Once most women reach midlife, if not MUCH sooner, they are likely experiencing suboptimal thyroid function. This is often related to years of chronic stress and nutrient deficiencies. Let’s dig into how suboptimal thyroid function leads to many symptoms women experience during menopause.

When we are in peri-menopause and then officially enter menopause, sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone decrease significantly, which can lead to many unwanted symptoms that impact our daily life:

• Hot flashes
• Mood swings
• Night sweats
• Vaginal dryness and even changes to our pelvic floor
• Difficulty sleeping
• Difficulty concentrating
• Hair loss

All of these symptoms can be exacerbated if thyroid function is slowing down as well. There are also symptoms that are more attributed to a reduction in thyroid:

• Weight gain
• Bloating
• Water retention
• Fatigue
• Constipation

Our thyroid sets the metabolic pace of the body. This means that if it slows down and makes less thyroid hormone, our metabolism slows down. This will also slow down all of the other systems in our body.

• Thyroid slows down.
• Digestion slows and can lead to indigestion, bloating, bacterial overgrowth, and inflammation in the gut.
• Liver gets overloaded and can contribute to hormone imbalances, acne, poor sleep, high cholesterol, etc.
• Rate of glucose uptake by our cells slows down and glucose is not absorbed by the gut as quickly leading to blood sugar imbalances.
  ​

Many women are experiencing a sluggish thyroid prior to menopause, which makes all of the symptoms worse because not only is it impacting your metabolism, but it’s also impacting your hormones. Not having healthy hormone production leading up to menopause will absolutely lead to more imbalances and symptoms.

Important micronutrients we want to prioritize from food for thyroid health:

• Copper
• Magnesium
• Selenium
• Iodine
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Zinc
• Vitamin A

If you want to learn more about how to thrive during menopause, listen to this podcast episode from the are you menstrual? podcast. And check out my free thyroid mini course for more information on how to support your thyroid!

reminder: i’m currently taking on 1:1 clients. if you’d like to explore what it would be like to work together and if we are a good fit, fill out this form to get more details!​