Fasting and Hormones: The Truth About Intermittent Fasting During Menopause

Intermittent Fasting During Menopause: Benefits, Challenges, and Practical Tips

In this episode of 'Joyful Menopause,' host Lynda Enright explores the nuances of intermittent fasting for women undergoing perimenopause and menopause. The discussion covers how hormonal changes during this stage of life interact with intermittent fasting, potential benefits like improved metabolic health and reduced inflammation, and challenges such as increased cortisol levels. 

Lynda also shares practical advice for approaching fasting safely and effectively, including starting with shorter fasting windows and maintaining a nutrient-rich diet. Real-life experiences of two women illustrate how fasting can be tailored to individual needs. Listeners are encouraged to consult with healthcare providers and to listen to their bodies when considering intermittent fasting.

00:00 Introduction to Intermittent Fasting

01:11 Understanding Intermittent Fasting Methods

02:32 Hormonal Impacts of Fasting

04:15 Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

06:47 Risks and Considerations

07:54 Practical Tips for Safe Fasting

11:07 Real-Life Success Stories

13:28 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Transcript

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You've heard about intermittent fasting. Maybe you found it to be amazing for you, or maybe you've been uncertain to try it because you aren't sure if it's best for you during this time in your life. I'm your host Lynda Enright, and wherever you are at today on Joyful Menopause, we will make sense of a topic that has been generating a lot of buzz for some time. Intermittent fasting and more specifically how it may be good or bad for a woman during the years of perimenopause and menopause. We'll cover how intermittent fasting interacts with the unique hormonal changes that women experience during this stage of life. We'll talk about its potential benefits, the challenges to watch out for, and how to approach it safely and effectively. Plus, I'll share some real life stories from women I've worked with so you can see how it plays out in everyday life. If you've ever wondered whether intermittent fasting is right for you or how to make it work for your body, you're in the right place. Let's get started. Menopause doesn't have to feel like you are living in someone else's body. Your host, Lynda Enright, has spent the last 25 years helping women to thrive in midlife. Here you'll find science based practical advice that you can start using today to get real results for your health. Welcome to Joyful Menopause. Intermittent fasting is a way of structuring your eating by cycling between periods of eating and fasting. There are different methods, but the most common ones include the 16 8 method, where you fast for 16 hours and then you eat during an eight hour window. The 5 2 method, where you eat normally for five days and restrict calories for two non consecutive days. Or a 12 to 14 hour fasting window, which can be a more gentle and accessible starting point for many women. I'm going to focus on that 16, 8 or 12 to 14 hour fasting window today. Not so much about the 5, 2. I find that not to be quite so common in women that I'm working with. Research suggests that intermittent fasting can have a lot of benefits. It can improve metabolic health, can reduce inflammation, and it may be helpful in promoting weight loss. But the key is, it's not about depriving yourself. I have had many women coming to me telling me they're intermittent fasting and they're forcing themselves within a state of significant hunger to not eat until noon because they think that's the best thing to do. But imagine what message that sends to your body. stress, alarm, and with that can come energy conservation, not energy burn. Good intermittent fasting is about giving your body time to rest and reset, which can be especially valuable during perimenopause and menopause. So I want to start today with three ways that intermittent fasting affects women in perimenopause and menopause. First, let's talk about estrogen and progesterone. During menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels naturally fluctuate and eventually they decline. These shifts can slow down your metabolism, they can increase insulin resistance, they can lead to weight gain, particularly around the abdomen. Intermittent fasting can help counter some of these effects by improving insulin sensitivity and reducing oxidative stress. But here's what's important. It needs to be done carefully and thoughtfully because fasting can sometimes signal your body to hold on to weight or disrupt hormone levels even further. Number two, DHEA is a hormone that your body naturally produces that helps to make other hormones including estrogen and testosterone. Fasting may lower your natural levels of DHEA. This can be a double edged sword. It's great for reducing things like breast cancer risk, but it might also exacerbate low estrogen symptoms like dry skin, low libido, and bone health issues. So what do we do about it? How do we solve this? You can combine intermittent fasting with a nutrient rich diet to keep your body balanced. And third, fasting can temporarily increase cortisol, which is your stress hormone. For women already dealing with stress, this can worsen symptoms like hot flashes, poor sleep or fatigue. So choosing a gentle fasting approach and listening to your body can make intermittent fasting work for you without it being an added stressor on your system. Today, we're talking about intermittent fasting for women during perimenopause and menopause. We've started with what it is and how it affects women during midlife. And now let's shift gears and talk about the benefits. When done correctly, intermittent fasting can offer some amazing benefits, including weight management. Intermittent fasting helps regulate insulin, which is the hormone responsible for fat storage. With lower insulin levels, your body may be more able to shift into fat burning mode, especially during fasting windows. For some women, this can be particularly effective for addressing abdominal fat storage, which is a common frustration for women during menopause. Belly fat isn't just cosmetic, it's linked to metabolic issues, so losing it can improve overall health. Menopause increases the risk of insulin resistance, meaning your body becomes less effective at managing blood sugar levels, and fasting can give your body a chance to recalibrate and become more sensitive to insulin, reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes and helping with steady energy levels throughout the day. Have you ever noticed how eating a heavy meal can leave you feeling sluggish? Fasting can also give your brain a break from processing a constant stream of nutrients. So it may be helpful in reducing brain fog as well. For some women, it can stimulate the production of something called brain derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF, which is a protein that supports cognitive function, learning, and memory. This can be a really big deal for women dealing with brain fog during menopause. Then chronic inflammation. I talk a lot about inflammation in, everything I do. It's a silent contributor to many menopause related issues like joint pain, fatigue, and even heart disease. Fasting reduces inflammatory markers in the body, giving you a better chance to feel more energized and experience less stiffness. Fasting can also help to regulate circadian rhythms by aligning your eating schedule with your body's natural day night cycle. Many women report that they fall asleep more easily and stay asleep longer once they've adopted a consistent fasting routine. Fasting can also improve cholesterol profiles by reducing LDL, the bad cholesterol, as well as triglycerides. While, increasing HDL, the good cholesterol, this is especially important because as we get older and through the years of menopause, our risk of heart disease increases. And lastly, fasting can give your digestive system a break during fasting periods, and then it can overall improve your gut health. Your body has time to repair and reduce bloating, gas, or discomfort that often can come with hormone shifts. A reminder, this doesn't mean we're doing anything extreme. It means creating a gentle approach that supports your good health rather than adding a stressor to your system. On that note, I want to also address for a minute some of the risks and things you might want to consider. While intermittent fasting has a lot to offer, it's definitely not for everyone. So here are some important things to keep in mind. Long fasting windows can disrupt reproductive hormones, leading to symptoms like mood swings or fatigue. If fasting leaves you feeling drained or irritable, it's a sign to adjust your approach. In women with a history of eating disorders, adrenal fatigue, or conditions like PCOS, should talk with the health care provider before trying intermittent fasting. We've been talking today about intermittent fasting, a topic that I get asked about all the time. And lastly, I want to give you practical tips you can use to incorporate intermittent fasting safely into your life if you think this is a good approach for you. And remember to ask for help. If you're not sure if this is best for you and you want to learn more, feel free to contact me. I work with women during this phase of life to help find the best plan that is right for you. Everybody's unique. I say that all the time. You are an individual and for intermittent fasting to work well for your body, it's essential to approach it thoughtfully and decide really if it's the best fit for you. So here's some strategies that can help you to get started safely and sustainably. First, start slow. You could begin with just a 12 hour fasting window, such as stopping eating after dinner and waiting until breakfast the next morning. Once your body starts adjusting to that, particularly if you used to eat late in the evening, you get adjusted to that and then you start extending that window a bit. But remember, you don't have to go 16 hours in order to get these benefits. Think about your timing eating earlier may align better with your body's circadian rhythms Which I've already talked about and it can reduce nighttime cravings and improve your digestion So you can try finishing your last meal maybe by 6 or 7 p. m It might be too hard on your system to fast every day. So you could consider fasting two or three days over a week or every other day. So you could do this, but do it in a limited time period, doing that 12, 14, 16 hour fast, but just doing it maybe every other day. So this can give your body some of the benefits without overloading your system and then becoming a negative stressor. It's very important to pair fasting with a nutrient rich diet. I can't say that enough. This doesn't mean we're just cutting out food. It means that it's really important that we make sure the choices we're making are rich in nutrition. So what you eat when you do eat is just as important or maybe more important than the fasting window itself. Focusing on lean proteins like chicken, salmon, legumes to support muscle health. Choosing healthy fats like avocados, nuts, olive oil for hormone production. And adding fiber rich vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, or cauliflower to stabilize blood sugar and improve digestion. And then also whole grains, things like quinoa or farro can give you energy and sustained energy throughout your day. Also, don't add heavily processed foods. We want to avoid added sugars and alcohol, which can spike insulin and undo some of the benefits that you might get from fasting. Fasting periods can sometimes leave you feeling dehydrated, so drinking plenty of water, herbal tea, or even bone broth can really help to stay hydrated and provide some good nutrients too. Be kind to your body with exercise. High intensity workouts during fasting windows can increase cortisol levels which can disrupt hormones and leave you feeling exhausted. Probably the most important thing is to listen to your body. If you notice signals like fatigue or irritability, it's a sign to reassess. Shorten your fasting window, add more nutrient dense calories, or take a break from fasting altogether. Everyone's body is different, and what works for someone else might not work for you. You might want to consider supplementation during fasting, your body may need a little extra support. Some supplements, like magnesium, can help with sleep. Omega 3s are important to reduce inflammation, and vitamin D is important for bone health as well as immune health. But again, not everyone needs to supplement, so it's important to consult with a dietitian to see what supplements might be helpful for you. And lastly, plan ahead. This is something I say for all areas, but fasting is important, really important to do this. Fasting works best when it's part of a structured routine. It can be very helpful to plan and prepare meals in advance so you're not scrambling to find something nourishing during your eating window. Before we go, I want to give you two examples of women I've worked with and how intermittent fasting worked or did not for them. Claire had tried intermittent fasting before we started working together. Per the recommendations from her personal trainer, she was waiting until noon to eat her first meal. It didn't feel good. She was starving, but she thought that's what she had to do to technically be intermittent fasting. So when we started working together, I worked with Claire to figure out what benefits she saw from fasting and what was the downside. The downside was that she was starving by the time noon came, and then she found herself munching all afternoon and having a huge dinner because she just couldn't catch up. She felt tired, she didn't have a lot of energy, she wasn't feeling great about her workouts, but she felt like that's what she was supposed to be doing. Unfortunately, she also wasn't seeing any weight loss, which was the reason she started it in the first place. When we backed off and gave her a 12 or 13 hour window of fasting, she felt a lot better. She found that it helped to keep her blood sugars regulated and it really helped her to not snack all day long, which was particularly beneficial because she worked from home and it could be challenging to not keep heading to the kitchen. Overall, she just said she felt so much better nourished and she was making better food choices all day long and she lost weight. So with some small changes and shortening her window, Claire really found intermittent fasting to be helpful for her. On the other hand, it didn't work as well for my client Mary. Mary's a nurse. She works 12 hour shifts, three days a week. Again, she was told intermittent fasting was the answer to her weight loss struggles and would be helpful to deal with her menopause symptoms. So she was trying really hard to make it work for her. She found it a bit easier on her days off, but it was next to impossible when she was working. Not eating to start her day made her feel brain fog, her energy was low, and by the time she ate she found herself grabbing something from the cafeteria that was quick and full of refined carbs and sugar. But even on her days off, she didn't feel great. She wanted to work out first thing and she'd get shaky and she didn't have a very good workout. She was trying so hard, but it just wasn't working for her body and her schedule. So I helped Mary to focus on nourishing foods in a balanced way throughout her day. When she ate breakfast on her way to work and had something small before her workout, she felt stronger and had more energy. I gave Mary permission to do what was right for her and to stop listening to all the things that led her to believe that there was only one answer. She got the same results, her symptoms improved, she lost weight, and she did it in a way that worked for her. What's the takeaway? Everyone's body is different. There are many tools that are available to help you reach your health goals. Intermittent fasting is one of those tools, but it's not a one size fits all solution. For some women, it may be a powerful way to support your health during perimenopause and menopause, but the key is to approach it with balance and flexibility. Listen to your body, make adjustments as needed. Don't be afraid to experiment. and ask for help if you need support. My contact information is in the notes. Send me a message and let's chat if you're struggling with symptoms of perimenopause or menopause or frustrating weight gain, I can help you find the solution that will work for you. Thank you for joining me on today's episode of Joyful Menopause. If you found this helpful, please share it with a friend or leave a review. It helps more women find this resource until next time, take care of yourself and be well.