Meet Menopause Nutritionist Emma Bardwell
We caught up with the menopause nutritionist Emma Bardwell. Author of The Perimenopause Solution. There isn’t much that Emma doesn’t know about the journey women take through menopause. Her interview is full of helpful nutrition advice to keep women healthy and active.
When did you become interested in nutrition and the importance it has for women suffering from menopause?
In my twenties I lived in Japan and had a pretty fast and furious lifestyle; I used nutrition to mitigate the long hours and my 24/7 socialising. It really just grew from there. When I came back to the UK aged 30, I worked in advertising but was always doing short courses in nutrition and carrying on my personal nutrition pursuits in the background. Being made redundant in 2008 was the catalyst I needed to re-train. I studied for three years, got qualified (and registered) and started my own business.
Perimenopause is undoubtedly a perplexing time. It certainly stumped me. The issue is that many of us simply aren’t prepared for this phase of our lives. We (wrongly) associate it with women in their 50s when in actual fact it’s something that can hit us in the prime of our 30s and 40s. 13 million British women are perimenopausal right now. I feel very strongly that they need to be informed in order to work out the best way forward. There’s a lot of unsubstantiated, highly unscientific information online and on social media. No wonder women get confused. That’s the main reason I started specialising in perimenopause and menopause nutrition and it was also the driver behind writing my book, The Perimenopause Solution. Whether you go down the HRT route or not, diet and lifestyle are critical factors, not just for managing symptoms but to future proof against health conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes and heart disease.
We’re all unique and we will all experience menopause differently. My clients are wonderfully diverse but united by the fact that hormone changes affect their confidence, their ability to live their lives and to be themselves. My job is to give them back their emotional and physical resilience so they can carry on being the dynamic, brilliant women they’ve always been. If you feel you might be going through some changes that don’t feel quite right, there are a wealth of options for you to choose from so make sure you’re as well informed as possible.
We often hear the word superfoods. Are there superfoods that menopausal women should be having regularly and what do they help with?
I think superfoods is a marketing term that’s usually associated with expensive powders and unnecessary supplements. However, I do think that there are certain beneficial foods and ways of eating that can really help menopausal women. All of us would do well to follow a Mediterranean style of eating; it is anti-inflammatory, contains little to no processed foods, is low in sugar and high in fibre. Unsurprisingly, it’s been linked to reduced rates of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke, depression, dementia and some cancers.
We also need to make sure we’re getting plenty of calcium for our bone health, protein to prevent muscle wastage and a couple of portions of oily fish a week for brain and heart health. In general, we all need to focus more on eating plant-based foods for our gut health. Having a more diverse microbiome has been shown to be extremely beneficial for everyone, including menopausal women.
Do perimenopause and menopause affect your energy levels and how? Is there anything that women can take to help with this?
Yes, massively! Hormones like oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone are heavily involved in maintaining metabolism and energy levels. Many women feel utterly drained and depleted because their hormones are on the floor but also because menopause typically occurs at a really stressful time in our lives. Most women in their forties are perimenopausal whether they’re aware of it or not and this means their hormones are not as predictable (or cyclical) as when they were younger. This can impact sleep, mood and energy. Women often stop exercising as a result, which again affects sleep, mood and energy. It’s a vicious circle. Many women are also very low in iron which can make them feel fatigued and thyroid issues can also crop up around this time too, leaving women feeling tired, anxious and lethargic.
Are there supplements menopausal women should be taking?
It’s impossible to give blanket advice as every woman has unique needs. The best way to approach this is to speak to a nutritionist who can assess your diet, work out any nutrient shortfalls and advise accordingly. Having said that, the one supplement everyone should be taking is a good quality D3 (the active form of vitamin D). Vitamin D is needed for bone health, strong teeth, mood and to prevent aches and pains. We don’t get enough vitamin D from the sun in the northern hemisphere so at least 10mcg (400IU) is needed throughout the winter months, though many of us need more.
The best way to know where you are currently is to get your levels checked with your GP or via an online home kit from somewhere like Medichecks. I often advise taking vitamin K2 alongside D3 as this helps to maximise the absorption of calcium into bones. Vitamins D and K are both fat-soluble which means you need to either take them in an oil-based preparation (something like NutriAdvanced D3&K2) or if you’re having them in capsule or pill form, make sure you’re consuming them with a meal that contains some fats.
If you’re vegan you need to supplement with B12 and if you don’t eat a couple of portions of oily fish a week (as mentioned above) then you should probably invest in an omega 3 fish or algae oil.
There seems to be a lot of talk about magnesium being important. Are women generally lacking it? Is this due to menopause? What would be the benefits of taking magnesium?
Magnesium is an important mineral as it’s used in over 600 bodily reactions, from relaxing muscles and regulating blood sugar levels to producing energy. It also calms the nervous system and supports the adrenal glands so plays an important role in dealing with stress. According to WHO up to 75% of the global population are deficient. This can lead to tiredness, weakness, palpitations, cramps and eye twitches. Alcohol, stress (hello menopause!) and certain digestive disorders like Crohn’s uses up your magnesium stores. Magnesium Bisglycinate is well tolerated and easily absorbed if you wanted to try supplementing. Look for a 350mg dose and take before bed to help with sleep (always check with a healthcare practitioner before starting new supplements).
What foods should women avoid or eat to combat hot flushes?
The most common triggers of those inner radiator moments are alcohol, spicy food, caffeine, stress and smoking. There’s some limited evidence showing that phytoestrogens - particularly in the early stages of perimenopause - might help with hot flushes. The two most studied phytoestrogens are lignans (found in legumes) and isoflavones (found in soya). Phytoestrogen foods include edamame beans, tofu, soya milk/yoghurt, tempeh, miso, chickpeas, flaxseeds and sesame seeds. Try adding a couple of portions in a day and stick with it. In the studies, women consumed for at least 3 months before noticing differences and even then only half of the study group saw benefits.
The word ‘fats’ associated with food often has us running for the hills? Are there fats that we should be avoiding and fats that we should be eating?
Trans fats (look for ‘hydrogenated oil’ on processed food labels) are to be avoided as they’re very damaging to heart health, but healthy fats are definitely back in favour. Our hormones are made from fats, our brain is 60 percent fat and we need fat to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. It’s best to get the majority of your fats from unsaturated sources like nuts, seeds, oily fish, avocados and olive oil.
What is the best way for menopausal women to approach exercise? How should we keep active when often we are so incredibly tired.
My advice is to do what you feel you can and build up from there. Walking is a great form of exercise, very underrated and is perfect if you’re not feeling massively motivated to do a full-on workout. I also encourage women to do short bit-size chunks of movement - say 10 or 15 minutes interspersed throughout their day. Gone are the days of feverishly working out for 60-90 minutes, thank God. Pilates, barre and yoga can feel rejuvenating and are great options to help you feel centred and help re-connect with your body. Incidentally, they can be effective for toning and building muscle, it just depends on the type of class you choose. We have to be careful not to over-exercise and not to push ourselves into exercising when we’re feeling subpar. Too much high octane movement can be very stressful on the body, elevate cortisol and worsen symptoms. As with everything health-related, it’s a balancing act.
How do you personally keep active?
Personally, I’m in a good place with my hormones so I aim to work out 3-5 times a week but I never do more than 30 minutes at a time. I like HIIT, circuits, boxing and weight training. I no longer go to the gym. When we went into lockdown I invested in some weights and a kettlebell and now do all my workouts online at home. I pepper these strength classes with pilates as my business partner, Lysta Reardon, is the pilates queen! I sometimes struggle with sleep so when I’m really tired and depleted I sack the weights and walk instead. I aim for a minimum of 10,000 a day but once I’ve done school drop off/pick up and been to the shops I can easily hit around 12-15,000. However, this isn’t always the case. My job can be quite desk-bound and if I have a full day of online clients I’m lucky if I get more than a few hundred steps so I have to try really hard to shoehorn them in where I can - a walk around the block after dinner, walking and talking during phone meetings and reclaiming my lunch hour with a walk in the park all help.
Emma's Mind Body Reset programme starts at the end of February. It’s a 10 week online programme that covers body fat loss, gut health, eating for energy and much much more. For details email [email protected]