Why are Hormone Balancing Breakfasts so important in Midlife?

It can be hard to imagine that the right kind of breakfast can be instrumental in rebalancing our hormones.

Eating a breakfast full of protein, fat and fibre will help balance our menopausal midlife hormones and make us feel grounded and satisfied. Eating your dinner for breakfast is a great way to start the day!

Eating the right type of breakfast has been shown to help maintain muscle mass, balance levels of leptin and ghrelin (our hunger hormones that can become unbalanced during perimenopause and menopause), aid weight loss and help maintain that lower weight.

Did you know that during menopause there is an increase in the hunger hormone “ghrelin”. With an increase in this hormone comes the tendency is to feel hungrier. Menopause also decreased the “satiety” hormone “leptin” that helps us feel full after eating which can lead to overeating. Eating a breakfast to help balance these hormones is important to help relieve symptoms and weight management during the menopausal stages form perimenopause to menopause.

What makes a food “optimal” for breakfast in menopause? Protein, fibre and healthy fats.

Foods that help to increase metabolic rate, fill you up, and keep you feeling fuller longer.

I always say to my clients try eating your dinner for breakfast as this is the best way to start the day! Experiment with eating foods at breakfast that you might typically only have for dinner. The first meal of the day sets the tone for the rest of the day. It can impact your mood, your hunger, your concentration, your hormone levels and your food choices throughout the rest of the day.

Some suggestions are:

Left overs from the night before such as roast dinner

Salmon and veggies

Eggs, broccoli and some sweet potato

Goats cheese with roasted vegetables

Avocado and chicken salad

I know this might take a bit of extra planning but the knock on effects can be truly amazing on your health.

Another very important point is to keep or blood sugar balanced and the best way to do this is to start the day with a nutritious breakfast.

Why is blood sugar levels so important?

Every time your blood sugar drops, the body releases the stress hormone cortisol to redress the balance. Low blood sugar will leave you feeling tired, irritable, shaky, headachy and dizzy and the cortisol will generate powerful cravings for sugary food or refined carbohydrate.

A blood sugar crash is usually a result of eating excessive amounts of sugary food and refined carbohydrate (e.g. white bread or breakfast cereals, bagels, white rice). Too much sugar in the blood will lead to the release of the hormone insulin to clear it all out which leaves blood sugar levels low. Your blood sugar is also likely to drop if you leave long gaps between meals. Low blood sugar can trigger many menopausal symptom.

I have some delicious breakfast recipes ideas you can take a look at on my blog.

Please remember they is no one solution that's perfect for everyone so take your time and see what works for you.

Please get in touch if you need guidance through your menopausal journey, remember I'm here to help.