as we age. If we consume insufficient calcium throughout our lives, we may approach middle and old age with a low bone mass and a high risk of osteoporosis. In addition, because calcium in the bloodstream is vital to bodily functions, if blood calcium becomes low, it is leached from our bones into the bloodstream.
The average calcium intake in the US for women is generally lower than the recommended daily intake, which ranges from 1,000 mg for women in their forties to 1,200 mg for those age fifty and over. While the minimum amount of calcium required daily is a controversial issue, the World Health Organization sets it at 500 mg. Some of the richest sources of calcium are sardines and other small, bony fish, Cheddar cheese, soy, Brazil nuts, spinach, and milk.
Up to two-thirds of our calcium intake may never reach our bones. Other nutrients, including vitamins D and K2 and the minerals magnesium and zinc, are necessary for optimum calcium absorption. Common foods such as whole grains, legumes, and tea are rich in phytates (phytic acid), which can interfere with the absorption of calcium. Paradoxically, however, soy products, which are also rich in phytates, appear to reduce the risk of bone loss. A diet rich in salt and animal protein appears to increase calcium excretion in urine.
Women need at least 700 mg of dietary calcium each day. To assess how much calcium you are getting in your diet, you can use the International Osteoporosis Foundation calculator at www.iofbonehealth.org/calcium-calculator.
Potassium
Potassium is an essential mineral that has many important functions and benefits, including regulating blood pressure, nervous system function, and our body’s fluid balance; helping to maintain strong bones; and decreasing the risk of stroke and kidney stones. It is referred to as an electrolyte, because when it’s dissolved in water it produces positively charged ions, which are important for many biochemical processes in our body. Rich sources of potassium include fruit, especially bananas; vegetables, including leafy greens, mushrooms, and avocado; and fish, particularly salmon. Different health agencies have different recommendations for intake. According to WHO, we need 3,510 mg per day. NHANES (the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), recommends 4,700 mg per day but reports that fewer than 2 percent of American adults achieve this.
Essential Fatty Acids
Although we are often advised to reduce consumption of fats, not all fats are equal. Some types of fats are essential to our bodily functions. Fats provide us with twice the energy of carbohydrates or sugar. Let’s take a look at the various kinds of dietary fats.
The majority of animal fats and some oils from tropical plants are saturated (with hydrogen molecules). These fats are usually solid at room temperature. They provide calories but few other nutritional benefits, and they can contribute to high levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the blood. A diet rich in these saturated animal fats, and lacking in fiber, vitamins, and minerals is considered a risk factor for heart disease.
Many but not all vegetable fats are polyunsaturated. These fats, which are usually liquid at room temperature, do not increase the risk of heart disease in the way that saturated fats do. The same is true of olive and rapeseed oil, which are monounsaturated fats.
Within the polyunsaturated fats is a special category, known as essential fatty acids, or EFAs, which have a number of important functions in the body, including regulating nervous system and hormone function and building cell membranes. Signs of EFA deficiency include dry skin, lifeless hair, cracked nails, fatigue, depression, dry eyes, lack of motivation, aching joints, difficulty in losing weight, forgetfulness, and breast pain — all common symptoms during menopause. If you have tried to lose weight by going on a lowfat or no-fat diet, you are likely to be deficient in EFAs.
On the hormone front, EFAs do something very interesting. They are used in the building of cell walls and, in particular, seem to influence the function of the pieces of cell machinery that are embedded in cell walls, such as hormone receptors. So it is possible that a long-term deficiency of EFAs might modify the way the body responds to certain hormones.
Because our bodies cannot produce EFAs, we must obtain them from food or supplements. Good sources of essential fatty acids are corn, sunflower, and safflower oils, which contain what are known as omega-6 EFAs. Oily fish such as mackerel, herring, and salmon, together with soybean, walnut, and, to a lesser degree, rapeseed oil, contain omega-3 EFAs.
Certain preparations of EFAs have been shown to be beneficial for a variety of conditions. Evening primrose oil contains omega-6 EFAs, which can help women with premenstrual breast tenderness and also some adults and children with eczema. Fish oils have also been shown to reduce the pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis and to lower the levels of some blood fats, though not cholesterol.
According to our midlife survey, those regularly consuming a diet rich in omega-3 EFAs had fewer aches and pains, fewer mood swings, less depression, far more energy, and increased libido.
Making your diet more nutrient dense can only help your hormones to function normally. Take a look at the list of the nutritional content of foods on page 222 to choose nutrient-rich foods you enjoy.
Anne’s Story
Anne was a single mother, age fifty-three, when she joined my Facebook group. She felt like a shadow of her former self both physically and mentally.
It started around the age of forty-seven. I had bad heart palpitations, especially in the night. I was in the third year of my degree, so I put it down to stress, but then it continued well after graduation, and I started to get very bad anxiety about even the smallest thing. I felt so stressed, as I would catastrophize about things. I gained weight, I got terrible aches and pains, and I couldn’t even dress myself properly. I then developed very vicious migraine attacks and thought I had early-onset dementia, as I lost my concentration. I was forgetting things and doing crazy things like putting my mobile phone in the refrigerator.
Then one night I was driving back from a trip with my son, and, although I was on a familiar road that I had driven on for years, I didn’t know where I was, which was terrifying. Plus, I was dealing with a teenager whose hormones were raging at the same time as mine. We argued so often, I was afraid I would lose him as he would go to live with his father.
I went to see my doctor, and he gave me antidepressants, but they just caused side effects. I went in to see another female doctor, completely sobbing, and was told it was part of the aging process.
I was struggling at work, as I had issues with productivity due to lack of concentration. I was tired all the time. I felt like I was under a heavy cloak of fatigue, and my creativity had long since left the building. I couldn’t organize my thoughts, which was very scary, and I was desperate for help.
Only weeks after I began Maryon’s program, I noticed a huge difference. My energy began to return, and the migraines lessened. As I progressed, my concentration returned, the headaches went completely, and I had an incredible amount of energy. I remember during the fifth week of the course, I got up on a sunny morning and woke my son up and told him we were going on a hike. I made a packed lunch, and we went on a ten-mile adventure and took lots of gorgeous pictures. I will never forget my son saying, “Mum, it’s so nice to have you back.”
It’s been a year now since I undertook Maryon’s program, and I really feel better than I can remember. Instead of contemplating leaving the workplace, as I felt unable to function at work, I am now doing so well I have been offered and taken promotion. I’m beyond delighted on so many levels.
