Over the Christmas period, women who are experiencing menopause or perimenopause might experience a flare up of their symptoms due to a number of factors.
Superintendent Pharmacist at Click Pharmacy, Jana Abelovska, has prepared some comments to give some advice on how it might be possible to manage these symptoms over the holidays.
Jana has identified types of foods that menopausal and perimenopausal women might want to moderate their consumption of, over the Christmas holidays.
- Sugary foods: While it’s lovely sharing a box of chocolates over Christmas after dinner, sugar has been linked to hot flushes and mood swings. While further research is needed, it seems there is a link between blood sugar levels and menopause symptoms. High blood sugar might put strain on the endocrine system, making it less able to regulate your sex hormones.
- Processed meat: Pigs in blankets and other processed meats can increase the level of cholesterol in the blood, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Many women find that their cholesterol level increases during menopause, meaning that they are already at a higher risk of heart disease.
- Trans fats: This type of fat is found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils which are added to lots of ready meals and party food. Some studies link artificial trans fats to increased inflammation in the body – and due to dropping estrogen levels, women experiencing menopause are already more susceptible to this. Inflammation is one of the causes of menopausal joint pain.
- Fast food: Getting a takeaway is a popular choice during the holidays, especially as a break from cooking after the big day, for people who have been hosting over Christmas. But fast food can often be high in added sugar, as well as added sodium. Menopausal women are already slightly more sensitive to salt, putting this group at an increased risk of high blood pressure.
Adding more information about coffee, alcohol and stress over the holidays, Jana Abelovska, Superintendent Pharmacist at Click Pharmacy, also comments:
“Plenty of people enjoy a drink over Christmas to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones, and wine is perhaps more likely to be drunk with dinner than other times of year. Like caffeine, alcohol is a vasodilator that affects your blood vessels. Some studies have suggested that this is why drinking alcohol seems to increase the likelihood of experiencing symptoms like night sweats and hot flushes.
“While an extra coffee might give you a welcome boost in the afternoon, perhaps after a long day of travelling to visit family and friends over Christmas, it might also increase the likelihood of experiencing hot flushes and night sweats. Night sweats and hot flushes are both ‘vasomotor symptoms’, the effect of blood vessels widening and narrowing, which it seems caffeine might trigger. There is not much data on this yet, but for women who are struggling with these symptoms, it might be worth trying switching to decaf for a day or two, to see if this helps.
“Caffeine can also increase the likelihood of feelings of anxiety. By speeding up your heart rate and breathing, and by slightly raising your body temperature, it can trigger anxious thoughts, because you’re already experiencing the physical symptoms. Many women develop anxiety or notice that it worsens during menopause, and they might find that keeping an eye on their caffeine intake can help.”
“Lastly, stress can worsen menopause symptoms, especially psychological symptoms like low mood, anxiety and irritability. It has also been linked to hot flushes and sleep problems. So take care of yourself over the Christmas holidays, and see if there are any ways you can reduce the pressure if you’re feeling stressed. If you will be hosting, maybe family and friends can help out by bringing side dishes. Tell your loved ones how you’re feeling.”
