Soya, nuts and yoghurt: the diet tweaks that can ease the symptoms of menopause

It’s crucial to look after your gut microbiome. So avoid ultra-processed foods, eat healthily, and try blueberries and beetroot for help with hot flushes too

When life feels chaotic, food can be a comfort, a pleasure, an uplifting ritual. Fitting in time to cook, however, can often seem like another impossible thing on the list, especially when there are differing tastes to cater for, and the demands of work to contend with. But as women enter their fourth and fifth decades, considering what we eat is crucial, and making just a few tweaks may improve our health and wellbeing.

“The focus needs to be on eating well, eating a variety of foods, and foods that support bone and heart health,” says Dr Claire Phipps, GP and advanced menopause specialist. Think about a Mediterranean style of eating, with lots of oily fish, wholegrain, pulses, fruit and veg, good fats (avocado, olive oil, for example), nuts and seeds, protein and dairy (calcium is vital for supporting bone density). Good health at this stage of life really is best achieved through diet rather than supplements – “our body uses it much better”. That said, Phipps would recommend taking a vitamin D supplement, maybe magnesium, as “it can be helpful for insomnia”.

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