Why Intermittent Fasting Is Great for Perimenopause

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If you’re a woman in your early 40s, you may have noticed a change in your monthly cycle.

Category

perimenopause

Date

29/11/2023

Length

7 min read

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Maybe your cycle has gotten a few days longer or shorter, or you’ve experienced a major shift in how you feel throughout the month. 

This is a perfectly normal part of aging. It’s called perimenopause: the very earliest stage of menopause, when your hormones first begin to shift. You still have quite a few years before true menopause begins—but hormone changes are challenging, and for many women, perimenopause can be a scary time. The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to support your body during perimenopause. One of my favorite tools is intermittent fasting. It’s a simple, effective way to balance your hormones and ease the side effects of perimenopause. Here’s a closer look at perimenopause and how intermittent fasting can help you navigate the shifts perimenopause brings. 

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"Perimenopause is a natural, healthy part of aging."

Dr Mindy Pelz

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.

Integer nec odio.

What Is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause (also called the menopause transition) marks the beginning of your body’s transition into menopause. It can happen as early as 35 or as late as 50, but for most women, perimenopause begins around age 40-44. 

During perimenopause, your ovaries start making less estrogen and progesterone. As a result, your menstrual cycle will become irregular. It may lengthen at times, shorten at others, or even stop entirely for a few months. 

Perimenopause is a natural, healthy part of aging. However, it can be a challenging time for a lot of women. It’s important to understand what to expect during perimenopause, and what you can do to make it easier. 

Symptoms of Perimenopause

During perimenopause, you may occasionally experience symptoms of low estrogen and progesterone, including[*]:

Night sweats

Hot flashes

Trouble sleeping

Fatigue

Irritability

Anxiety

Headaches

Vaginal dryness

Changes in libido

If you’re reading this and panicking, DON’T WORRY! Your body’s needs are changing, and it’s perfectly normal to feel anxiety. But there’s a lot you can do to support your hormones during your perimenopausal years. 

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

I’ve worked with hundreds of perimenopausal clients over the years, and from what I’ve seen, intermittent fasting has been the single most effective tool for managing perimenopause symptoms. 

Intermittent fasting is simple: it involves going without food for a portion of the day and then having all your meals within a shortened eating window. That’s it—you need to change when  you eat. 

For example, you may do a 16:8 fast, which is when you fast for 16 hours and eat in an 8-hour window (say, between 12-8 PM each day). 

Or you could do One Meal A Day (OMAD) fasting, which is when you only eat one big meal (a lot of people choose dinner) and then fast the rest of the day. Some people like to do 48-hour fasts, while others keep things shorter at around 14 hours.

That’s the low end, but generally speaking, anything above 14 hours without food is considered a fast. The length depends on what feels good for you. 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.

Lorem ipsum

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.

Integer nec odio.

What Is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause (also called the menopause transition) marks the beginning of your body’s transition into menopause. It can happen as early as 35 or as late as 50, but for most women, perimenopause begins around age 40-44. 

During perimenopause, your ovaries start making less estrogen and progesterone. As a result, your menstrual cycle will become irregular. It may lengthen at times, shorten at others, or even stop entirely for a few months. 

Perimenopause is a natural, healthy part of aging. However, it can be a challenging time for a lot of women. It’s important to understand what to expect during perimenopause, and what you can do to make it easier. 

Symptoms of Perimenopause

During perimenopause, you may occasionally experience symptoms of low estrogen and progesterone, including[*]:

Night sweats

Hot flashes

Trouble sleeping

Fatigue

Irritability

Anxiety

Headaches

Vaginal dryness

Changes in libido

If you’re reading this and panicking, DON’T WORRY! Your body’s needs are changing, and it’s perfectly normal to feel anxiety. But there’s a lot you can do to support your hormones during your perimenopausal years. 

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

I’ve worked with hundreds of perimenopausal clients over the years, and from what I’ve seen, intermittent fasting has been the single most effective tool for managing perimenopause symptoms. 

Intermittent fasting is simple: it involves going without food for a portion of the day and then having all your meals within a shortened eating window. That’s it—you need to change when  you eat. 

For example, you may do a 16:8 fast, which is when you fast for 16 hours and eat in an 8-hour window (say, between 12-8 PM each day). 

Or you could do One Meal A Day (OMAD) fasting, which is when you only eat one big meal (a lot of people choose dinner) and then fast the rest of the day. Some people like to do 48-hour fasts, while others keep things shorter at around 14 hours.

That’s the low end, but generally speaking, anything above 14 hours without food is considered a fast. The length depends on what feels good for you. 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.

What Is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause (also called the menopause transition) marks the beginning of your body’s transition into menopause. It can happen as early as 35 or as late as 50, but for most women, perimenopause begins around age 40-44. 

During perimenopause, your ovaries start making less estrogen and progesterone. As a result, your menstrual cycle will become irregular. It may lengthen at times, shorten at others, or even stop entirely for a few months. 

Perimenopause is a natural, healthy part of aging. However, it can be a challenging time for a lot of women. It’s important to understand what to expect during perimenopause, and what you can do to make it easier. 

Symptoms of Perimenopause

During perimenopause, you may occasionally experience symptoms of low estrogen and progesterone, including[*]:

Night sweats

Hot flashes

Trouble sleeping

Fatigue

Irritability

Anxiety

Headaches

Vaginal dryness

Changes in libido

If you’re reading this and panicking, DON’T WORRY! Your body’s needs are changing, and it’s perfectly normal to feel anxiety. But there’s a lot you can do to support your hormones during your perimenopausal years. 

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

I’ve worked with hundreds of perimenopausal clients over the years, and from what I’ve seen, intermittent fasting has been the single most effective tool for managing perimenopause symptoms. 

Intermittent fasting is simple: it involves going without food for a portion of the day and then having all your meals within a shortened eating window. That’s it—you need to change when  you eat. 

For example, you may do a 16:8 fast, which is when you fast for 16 hours and eat in an 8-hour window (say, between 12-8 PM each day). 

Or you could do One Meal A Day (OMAD) fasting, which is when you only eat one big meal (a lot of people choose dinner) and then fast the rest of the day. Some people like to do 48-hour fasts, while others keep things shorter at around 14 hours.

That’s the low end, but generally speaking, anything above 14 hours without food is considered a fast. The length depends on what feels good for you. 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.

Lorem ipsum

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.

Integer nec odio.

What Is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause (also called the menopause transition) marks the beginning of your body’s transition into menopause. It can happen as early as 35 or as late as 50, but for most women, perimenopause begins around age 40-44. 

During perimenopause, your ovaries start making less estrogen and progesterone. As a result, your menstrual cycle will become irregular. It may lengthen at times, shorten at others, or even stop entirely for a few months. 

Perimenopause is a natural, healthy part of aging. However, it can be a challenging time for a lot of women. It’s important to understand what to expect during perimenopause, and what you can do to make it easier. 

Symptoms of Perimenopause

During perimenopause, you may occasionally experience symptoms of low estrogen and progesterone, including[*]:

Night sweats

Hot flashes

Trouble sleeping

Fatigue

Irritability

Anxiety

Headaches

Vaginal dryness

Changes in libido

If you’re reading this and panicking, DON’T WORRY! Your body’s needs are changing, and it’s perfectly normal to feel anxiety. But there’s a lot you can do to support your hormones during your perimenopausal years. 

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

I’ve worked with hundreds of perimenopausal clients over the years, and from what I’ve seen, intermittent fasting has been the single most effective tool for managing perimenopause symptoms. 

Intermittent fasting is simple: it involves going without food for a portion of the day and then having all your meals within a shortened eating window. That’s it—you need to change when  you eat. 

For example, you may do a 16:8 fast, which is when you fast for 16 hours and eat in an 8-hour window (say, between 12-8 PM each day). 

Or you could do One Meal A Day (OMAD) fasting, which is when you only eat one big meal (a lot of people choose dinner) and then fast the rest of the day. Some people like to do 48-hour fasts, while others keep things shorter at around 14 hours.

That’s the low end, but generally speaking, anything above 14 hours without food is considered a fast. The length depends on what feels good for you. 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.