Rachel Graham knows what it is like to experience debilitating menopause symptoms like brain fog, lack of concentration and anxiety. She was 43 when she first started getting symptoms, but initially didn’t realise they were connected to “the change”.
As a nutritionist and medicinal chef with more than 25 years of experience in the food industry, she also experienced hot flashes and joint aches – but she has been able to use diet to alleviate her symptoms and improve her quality of life.
Her new cookbook, The Menopause Kitchen , acts as a manual for women who are not feeling themselves as a result of menopause.
Read more: Easy recipes to help with menopause symptoms like brain fog, fatigue and weight gain
Through research and her own experience, she realised that being effectively nourished plays a key role in improving physical and mental performance. “I optimised my nutrition by consuming higher doses of certain nutrients compared to what I needed in my 20s and 30s,” she tells RSVP.
Rachel now wants women to see this life stage as an opportunity for discovery and self-care.
“A lot of women experience symptoms in their early 40s, but many try to resist it.
“They go ‘no, it’s too early, I don’t want to know about it’. But it is important to educate ourselves – many people don’t link these symptoms to menopause, potentially thinking they are just going mad,” she says.
Women have come to her with forgetfulness to the point of not remembering their PIN number, poor confidence and low mood. “These psychological symptoms often come first,” Rachel adds.
She works with these women one to one, but has now transferred her knowledge to The Menopause Kitchen . “I want the same things my clients do. I am also a woman in midlife. I used myself as my own best case study.”
Food as medicine
Everything Rachel does is food-first. She found that once she changed her diet, her cognitive functioning improved, along with her sleep. “I felt happier, more confident,” she admits.
Rachel considers food to be the foundation of overall health, adding that trying to build a house without a solid foundation is pointless as it will fall down.
“Some women go straight to the medicalised option which is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This is a great option, but you need to build the foundation first. The benefits of HRT will really be enhanced by an optimised diet.”
The good thing about her method is that there is no restriction or calorie counting involved, it’s about increasing certain foods within the diet.
Rachel continues, “It’s nutrient led. Once you start nourishing yourself correctly, you have a natural increase in your fibre intake, which keeps you fuller for longer, which can help you maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if that is your goal.”
The Meno 8
Rachel did training and became an accredited menopause educator through the British Menopause Charity, in order to understand more about the life stage.
In The Menopause Kitchen , she identifies eight key nutrients –The Meno 8 – that can help alleviate symptoms when taken in the right quantities. These nutrients are:
- Phytoestrogens (plant oestrogens)
- Fibre
- Omega-3
- Calcium and magnesium
- Antioxidants
- Protein
- Probiotics
- Brassicas (cabbages)
Each section of the book is dedicated to one of the nutrients. “It’s not divided into fish recipes, plant recipes, desserts,” explains Rachel.
The book details how much of each nutrient is required to ensure women are optimising their diet.
Benefits
These Meno 8 nutrients also reduce a woman’s risk of developing chronic health issues such as cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to Rachel.
An easy change people can make to their diet to reduce their risk of developing these conditions include increasing calcium intake. This mineral is key for preventing osteoporosis. Women are at a higher risk of developing this condition during menopause. “Many women know they need more calcium, so they will eat more dairy. But dairy is not the richest source of calcium, leafy greens are a much better source,” she adds.
Tofu is another hero food that women often don’t use, according to Rachel. It is extremely high in calcium and it’s also high in phytoestrogens which helps balance hormones in midlife.
Many may be put off the ingredient as it can be difficult to work with. “It needs a lot of flavour enhancement
and something to give it a nice texture,” she reveals.
However, Rachel has some entry-level tofu recipes in her book, like scrambled tofu and simply blending it into soup.
Small changes
Rachel says that starting off small can glean big results. “Women can often be suffering from a lack of sleep or low mood. They are likely fuelling themselves with caffeine, sugar and potentially alcohol. They aren’t in the right frame
of mind to make sweeping changes,” she adds.
Rachel advises making a small consistent change at breakfast. “It’s the first meal of the day, if you are nourishing yourself effectively then, it will have a positive knock-on effect for the rest of the day.”
She advises using proper porridge oats, as opposed to microwavable quick oats, which can often be ultra-processed and lacking in fibre. She also suggests adding in two tablespoons of ground milled flaxseeds.
“They are rich in Omega-3s, fibre and protein. Starting the day with a protein-rich breakfast will balance your blood sugars which will in turn balance your hormones.”
Hydration is also crucial. According to Rachel, we should think of ourselves like plants, and aim to drink half a litre of water each morning when we wake up, before eating breakfast. “This will wake up the digestive system and improve cognitive function,” she says.
Including more protein is essential – this nutrient should be present in every meal. Options include fish, chicken, tofu, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. Overall, we should be eating eight to 10 portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
“If you split your plate into quarters, over half should be fruits or vegetables. Include lots of colour, eat the rainbow,” says Rachel. “Non-starchy options such as green leafy vegetables are great.”
Oftentimes, Rachel finds that women are eating way too many carbohydrates. Due to changes in the body associated with menopause, women are not able to use these carbs as fuel, so it is converted to fat, leading to significant weight gain.
Rachel advises reducing your intake of carbohydrates and increasing protein instead, which will help keep you fuller for longer.
The Menopause Kitchen is available at book stores nationwide.
To learn more about Rachel, visit her website.
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