Keto Diet for Perimenopause - Comprehensive Guide

Keto Diet for Perimenopause: A Guide to Hormonal Balance and Weight Management

The keto diet, a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (LCHF), has risen in popularity over the past two decades. Originally used by physicians to treat epilepsy in the 1920s has since become a viable method for weight loss and maintaining health globally.

Used by people for weight loss, reverse metabolic syndrome, and reduce inflammation and insulin requirements for type 2 diabetes it effectively is displayed across many areas of health.

So, the question is — is the keto diet beneficial for perimenopause?

In this article, we discuss the keto diet for perimenopause. We cover what the keto diet is, how it works, its impact on perimenopause, the benefits, and potential risks to help you make an educated decision if it is for you.

Understanding the Keto Diet

Ketosis is a complex metabolic state that, if entered correctly, can have incredible benefits for perimenopause. Below, we discuss ketosis and how it affects hormones and metabolism.

What Is the Keto Diet?

The keto diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet where the extreme restriction of carbohydrates causes the body to switch from glucose as its primary energy source to fats. This induces a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body uses fat as the primary fuel. Many people adopt the keto diet to reduce body fat and improve metabolic health.

The keto diet macronutrient ratio is:

• Fat: 55–60% fat
• Protein: 30–35% protein
• Carbohydrate: 5–10% carbohydrates

For reference, the daily carbohydrate intake for the 2,000-calorie diet is approximately 20–50g. Because of this, the keto diet must also prioritize protein intake to support lean muscle mass and satiety.

Here are a list of keto-friendly foods:

• Meat and seafood
• Eggs
• High-fat dairy
• Non-starchy vegetables
• Olive Oil
• High-cocoa chocolate
• Nuts and seeds
• Fruits (watermelon, strawberry, raspberries, peach, cantaloupe, avocado, tomato, blackberries)

How Keto Affects Hormones and Metabolism

The keto diet doesn’t just switch our body’s primary fuel source; it also affects our hormones and metabolism.

During carbohydrate restriction, insulin secretion decreases, and the body enters into a catabolic state where it begins to break down and the body fat to generate energy while depleting glycogen stores (muscles stored energy). Additionally, the decrease in insulin decreases the stimulation of fat and glucose storage. This combined with the switch to fat as a major fuel source turns the body into a fat-burning machine.

Furthermore, it can alter our hunger hormone ghrelin and satiety hormone leptin. It can reduce the hunger hormone ghrelin, while increasing leptin, improving satiety. This means fewer calories are consumed and more fat is burned, leading to a greater calorie deficit.

The keto diet can also reduce inflammation. This is excellent for women in perimenopause and menopause, as many symptoms occur as the result of inflammation in the body.

The Impact of Perimenopause on Your Body

Perimenopause is the transition period before the body enters menopause, which is when the body’s reproductive years come to an end. This is a natural process that occurs in the mid-40s but can happen in the late 30s.

During this process, reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone begin to fluctuate and decline leading to irregular periods and several symptoms which can have far-reaching effects on the body and quality of life.

Perimenopause symptoms include:

• Hot Flashes
• Night Sweats
• Increase Appetite
• Weight Gain
• Decreased muscle mass
• Decreased bone density
• Joint pain
• Sleep disturbances
• Wrinkling skin
• Digestive issues
• Moods swings
• Impaired cognitive function

Declines in estrogen and progesterone can increase inflammation, leading to hot flashes, night sweats, and chronic illnesses including obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis.

Symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats are the result of increased inflammation. These symptoms can negatively impact sleep quality, which can in turn alter mood and the production of hunger and satiety hormones ghrelin and leptin. After a poor night’s sleep ghrelin can increase, while leptin decreases, creating a swing that increases hunger. Meanwhile, poor sleep can negatively affect mood and can lead to the seeking of food for comfort.

These effects have a chain-reaction-like effect on the body, which begins with a subtle increased appetite and weight gain to a chronic illness.

Decreased estrogen levels can impair the bone remodeling process, accelerating bone loss, with an annual rate of 1.8–2.3% for the lumbar spine (lower back) and 1.0–1.4% for the hip. Which, if left unaddressed can result in an increase in falls, loss of function, and independence.

Meanwhile, cognitive performance, such as learning, thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, decision-making, and attention is also affected during perimenopause.

Nutritional Needs During Perimenopause

An effective way of addressing perimenopause symptoms is through correcting nutrition. In the midst of what seems like a physiological upheaval, nutrition can help address hunger, energy levels, and weight gain. Studies indicate that losing just 5kg can improve the tolerability of hot flashes by 30% for overweight or obese women.

The decline in reproductive hormones can cause our bodies to spiral, with energy levels fluctuating and hunger spiking. This is where nutritional needs to be identified and addressed.

During this time, stabilizing energy levels and addressing menopause symptoms through a nutrient-dense diet are essential for regaining control. Traditionally, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein are the go-to for providing slow-release energy and satiety. However, during the keto diet, these needs are met with fat and protein.

As mentioned, fats become a primary fuel source during keto, Fats are more calorie-dense, containing nine calories per gram, compared to the four calories per gram of carbohydrates and protein.

Dietary fat is vital in many areas of our health, improving fullness, absorbing vital nutrients, and protecting organs. Furthermore, such as omega-3 supports brain function and the immune system and contains anti-inflammatory properties which can reduce the risk factors of chronic illness.

Nutrients such as protein, calcium, vitamin D, and B complex are essential to supporting our muscles, bones, hormones, heart, brain, and nerves.

Benefits of the Keto Diet During Perimenopause

The keto diet has incredible benefits that can directly address perimenopause symptoms, including managing appetite and weight, balancing energy levels, stabilizing mood, and reducing inflammation. We discuss benefits, providing you with reasons why you should consider the keto diet.

Managing Weight Gain and Belly Fat

The keto diet turns our body into a fat-burning machine. Perimenopause can lead to increased appetite and weight gain which can increase the risk of chronic illness.

As mentioned, with the reduction of carbohydrate intake to approximately 10–15% of our total calorie intake, our body enters ketosis and begins using fat as its primary energy source. During this process, the body depletes muscle energy stores while decreasing fat and glucose storage. This, combined with the body’s preference to burn fat, manages weight.

Supporting Energy Levels and Reducing Fatigue

The keto diet is great for sustaining energy levels and reducing fatigue. For many women, perimenopause is met with increased hunger, lower energy levels, and feelings of fatigue.

Fats can increase satiety, with each gram of fat containing double the amount of energy of carbohydrates and protein. Protein is also capable of increasing fullness, improving satiety, and stabilizing energy levels.

During the keto diet, the body burns and breaks down fat, it produces ketones, which can be used to fuel the brain, heart, and skeletal muscles.

Stabilizing Mood and Mental Clarity

The keto diet can help stabilize mood and improve mental clarity. Poor mood and impaired cognitive function are two major symptoms of perimenopause. The keto diet can alleviate these symptoms as ketones, like glucose, can cross the blood-brain barrier, fueling the brain and supporting cognitive function, while also fueling our body during exercise

Furthermore, it can regulate appetite, with research showing suppression of the hunger hormone ghrelin and an increase in the release of the satiety hormone leptin. This can further reduce hunger and stabilize energy levels.

Reducing Inflammation

The keto diet is great for reducing inflammation in the body which can be invaluable for women during perimenopause. When estrogen levels decline, inflammation can increase in the body which can lead to symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, joint pain, impaired cognitive function, and an increase in chronic illness.

Fortunately, the ketogenic diet can produce anti-inflammatory effects]. This can alleviate symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, which can negatively impact sleep quality.

Additionally, it can have special effects on our brain and nervous system, reducing neuroinflammation within the central nervous system and providing protection against neurological disorders.

Furthermore, reduced inflammation can improve joint pain. and may be beneficial for inflammatory arthritis.

Potential Risks and Considerations

From the outside, the keto diet appears to be an incredible diet for addressing perimenopause symptoms. However, entry and staying in ketosis can be challenging as factors such as the keto flu, hormonal fluctuations, and nutrient deficiencies can negatively impact your experience.

Below we discuss each of these in deal to ensure you are aware of the potential risks of adopting the keto diet for perimenopause.

Keto Flu

The keto diet is unlike any other diet. While many diets can be challenging due to the restriction of certain foods, and challenging willpower, the keto diet alters the body’s metabolic state and switches its fuel source, which can lead to a physiological response commonly known as the keto flu.

Occurring after the first three days of the diet, and lasting between a week and a month it is characterized by flu-like symptoms such as dizziness, brain fog, cramping diarrhea, constipation, irritability, insomnia, and reduced exercise tolerance.

For many people, this is enough to turn them away from the keto diet. However, for those willing to try the keto diet, consider gradually reducing carbohydrate intake. During the keto flu, we recommend staying hydrated with water and electrolytes, eating healthy fats and non-starchy vegetables, and getting plenty of rest, this will help reduce the symptoms.

Nutrient Deficiencies

The restrictive nature of the keto diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies. The keto diet prioritizes meat, seafood, non-starchy vegetables, eggs, berries, and high-fat dairy products. While these are considered nutritious whole foods, they do not fill out nutritional gaps and can lead to nutrient deficiencies.

Common nutrient deficiency during the keto diet and their potential effects on your health:

How to Tailor Keto for Perimenopause

The keto diet can help reduce many symptoms of menopause. However, some elements can be adjusted to make it more suitable for perimenopause. Below we discuss each are to ensure your keto diet success.

Adjusting Macronutrient Ratios

One thing about the keto diet that stands out is its macronutrient ratio, as it increases fat, and protein, and decreases carbohydrates below 10%. While fats and protein have room to be adjusted and modified, there is little wiggle room for our carbohydrate intake.

As mentioned, we recommend gradually transitioning into the keto diet by incrementally reducing carbohydrate intake over weeks or months. Jumping head-first into low-carb diets can be jarring, and with the existing symptoms of perimenopause, it can be even more challenging.

We suggest starting with the paleo diet macronutrient ratio. This can be challenging as it decrease carbohydrate intake by approximately 30–40% from the standard diet. Below is an example of how to ease into your keto macros for one month.

Follow these paleo macronutrient recommendations for weeks 1 and 2.

• Fats: 50%
• Protein: 30%
• Carbohydrates: 20%

Then lower your carbohydrate intake by 5% and increase your fat by 5% for weeks 3 and 4.

• Fats: 55%
• Protein: 30%
• Carbohydrates: 15%

After this, you can make the final step toward your keto macros. We recommend sticking to 10% fat. This will ensure you are using all the carbohydrates allowed to soften the blow of dropping them a further 5%.

Choosing the Right Fats and Proteins

When it comes to undertaking the keto diet we need to be selecting the right and protein sources to help maintain our overall health and well-being.

While fat is the primary fuel source and we can consume large amounts, we recommend eating through nutrient-dense food sources. This will ensure you are feeding your body vital nutrients support your body during perimenopause.

Foods such as fatty fish, eggs, avocado, olive oil, nuts, and seeds are all loaded with healthy fats which can reduce inflammation, support hormone production, the immune system, and absorb vital nutrients. Meanwhile, protein can be consumed through beef, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, and seeds, and can help preserve muscle mass, preserve bone health, and improve satiety. These whole foods will help feed our body vital nutrients, without leaving us sluggish.

Practical Tips for Starting a Keto Diet

Stepping into a keto diet is anything but easy. Between the initial fluctuation of energy levels, fatigue, and decreased mental clarity, it can be difficult to stick it out and begin experiencing the benefits. Below we share our practical tips for starting the keto diet.

Gradual Transition to Low Carb

Gradually transitioning to your keto diet is essential for beginners. Small decreases in carbohydrate intake can lead to decreased energy levels and increased feelings of hunger. So it only stands to reason that jumping straight into a keto diet will be a shock to the system.

As mentioned, we recommend gradually decreasing your carbohydrate intake over a month to acclimatize your body to the low-carb diet. This can be done by taking on a paleo diet, which reduces carbohydrate intake to 20%. Over the course of a month, you can gradually decrease this intake by 5% until you hit your keto fat intake of 10%. This will help you ease into your keto macros.

Meal Planning for Success

Like any healthy eating plan, meal planning can help improve the success of your keto diet. While the sound of eating meat, cheese, and full-fat dairy seems like it is too good to be true, over weeks and months it has the potential to wear thin, especially if there is a lack of variety.

Meal planning and preparation help you plan and ensure that there is plenty of variety with our meals, which will help you sustain this long term. Furthermore, having a meal prepared in advance can stop you from opening an app ordering in, and spoiling your ketosis with unhealthy carbs.

Hydration and Electrolyte Management

Hydration and electrolytes are essential during keto and low-carb diets. As mentioned, keto diets come with the risk of nutrient deficiencies, one of the major ones is electrolytes in the form of sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Deficiencies in these nutrients can experience headaches fatigue, dizziness, and impaired concentration.

To remedy this, regular hydration and a variety of food are required to ensure we are consuming vital nutrients. Below is a list of keto-friendly electrolytes food sources:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Iceberg lettuce
• Romaine lettuce
• Pumpkin seeds
• Almonds
• Mushrooms
• Fatty fish
• Squash

Overcoming the “Keto Flu”

When you are experiencing the keto flu, stay hydrated, maintain electrolytes, and consume a range of healthy fats. During this, you may want to quit, however, just remind yourself that it is a natural part of the process and it will pass.

Sample Keto Meal Plan for Perimenopause

One of the things many people get excited about at the beginning of the keto diet is the food. Between the meat, cheese, eggs, and full-fat dairy meals, it is hard to believe that we are improving our health. Below, we have listed a sample keto meal plan for perimenopause.

Breakfast Ideas

• Baked ham and eggs cups with cheddar cheese, parsley, and black pepper.
• Keto protein shakes with almond milk, ice, almost butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and vanilla extract.
• Chia pudding with almond milk, chia seeds, vanilla extract, and honey.
• Keto fat bombs with cream cheese, peanut butter, coconut oil, and keto-friendly dark chocolate chips

Lunch and Dinner Recipes

• Cauliflower fried rice with eggs, carrots, peas, shallots, scallions, and reduced-sodium soy sauce.
• Philly cheese steak lettuce wraps with onion, bell pepper, oregano, provolone, butterhead lettuce leaves.
• Keto beef stroganoff with mushrooms, garlic, cream cheese, and sour cream.
• Feta and herb salmon
• Greek garlic chicken with lemon, garlic, oregano, asparagus, and zucchini.

Snacks and Desserts

• Baked taco cheese cups with ground beef, tomato, and guacamole
• Baked bacon cheddar chips
• Lemon pepper baked chicken wings
• Keto chocolate cake
• Cookies and cream fat bombs with cream cheese, heavy cream, coconut cream, and vanilla extract.
• Keto cinnamon rolls

Recap: Is Keto Right for You During Perimenopause?

The keto diet is an incredible diet for managing the symptoms of perimenopause and our overall health and well-being. Its ability to reduce fat, inflammation, fatigue, and support energy levels, and boost mental clarity makes it a great match for anyone experiencing perimenopause.

If you are considering trying the keto for the first be sure to:

• Gradually reduce carbs over a month,
• Plan and pre-make your meals.
• Stay hydrated and maintain electrolyte balance.

Follow these recommendations and you will be in ketosis in no time! If you want to try the keto diet but have concerns throughout any part of the process, consult a licensed nutritionist or dietician.

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