Nutrition supplies the building blocks for your health, happiness, learning, hormones, growth, repair and energy. Across all ages and stages our body has different requirements for nutrients as we develop and mature.
Lifestyle, diet, activity, environment, spiritual and social aspects make a huge difference to our health.
The body is extremely flexible and geared to survive by rebalancing and correcting itself. At times, our lifestyle, diet and ability to rebalance gets out of whack and we start to show signs and symptoms which sometimes go undetected until they become a health concern. The medical approach too often turns to medications as the first line of treatment where Dietitians and Nutritionists look to identifying the underlying cause’s and apply diet and lifestyle recommendations.
Getting a past history of your health, your family history, medications and supplements, symptoms, your likes and dislikes and activity level is part of finding the best way forward for your uniqueness. Simply, one way does not fit all!
Categories that can affect your underlying health issues require investigation:
- Family history of disease
- History and journey of reproductive hormones
- Digestion
- Metabolic issues such as insulin resistance, cardiovascular health, blood pressure
- Food sensitivities and allergies
- Mood and cognitive function
- Energy levels
- Sleep
- Immunity and autoimmune conditions
- Other serious health issues
- Activity and reoccurring injuries
- Women’s Health and Menopause
As women approach hormonal milestones, our health starts to change. We may need to pay more attention to finding a new balance. Often, we become more aware of foods, situations and activities that suit us better. Hormone levels do not increase or decrease overnight but usually start to cause symptoms and signals implying a decrease in hormones leading to menopause.
Hormonal changes are often influenced by our genetics but also by diet, weight, activity level and fitness, and stress. The three phases are perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause. Ultimately, the body reduces the amount of estrogen produced and to finally stop releasing eggs.
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Hair thinning
Dry and thinning skin Mood swings, anxiety and stress More frequent urge to urinate Weight gain Insomnia and trouble concentrating |
Vasomotor symptoms:
Vaginal dryness and loss of libido Night sweats and hot flashes Sleep issues Dizziness and vertigo Heart palpitations Migraines
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Symptoms are individual and some women sail through this time while others really struggle. It is not a time of illness but a time of transition! Hot flashes are not dangerous but they can be uncomfortable and untimely. Hormone therapy can be the answer for some women, but not suitable for everyone. Whatever choice you make, a few tweeks to lifestyle, diet, activity level, relaxation and supplementation all play a role.
The role of key foods and supplements, but nothing replaces a balanced calorie controlled diet:
| Supplement: | Foods: | Function: |
| Vitamin D | Sunlight, egg yolks, fortified milk and juice, oily fish | Prohormone
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| B complex | B2 – milk, yoghurt, liver, oats, almonds, fortified cereals
B6 – Tuna, liver, chickpeas, potatoes, banana, fortified cereals B9 – Liver, pulses, spinach, fortified cereals, asparagus B12 – yeast, liver, seafood, animal products, eggs |
The B complex vitamins are involved in many biochemical pathways to support vitality, heart health, immunity, repair, bone health and brain function.
Because they are water soluble, they are not stored and need to be consumed everyday from the diet |
| Vitamin E | Nuts and seeds, broccoli, spinach, | Potent antioxidant to reduce oxidative damage often caused by the reaction of carbohydrate metabolism and environmental toxins.
Antioxidants protect against the changes as we age |
| Vitamin C | Citrus fruit, kiwi, berries, tomatoes | Antioxidant essential to health and not able to be made in the body. Protects against oxidative damage of aging, support cardiovascular health as well as cognitive ability and repair to skin and tissue. |
| Vitamin A | Carrots, cod liver oil, liver, pulses, broccoli, spinach, sweet potato, pumpkin, tomato, apricots, mango | An antioxidant supporting healthy vision, fertility, skin health and immune function. |
| Alternative therapies (1) | ||
| Black cohosh | Botanical herb | Described as a selective estrogen receptor modulator reported to reduce hot flashes and control vasomotor symptoms with mild side effects and good tolerability and safety |
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Evening Primrose oil
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Rich source of gamma linoleic acid, an oil obtained from EP seeds | It may decrease the severity of hot flashes and reduce breast pain alongside its effect on vasomotor |
Weight Management
Weight management can become an issue as you age. Some women become more sedentary while others take on a rushing women’s syndrome and forget to take time for themselves. Our weight loss plan can consider your choice of dietary preference alongside a calculated calorie and macro breakdown. It will highlight nutrient dense foods to support any health issues and can include specialist tests for metabolism and possible food intolerances if required.
Digestive issues are very common and tend to share the same symptoms but have completely different drivers. Irritable bowel can be from a lack of digestive support and therefore present as a food intolerance, rogue bacteria, low immunity, yeast overgrowth and parasites. If you cannot get on top of your bowel issues, talk with one of our clinicians and follow one of our targeted programs.
Digging into the cause is better than a lifetime of medication to make everything run smoothly.
