Are you going through a phase of feeling tired, warm, or slightly different? Maybe you need to lose weight or have trouble sleeping. Well, this could be because you’re going through a condition called menopause, which is the transitional period, or if you’re on the other side of things, you might be looking for ways to improve your health. It’s a normal part of life for women, but it can come with some challenges.
To manage these challenges, some women try something called intermittent fasting to help them feel better. Intermittent fasting during menopause is a popular and effective strategy. This eating pattern, characterized by alternating periods of eating and fasting, promises not just weight loss, but also a host of other benefits that can ease the menopause journey.
Let’s learn about what this means in a way that’s easy to understand.
What is menopause?
Menopause is a time in a woman’s life when her body changes, and she stops having periods. It usually happens when women are between 45 and 55 years old. This change is a natural part of growing older for women, but it can also bring some new feelings and challenges.
However, the transition to menopause, known as perimenopause, can begin several years earlier and is often accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and weight gain.
Why does all this happen? Let me explain!
All changes that occur during menopause are due to a decline in estrogen and progesterone levels, these are hormones that play a very important role in regulating various bodily functions. When these hormone levels drop, it can cause things like hot flashes (when a woman suddenly feels very warm), mood swings (feeling happy one minute and sad the next), and gaining weight, especially around the tummy.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Some people attempt to use intermittent fasting as a way of eating to help with these changes. It is the concept of having meals at some particular times and taking a break from eating at other times, which is known as fasting. It is like having set meal times with being a bit more strict about eating and not eating.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
Some of my patients usually ask, “Really, it can work?” Then I used to tell them in detail about how intermittent fasting during menopause works;
Intermittent fasting is when a person chooses to eat within a set time frame, say from noon to 8 pm The intermittent fasting process is enabled through the application of the following mechanisms:
For the rest of the time, for example, they may not take any food but only water or any other non-sweetened beverages. In other words, the more time they spend away from the dinner table, the body can unwind and might even switch to the use of stored fat as the main source of energy. This may be useful for such things as, for example, weight loss and increasing energy levels.
Hope you can understand well about menopause and intermittent fasting. Now we’ll see how to do it.
Different Ways to Do Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting in menopause can be done in several ways, depending on the individual’s preference it can be done as follows:.
Time-Restricted Eating
This is when a person partakes in foods only within a particular number of hours in the day. For instance, they can take their meals between 10 in the morning and 6 in the evening and then remain starved the rest of the day.
The 5:2 Diet
In this plan, a person eats as desired throughout the week, except for two non-consecutive days when the person takes very little food, perhaps just a slice of bread.
Alternate-Day Fasting
This is eating normally one day, then having very little or no food at all the following day, and continuing with the cycle.
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting During Menopause
By adopting a normal IF regimen, women going through the menopausal transition can enjoy the following benefits :
- Weight Management and Fat loss
Perhaps the most important and widely known benefit of IF during menopause is the weight loss effect. Indeed, the fat in regions such as the stomach tends to increase as estrogen levels decline in women. The intermittent approach provides a way of overcoming this since it supports the burning of fats and, at the same time, minimizes the consumption of calories, thereby enabling people to achieve their best weight.
- Reduced Insulin Resistance
Another effect; menopause causes insulin resistance and could lead to type 2 diabetes. There is evidence that with the help of IWF, blood glucose levels can be normalized, and the risk of developing other metabolic pathologies can be reduced due to improved insulin sensitivity.
- Improved Heart Health
Cardiovascular health is also crucial during the menopausal stage because cardiovascular diseases are more common at older age. This diet enhances heart health by cutting inflammation and detrimental cholesterol and decreasing blood pressure.
- Hormonal Balance and Menopause Symptom Relief
It also assists in regulating hormone levels, which may also reduce some of the clinical signs of the menopausal period, like hot flashes, and mood swings among others. Intermittent fasting has been seen to be of great help in enhancing the normalcy of the menopausal period because it enhances the overall health of hormones.
- Improve concentration ability and brain performance
The shifts in hormones due to menopause can cause problems with the brain, some of which include; fog and forgetfulness. There is evidence that suggests that through intermittent fasting, one can improve focus and cognitive abilities, thereby delaying the effects of aging as far as cognitive health is concerned.
- Boosting Energy Levels
Lack of energy in women, especially during their premenopausal period, is common and quite noticeable. This type of diet can be of great help when it comes to increasing energy since it also affects the metabolism and helps you sleep better.
How Intermittent Fasting Can Help with Weight
Maybe by adhering to the practice of intermittent fasting, some women may be in a position to lose the extra weight that might accompany menopause. Since they pay less attention to meals, their bodies are likely to start using the fatty tissue that has accumulated, on the tummy, for instance. This can assist them in being more confident as well as healthier.
How Intermittent Fasting Can Help with Energy
Sometimes, menopause can make women feel tired, and this is a sign that intermittent fasting might help such women. They might be more awake in the morning after having a fast and might be in the right mood to go on with their daily engagements.
How Intermittent Fasting Can Help with Sleep
Steep disorders are frequently encountered during the menopausal transition. It is often possible for women can have proper sleep because their body adjusts to the eating and fasting cycle and start getting more relaxed at night. You can read my article on “How to get a better night’s sleep?” to get more guidance.
What Are the Challenges of Intermittent Fasting?
Even though IF may be beneficial, it is not easy to sustain. It might take some time before such women are completely out of that feeling of always being very hungry all the time, or might be that they might not be able to have a meal with their families at certain times. Of course, it would be unreasonable to expect to make a smooth transition to a new approach immediately and without any slight deviations, but it is a fact.
Tips for Success with Intermittent Fasting During Menopause
It commonly takes time before making changes regarding the practice of eating, especially in terms of safety. Here are some tips for how you can do intermittent fasting safely:
Talking to a Doctor About Intermittent Fasting
As is the case with any diet plan, particularly with the intermittent fasting diet, every woman must consult a doctor before beginning the diet. The doctor can also let them know if it’s the right thing to do and advise on how to do it without deleterious effects.
Starting Slowly
Periodic fasting ought to be begun slowly. They might initiate by missing a snack and slowly progressing to the period of fasting. So their body has time to adapt but does not feel starving or sleepy the next lesson or at the least can sneak a nap during the break between classes.
Eating Healthy Foods
Thus, when they do get a chance to feed, it ought to be on healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, and proteins. It follows that it will empower them to be agile and upright, especially when they cannot eat for a few hours.
FAQs
- Can intermittent fasting help with menopause?
ANS: Yes, intermittent fasting, if you’re a woman experiencing menopause, can help to improve your weight, energy levels, and sleep patterns.
- Is it okay for everyone to try intermittent fasting?
ANS: Intermittent fasting should not be given a try by everyone, and doing this without seeing a doctor first is very wrong. Therefore, life would be ensured to be secure for each individual.
- Will intermittent fasting make me feel hungry all the time?
ANS: At first, you might feel a little hungry, but over time, your body usually gets used to the new schedule, and the hunger might not be as bad.
- Does intermittent fasting mean skipping meals?
ANS: Intermittent fasting does mean skipping meals sometimes, but when they do eat, they can have healthy meals that help them feel full and satisfied.
- How long does it take to see if intermittent fasting is helping?
ANS: It would take a few weeks or even a few months to notice how intermittent fasting is beneficial in the case of menopause.
- If someone does not enjoy intermittent fasting can she stop?
ANS: Yes! If you do not like the feeling that is caused by the consumption of the substance or engaging in particular activities, you can easily quit. What is crucial here is to discover what is effective in your case.
Conclusion: What Kind of Help Intermittent Fasting Gives to Ageing Ladies!
Intermittent fasting during menopause is only one of the ways how some women hope to improve their condition. By so doing, it can assist them to lose some weight, feel energetic, and even improve their sleep patterns. But these methods are something that should not be used by everyone and must only be used safely. Thus, with help and advice from a doctor, and paying attention to their bodies, most women, will be able to decide whether to implement the concept of intermittent fasting while going through this phase in their lives.