When’s the Best Time to Think About Perimenopause?
The best time to think about perimenopause is right now. If you’re in your 30s and still having regular menstrual cycles, even better. Although perimenopause might not be on your radar yet, it’s good to know what’s coming, what perimenopause symptoms to expect, and how to put foundational nutrition and lifestyle habits in place. If you’re already experiencing signs of perimenopause, you need this information today.
During perimenopause, the body and brain go through a profound recalibration and rewiring away from reproduction and towards the next life phase. This window of plasticity is an incredible opportunity to build health and wellness for the decades to come. Keep reading as we discuss how to harness this opportunity. We will explore:
- FAQs including when does perimenopause start and how long does perimenopause last?
- Why preparation is helpful
- Perimenopause diet and lifestyle habits
- Why what works now may change
- The consequences of not preparing
- How Lizzy Swick Nutrition can help
Why Early Prep Makes All the Difference
Let’s start with some common questions to get on the same page.
When does menopause start? Menopause is the one-year anniversary of your last period. The average age of menopause in the United States is 51.
What is perimenopause? Perimenopause is the transition to menopause, and when most symptoms of menopause occur.
When does perimenopause start? Perimenopause begins in the premenopausal years when you begin to experience irregular cycles or symptoms of perimenopause, such as insomnia, worsening PMS, or heavy periods. Perimenopause age can vary widely but may begin as early as your mid to late 30s. Learn about perimenopausal stages here.
How long does perimenopause last? Perimenopause can last a few years and up to around 10 years before menopause.
Perimenopause is your clue that menopause is coming and the time to reevaluate what works and doesn’t work for your health and wellness goals. The sooner you get clear about what you want midlife and beyond to look like, the easier it will be to establish health habits to support your goals. Early preparation gives you the time to identify what needs to change, listen to your body’s wisdom, and be ready for the changes to come.
Nutrition and Lifestyle Habits to Start Early
You don’t need to wait until perimenopause is in full swing to benefit from nutrition and lifestyle habits. For example, early preparation gives you more time to build muscle, which will influence bone and metabolic health post-menopause. Plus, you’ll get ahead of perimenopause weight gain and have tools to counter it.
It’s never too early to begin making positive changes in your health. Changes may look like:
- Learning about perimenopause diet and nutrition
- Eating more fiber, rich and colorful plant foods
- Determining your protein needs and how to meet them
- Prioritizing anti-inflammatory foods
- Increasing dietary plant diversity to support microbiome health
- Learning to meal plan and batch cook with whole foods
- Increasing steps and NEAT (non-exercise movement)
- Beginning strength training
- Discovering tools to manage stress
- Building a nighttime routine to support sleep
- Getting clear about your why and how good health supports it
- Adopting a healthy, growth-oriented mindset
- Learning about evidence-based supplements and treatment strategies to soften symptoms
Food, Sleep, Exercise: What Works Now
Many clients are surprised by how their health habits no longer work when they hit midlife. Sometimes, the change in health can be dramatic, with weight gain, increased lipids, and a sudden onset of symptoms.
Just because something has always worked, you have a fast metabolism, or can eat anything, doesn’t mean everything won’t change in midlife. What works now may not be what you need at some point during your transition. When nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits are no longer working, your body will let you know.
It’s your choice: you can go into perimenopause with old habits, or you can begin to cultivate good habits that will support your health for decades to come. If you’re unsure what to focus on and change, Lizzy Swick Nutrition specializes in a personalized and specific approach.
What Happens if You Don’t Prepare
Reproductive hormones, including estrogen and progesterone, influence every system in the body and play a protective role. When these hormones eventually decline in menopause, the risk for chronic diseases increases. These risks include heart disease, diabetes, dementia, bone loss, and more.
If you go into perimenopause with metabolic dysfunction already brewing, perimenopause can amplify these risks. Conversely, nutrition and lifestyle are powerful tools for reducing disease risk, and putting them in place (as early as you can) may help mitigate the loss of hormones. If you want to avoid the nursing home in your later years, what you do now really matters.
The Sooner You Start, The Better
Perimenopause isn’t all doom and gloom; it’s a critical point in a woman’s life, an incredible opportunity to shape her health moving forward. The key is knowing what to expect. While you can’t stop the menopausal transition, you can control a lot, including how you eat, move, and live.
At Lizzy Swick Nutrition, we help you discover a healthy diet for perimenopause and put together a personalized perimenopause diet plan to meet your individual needs and goals. We also advise clients on many of the supportive lifestyle tools, including exercise, sleep, stress management, and mindset. If you’re ready to dive in, please reach out today for a complimentary consultation. Remember, the perfect time to get started is now.
References
- Brinton, R. D., Yao, J., Yin, F., Mack, W. J., & Cadenas, E. (2015). Perimenopause as a neurological transition state. Nature reviews. Endocrinology, 11(7), 393–405.
- Uddenberg, E. R., Safwan, N., Saadedine, M., Hurtado, M. D., Faubion, S. S., & Shufelt, C. L. (2024). Menopause transition and cardiovascular disease risk. Maturitas, 185, 107974.
- Erdélyi, A., Pálfi, E., Tűű, L., Nas, K., Szűcs, Z., Török, M., Jakab, A., & Várbíró, S. (2023). The Importance of Nutrition in Menopause and Perimenopause-A Review. Nutrients, 16(1), 27.
- Stefanowski, B., Kucharski, M., Szeliga, A., Snopek, M., Kostrzak, A., Smolarczyk, R., Maciejewska-Jeske, M., Duszewska, A., Niwczyk, O., Drozd, S., Englert-Golon, M., Smolarczyk, K., & Meczekalski, B. (2023). Cognitive decline and dementia in women after menopause: Prevention strategies. Maturitas, 168, 53–61.
- Wright, V. J., Schwartzman, J. D., Itinoche, R., & Wittstein, J. (2024). The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. Climacteric : the journal of the International Menopause Society, 27(5), 466–472.
