The Menopausal Brain

Dynamic and powerful or confused, forgetful and washed out??

British actress Sarah Lancashire, having gathered up her latest clutch of awards, has talked publicly about her challenging menopause and the impact it is having on her life – most particularly her hot flushes and, far more importantly in my opinion, her decreasing cognitive function.?? Bearing in mind the roles she has played over the last few years – I’m thinking of those mesmerising portrayals of a dynamic, powerful woman in MidLife – it is difficult to picture her as a confused person whose brain has gone all foggy, forgets why she is actually in a supermarket, and is having difficulty recalling events from thirty years ago.

The menopausal brain is seriously tested by plummeting hormonal levels, especially oestrogen because its many oestrogen receptors are being starved of this crucially important and protective hormone, resulting in memory loss, poor concentration, mood swings, even panic attacks and palpitations.?? It is therefore vital to give the brain plenty of support, not just at the onset of menopause or during it, but well, WELL before that.?? And one of the best, most obvious, most reliable and easiest strategies for menopausal success is to nourish the brain - ?throughout life ideally but, very critically, during the years leading up to menopause – known as the perimenopause – and from there onwards.?? Proper, real, genuine nutrition early on is indisputably a powerful preventive measure to ensure a healthy, happy, successful menopause and strong, ongoing cognitive function.??

Unfortunately, most people arrive at menopause literally undernourished.?? Why??? And how??? Because so very many of us in the 21st century seem to have lost sight of what food actually is, and the role it plays in our lives and our lifelong health.? ?Food, what we eat on a daily basis, creates and recreates every one of our cells and every single molecule in our body is literally made out of the food we eat – including our brain and our hormones.?? And what we fail to eat causes deficiencies which stress and traumatise the brain, because it means that we are starving it of the nutrients it needs in order to operate effectively and deal with what life throws at it, including the hormonal tornado which can be unleashed by a rapidly approaching menopause.

Falling levels of hormones get all the blame for debilitating menopausal symptoms, but they are not the only trigger and by the time many people reach menopause, they are firing on barely two cylinders instead of four, let alone eight, for the simple reason that, by our late forties/early fifties, cumulative dietary and lifestyle factors will undoubtedly have started to have an effect.??

For instance, nutritional imbalances and deficiencies can be the result of years of dieting, poor eating habits and poor nutrient absorption, and we can easily launch into menopause in a state of nutritional depletion, even malnutrition - which has been shown to contribute to a wide range of the symptoms we experience at MidLife.?? Basically, people who are not in a good nutritional state are likely to suffer more severe menopause symptoms because the body’s nutritional needs are not being met and years of wear and tear are making themselves felt.?? And yet, what we eat on a day to day basis is pretty much within our control and we can have massive influence over it!

The menopause should be a time of fulfilment and achievement, both personally and professionally, rather than debilitating, exhausting and confusing years, and a healthy, vibrant, youthful brain to carry us through this critical life transition is powerfully dependent on nourishment – so be sure to nourish yourself at the deepest level to ensure mental strength, resilience and emotional stability before, during and after menopause.

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