There is a moment in the morning that can change the tone of your entire day.
Before the coffee-only routine.
Before the workout.
Before the rushing.
Before the long list of everyone else’s needs.
For women in peri-post menopause, that moment is this: eat protein early.
According to the work of Dr. Stacy Sims, women are not small men, and our nutrition should not be treated as if our bodies operate the same way through every decade of life. As women’s hormones shift during peri-post menopause, the body becomes more vulnerable to muscle loss, changes in recovery, changes in blood sugar, and stress load issues. Dr. Sims repeatedly emphasizes that active women need to prioritize protein support muscle, training, recovery, and long term strength, especially through the menopause transition.
At the HOB we love this because it is not about dieting its about:
Fueling.
Strength.
Telling your body, I am not starving you today. I am supporting you.
One simple change you can do to help yourself with that change is eat 12-15 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up. This is a powerful place to begin. This does not mean it is your only protein for the day. It simply means you are starting the day by giving your body amnio acids, which are the building blocks it needs to help maintain muscle, support recovery, and stabilize energy. Protein plays a critical role in the structure, function, and repair of the bodies tissues.
In peri-post menopause, hormone shifts, poor sleep, stress, under-eating, over-training, and coffee on an empty stomach can all make the body feel like it is living in a constant state of stress. When that happens, cortisol can stay elevated, and women may feel more wired, tired, anxious, hungry, or stuck. This where the 12-15 grams of protein can help.
Eating 12-15 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking gives the body a signal that it is safe, fed, and protected. Instead of asking your body to run on caffeine, adrenaline, and stress hormones, you are giving it real fuel. Your cortisol spike can come down and take a break.
Let’s clarify Cortisol isn’t bad. It is a necessary hormone that helps the body mobilize energy, increase alertness, support cognition, and respond to stress. Cortisol spikes in everyone to get you out of bed. In peri-post menopause, a woman’s body is already becoming more unregulated because of fluctuations in estrogen.
Here is how the cycle happens. Instead of the cortisol spiking normally in the am, and regulating downward due to estrogen coming in to signal the body it is protected and safe and coming down. Cortisol keeps spiking through the day and signaling to the body it is not protected and it should protect the vital organs. Visceral fat begins to increase to protect the vital organs and inflammation begins to increase because of the constant cortisol spikes. Thus, causing a cycle that just keeps going. Under eating can add more stress to the already stressed body.
By fueling you send a message to the body that is not starving, protected, and has resources even without estrogen present.
Bottom line: Protein 30 minutes after waking helps move the body from survival mode into a strength mode. A protected mode. A calmer mode. Here are some examples of protein you can choose from to eat.
Greek yogurt, eggs, cottage cheese, protein coffee, turkey slices, a small protein smoothie, tofu scramble, chia pudding with greek yogurt, and edamame.
Try doing this for 2 weeks and see how you feel. See how your workouts go. Check out how your body feels.
Let us know!!
