Things not enough of us are talking about…supplementation and perimenopause.
- Julie Lane
- Jan 23, 2018
- 5 min read
There’s a lot of debate around supplementation and whether or not it’s effective. As with many things in the nutrition arena, it’s really a personal choice. Meaning, people get quite passionate about their dietary or nutritional regimes and think what works for them is right for others, but we know that’s not true (especially for us type 1 diabetics #T1D).
I went through phases in my 20s where I supplemented without any knowledge of whether or not I even needed to, or whether or not it was effective, just because I thought it was ‘healthy’. But recently during my annual FSH (female hormones) check, I was diagnosed with vitamin D and B12 deficiencies. A few months later for a recheck I could actually see the results of my supplementation in the blood work. I am now a true convert in the ‘it works’ department and thought I’d share my findings.
My favourite brand of vitamins is BetterYou which only market oral sprays. They have sufficient research on their website about the uptake of the spray (into your mouth) being directly absorbed into the bloodstream rather than slowly and ineffectively digested in the stomach.
I have also been a big fan of Dr. David Perlmutter for the past 5 years, and his book GRAIN BRAIN seriously changed the way I consume carbohydrates (already a low consumer as a #T1D), and made me think about taking a longer term approach to the nutrients I should be getting, especially as I get older, and most especially to stave off any extra inflammation to my brain to avoid, if at all possible, getting something like dementia or Alzheimer’s as I’m already at a quite high risk for these with the #T1D.
Combine this all with being a woman of a certain age, I found Marion Gluck and Vicky Edgson’s book IT MUST BE MY HORMONES on hormonal regulation during the menopause years completely fantastic in terms of making sense of the nutrients a woman’s body DOES need and even us diabetics need some complex carbs to get through the sleepless nights and hot flushes. This book has great tips for all sorts of female problem personas and is worth the read.
It must be said that obviously, the healthiest route to getting one’s vitamins is through a well-balanced diet, but some of these scarce antioxidants or super spices we just cannot get enough of in our day-to-day eating or our bodies don’t absorb them well. And yet, I am still trying to eat my way through perimenopause whilst putting off any hormone therapy as long as possible…you have to decide what works for you.
I have tried a lot of different methods over the years, and have narrowed it down (along with my doctor’s assistance) to what works for me.
My top picks:
D3 DLux3000 – This is a high dose, and not right for most. They have all sorts of other doses and getting a test (can buy over the counter) before supplementing is important. Vitamin D is actually a hormone regulated by the brain. When we have low levels of vitamin D, we might feel tired from chronic fatigue and have low energy. I find that when I haven’t been taking my daily spray, my hot flashes seem worse. Vitamin D is essential to so many bone and brain functions, it’s critical to have enough in your body. It’s hard to get enough through one’s diet, but it is found in mushrooms and cold water fish.
B12 Boost – When you’re low on B12, you might also regularly feel tired which in turn can lead to weight and appetite loss. B12 is a vital vitamin to have sufficient stores of as it is critical for DNA production as well as testosterone regulation (and the big T helps keep us skinny!). You can get B12 from various foods such as meat, chicken, clams and cow’s milk.
Turmeric – This one goes the ‘extra mile’ and is thought to aid in everything from longevity to cancer relief. It is the new global favourite, and it’s about time (but maybe skip the latte nonsense). Turmeric is also a powerful anti-inflammatory. It even works on skin if you burn yourself! Nature’s awe-inspiring antioxidant, it’s time to spice up your life. Eating turmeric is less effective in the absorption category unless you eat it with pepper, so spray away with this one!
DHA – I take 1000 mg of DHA fish oils every day as they are brain boosters. Again, I’m not sure I notice any difference with these, but I feel like anything that can help aid in what already seems like early onset memory loss, can’t be all bad. Fish oil supplements are best in triglyceride form (versus Ethyl Esters) as the body can't process the EEs very well. But many nutritionists will say you don't need any fish oil supplements as long as you eat 2 servings of oily fish per week (which is also more cost effective).
Probiotics – Dr. Perlmutter got me (and my kid!) on these. The gut benefits to these are wonderful and the theory here is that the stomach is your second brain (so feed it well). Truthfully, I think my second brain may be smarter than my first one, and it seems to remember a lot more. But regardless, I take 3 capsules daily on an empty brain. Look for ten billion active cultures from ten different strains. Keep them in the fridge.
Resveratrol – My personal favourite in the power packed antioxidant department. Found in red wine, but you would need to drink a bucket or more to see the benefits! See previous posts, but you just can’t get enough of this one through food, and trans-resveratrol is only found in a handful of things like the skins of red grapes, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries, peanuts and pistachios. It acts as a major blood flow booster which in turn provides protective support to one’s cardiovascular health – keeping your heart pumping nice and strong. Resveratrol also lowers LDL (low density lipoproteins), the bad type of cholesterol. It is responsible for cell replication, and being a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties, it helps slow down the ageing process.
The whole thing about going into menopause is prevention of bone loss and protection from inflammation, as well as retaining as much estrogen as possible to stay 'youthful' looking. So basically, you also need to be lifting weights at least three times a week whilst eating like a model to fight belly fat, weight gain and those days where you want to murder your partner, kids, pets, and Big Macs. If you’re trying to stay off the HRT, like me, for as long as possible, going the ‘Samantha from Sex and the City’ route and healthily eating your way through it is a good start. Try unsweetened soya products: milk, miso soup, and edamame; flax and sesame seeds, sweet potatoes, kale and celery as well as olives, legumes and garbanzo beans – that’s chickpeas to you Brits.
And my final treat I’ve found that actually has some evidence based research behind it in the uber fight against inflammation (especially for runners) is tart cherry juice. It’s absolutely delicious with a splash of fizzy water and helps down all these damn supplements.
Bon appetite!
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