuts are about 65% fat by weight, but these fats are heart healthy and help balance lipid profiles. Due to the high fat content, they also contain a lot of calories, so it’s important to be mindful of not overeating. However, as a regular food choice, these nuts are a smart choice.
This is another one of those powerhouse foods that provide a lot of vitamin, mineral, and anti-inflammatory benefit in a relatively small serving. As with other nuts, combining them with holistic herbal formulas that support the immune system, adrenals, and cellular health will provide even greater relief from perimenopause and menopause symptoms.
You can learn more about Phyto-Adapt, The Bridge System’s flagship formula I developed here if you want to see added benefits beyond dietary changes.
Recommendation: Aim for a few servings a week.
8. Cold Water Fish
Fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel are among the best sources of omega-3s. Specifically, these cold water fish contain the potent omega-3s EPA and DHA.
EPA and DHA powerfully shift the fatty acid profile of your cells and ultimately the inflammatory balance by increasing the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio.
The role inflammation plays in the menopausal years cannot be overstated. Increased inflammation can contribute to everything from fatigue and brain fog, to pain, digestive dysfunction, cortisol imbalance, and sleep issues.
It can take a bit of time and consistency, but within 4-8 weeks, you are likely to experience: improved heart health, reduced inflammation, potentially improve mood and cognitive functionand any symptoms associated with increased inflammation
Omega-3 fatty acids along with vitamin E may also reduce hot flashes.
Importantly, I have seen over the last 15+ years that herbal and nutrient, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant approaches, work in synergy together and bring greater benefits than either can along. You can learn more about how I uses herbal medicine formulations here, and why I use the herbs I do for women entering menopause and postmenopause.
The challenge: Most people don’t eat enough fish weekly to get therapeutic levels. Aim for 2 servings of cold water fatty fish weekly. As a supplement, you can take ~1-2g of EPA/DHA a week, or a serving of fish oil daily.
9. Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are one of the richest sources of lignans—a type of phytoestrogen. For this reason, they can be supportive for menopause symptoms in the same way increasing legumes such as soy in your diet can be.
Flax seeds are also high in fiber, supporting digestion and blood sugar regulation.
Recommendation: 1-2 Tbsp. of ground flax seed daily in a smoothie or as frequently as is convenient.
10. Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds provide fiber and a number of essential minerals, including manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and iron.
These are once again, foundational nutrients for oxidative stress balance, which is one of the most foundational systems in your body for cellular health, inflammation balance, and reduced symptoms of perimenopause, as well as menopause.
To support the many immune system and metabolic supports of these functional foods, I developed Phyto-Adapt to add additional science-backed herbal remedies that directly address the most common symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes, night sweats, heart palpitations, sleep disturbance, and brain fog.
Recommendation: Like flax, consistency matters and most people don’t consume enough weekly. 2oz a day is a healthy goal. You can put these in a blender along with flax seeds and nuts and create a true anti-menopause nutrient bomb.