Written by Abby Walter, Dietetic Intern, University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Updated October 28th, 2026
October is World Menopause Awareness Month, so let’s take a moment to learn some quick facts.
Menopause is identified once you have gone one full year without a menstrual period. At this point, your ovaries have stopped releasing eggs.
Naturally occurring menopause takes place in three stages: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause.
Perimenopause often begins in your 40s and can last up to 10 years. During this time, estrogen production slows. You may begin experiencing symptoms such as hot flashes, irregular periods, and mood swings.
Postmenopause continues for the rest of your life after menopause. Menopause symptoms may continue for a few years. Estrogen is low in this phase, increasing your risk of a variety of chronic conditions including osteoporosis (i.e., bone weakness).
If you notice your body changing during midlife, you are not alone! Awareness of menopause and its effects is growing, but there’s still so much left to understand. One thing we do know is that your body goes through significant metabolic changes during menopause. These changes put you at increased risk for conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, and metabolic syndrome.
These risks may sound daunting, but there are simple steps you can take in your everyday diet and lifestyle to preserve your metabolic health and alleviate symptoms. Here are three examples.
Prioritize protein.
In order to help prevent the loss of muscle mass, try to include protein from a variety of sources including beans, quinoa, lentils, eggs, and lean meats.
Protein is important, but there is no need to obsess over it. Try to eat a wide variety of protein-rich foods, but don’t worry about packing protein into your popcorn, pasta sauce, or salad dressing!
Don’t ditch dairy (or dairy alternatives).
Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese provide calcium and are often fortified with vitamin D, helping to decrease your risk of osteoporosis (bone density loss).
If dairy isn’t part of your diet, plant-based dairy substitutes can be good options. Just make sure they are fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
Limit alcohol.
Drinking alcohol close to bedtime can make it hard to sleep, worsening the fatigue and sleep disruptions which can be common during menopause.
In order to manage hot flashes, try to limit alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods.
Integrate strength training.
Strength training (i.e., exercise using weights or resistance bands) can help prevent loss of bone density and muscle mass. Strength training also offers benefits for weight management.
Despite common misconceptions, strength training will not cause you to gain too much muscle mass too quickly. Instead, it can help you manage menopause symptoms while keeping your body strong and stable.
