Latest / Joyful Menopause / Episode 21: How Estrogen Affects Weight Loss—And Why Fiber Is Your Secret Weapon

Transcript

Episode 21: How Estrogen Affects Weight Loss—And Why Fiber Is Your Secret Weapon · Joyful Menopause

• 0:00
  Hello and welcome back to the Joyful Menopause Podcast.
• 0:04
  Today we are talking about something that doesn't usually get a spotlight, but plays a huge role in how you feel every single day.
• 0:12
  It's fiber.
• 0:13
  Yes, fiber.
• 0:14
  Maybe not that interesting, but stay with me because this humble nutrient, may be the missing link between your hot flashes, brain fog, bloating, and belly fat.
• 0:24
  So let's get into it.
• 0:26
  Menopause doesn't have to feel like you are living in someone else's body.
• 0:30
  Your host, Lynda Enright, has spent the last 25 years helping women to thrive in midlife.
• 0:35
  Here you'll find science-based practical advice that you can start using today to get real results for your health.
• 0:41
  Welcome to Joyful Menopause.
• 0:45
  So why does fiber matter?
• 0:47
  Most women in perimenopause and menopause are getting just 12 to 15 grams of fiber a day.
• 0:52
  It's low for most people across the country.
• 0:56
  That's really half of what we need and our bodies need it now more than ever.
• 1:01
  Estrogen is declining and that affects your gut, your metabolism, your immune system, even your mental health and fiber supports all of those things.
• 1:11
  It acts sort of like this scaffolding for your health.
• 1:14
  It's not a quick fix, it's a foundational fix.
• 1:17
  I talk so much about building a healthy foundation, and fiber is a key component of that.
• 1:22
  When fiber is low, you may feel more bloated, inflamed, constipated, moody, foggy, fatigued, even without even really understanding why.
• 1:33
  So if you're checking all the boxes trying to do everything right, but you still don't feel better, fiber might be the missing piece.
• 1:41
  But what if I told you also, that fiber could be playing a key role in balancing your blood sugar, reducing cravings, and helping you lose stubborn weight during menopause.
• 1:51
  So let's dig into that first.
• 1:54
  You've probably heard me say it before.
• 1:56
  Blood sugar balance is everything during midlife.
• 1:59
  As estrogen drops, our cells become more resistant to insulin and blood sugar tends to spike and crash more easily.
• 2:06
  So what does that look like?
• 2:07
  It's cravings that are out of control.
• 2:09
  It's afternoon crashes, it's weight gain, especially around the belly.
• 2:13
  It's waking up at 3:00 AM with a racing mind.
• 2:16
  Fiber slows down digestion.
• 2:18
  It blunts the blood sugar spike and keeps you feeling full longer.
• 2:22
  It's like this anchor for your metabolism.
• 2:25
  I had a client that told me recently I stopped reaching for sugar at 3:00 PM I didn't even try to quit.
• 2:30
  It just stopped happening because I was eating more fiber.
• 2:34
  I was feeling more full.
• 2:36
  And that's the thing, we don't need to like white knuckle our way through menopause.
• 2:39
  We need to work with our bodies, not against them.
• 2:43
  But what happens after your body is done with hormones like estrogen?
• 2:47
  So you know we're declining estrogen, you still have estrogen, but what is happening with that estrogen after we use it?
• 2:53
  How do you make sure that it doesn't stick around and then cause more symptoms?
• 2:57
  Fiber's got an important role there too.
• 3:00
  So let's talk about detoxification next.
• 3:02
  So this one is big and often overlooked.
• 3:05
  Once your body uses estrogen, it needs to be detoxified by the liver and eliminated through your bowels.
• 3:12
  So if you're constipated or your fiber's too low, guess what?
• 3:16
  That estrogen doesn't leave, it recirculates.
• 3:19
  It goes back around into your bloodstream, and that can lead to heavier or irregular periods if you're still having a period, can lead to hot flashes, breast tenderness, mood swings, and stubborn weight, that just won't budge.
• 3:34
  Fiber, especially from whole foods like vegetables, legumes, and seeds binds to excess estrogen in the gut and it helps it to move out of the body.
• 3:44
  So it's not just about digestion, it's hormone therapy through food.
• 3:48
  It's helping your body to utilize hormones and excrete them as necessary.
• 3:53
  And then thinking about digestion, if your gut has been feeling off lately, bloating, irregularity, discomfort.
• 4:02
  There's another thing that's important to look at the microbiome, so let's dig into that next.
• 4:07
  Something that people don't often realize is that your gut bacteria helps to regulate your hormones.
• 4:13
  There's a group of bacteria in your gut called the estrobolome.
• 4:16
  They literally help to process estrogen.
• 4:19
  So if your gut is inflamed or out of balance, estrogen may not be broken down and metabolized properly, and you might feel it.
• 4:28
  So fiber helps to feed the good bugs, those good bacteria in your gut.
• 4:33
  That's the food, that's the prebiotics, that's the food for the bacteria, the probiotics.
• 4:37
  So soluble fiber, things like oats, flaxseed beans, legumes, apples are good prebiotics.
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  They help your microbiome to stay diverse, to stay healthy.
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  So we have a lot of different good bacteria floating around.
• 4:51
  We, we want to have the good guys beat out the bad guys.
• 4:54
  We want to feed those good guys and get good growth of those bacteria.
• 4:59
  So this can impact a lot of things.
• 5:00
  It can impact your mood, your immunity, your energy levels, and your hormones.
• 5:06
  So why do so many women often really consciously avoid fiber, especially during perimenopause, one word, bloating.
• 5:15
  I hear it all the time.
• 5:16
  So I want to next, I want to bust that myth that bloating is going to happen if you get too much fiber.
• 5:22
  So that's our final section here, talking about bloating.
• 5:26
  So if you've ever said, fiber makes me bloated, you're not alone.
• 5:29
  I hear it all the time, but here's what I want you to know.
• 5:32
  Bloating is often a sign of low fiber intake, not high.
• 5:36
  If your gut bacteria aren't used to fiber or you increase it too quickly, it can cause discomfort.
• 5:41
  So that's a lot of what I, I see people doing is they think that fiber's good.
• 5:45
  So all of a sudden they eat, start eating a lot of fiber, and then they get bloated.
• 5:50
  But that's temporary.
• 5:51
  And there's ways to sort of transition a little bit more smoothly.
• 5:54
  So first of all, just start slow.
• 5:56
  We don't want to, we don't want to make giant changes to our diet in any way because our body's just not used to it.
• 6:01
  So when you start slow, when you hydrate really well and you kind of build gradually the fiber over maybe two to three weeks, then you can start to feel a lot better.
• 6:11
  So one client of mine added a tablespoon of chia seeds to her breakfast.
• 6:15
  She made a, a breakfast smoothie each day, and within, a short period of time, she went from being constipated to regularly daily having bowel movements without feeling the bloat that she was worried about.
• 6:28
  You know, it's not about adding like a fiber bar.
• 6:31
  Chicory root is something you see in a lot of these pre-made processed foods, and that gives you a lot of fiber.
• 6:37
  So when you look at the nutrient facts, you'll see a high number of grams of fiber.
• 6:42
  But that isn't what I'm looking for.
• 6:43
  I want fiber that comes from real food because that supports your whole system in a lot of ways.
• 6:49
  And then you don't get all the additives and other things that come from these processed foods that just add isolated fibers.
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  We want the whole food.
• 6:58
  We want the nutrients.
• 6:59
  We want to ease your body into adding fiber in a way that's going to feel really good and not leave you feeling bloated.
• 7:07
  So if you've been feeling stuck, low energy, feeling bloated, feeling inflamed.
• 7:11
  Adding more fiber might be one of the easiest and really powerful shifts that you can make.
• 7:18
  So to wrap up, I'm going to give you a few simple ways that you can get started today.
• 7:22
  So let's recap with a few easy fiber boosting strategies that you can start now.
• 7:28
  So number one, what can you do to upgrade your breakfast?
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  Adding things like flax seeds or chia seeds to smoothies.
• 7:36
  Oats can be a good choice because they have good soluble fiber.
• 7:40
  I'm a little cautious about having oatmeal for breakfast because it can spike blood sugar.
• 7:45
  So if you're choosing oats, having that as part of a balanced meal, having some protein and fat with that as well.
• 7:52
  Um, yogurt can be a great part of a nourishing breakfast if it's a good yogurt.
• 7:57
  So we want yogurt that doesn't have any additives, doesn't have sweeteners, has low levels of sugar, a Greek yogurt.
• 8:04
  Um, can be a good choice.
• 8:06
  The purpose of yogurt is it's giving us some of those good bacteria, so that can be helpful.
• 8:11
  Um, but again, you do have to be careful about yogurt'cause there's so many out there and they're not all great.
• 8:15
  The second thing is to snack smarter.
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  So skip the crackers, the chips, the granola bars.
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  Try things like hummus with veggies or a pear with maybe a small handful of nuts.
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  Those are things that are going to give you some high fiber, really nutrient rich choices.
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  Number three, lots of vegetables.
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  Fill your plate.
• 8:36
  Half, at least half with vegetables would be great for lunch and dinner.
• 8:41
  Looking for color and variety.
• 8:43
  Again, remember that we want to work our way up to this so you know, to start adding hummus for snacks with vegetables and vegetables, with dinner and vegetables, with lunch.
• 8:54
  That could be a lot if your body is not used to that.
• 8:56
  So you might want to start with, you know, just one of these things and, and build your way up.
• 9:00
  Uh, and number four, drink more water.
• 9:02
  So fiber only works if it has fluid to move with it, so we want to make sure we're getting adequate water.
• 9:08
  Um, and then lastly, sort of a powerhouse is legumes, choosing legumes, dried beans like two to three times a week.
• 9:14
  Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, things like that.
• 9:17
  Again, slow careful.
• 9:20
  We don't want to add to bloating.
• 9:21
  We just want to start moving things through your body.
• 9:24
  So if you're ready to feel more vibrant.
• 9:27
  Less confused about what's actually working in midlife.
• 9:30
  I'd love to help you.
• 9:32
  You can learn more about working with me or grab my free guide.
• 9:36
  Is this perimenopause?
• 9:37
  Um, the link for more information is below in the comments.
• 9:42
  This is exactly the kind of support I offer inside my joyful menopause coaching program.
• 9:47
  Tailored whole person nutrition that makes you feel like yourself again.
• 9:53
  I'm giving you some general things that work for so many people, but when I work with people individually, we're figuring out what's going to work for your body.
• 10:00
  We start with nutrient testing to find out what your body is missing, and then we build a diet to help you to feel your best and to help move things through your gut.
• 10:10
  That's a big part of a part of, uh, great health during the years of perimenopause and menopause.
• 10:15
  So thanks for being here today.
• 10:16
  Thank you for taking this time for you.
• 10:20
  You deserve to feel good in your body and it does not have to be complicated.
• 10:24
  Until next time, stay kind to yourself and stay joyful.