Scots may be kicking off a fresh new year with challenges like Veganuary or Dry January. Refraining from the drink or following a plant-based diet is no easy feat – but it is worth it if you start seeing the health benefits early on.
Women going through the menopause in particular may reap the rewards of committing to such a lifestyle change, as both involve participants cutting out food and drinks that have been shown to make symptoms worse.
The 31-day food and drink tests might be able to reduce the impact of menopause symptoms altogether, as cutting out certain foods can exacerbate what is already quite a turbulent time for your mind and body.
Jana Abelovska, Superintendent Pharmacist at Click Pharmacy has put together a guide on foods to avoid and shared her insight as to how Dry January or Veganuary might be able to reduce the pesky side of menopause.
Speaking firstly on Dry January, Abelovska explained: “Hot flushes and night sweats are understood to be connected to vasodilation, the widening of blood vessels in the body.
“Alcohol is a ‘vasodilator’ meaning that it can raise your temperature and cause blood vessels to expand, increasing the likelihood that you experience these ‘vasomotor’ symptoms. Some studies have suggested that drinking triggers night sweats and hot flushes.”
“Women going through menopause are also more likely to experience sleep problems, meaning that cutting out drinking can help make it a little easier to get a good night’s sleep. Alcohol can affect your sleep quality, and might even reduce the amount of time you spend in REM sleep.”
Veganuary is another popular challenge, with 700,000 signing up on the official campaign website last year. This is another challenge that might have positive health results for women who are experiencing menopause.
“Processed meat is high in sodium, and with menopause already leading to a higher likelihood of high blood pressure, reducing your sodium intake at this time can be very beneficial,” Abelovska went on.
“Cutting down on fast food during Veganuary has the benefit of reducing people’s intake of trans fats (common in fried foods and restaurant foods), saturated fat and sugar. Trans fats and saturated fat raise cholesterol – and many women experience higher cholesterol during menopause due to declining estrogen levels.
“Sugar increases the risk of hypoglycemia or blood sugar crashes, which menopausal women are already at a heightened risk of, due to greater insulin resistance, when the body is less able to manage blood sugar levels.”
Jana has prepared some top tips for women who are looking to try Dry January or Veganuary:
Dry January
-
Find a non-alcoholic drink that still feels like a treat – from mocktails to flavoured tonic waters or tart, fizzy kombucha (which has the added gut-friendly benefit of being naturally fermented).
-
Tell your family and friends that you’re doing the challenge so that they can support you.
-
Try a new sport or hobby, to give you a fun distraction in the evenings and help you avoid temptation
Veganuary
-
For maximum health benefits, try and eat whole foods rather than processed foods
-
Make sure you include enough plant-based protein in your meals, to help you stay full and satisfied – options include beans and lentils, tofu and other forms of soy protein, or seitan.
-
Experiment with new ingredients – there are so many recipes to choose from that you won’t get bored without meat, dairy or eggs.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our newsletterhere.