How a Vegan Diet Can Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
Struggling with menopause symptoms like hot flashes, brain fog, or weight gain? Discover how a vegan diet and lifestyle changes can help you feel more balanced, energized, and in control. In this insightful conversation with Dr. Daphne Bascom, we break down how plant-based eating, strength training, and stress management can transform your menopause journey.
Transform Your Health and Reduce Menopause Symptoms with a Vegan Diet
Menopause isn’t a disease. Society often portrays it as a condition needing treatment. It can be connected to mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and a sense of loss of self. We aim to demystify menopause. Why is it crucial for women to deeply understand it?
Menopause can present a challenging period for many women, manifesting symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, mood swings, and weight gain. However, adopting a vegan diet can serve as an effective strategy for managing these symptoms.
This interview with Dr. Daphne Bascom explores how a plant-based diet can help alleviate menopause symptoms and promote overall health.
Let us know what you think! Leave your comments on YouTube.
What is Menopause?
First, let’s define menopause. Perimenopause is the phase leading up to menopause, usually starting in your 30s and lasting up to 12 years. During this period, estrogen levels fluctuate, causing various symptoms. Menopause is defined as having no menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. After this, you enter postmenopause, which spans the rest of your life.
This hormonal shift can bring about symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, mood swings, and weight gain. Understanding these changes is crucial for effectively managing menopausal symptoms.
The Impact of Hormonal Changes
Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone
Three main hormones play significant roles during menopause: estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Estrogen fluctuations cause most menopause symptoms, including hot flashes and insulin resistance. A decline in progesterone can lead to sleep disturbances, while changes in testosterone levels can impact mood, sex drive, and overall energy levels.
Understanding these hormonal changes can help you manage your symptoms better and take proactive steps to improve your health.
Vegan Diet: A Natural Remedy for Menopause Symptoms
The Power of Soy
One of the most effective ways to manage menopause symptoms is through a vegan diet rich in soy products. Studies have shown that soy can significantly reduce hot flashes. Japanese women, who consume a lot of soy, experience fewer hot flashes compared to American and European women.
Adding half a cup of soybeans to your daily diet can make a considerable difference. You can add mature soybeans to salads, soups, or even as a side dish.
Whole Foods for Whole Health
A Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB) diet not only helps in managing menopause symptoms but also promotes overall health. Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes can improve your metabolism, bone health, cardiovascular health, and even help with weight management.
Avoid drastic calorie cutting that negatively impacts your metabolism. Instead, focus on fueling your body with nutrient-dense foods.
The Importance of Physical Activity
Strength Training
Strength training is crucial for menopausal women. It helps maintain muscle mass, which is metabolically active and aids in insulin sensitivity. Lifting weights can also improve bone density, reducing the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis.
If you're new to weightlifting, start with bodyweight exercises or resistance bands. You don't need a gym; a small space and a good workout plan are enough to get started.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Incorporate HIIT into your fitness routine to stimulate type-two muscle fibers. This form of exercise can improve cardiovascular health and help manage weight gain as well as other menopause-related symptoms.
Mindset and Stress Management
Mental Health
Menopause can impact your mental health, leading to anxiety, depression, and a loss of confidence. It’s essential to maintain a positive mindset and manage stress effectively. Practices like mindfulness, meditation, and yoga can be beneficial.
Longevity and Quality of Life
Understanding menopause and its impact on your body can empower you to make well-informed decisions about your health. This knowledge can help you maintain a high quality of life and longevity.
Menopause Meal Prep Guide (Science Backed)
Click the button below to access the Menopause Meal Prep Guide! This guide is packed with delicious recipes, full ingredient lists, nutrition highlights, and detailed breakdowns to help you thrive on plants through menopause.
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Dr. Michael Greger: The Shocking New Research On Diet & Longevity
Can you really slow aging with food? Dr. Michael Greger says yes, and backs it with science. In his new book How Not to Age, he reveals how plant-based nutrition, specific foods, and lifestyle choices can activate your body’s natural defense systems, reduce inflammation, and extend your health span. Dive into his latest longevity insights and discover how to take control of how you age.
In this interview, Dr. Michael Greger shares his most shocking discoveries from his latest book, How Not to Age.
Let us know what you think! Leave your comments on YouTube.
You can purchase Dr. Greger’s new book, How Not to Age, here.
Dive into Dr. Michael Greger's Insights on Diet and Longevity
Dr. Michael Greger has dedicated three years to researching and writing one of the best books on health and diet. Despite the challenge of confronting long-held beliefs, his work is crucial. As the founder and director of NutritionFacts.org and a New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Greger brings a wealth of nutrition expertise. This post will explore his latest findings on diet and longevity and why a plant-based diet is key to a longer, healthier life.
The Impact of Diet on Longevity
One of the most significant revelations from Dr. Greger's research is the extent to which lifestyle choices, particularly diet, influence longevity. He notes that only about 15% to 30% of our lifespan is determined by our genes. The remainder is shaped by how we live our lives. Dr. Greger highlights studies showing that plant-based diets can significantly slow the rate of aging.
Autophagy: The Body's Cleanup Crew
Autophagy is a vital process in the body that acts as both a salvage operation and a garbage disposal, picking up nutrients and clearing away debris. Dr. Greger explains that fasting is commonly associated with autophagy, but it often requires several days of water-only fasting to be effective.
Fortunately, there are other ways to boost autophagy, such as exercise and consuming certain foods. Foods like coffee, which contains chlorogenic acids, and wheat germ, rich in spermidine, can activate autophagy without prolonged fasting.
The Role of Zombie Cells in Aging
Zombie cells, or senescent cells, are cells that have stopped dividing but are not entirely dead. They release inflammatory compounds that contribute to aging. Dr. Greger emphasizes the importance of preventing cells from becoming prematurely senescent. This can be achieved by minimizing DNA damage through a diet rich in antioxidants, such as green tea and cruciferous vegetables.
Additionally, certain food compounds, like fisetin found in strawberries and quercetin in capers, have been shown to have senolytic effects, helping to clear out these harmful cells.
The Dangers of Excess Weight
Dr. Greger describes research that states that even modest weight gain affects longevity. Being just 11 pounds overweight can lower life expectancy by 30 minutes per day, comparable to smoking two cigarettes or drinking two pints of beer daily.
The most dangerous fat is visceral fat, which wraps around internal organs and releases inflammatory substances. Thankfully, this fat is also the first to be lost through diet and exercise.
The Power of AMPK
AMPK is a pivotal enzyme that serves as an energy regulator in the body, akin to a fuel gauge. Dr. Greger likens it to having the potential of "exercise in a pill." Enhancing AMPK can be achieved through exercise, calorie restriction, and specific dietary interventions, such as consuming vinegar or barberries.
Protein and Longevity
Dr. Greger further explains that elevated insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels are linked to shorter lifespans. Lowering protein intake, particularly from animal sources, can reduce IGF-1 levels. Conversely, plant proteins do not provoke the same increase in IGF-1, rendering them a healthier option.
Reducing protein consumption to recommended levels can also decrease levels of mTOR, an enzyme that accelerates aging.
Supplements: Are They Necessary?
While Dr. Greger initially considered recommending a variety of supplements, his research led him to a different conclusion. Most supplements, including resveratrol and NAD boosters, did not demonstrate significant benefits in his studies.
Instead, Dr. Greger advocates for obtaining nutrients from whole foods and spices, such as turmeric, amla, black cumin, and long pepper.
Conclusion
Dr. Michael Greger's exhaustive research provides compelling evidence that diet plays an essential role in longevity. Adopting a plant-based diet, engaging in regular exercise, and making informed lifestyle choices can significantly enhance our prospects of living a longer, healthier life.
Should Vegan Athletes Supplement With Creatine?
Guest Post by Alina Petre, MSc, RD
When you think of creatine, you may think of a supplement meant to help you gain muscle and strength.
You may have even heard that vegans can especially benefit from taking it.
But what is creatine? Does it actually do what it claims to do? And above all, is it a supplement that’s safe or worth taking?
The following article will give you the low-down on creatine and help you figure out whether you should give it a try for yourself.
Creatine is a compound that’s naturally present in your body. A small percentage is stored in your brain, kidneys, and liver, but the largest amounts are stored in your muscles (1).
The amount of muscle creatine can vary from person to person and depends on various factors, including diet. The type of food that contains most creatine is meat, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since other animals also store creatine in their muscles.
This may be one reason why vegetarians, including vegans, tend to have lower levels of creatine than meat eaters (2, 3, 4).
That said, eating animals is not the only way to boost creatine levels — and definitely not a necessity. Our bodies can also produce creatine internally from the amino acids glycine and arginine, which many plant foods contain.
Creatine supplements containing zero animal derivatives are another way to boost creatine levels. Plus, supplements are a way more effective way to increase muscle creatine levels compared to eating meat.
That’s because a person would have to eat 2.8 pounds (1.3 kg) of raw meat each day (or twice that amount if cooked) to get the same amount of creatine found in 5 grams of supplement (5).
Other factors which can influence the amount of creatine stored in your muscles include the total amount of muscle mass you have, the type of training you do, and your hormone levels.
Summary: Creatine is a compound naturally found in the body and mainly stored in muscle. Vegetarians and vegans tend to have lower creatine levels than meat-eaters and supplements are the best way to increase levels.
How Does Creatine Work?
Creatine works by providing your muscle with a quick source of energy.
It does so by boosting production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a molecule that stores the energy that your cells need to function. The higher the amount of creatine present in your muscles, the quicker ATP can be produced and used by your muscles to contract (6).
Simply put, higher creatine levels in the muscles help your muscles recover more quickly between sets. This lower fatigue generally means that you can fit in more sets or reps during the same training session, both of which can equate to greater results (1, 7).
This is especially useful during repeated short burst of intense exercise, which require quick replenishing of your muscles’ energy stores. For instance, during weightlifting, sprinting, soccer, rugby or hockey.
In addition, creatine also acts in key cellular processes which can help increase muscle mass, strength, and recovery (8).
For instance, creatine supplementation may help reduce protein breakdown and increase anabolic hormone levels in your body, both of which can promote muscle strength and growth (9, 10).
Creatine supplementation also appears to boost muscle repair and muscle water retention, both of which may also lead to improved muscle recovery and growth (11, 12).
To find out more about how to boost your post-workout recovery, click here.
Summary: Creatine works by providing the muscle with a quick source of energy. Higher muscle stores are can help increase muscle mass and strength. It can also help improve exercise performance, especially during short bursts of high-intensity exercise.
Effects on Muscle Mass
Creatine is one of the most effective and well-researched supplements when it comes to growing muscle (13, 14).
Taking creatine for as little as a week can already produce significant effects. It’s important to note that most of the early rise in muscle mass generally comes from water retention in the muscle. However, over a longer period of time, muscle fiber growth also increases (11).
Several studies support this notion. For instance, in one study, participants given creatine increased their muscle mass by an additional 4.4 lbs (2 kg) following a 6-week training program than those given a placebo (15).
In another, older individuals given creatine in combination with a muscle training program experienced significantly greater gains in muscle mass than a placebo by the end of the 14-week study period (16).
In weightlifters, creatine intake during a 12-week training program increased muscle fiber growth 2 to 3 times more than training alone. The weightlifters taking creatine also gained 5 more pounds (2.3 kg) of muscle than those given the placebo (17).
Not many studies have been done on the effects of creatine on vegetarians and vegans. However, I did find one in which around half of the participants were vegetarian, of which 3 vegans.
The individuals in this study were given either a creatine supplement or a placebo and put through an intense 8-week weight training routine focused mainly on the upper body.
All participants which received creatine gained more muscles than those given the placebo, regardless of their diet. However, the vegetarians gained the most muscle — around one additional pound (around 0.5 kg) than the non-vegetarians (4).
Summary: When combined with weight training, creatine can help individuals gain more muscle mass. This effect may be especially strong in vegetarians and vegans.
Effects on Strength and Exercise Performance
Creatine can also help improve strength and exercise performance, especially during short bouts of high-intensity exercise.
According to a review of 22 studies, training with creatine may result in 8% more strength, a 14% better weight lifting performance and a 43% higher bench press one rep max compared to training alone (18).
What’s more, the effect of creatine on high-intensity exercise performance has been investigated in more than 300 studies.
Around 70% of them report significant improvements while 30% found either no effects or effects too small to be significant. None found negative effects. Of those which found a positive effect, improvements ranged from 5% to 15% (19).
Similar improvements have also been found for strength and power exercises. However, creatine offers generally fewer benefits for low-intensity or endurance-type exercise (7, 20, 21, 22, 23).
Again, few studies exist on creatine intake in vegetarians. However, those which do exist tend to find similar results to those above (2, 4).
Summary: Creatine, when taken in combination with training, may also help increase strength and high-intensity exercise performance. However, it has limited effects on low-intensity or endurance-type exercise.
Other Beneficial Effects of Creatine
In addition to its beneficial effects on exercise listed above, creatine may also have a wide range of positive health effects. The most researched include:
May lower blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes (26, 27, 28).
May improve brain function and memory, although not all studies agree (29, 30, 31, 32).
May reduce fatigue during sleep deprivation (33).
Summary: In addition to having positive effects on exercise, creatine may also provide the additional health benefits listed above.
Type and Dosage
Several forms of creatine can be found on the market. The most common, and best researched, is creatine monohydrate.
You may come across claims that other forms of creatine are superior to creatine monohydrate. However, no studies actually support this notion (34).
The amount you need for most effects depends on the type of loading protocol you choose.
Quick loading protocol: 0.1 gram of creatine monohydrate per pound (0.3 g/kg) per day — or around 5 grams taken four times per day — for 5-7 days, followed by 3 - 5 grams per day thereafter.
Longer loading protocol: 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day taken for 21-30 days followed by 3 - 5 grams per day thereafter.
By the end of either loading protocol, you’ll end up with around the same amount of creatine in your muscles. However, as the name implies, the quick loading protocol achieves this in 5 - 7 days rather than 3-4 weeks.
To maximize creatine absorption, try mixing your supplement with a source of carbs, for instance, juice. Absorption is also slightly improved after a workout when insulin levels tend to be higher (35).
Summary: Creatine monohydrate is the best-researched form of supplementation. Dosages depend on whether you choose to follow a quick-loading or longer loading protocol. By the end of either loading period, your muscles will contain similar total amounts of creatine.
Creatine Safety
In terms of safety, it’s worth mentioning that creatine is considered one of the safest supplements on the market. It’s also one of the most well-researched.
For instance, one study investigated 52 blood markers following creatine supplementation for close to two years. Researchers found no adverse effects (36).
Despite fears that creatine may harm the liver and kidneys, no scientific proof of negative effects could be found in healthy adults sticking to the recommended creatine doses (36, 37, 38).
That said, if you already suffer from liver or kidney issues, you might want to check with your healthcare practitioner before taking this supplement.
Moreover, despite many anecdotal claims of the contrary, creatine supplementation appears to have a positive influence on muscle cramps and dehydration (39).
In fact, some studies even show that creatine may reduce the risk of dehydration and muscle cramps during exercise in hot conditions (40, 41).
Several medium-term studies have also been performed and continuous creatine intake for up to four years shows no negative effects (36, 37).
That said, few studies have investigated safety effects passed four years. Thus, long-term safety cannot be guaranteed since long-term effects are not currently known. Longer-term studies are needed.
Summary: Creatine use is generally considered as safe in healthy adults following the recommended dosages. Continuous intakes for up to 4 years appear to have little negative effects. However, studies looking at longer-term effects are still needed.
The Bottom Line
Creatine is a safe and interesting supplement with various exercise and health benefits.
Creatine levels appear generally lower in vegans and vegetarians. Thus, active vegetarians and vegans seeking to grow muscle or increase strength and exercise performance may particularly benefit from giving it a try.
And if you’d like to check out some sport-dietitian vetted plant-based nutrition tips for active individuals, make sure to check out my little corner of the web at morethanjustveggies.com.