Women’s health: nutrition for energy, digestion and hormones

Women’s nutritional needs can change throughout life, from teenage years and menstrual cycles through to pregnancy, busy working years, perimenopause, menopause and beyond. Our bodies continually adapt to physical, emotional, and hormonal changes.

Many people put symptoms such as tiredness, bloating, food cravings, insomnia or feeling stressed down to being busy or getting older, but these are signs, and your body is trying to tell you that something isn’t right. There may be an imbalance somewhere, and these symptoms are your body’s whispers that will just get louder and louder if you don’t stop and listen.

Nutrition can play an important role in supporting your body through these life changes, as nutrient depletion is usually the first sign of deficiency when the body is put under stress.

Supporting energy and reducing fatigue

We all feel tired from time to time, but persistent low energy that’s starting to impact your life needs attention. This can show up as poor concentration, low motivation, low mood, brain fog, needing more sleep than usual, and feeling like everything is starting to take more effort.

To support a steady supply of energy, make sure your meals are properly balanced with fats, protein, and whole carbohydrates. This will keep you fuller for longer and balance your blood sugar so your energy is more balanced and sustained rather than shooting up and down.

Vitamins and minerals such as iron, vitamin B12, folate, and magnesium support energy metabolism and general health, and levels can be low in people with fatigue. Blood tests can help to rule out deficiencies, which can be supported with the right foods and sometimes additional supplementation.

Avoid relying on sugar and caffeine for energy, as they can cause energy crashes, lead to dependency, and don't treat the underlying cause. Another habit many people do that can contribute to energy crashes and fatigue is skipping meals, especially breakfast. Also, take time to rest; if you need more sleep, then listen to your body rather than continuously pushing through.

There are many reasons for fatigue that are not related to diet and lifestyle, so it’s always best to have this checked with your GP first.

Supporting digestive health

Many factors influence digestive function, including what you eat, how you eat, fluid intake, sleep, and stress levels, which can all contribute to symptoms such as bloating, constipation, frequent bowel movements, and acid reflux.

Gradually increasing fibre-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and pulses can support gut health and healthy digestion and feed the microbiome, which supports gut health. The greater the diversity of foods, the more nutrients you’ll consume and the greater the diversity of good gut bacteria you will be feeding.

I always tell my clients to rotate the foods they’re eating each week, so they’re not eating the same foods all the time. Next time you go to the supermarket, buy something from the fruit and vegetable department that you haven’t tried before. This is a good way to start incorporating more variety into your diet.

Nutrition and stress

Work, family pressures, relationships, caring responsibilities and the pressure to do it all can place a lot of demands on women and leave little time for self-care.

Stress can affect digestion by suppressing its function, leading to a host of digestive symptoms. For some people, stress can lead to comfort eating, whilst for others it can lead to a loss of appetite. It can also be difficult to eat regular meals when you’re busy; many people start skipping meals or eating on the go, which doesn’t support healthy digestion, and both can lead to nutrient deficiencies.

Stressful periods are when the body actually has greater nutritional needs because the body can start burning through certain nutrients much faster. Magnesium, B vitamins and vitamin C are a few examples of nutrients that are depleted during times of stress, so eating more dark green leafy veg and 85% dark chocolate can support magnesium levels, along with Epsom and magnesium salt baths for added absorption through the skin. Whole grains for B vitamins and kiwi fruits for extra vitamin C.

Nutrition can’t remove the stress, but it can give the body what it needs for support to help reduce the impact on the body. Herbal teas such as chamomile and lemon balm during the evening, along with inhaling lavender essential oil, can also be helpful in supporting relaxation and a more restful sleep.

Hormonal health throughout life

Nutrition needs to change as we move through different stages of life. During the reproductive years, for example, the body needs more iron because menstrual blood loss increases requirements, making iron-rich foods particularly important.

As women approach perimenopause and menopause, changing hormone levels can produce symptoms such as poor sleep, changes in mood, weight gain, appetite and energy. Depending on the type of symptoms you are experiencing, different approaches to dietary changes should be recommended, as every woman is different and has different needs. This is where personalised nutrition comes in.

Overall, a nourishing diet at this stage will benefit everyone, including sufficient protein, plenty of vegetables and deeply coloured berries, and healthy fats. A tip I often give my clients is to choose nutrient-dense foods like sprouts. These are sprouted seeds like broccoli, radish, and mung beans, available in the supermarket salad section. They're small, easy to add to any meal, and provide a higher level of nutrients than fully grown vegetables.

Your body changes, and your nutrition can too

Your body isn’t the same at every age, and your nutrition doesn’t have to be either. Your nutritional needs are influenced by your age, lifestyle, activity levels, health history and stage of life.

Instead of focusing on diet trends, calorie restriction, or unnecessarily eliminating large groups of foods, focus on small, sustainable changes, as they can often be more valuable than trying to completely overhaul your diet and lifestyle. Look at improving your breakfast so it’s more protein-rich and filling, start increasing plant fibre and changing your foods around for more variety, and drink more water and herbal teas that suit your needs, whether that’s digestive support or stress reduction. 

You don’t have to follow a perfect diet, give up all the foods you love, or make huge changes overnight. It’s quite often more about adding in rather than taking away. Your health journey is unique to you. It’s never too early or too late to start making changes and giving your body the nourishment and support it needs.