How to Boost Your Metabolism in Perimenopause

How to Boost Your Metabolism in Perimenopause 

If you’re in perimenopause, you might have noticed some common symptoms that occur when estrogen and progesterone levels decrease.

Maybe you wake up in a sweat at night, get hot flashes or your periods have become erratic. It also becomes harder to maintain your old weight. 

Falling estrogen levels as you move through perimenopause can lead to an increase in abdominal fat. Abdominal fat is especially harmful to your health. Overall, excess weight can lead to diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, fatty liver, and depression. 

And as you get older, your muscle mass diminishes and fat increases. Because muscle mass helps your body use more calories, your metabolism also decreases. However, there are ways to overcome your perimenopausal and menopausal weight gain by changing your lifestyle and food habits. Here are the main changes you need to make. 

How to naturally boost your metabolism and get more energy 

When your body changes, you can’t do things the same way you’ve always done them. To stay healthy and avoid abdominal fat, you should do strength training at least twice weekly. That’s because strength training builds muscle and helps your body to boost your metabolism. 

You will also need to double down on your diet. What you eat affects your symptoms. Excessive amounts of processed foods and sugar are bad for everyone, but for perimenopausal women, they can cause even more health problems. For instance, processed foods and sugar can raise your blood sugar levels, which, again, can make hot flashes worse. 

How do you change your diet and stick to it, though? A great way to start is to build out a morning routine that’s designed to support your health. 

A metabolism-boosting morning routine during perimenopause 

My favorite routine in the morning that boosts your metabolism? It’s a simple 3-step routine that’s based on easy and tasty food and that keeps you full and satisfied so that you don’t crave unhealthy foods, such as sugar. 

Here it is: 

1. Have one glass of debloating water

Natural and debloating water includes lemon, cucumber, and mint or other natural herbs and veggies or fruit. 

All of these ingredients have metabolism-boosting properties and taste great: 

• A study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism shows that drinking 500 ml (about 2 1/4 cups) of water increases the metabolic rate by 30%. 
• Some research shows that peppermint has a positive effect on weight loss. In a small study, people who took peppermint oil capsules reduced their appetite compared to those who didn’t take them. 
• A 2013 study with animals shows that lemons can reduce weight gain in mice with obesity. Lemon also has other health benefits, including Vitamin C, which is, among other things, good for your heart. 
• Cucumbers are high in water, which increases metabolism. One analysis of 13 studies found that eating foods with high water and low-calorie contents (such as cucumbers) was linked to a significant decrease in body weight. 

To enjoy your debloating water, add slices of cucumber and lemons and mint leaves to a glass of water. Not only will the water help you boost your metabolism, but it also increases your energy levels. Another idea is to keep a pitcher of water with these additions ready to go in your refrigerator.

2. Drink one cup of coffee or tea or a smoothie 

Along with your water, drink a cup of coffee or tea or a smoothie with a bit of cinnamon. Why? Because cinnamon helps you keep your blood sugars at optimal levels. When your blood sugar levels dip, you crave sugar. And when you eat too much sugar, your body needs to store the excess energy that it creates somewhere, which happens to be fat cells. 

One of my favorite smoothie recipes is this low sugar blueberry smoothie from Detoxinista: 

• 1 cup fresh or frozen wild blueberries
• 1/2 banana
• 1 cup frozen cauliflower florets
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 cup water plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add more water as needed, then serve immediately.

3. Eat a “Protein More” breakfast 

Last, one of the most effective ways to boost your metabolism is to eat more protein. Proteins are enzymes that are crucial for your metabolism. And as amino acids, proteins also contribute to cellular energy metabolism. 

What’s more, perimenopause is associated with systemic and central nervous system inflammation, which can impact your health in several ways. For example, the risk of neurodegenerative disease increases after perimenopause due to inflammation.

That’s why it’s important to ensure that your diet is anti-inflammatory. And the best way to include proteins and anti-inflammatory foods in your diet? 

A nutritious and protein-filled breakfast that I call “Protein More.” Protein More is a simple way to ensure you include enough protein in all your meals. 

A “Protein More” breakfast consists of 50% protein, 50% fruit or veggies, and 10-14 g healthy fats. 

Some high-protein foods include:

• Chickpeas 
• Salmon
• Eggs
• Chicken
• Greek yogurt
• Lentils 
• Turkey

For example, your breakfast could include salmon and avocado or Greek yogurt with berries. One of my favorites is a breakfast consisting of two hard-boiled eggs with two egg whites and half a cup (115 grams) of fruit/berries or veggies (such as mushrooms or onions). 

There you have it, this is the three-step morning routine to boost your metabolism. Not only will it be easier for you to lose weight, but it will also have other health benefits. You’ll feel more energized, lighter, and, most importantly, your overall health will benefit from the routine.