Mind Over Menopause
By Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, and Nina Frusztajer Marquis, MD
Authors of The Serotonin Power Diet

Is there any good news about menopausal changes to a woman’s body? The list includes thinning hair, wrinkles, sagging skin, hot flushes, bad sleep, tiredness, food cravings, weight gain, and more intimate changes. In fact the only good thing I have heard recently is that one does not have to shave one’s legs as often—or buy feminine products!

Of all the changes that take place, perhaps the most bothersome are those that seem to affect us emotionally and mentally. The mood swings seem to come from nowhere but make us grumpy, impatient, angry, depressed (we cry over Hallmark card ads), irritable, and anxious. Of course the fact that we may also be dealing with the same symptoms in our teenage daughters when they have PMS does not make this any easier.

Then there is the worry that we are sliding into early dementia. Thinking of words, remembering what to do without a list, being able to concentrate on tedious but important reading, and feeling clear headed and efficient seem, at times, beyond us.

"I felt as if I was walking around in a fog all the time," said one of our clients. "You know how you can see fuzzy outlines of things in the fog? That is how my thoughts appeared. I could not think anything through clearly."

So what is a woman to do? There are no yearlong spas to which we can retreat while our hormones adjust or clothing that instantly cools us when our skin takes on the temperature of molten steel. And just because we can’t remember where we parked our car or that we were supposed to show up at birthday party, we can’t find a cave and become a hermit until this all passes.

The best answer is to grin and bear it with the emphasis on grin. Because if your mood is good and you and your friends can laugh at yourselves, going through menopause can be pretty bearable. Laughter beats lethargy, grumpiness and anger hands down.

Your brain, and specifically one chemical in it called serotonin, will determine how well your mood survives menopause. Serotonin keeps us calm, energetic, focused, and happy. The bad news is that our hormonal changes can affect how well serotonin functions. For example, the mood changes of PMS are caused by changes in serotonin activity. And for many, PMS is just a preview of coming menopausal attractions. Fortunately we now know that increasing serotonin levels and activity will stop the mood swings and overeating and restore energy and restful sleep. So keeping serotonin active while we are going through the prolonged mood, appetite, energy and memory changes of menopause make good sense.

The great news is that a good menopausal mood is as close as the potato on your plate or the pretzels in your hand.

The best way, indeed the only way to get the brain to make serotonin, is to eat sweet and starchy foods. Starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, cereal, tortillas, crackers, and sweet carbohydrates like gumdrops, graham crackers and marshmallows will trigger a process in the body leading to more serotonin in the brain. About 20 minutes or so after eating a low or fat –free carbohydrate, your brain starts making new serotonin. This chemical gets to work to put your mood, eating, energy and sleep in balance. The only carbohydrate that does not trigger this effect is fruit. Fruit is full of important nutrients but does nothing for the mood. And eating protein by itself, or with a carbohydrate, prevents serotonin from being made.

Therefore the most effective way to boost serotonin is to eat serotonin-producing snacks at least once a day and more if needed. If you want to ensure a restful night’s sleep by putting your stress, anxiety, and tension to bed before you go to sleep, enjoy a serotonin-boosting dinner of a starchy carbohydrate like pasta along with vegetables and a salad. Protein is best eaten as part of your breakfast and lunch when serotonin levels are naturally at their highest.

One of our clients became a true believer in the efficacy of carbohydrates to stop the battles that used to rage between her and her elderly mother. "My mom would call every evening around the time when my mood swings had the back and forth of a trapeze artist. Sometimes I would get so irritated with her that I would have to restrain myself from screaming. I knew that she was just lonely and wanted to talk but all I wanted was to be alone, with my hot flushes and miserable mood. But I have to tell you, once I started eating just carbs and salads for dinner it was like the peaceable kingdom. My mother even asked my husband privately if I ‘was taking something.’ He just told her that I was finally taking care of myself and eating right. But who thought a bowl of rice would do such a great job on my mood?"

A friend whose menopausal woes caused her to think seriously about giving up her job told us that before she starting eating serotonin –producing snacks she thought she was losing her mind.

"I used to pride myself on my memory and not needing to write everything down. If something was in my head, it got done. But now! Once I hit menopause, I had trouble remembering the name of my cubicle mate at work, and I had to leave little post-its with my computer password on it. Once when I was renewing my credit card and had to give my mother’s maiden name, I had to hang up the phone because I could not remember it." She realized after her memory returned that she wasn’t losing her mind, just serotonin.

"I thought I would go on a diet when I turned fifty and so avoided all carbohydrates. Of course you know what that did—it prevented my brain from making serotonin. That, combined with menopause, which hit the same year, was enough to make me permanently absent-minded. I never paid attention to anything and could never focus. Now I know that this is because I was not eating carbs and making new serotonin. But who knew that?" She went on to tell us that she is able to focus again, pay attention and stop her mind going off in a thousand directions at once. "I even remembered not only my mother’s maiden name, but the married names of all her siblings," she told us.

There are no magic, drugs, herbs, or supplements involved in producing a feeling of calmness, relaxation and focus. Serotonin is the answer. And getting more serotonin is hardly a burden. Who wouldn’t love to curl up with a bowl of pasta or thick noodle soup and crusty bread for dinner or, if you are eating alone, with a large bowl of popcorn with some fat-free fudge sauce drizzled on top?

Maybe menopause won’t be so bad after all.

Copyright © 2007 Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, and Nina Frusztajer Marquis, MD

Authors
Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, has been recognized worldwide for decades of pioneering research into the relationship of food, mood, brain, and appetite. Dr. Wurtman received her PhD in cell biology from MIT and took additional training as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in nutrition/obesity. The author of five books for the general public, she has written more than 40 peer-reviewed articles for professional publications. She splits her time between Boston and Miami.

Nina Frusztajer Marquis, MD, received her master's degree in nutrition from Columbia University and her medical degree from George Washington University. Her articles on weight, stress, and lifestyle have appeared in numerous publications. With Judith Wurtman, she founded the Adara Weight Loss Centers in the Boston, Miami and San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives.

They are the authors of The Serotonin Power Diet: Use Your Brain’s Natural Chemistry to Cut Cravings, Curb Emotional Overeating, and Lose Weight. Published by Rodale. January 2007; $24.95US/$31.00CAN; 1-59486-346-6.

For more information, please visit www.serotoninpowerdiet.com