Menopause is a natural change in a woman’s body during midlife – not a disease. A woman in midlife and later may struggle to carry a baby or give birth. The body has its own wisdom and puts an end to periods as women age. Menopause is a major but natural change that can cause physical, mental and emotional challenges. Women in midlife and menopause can prevent or reduce distressing symptoms with knowledge and natural lifestyle changes.
Let’s talk about how busy and potentially overwhelmed women in midlife and menopause can renew their body!
This includes increasing energy, digestion and cravings without extremes.
Later, we’ll summarize the 3 keys to resolving these challenges. This includes nutrition, stress relief activities and positive lifestyle changes.
Hormone shifts, stress, and sleep disruptions can change:
- Energy levels
- Digestion and bloating
- Cravings and appetite
- Mood and patience
- Recovery and resilience
Let’s break down body renewal by each point.
1. Energy Levels
Women commonly report low energy and tiredness during midlife and menopause.
You may wonder what saps women’s energy in midlife and menopause.
Many different factors increase and deplete your energy levels. In menopause, your levels of estradiol, progesterone and testosterone start to fluctuate and fall. Changing hormones can disrupt your sleep, which can cause fatigue.
Here are some solutions from English general practitioner and menopause specialist Dr. Louise Newson.
Know that nutrition is key.
Refined carbs such as pizza and white rice cause energy increases and crashes. A well-balanced diet of clean protein, fresh produce, healthy fats and natural carbs like barley, whole grains and chia seeds can give a steady, sustained release of energy,
Menopause can cause exhaustion that sleep can’t cure. This saps the energy and motivation women in midlife and menopause need to lead a healthy, fulfilling life.
Symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats can deteriorate restful, quality sleep. Menopausal women no longer produce progesterone – which helps protect against the development of a serious sleep disorder called sleep apnea, in which breathing stops and restarts during sleep. Sleep apnea can interfere with a good night’s rest as oxygen deprivation can cause repeated awakenings at night. (1)
Menopause fatigue really exists.
Check out these natural tips to help rejuvenate your body and end the chronic fatigue that can come along during midlife and menopause:
- Soy-rich foods. Foods high in soy are high in a chemical that gives you the same benefits that estrogen has on your body. This can help even out some of the hormones.
- Avoid eating spicy food. Spicy food is notorious for triggering hot flashes — avoid it if you can.
- Dress in lightweight clothing. When you go to bed, wear lightweight clothing to help keep you cool in case a hot flash comes on. Take advantage of fans or air conditioning if necessary.
- A balanced diet with unrefined, natural carbs can fuel the body and boost energy. (2)
2. Digestion and Bloating
Hormone fluctuations in women in midlife and menopause can cause more than classic menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and brain fog. They can also cause digestive distress.
Chief among these are:
- Abdominal pain or discomfort
- Gas or bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Changes in appetite
What causes this?
The body’s decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels, two hormones essential for women’s health.
This decrease can slow how quickly food moves through the body.
Researchers also think these changes can degrade your gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms—bacteria, viruses, and fungi—residing primarily in the large intestine. A diverse, healthy microbiome prevents inflammation and supports overall health – including brain health.
Digestive challenges can result as a byproduct of other menopausal symptoms, including stress or anxiety, insufficient and poor-quality sleep, diet, low physical activity and pelvic floor weakening.
So what’s the solution?
- Dietary changes. A high-fiber diet can ease constipation and increase the speed at which food moves through the body.
- Increase probiotics. Probiotic-rich foods like natural yogurt, kefir, kombucha and kimchi may improve gut health.
- Manage stress. Mindfulness exercises like meditation, as well as yoga, can reduce overall stress. (3)
Cravings and Appetite
During menopause, levels of estradiol reduce. Estradiol is an anti-inflammatory type of estrogen. It suppresses appetite. In addition, when there’s not enough of it, your sympathetic nervous system is mobilized and your body releases glucose. If the glucose isn’t used up, your body packs it away as fat. In addition, fluctuating hormones – including estradiol and estrone – can cause your body to store abdominal fat. All of this can increase appetite and lead to cravings for fat and sugary foods.
Dietary recommendations to regulate appetite and lose weight, if necessary, include:
- Reduce portion size – you may not need as much fuel as you did years ago.
- Nutritional needs – don’t reach for junk food but instead eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the week.
- Avoid extreme calorie cutting – quick weight loss can happen but extreme low-calorie diets can reset your metabolism so that you require even fewer calories to keep losing weight. This is unsustainable in part because it can cause chronic and extreme hunger, which can lead to overeating.
- Forget fad diets. Not all carbs, fats and proteins are created equal. Appetite regulation and healthy weight loss require consistent, well-balanced and proper nutrition.
- Opt for refined carbs only that fuel the body and don’t spike insulin levels. This includes whole grains, vegetables and fiber-rich foods. These take longer to digest than refined carbs and can keep you feeling fuller longer.
- Prevent emotional eating. Before grabbing a snack, stop and consider whether you’re feeling bad and feel food will soothe you.
- Avoid ultra-processed food. It’s low in nutrition and high in salt, sugar and unhealthy carbs.
- Opt for protein to help you feel fuller longer. A protein rich breakfast is infinitely better than a pastry and coffee in the morning. This can lead to early-afternoon energy crashes and midday slumps.
- Increase your fiber intake – fiber keeps you feeling full for a long time. It can therefore help with long-term weight loss.
- Consider intermittent fasting. Going without food for 12 hours overnight gives your gut time to rest and improves insulin sensitivity.
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol. Alcohol can disrupt estrogen levels and lead to overeating.
- Improve your gut microbiome. Poor gut microbiome can cause obesity. Opt for fruits and vegetables every day, as well as fermented foods to encourage good gut bacteria. (4)
Mood and Patience
Hormone fluctuations can cause mood fluctuations like depression, irritability and anxiety. Estradiol, progesterone and testosterone work to regulate other hormones, including serotonin, the so-called happy hormone. Proper levels of serotonin can boost your mood and energy. When your hormone levels drop, so does serotonin, and this could have a role in depression and low mood, which can also reduce your energy. (5)
Proper nutrition is a natural answer.
Try eating oatmeal in Swiss muesli daily to fight depression. The B vitamins in rolled oats reduce stress and create a calming effect. (6)
Recovery and Resilience
Practicing yoga can help women in midlife and menopause relieve stress, improve their mental and emotional health and improve sleep so that women can recover from feeling exhausted and too stressed more efficiently than by resting and sleep alone. Yoga can help relieve the mood changes, anxiety and depression brought on by menopause. Mindfulness and meditation can help the mind, body and emotions rejuvenate and recover. (7)
So there you have it!
Women in midlife and menopause can take concrete steps to rejuvenate and renew their body. The solutions above reveal 3 FOUNDATIONAL WAYS to do this: proper nutrition, stress relieving activities and natural lifestyle improvements.
And if you want something tangible to follow along with, I created a free companion resource:
Spring Renewal Mini Guide for Midlife Women (See below to get your free copy.)
References
- https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/knowledge/fatigue-and-menopause-tips-to-boost-energy
- https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/what-to-know-about-menopause-fatigue
- https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/impact-of-menopause-on-digestive-health#How-can-I-manage-menopause-related-digestive-symptoms
- https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/knowledge/fatigue-and-menopause-tips-to-boost-energy
- https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/knowledge/fatigue-and-menopause-tips-to-boost-energy
- Encyclopedia of Natural Healing. (S. Gursche, Z Rona, et al. page 944)
- https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga-effectiveness-and-safety
Your March Invitation:
If you’ve been waiting for motivation, energy, or “the right time,” let March be the gentle beginning.
Not perfection. Not pressure.
Just this:
Clear what drains you. Make room for what supports you. 🌷
Inside my community this month, we’ll be focusing on Mind, Body, Soul, and Life—one week at a time—so you can feel lighter and more supported moving into spring.
And if you want something tangible to follow along with, I created a free companion resource:
Spring Renewal Mini Guide for Midlife Women
If you’ve been waiting for motivation, energy, or “the right time,” let March be the gentle beginning.
Not perfection. Not pressure.
Just this:
Clear what drains you. Make room for what supports you. 🌷
And if you want something tangible to follow along with, I created a free companion resource:
Spring Renewal Mini Guide for Midlife Women
Renew & Realign: A Mind-Body-Soul Refresh
(with a bonus spring recipe section too 🌿🍓)
Because you deserve support that feels kind… and actually fits real life.
If you’d like a gentle conversation about what support would help you most right now—energy, stress, sleep, cravings, routines—I’m here. 💜
👉Download your free guide here.
Join us in the Energized Healthy Women’s Club
If you’re looking for a community of like-minded women on a journey – just like you are – to improved health and wellness, overall balance and increased confidence, I have just the “home” for you.
I’d like to invite you to The Energized & Healthy Women’s Club – a supportive and collaborative community where we share tips and solutions for a healthy and holistic lifestyle. We discuss things like weight management, eliminating belly bloat, wrangling sugar gremlins, pain and headaches, and overcoming fatigue, plus recipes, strategies and more so we can feel energized, healthy, confident and joyful each day.
I’d be delighted to include you.
👉 Join the Energized Healthy Women’s Club here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/energized.healthy.women.
