Why Bitter is Good in Menopause Female Founders
Have you ever stopped to think about the way your 'digest' stress?
Read about the tools and practices that can help us manage stress by expert Rebeka, founder of MPowder:
Did you know that our guts naturally produce less stomach acid as we transition through menopause?
Falling oestrogen impacts our bodies in so many ways. And the changes that can occur in our gut can be responsible for new food intolerances, gassiness, bloating, IBS-symptoms and acid reflux too.
How we digest stress can put additional pressure on our stomachs in midlife. It can inhibit our ability to absorb nutrients. It can impact our ability to maintain a healthy weight. Critically, our gut is also responsible for up to 95% of the production of serotonin. Changes in our serotonin level can have a significant impact on how we feel, how we sleep - low serotonin levels may even contribute to the reduction of bone density in our bodies.
So, how can we support our guts in menopause?
1. Up your intake of probiotic and prebiotic whole foods: There has been a large and valuable focus on probiotics in the last 2 years. And it’s becoming easier to find great fermented options that deliver a great probiotic punch on our supermarket shelves. Many, like kombucha and kimchi, are surprisingly easy to make at home. But it is also important not to neglect prebiotics in your diet. For a prebiotic boost, look to leafy and cruciferous vegetables as well as olive oil.
2. Chew more than you want to! In Ayurveda, slow and thorough chewing is seen as a cornerstone of good digestive health. By chewing more, we break down our food, but we also let our digestive enzymes do their job well. Chewing more can have the halo effect of making us take more time with our food, and more time experiencing it.
3. Embrace bitter tastes: The tastes on our tongue send messages to our central nervous system. And bitter tastes prime our bodies for digestion. When we taste something bitter, our saliva production increases, as a result of the nervous system triggering the release of the stomach hormone gastrin. This in turn tells our internal organs to perform and wakes up movement in our intestines. All of these actions help us extract maximum nutritional value from what we’re consuming.
MPowder’s nutritional powders have a functional taste for a functional reason! By blending our whole foods, botanicals, vitamins and minerals in their pure form, without artificial sweeteners, they are able to ensure your body gets the most back.
So start your day bitter! Your body and mind will thank you for it.