"Well, it was surprising," Anne said when I asked her what wins she’d had since our last session.

"When I stopped taking the GLP-1 medication, I expected the food noise to come flooding back, and it did, which is why I reached out to you. I was terrified of my cravings!"

"But working together taught me to have permission and balance with food. My cravings don’t control me anymore - or at least they're not as loud."

Hi Reader,

Anne and I met a few months ago. She said she needed "structure without rules" for her eating habits.

As a woman in her early 50s with A LOT going on, including 2 kids under the age of 10 and working for the government in the field of social justice, she felt like the food noise consumed her.

She wanted freedom with food, but was scared of it - especially as her body size and shape changed during perimenopause.

Anne was in the messy middle - fueled by our cultural obsession/fascination with GLP-1 medications

Food noise, cravings, and body image are tightly wound together during menopause.

Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone influence the brain's regulation of hunger, satiety, and mood.​
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Here's how:

Lower estrogen levels affect the part of the brain that regulates the hormone signals for hunger and satiety.

As estrogen drops, cravings for pleasure-dense foods increase while hunger and fullness cues are less intense.

When estrogen is high, leptin, the fullness hormone, is more effective at curbing cravings by suppressing ghrelin, the hunger hormone.

Estrogen also affects neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which play a role in appetite and mood control.

Lower estrogen can create emotional disruption and stimulate emotional eating.

Progesterone also has a calming effect on the brain and influences insulin sensitivity. When progesterone is low, cells are less sensitive to insulin (meaning they can't get the energy they need). This leads to cravings for pleasure-dense foods (aka quick energy).

Reader, you're not crazy if it feels like your brain and your body are working against you.

While Mother Nature continues to play with your hormones, there are 3 strategies you can use to help decrease the intensity of craving and food noise.​
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1. Eat enough throughout the day. Try to avoid big gaps of time between meals.

2. Include protein + complex carbs + healthy fats in your meals and snacks. Remember, food doesn’t need to be complicated. “Show up. Think about it. Give a shit.” Here are some examples:

• 5-minute taco: mash a can of black beans (drained and rinsed) with ½ avocado. Spread in 2 corn tortillas. Top each with 1 TBSP of hemp seeds and 1 TBSP of salsa. Add 1 TBSP shredded cheese to each taco (optional).

• On-the-go: Piece of fruit + ¼ cup nuts or trail mix + hard boiled egg

• 3-minute smoothie: 1 cup unsweet soy or regular milk + 1 scoop simple protein powder like hemp, pea, brown rice, or whey + 1/2 tsp ground ginger + 1 handful spinach + ½ banana + ⅔ cup frozen berries. Top with ¼ cup granola or cocoa nibs

• Quick wrap: Spread a whole wheat tortilla with ½ cup hummus + 4 oz cooked chicken or salmon + ½ cup veggies of your choice + 1 TBSP olive oil vinegar dressing

• Snack plate: Whole grain crackers + slices of cheese + ¼ cup nuts + meat or salmon jerky + fresh or dried fruit

3. Most Important ⚠️ Eat both nutrient-dense AND pleasure-dense foods as often as possible.

Nutrient-dense foods give your body the nutrition it needs to make neurotransmitters like serotonin. Pleasure-dense foods create joy and satisfaction, two key ingredients to decrease cravings and give your brain the dopamine hit it’s looking for.
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Which strategy feels most important to you?

Hit reply!

Let's work through the food noise and cravings together 🙂
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Have a great weekend, savoring food and your body!

Amanda

PS: Food noise, cravings, and body image are tightly wound together during menopause. Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone influence the brain's regulation of hunger, satiety, and mood. You're not crazy if it feels like your brain and your body are working against you. While Mother Nature continues to play with your hormones, scroll up for 3 strategies you can use to help decrease the intensity of the cravings and food noise.

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