Managing menopause through mindful eating

Dr. Jasmin Peschke: This life phase also offers great opportunity: As our outward energy wanes, our internal energy grows, which brings maturity.

Our skin reflects our inner self. When we are in harmony with our inner self – when we embrace our maturity and understand that our individuality expresses itself more clearly in exchange for our youthful vitality – then our skin will reflect this too, expressing our inner beauty on the outside.

It is important to create a good internal basis for skincare by eating a variety of tasty foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and dairy products. Maintaining a varied, high-fibre diet provides overall support to the gut microbiota.

Exercise, stress avoidance and meditation are also important for a healthy gut. When it comes to fats and oils, I recommend opting for high-quality vegetable oils, such as olive oil and other oils with unsaturated fatty acids. The Mediterranean diet or a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet are good options for those who want to follow an established diet.

Dr. Jasmin Peschke: A healthy diet of authentic, fresh foods stimulates our digestion and overall well-being. By “authentic”, I mean when a healthy green head of lettuce tastes like lettuce instead of nothing. Or when carrots are orange and aromatic and not only sweet. It’s like exercising: the activity makes us fit and strong, not resting on the sofa.

In other words, we should prefer a good mix of fresh, at least organic but preferably biodynamically grown products, buy seasonal produce, and prepare them gently to preserve as many nutrients as possible. Greasy frying should be the absolute exception.

Dr. Jasmin Peschke: As plants develop, they undergo processes of growth and maturation. Farming addresses the conditions in which plants grow, which are particularly observed in biodynamic cultivation, where crops are not simply given mineral fertilisers. Instead, biodynamic farming takes a holistic approach involving soil care and using natural fertilisers and other care measures that enable the plants to grow and mature.

Special biodynamic preparations support the decomposition of plant matter in compost, which fertilises the soil and activates soil fertility. Meanwhile, biodynamic sprays such as horn manure and horn silica help maintain the balance between soil health and the plants’ healthy development.

Dr. Jasmin Peschke: Of course, colour plays an important role. Colour and flavour work together to liven up the meal and create a feast for the senses. Colours stimulate our pleasure and curiosity.

Plants develop their colour as they mature – this process is similar to the one that occurs during menopause. Colours are secondary plant compounds that are known to be healthy. Incidentally, organically grown vegetables have been shown to contain more secondary substances than conventionally grown vegetables.

Colours indicate the typical characteristics of a vegetable or fruit. With apples, for example, colour is one way we can recognise the variety.

Conversely, we might wonder why many foods are artificially coloured with dye. This is often done because the colour is expected to convey a message of authenticity. However, it can mask the product’s genuine quality. For example, some “strawberry yoghurt” contains no actual strawberry but rather artificial flavouring and colour – in the best case using naturally derived colours or colouring foodstuffs.

Dr. Jasmin Peschke: Become your own nutrition expert. Explore what is good for you. Respond to your individual needs instead of following strict dietary rules. You can cultivate a healthy diet through methods such as mindful eating, intuitive eating, or asking yourself three mealtime questions (see info box). In practising this simple daily ritual, we can cultivate our relationship with ourselves, which is also an important prerequisite for nurturing relationships with others.

Happiness researcher Ha Vinh Tho defines happiness as nurturing a relationship on three levels: with oneself, with one’s social environment, and with nature and the whole Earth. In nutrition, we can optimally cultivate these three dimensions, and in doing so, we can cultivate happiness. We can be mindful of what we eat, what we need, and what is good for us. We can practise a sense of community by sharing enjoyable meals. We can be interested in the origin of our food and how its cultivation contributes to the Earth’s healthy future.