October 21, 2024 • 24 mins
Unlock the secret to optimising your health by unraveling the complexities of iron and calcium, especially during perimenopause and menopause. Learn how the strategic timing of these essential minerals can revolutionise your energy levels, bone health, and mood. Discover why having that calcium-rich breakfast followed by an iron-packed lunch could be the key to maintaining the balance your body craves.
We'll explore the fascinating ways calcium supports not just bone health but also mental well-being, and how smart dietary choices can enhance your overall mood. I'll share five practical tips to boost your iron and calcium absorption, from pairing iron with vitamin C to incorporating weight-bearing exercises into your routine. Plus, I'll sprinkle in my personal experiences to guide you in navigating safe sun exposure for vitamin D synthesis, sharing valuable insights on sun safety and skin health. Let me empower you with the knowledge you need to feel ageless and awesome through these pivotal stages of your life.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Susie Garden and this is the Ageless and
Awesome podcast.
I'm an age-defying naturopathand clinical nutritionist and
I'm here to bust myths aroundwomen's health and aging so that
you can be ageless and awesomein your 40s, 50s and beyond.
The Ageless and Awesome podcastis dedicated to helping women
(00:24):
through perimenopause andmenopause with great health, a
positive mindset and outrageousconfidence.
Hit, subscribe or follow nowand let's get started.
Hello, gorgeous one, andwelcome to the Ageless and
Awesome podcast.
I am going to do a podcasttoday that's a pure
(00:45):
nutrition-based podcast, becauseI did my Q&A last week on
creatine and it kind of blew up.
So I kind of have theimpression that having
nutrition-based podcast epsevery now and again might be
really helpful for you againmight be really helpful for you.
(01:09):
And I mean, I am a nutritionist, so and our nutrition plays a
huge influence on our hormonesat any stage of life, including
perimenopause and menopause, andI just thought today I might
focus on two specific hormones,sorry, nutrients.
Focus on two specific nutrients, and that is iron and calcium,
(01:32):
and there's a couple of reasonsI'm putting these two together
and that's going to becomerather obvious as I move through
the podcast today.
So let's start talking about itEssentially, iron and calcium.
They're two essential mineralsand they help our body function
really well and they'reespecially critical at this time
(01:54):
of life, in peri and menopause.
As well as some of the moreobvious benefits of these
nutrients, such as energy withiron, bone health with calcium,
they can also significantlyimpact how we feel.
They actually have an impact onour mood, and so if we get the
(02:18):
right amounts and have them atthe right times, that can really
help improve our mood in thistime of our lives.
So here's the thing I justmentioned about timing, because
iron and calcium really don'tplay very nicely together when
it comes to absorption.
If you're eating them at thesame time, when you're consuming
(02:41):
kind of large amounts at thesame meal, calcium can block
your body from absorbing youriron.
And you may have heard thisabout I think I've mentioned it
on the podcast before that ironcan be disrupted from absorption
if you take zinc at the sametime or if you have
tannin-containing drinks such ascola or coffee or tea or dark
(03:04):
herbal teas, that kind of thing.
Dark beverages have tannins inthem generally and that can
block your body from absorbingiron.
And calcium also can block yourbody from absorbing iron, and
especially the non-heme iron.
So you may not know this, butwe have heme sources of iron
(03:26):
they're the animal sources andwe have non-heme sources of iron
and they're from plant-basedsources like spinach and lentils
and things like that.
So this doesn't mean that youshould avoid calcium rich foods,
of course.
It just means that spacing outyour calcium and your iron
intake, especially if you have aneed for iron.
(03:49):
So if you know your iron is low, if you are having heavy
periods, then definitely youneed to really take note of the
information in this podcast.
So you know, if you have acalcium rich breakfast let's
just say, for ease ofterminology, a dairy rich
breakfast then you would optperhaps for an iron rich lunch
(04:14):
and that gives your body thebest chance to absorb both of
these nutrients effectively.
So that you're not missing outand if you want a bit of the
science behind why iron andcalcium don't always get along.
Regarding absorption, the keyissue is how both of these
(04:34):
minerals are absorbed in thesmall intestine.
So iron, and especiallynon-heme iron from plant sources
, and calcium compete for thesame absorption pathways in the
body.
Calcium can inhibit irontransport across the intestinal
cells by blocking and don'tswitch off here by blocking the
(04:54):
divalent metal transporter one,or DMT1.
So the DMT1 brings non-hemeiron into the bloodstream and it
can blocked, especially whenlarge doses of calcium are
consumed at the same time asiron rich foods.
And the interaction is mostsignificant with the non-heme
iron because it has a lowerbioavailability, so a lower
(05:19):
ability to be absorbed into thebody, than heme iron anyway,
heme iron actually uses adifferent absorption pathway, so
calcium has less of an effecton it.
However, the absorption ofnon-heme iron can drop
significantly and even up to 50%when consumed with high calcium
foods.
(05:39):
So additionally, calcium in thedigestive tract actually alters
the pH balance, okay, so itmakes the environment less
acidic.
Iron is more soluble and betterabsorbed in acidic conditions,
which means calcium'sneutralizing effect further
reduces the iron absorptionprocess.
So you can see there's a fewfactors at play here and it
(06:01):
doesn't mean that you know, oh,if I'm iron deficient I'm not
going to have calcium rich foods.
Of course not.
It just means that the timingof these foods really matters
and separating the calcium andthe iron rich meals by a few
hours helps each mineral absorbwithout interference.
So yeah, as I said, having acalcium rich brekkie and an iron
(06:23):
rich lunch can help balance outthat absorption.
And it's really easy to findlists of calcium-rich foods it's
not always dairy, by the wayand iron-rich foods.
If you literally just Googleiron-rich foods you will get a
whole list.
There's no need for me to listthose items there and again.
(06:44):
With iron-rich foods it's notjust meat-based sources.
Even though the non-heme or theplant-based sources of iron can
be a little bit more difficultfor the body to absorb, they are
still absolutely valid andimportant sources of our iron.
So let's talk about mood, as Imentioned before.
(07:05):
So specifically iron, ironplays a big role in our energy
levels.
I think everyone pretty muchknows that it's responsible for
the red blood cells to carryoxygen throughout the body, take
it into our cells, and so ifyou're low on iron, you might be
fatigued, you might feel weak,you might be foggy in the mind,
(07:26):
makes it hard to focus on tasks,but also, beyond that sort of
energy role that iron has, ironis crucial for producing our
brain chemicals, ourneurotransmitters like dopamine
and serotonin, and they are twochemicals that regulate mood.
So a shortage of iron in yourbody can throw off your balance
of these neurotransmitters.
(07:47):
That leads to symptoms likeirritability, anxiety, even
depression, which is why youreally need to make sure that if
you are iron deficient.
So firstly, know if you're irondeficient or not, and if you are
, you want to make sure you'regetting enough of those iron
rich foods and you want to makesure that you're absorbing those
iron rich foods.
(08:08):
So if you have gut healthissues, that is something that
needs to be addressed.
If you like to have coffee withyour meals very, very popular
then that might be blocking youriron absorption as well.
So you might need to split thatout a bit.
And, particularly if you're onan iron supplement, please do
not take your iron supplementwithin two hours of having a
(08:30):
coffee or a tea in the morning.
I see this all the time.
You are wasting your money withthat iron supplement if you're
going to eat it like that ortake it like that, not
necessarily eat it like that.
So yeah, so ensuring you getenough iron in perimenopause and
menopause is really important,because there are mood changes,
often anyway, with the imbalanceof hormones, there's also
(08:53):
fatigue.
So when you layer those nutrientdeficiencies on top of this,
it's a problem, but one that'seasily solved just by
understanding and educatingyourself about how nutrients are
absorbed in the body.
So I mean, who's at risk foriron deficiency?
Oh my gosh, it's like anepidemic of iron deficiency over
(09:16):
the past few years and if younotice this, if you experience
this, perhaps you have friendsthat are having iron infusions.
I mean, so many of the womenthat I see in clinic have had
iron infusions or are thinkingabout having iron infusions.
I mean, this can be formultiple reasons and of course,
heavy periods is one of thefactors that is relatively
(09:36):
common in perimenopausal womenand that can be from fibroids,
it can be from adenomyosis,endometriosis and the hormone
changes that happen inperimenopause.
So all of these can beaddressed.
These conditions can beaddressed or at least improved
with personalized nutrition andherbal medicine.
(09:57):
So that's you know.
One really positive thing is,even if it's always in
naturopathy, we're wanting toget to the underlying cause and
we don't just want to be, youknow, giving you iron
supplements or if you're underthe care of a doctor having iron
infusions without understandingwhy this is happening, why
you're losing iron or why you'renot absorbing iron.
(10:18):
So if you're one of the peoplethat's chronically low in iron
but you don't have heavy periods, or perhaps you're in menopause
and you don't have periods atall, then we need to know why is
this happening?
Because we want to make sureour iron levels are good for so
many of the reasons that I'vealready mentioned.
So if you follow apredominantly plant-based diet,
then you'll be receivingnon-heme iron in your food.
(10:41):
So you can improve theabsorption of this by increasing
your intake of iron-rich foodslike lentils and tofu and eggs
and nuts and seeds, leafy greens, dried apricots, et cetera, and
you eat them with vitamin Crich foods.
So obviously oranges, but alsostrawberries, capsicum, guava,
black currants those sorts ofthings will really help to boost
(11:04):
your absorption of iron.
So whether that's non-heme ironor heme iron, they both need
vitamin C to support theirabsorption.
So let's talk about calcium.
So calcium is best known, Ithink, for its role in
maintaining strong bones andteeth, but it's also really
(11:25):
important for our electrolytebalance.
It's important for the heart.
There's many, many differentroles that calcium has in our
bodies and it's crucialthroughout your lifespan.
But in perimenopause andmenopause it can be particularly
challenging for bone healthbecause the drop in estrogen and
progesterone contributes to aloss of bone density and on
(11:48):
average, women lose around 10%of their bone density in the
first five years post-menopause.
It's a lot and the thing isit's completely asymptomatic
until you have a fracture from alight injury, you know, like a
fall, where you really shouldn'tbreak a bone, you break a bone
and that's often the first timewomen actually realize they've
(12:11):
got a lack of, or a loss of,rather, bone density.
And I know if you've beenfollowing me for a while I did
talk, probably a couple ofmonths ago now, about my own
journey with a diagnosis ofosteopenia which absolutely
shocked me.
And it's only because I have avery proactive menopause GP and
I had already asked my other,more sort of day-to-day GP if I
(12:37):
could get a bone scan.
And she said to me you have norisk factors, you do not need
one.
And when I went to my menopauseGP to have a chat to her about
things, she said to me have youhad a bone scan?
I went no, and she goes right,you got to go and get one.
And that showed that I hadosteopenia.
And without knowing that, I'dhave just been going along on my
(12:58):
merry way thinking thateverything was fine because I
don't really have risk factors.
And now that I know this, I canmake the changes needed to
ensure that I'm making my bonesstronger and I cannot tell you
how many women in their 40s and50s and beyond that I speak to
that have never been offered abone scan.
So please, if you are in thatcategory, go and talk to your GP
(13:21):
and ask them for one.
If they say you don't have anyrisk factors, say but I want one
anyway, because if you know now, before you progress to
osteoporosis because osteopeniais like the pre osteoporosis, if
you like, then you can reallydo things now that will support
your bone health and actuallyreverse osteopenia, which is
(13:42):
awesome.
So, anyway, I've got on mylittle soapbox there for a
minute.
So let's talk about calcium andmental health, because calcium
isn't just about our bones.
There's growing evidence thatcalcium also plays a role in our
mental health and we alreadyknow that.
Calcium is involved in thenervous system.
It helps our nerve cellscommunicate and we know that low
(14:04):
calcium levels have been linkedto mood changes, irritability
and, in extreme cases,depression.
So, ensuring you get enoughcalcium through your diet or,
you know, maybe supplements, ifyou've been recommended to have
them by your GP I'm a little biton the fence with calcium
supplements myself.
(14:25):
There is a limited amount ofabsorption.
You can only absorb roughly 600milligrams at a time.
So if you're taking really highdose, you're probably wasting
your money.
And you know, really, with awell-planned diet, you should be
able to get enough calcium on adaily basis, but you want to
make sure you are and you'rethinking about what you're
eating.
If you're not quite sure, thenhave a chat to a nutritionist.
(14:49):
You know, engage me, get apersonalized nutrition plan so
you're getting exactly what youneed, because you want to keep
your bones in good shape, youwant to keep your mood in good
shape, because you know you'vegot enough going on in your life
without having to worry aboutthat, particularly in peri and
menopause.
So let me give you five steps toimprove your iron and calcium
(15:11):
levels right now.
These are things you can dostraight away without having to
see a nutritionist, although Ialways strongly advise it
because, honestly, you know,when I did my training, I was
amazed at how much I didn't knowabout nutrition.
Everything was so confusing onthe internet and that's actually
what inspired me to studynutrition is.
I was so confused about what toeat myself and I thought, oh,
(15:34):
there's going to be the perfectdiet in inverted commas that
suits everyone, and that'sactually not true.
Everyone is so different andthat's why I've now specialized
in personalized nutrition,because I really believe that we
are all different, we havedifferent needs and that if we
get the diet right, it makes ourhealth and our life so much
(15:56):
better.
But anyway, again on my soapboxagain.
So my five steps to improveiron and calcium levels right
now Firstly, time your mealssmartly, as I've just discussed.
Eat your calcium rich foods andyour iron rich foods at
different times so you can havea calcium rich breakfast, for
(16:16):
example.
I just use that for breakfastbecause it's often easier.
That's when people are havingthings like yogurt, nuts and
seeds like a granola orsomething like that Nuts and
seeds like a granola orsomething like that, you know.
And an iron-rich lunch is oftena little easier.
Adding vitamin C, so pairingsources of iron that's, food
(16:38):
sources of iron with vitaminC-rich foods to improve
absorption.
So things like capsicum,tomatoes, citrus to your
iron-rich meals.
And that's so easy.
Just to do a little squirt oflemon juice over your greens.
That will improve theabsorption.
It's adding capsicum to yoursalad.
This is so easy to do if youput some thought into it.
(16:59):
Also, include vitamin D foods.
Now there are limited foodsthat actually have a decent
level of vitamin D in them,foods like fatty fish, like
salmon, sardines, eggs,mushrooms and there's a little
trick with mushrooms you can popthem in sunlight and that will
(17:21):
actually improve their vitamin Dlevels.
Interesting, isn't it?
Yeah, and then, plus, spendingtime in the sun daily, if
possible without coverage.
So I grew up in Queenslandwhere we had the sun safe
message drilled into us as kids,and I also had a grandfather
with severe skin cancer.
(17:43):
So I'm very, very sun smart,probably to my detriment.
Maybe that's why I haveosteopenia when I think about it
.
But, yeah, spending some timewith exposed skin, and I always
recommend exposing some skinthat doesn't normally see a lot
of sun, because my understandingabout skin cancer is that there
(18:08):
is a correlation between thenumber of hours you've spent in
the sun over your lifetime up tothe time you get diagnosed with
it.
Once you hit that, your numberof hours, you're more likely to
get skin cancer.
So, like your forearms wouldsee a fair bit of sun, your
chest, your neck, your face,your hands, but perhaps not your
(18:28):
tummy, perhaps not the upperpart of your legs.
So I always recommend, if youcan use part of the skin that
doesn't see a lot of sun andexpose it to the sun, say in the
morning or the afternoon, butnot in the middle of the day,
definitely not between kind of10 and two, depending where you
are in the country, and overseasit might be a little different.
(18:54):
I know in Australia we havedaylight savings across the
country, so the timing is alittle different depending on
where you live.
So, yeah, having some unexposedso some exposed skin time every
day is ideal, maybe for 10 to20 minutes.
Also incorporatingweight-bearing exercise.
So, because the thing is havingstrong bones isn't just about
(19:17):
having calcium.
You need to move the body in away that stresses your bones.
So brisk walking, jogging,strength training can all help
maintain bone density and it'sessential to keep your body
moving in perimenopause andmenopause.
Also, avoiding iron blockers.
(19:40):
So, as I mentioned before, yourdarker colored beverages are
probably one of the key ones.
So coffee, tea, your darkerherbal teas, cola, red wine have
these tannins that block youriron receptors when you have
these with food.
If you struggle with irondeficiency, really reassess your
(20:01):
intake of these kinds ofbeverages.
Make sure you're taking youriron supplement with food.
Make sure you're taking youriron supplement with food.
Make sure you're taking youriron supplement away from those
dark colored beverages and alsocalcium rich meals.
So the upshot of all of this isthat having the right nutrient
(20:25):
base and timing and justknowledge can really help with
your absorption of particularnutrients.
In this case it's iron andcalcium.
And iron and calcium you maynot have known this can really
help keep you energized and in agood mood, and this is
important.
So balancing these twoessential nutrients.
(20:48):
Making a few strategic changesto your diet can support your
body and mind may reduce theneed for supplementation, which
is awesome.
And if you want to know moreabout this, then and you're
thinking well, maybe I need somepersonalized nutrition
absolutely get in touch.
I offer free introduction callswhere we can have a chat.
I can talk to you about whereyou're at health-wise, what your
(21:11):
needs are, and then whether ornot what I do can help you.
If you have any questions,please feel free to send me a
message through the podcast, ifthat link is available to you,
depending on which podcast appyou're using, or you can message
me on Instagram atSusieGardenWellness that's
S-U-S-I-E, and otherwise helloat SusieGardencom via email.
(21:36):
Hope you've enjoyed this podcast.
I'll try and include a few morenutrient kind of focus pods,
because I think I mean, I lovetalking about it and I hope you
love listening to it as well.
Have a great week.
I'll be back on Thursday withQ&A.
Thanks so much for joining metoday on the Ageless and Awesome
podcast.
(21:56):
If you liked today's episode,please make sure you click the
little plus button if you're onApple Podcasts, or the follow
button if you're on Spotify, sothat you get each new episode
delivered to you every week.
If you like free stuff, thenhead to the show notes and click
the link to receive my freeRadiant Reset Hormone Detox
Guide for Perimenopausal Women.
(22:17):
Or, if you'd like to continuethe discussion, head over to
Instagram and DM me atSusieGardenWellness.
I'd love to connect with you.
Hi, I'm Susie Garden and this is the Ageless and
Awesome podcast.
I'm an age-defying naturopathand clinical nutritionist and
I'm here to bust myths aroundwomen's health and aging so that
you can be ageless and awesomein your 40s, 50s and beyond.
The Ageless and Awesome podcastis dedicated to helping women
(00:24):
through perimenopause andmenopause with great health, a
positive mindset and outrageousconfidence.
Hit, subscribe or follow nowand let's get started.
Hello, gorgeous one, andwelcome to the Ageless and
Awesome podcast.
I am going to do a podcasttoday that's a pure
(00:45):
nutrition-based podcast, becauseI did my Q&A last week on
creatine and it kind of blew up.
So I kind of have theimpression that having
nutrition-based podcast epsevery now and again might be
really helpful for you againmight be really helpful for you.
(01:09):
And I mean, I am a nutritionist, so and our nutrition plays a
huge influence on our hormonesat any stage of life, including
perimenopause and menopause, andI just thought today I might
focus on two specific hormones,sorry, nutrients.
Focus on two specific nutrients, and that is iron and calcium,
(01:32):
and there's a couple of reasonsI'm putting these two together
and that's going to becomerather obvious as I move through
the podcast today.
So let's start talking about itEssentially, iron and calcium.
They're two essential mineralsand they help our body function
really well and they'reespecially critical at this time
(01:54):
of life, in peri and menopause.
As well as some of the moreobvious benefits of these
nutrients, such as energy withiron, bone health with calcium,
they can also significantlyimpact how we feel.
They actually have an impact onour mood, and so if we get the
(02:18):
right amounts and have them atthe right times, that can really
help improve our mood in thistime of our lives.
So here's the thing I justmentioned about timing, because
iron and calcium really don'tplay very nicely together when
it comes to absorption.
If you're eating them at thesame time, when you're consuming
(02:41):
kind of large amounts at thesame meal, calcium can block
your body from absorbing youriron.
And you may have heard thisabout I think I've mentioned it
on the podcast before that ironcan be disrupted from absorption
if you take zinc at the sametime or if you have
tannin-containing drinks such ascola or coffee or tea or dark
(03:04):
herbal teas, that kind of thing.
Dark beverages have tannins inthem generally and that can
block your body from absorbingiron.
And calcium also can block yourbody from absorbing iron, and
especially the non-heme iron.
So you may not know this, butwe have heme sources of iron
(03:26):
they're the animal sources andwe have non-heme sources of iron
and they're from plant-basedsources like spinach and lentils
and things like that.
So this doesn't mean that youshould avoid calcium rich foods,
of course.
It just means that spacing outyour calcium and your iron
intake, especially if you have aneed for iron.
(03:49):
So if you know your iron is low, if you are having heavy
periods, then definitely youneed to really take note of the
information in this podcast.
So you know, if you have acalcium rich breakfast let's
just say, for ease ofterminology, a dairy rich
breakfast then you would optperhaps for an iron rich lunch
(04:14):
and that gives your body thebest chance to absorb both of
these nutrients effectively.
So that you're not missing outand if you want a bit of the
science behind why iron andcalcium don't always get along.
Regarding absorption, the keyissue is how both of these
(04:34):
minerals are absorbed in thesmall intestine.
So iron, and especiallynon-heme iron from plant sources
, and calcium compete for thesame absorption pathways in the
body.
Calcium can inhibit irontransport across the intestinal
cells by blocking and don'tswitch off here by blocking the
(04:54):
divalent metal transporter one,or DMT1.
So the DMT1 brings non-hemeiron into the bloodstream and it
can blocked, especially whenlarge doses of calcium are
consumed at the same time asiron rich foods.
And the interaction is mostsignificant with the non-heme
iron because it has a lowerbioavailability, so a lower
(05:19):
ability to be absorbed into thebody, than heme iron anyway,
heme iron actually uses adifferent absorption pathway, so
calcium has less of an effecton it.
However, the absorption ofnon-heme iron can drop
significantly and even up to 50%when consumed with high calcium
foods.
(05:39):
So additionally, calcium in thedigestive tract actually alters
the pH balance, okay, so itmakes the environment less
acidic.
Iron is more soluble and betterabsorbed in acidic conditions,
which means calcium'sneutralizing effect further
reduces the iron absorptionprocess.
So you can see there's a fewfactors at play here and it
(06:01):
doesn't mean that you know, oh,if I'm iron deficient I'm not
going to have calcium rich foods.
Of course not.
It just means that the timingof these foods really matters
and separating the calcium andthe iron rich meals by a few
hours helps each mineral absorbwithout interference.
So yeah, as I said, having acalcium rich brekkie and an iron
(06:23):
rich lunch can help balance outthat absorption.
And it's really easy to findlists of calcium-rich foods it's
not always dairy, by the wayand iron-rich foods.
If you literally just Googleiron-rich foods you will get a
whole list.
There's no need for me to listthose items there and again.
(06:44):
With iron-rich foods it's notjust meat-based sources.
Even though the non-heme or theplant-based sources of iron can
be a little bit more difficultfor the body to absorb, they are
still absolutely valid andimportant sources of our iron.
So let's talk about mood, as Imentioned before.
(07:05):
So specifically iron, ironplays a big role in our energy
levels.
I think everyone pretty muchknows that it's responsible for
the red blood cells to carryoxygen throughout the body, take
it into our cells, and so ifyou're low on iron, you might be
fatigued, you might feel weak,you might be foggy in the mind,
(07:26):
makes it hard to focus on tasks,but also, beyond that sort of
energy role that iron has, ironis crucial for producing our
brain chemicals, ourneurotransmitters like dopamine
and serotonin, and they are twochemicals that regulate mood.
So a shortage of iron in yourbody can throw off your balance
of these neurotransmitters.
(07:47):
That leads to symptoms likeirritability, anxiety, even
depression, which is why youreally need to make sure that if
you are iron deficient.
So firstly, know if you're irondeficient or not, and if you are
, you want to make sure you'regetting enough of those iron
rich foods and you want to makesure that you're absorbing those
iron rich foods.
(08:08):
So if you have gut healthissues, that is something that
needs to be addressed.
If you like to have coffee withyour meals very, very popular
then that might be blocking youriron absorption as well.
So you might need to split thatout a bit.
And, particularly if you're onan iron supplement, please do
not take your iron supplementwithin two hours of having a
(08:30):
coffee or a tea in the morning.
I see this all the time.
You are wasting your money withthat iron supplement if you're
going to eat it like that ortake it like that, not
necessarily eat it like that.
So yeah, so ensuring you getenough iron in perimenopause and
menopause is really important,because there are mood changes,
often anyway, with the imbalanceof hormones, there's also
(08:53):
fatigue.
So when you layer those nutrientdeficiencies on top of this,
it's a problem, but one that'seasily solved just by
understanding and educatingyourself about how nutrients are
absorbed in the body.
So I mean, who's at risk foriron deficiency?
Oh my gosh, it's like anepidemic of iron deficiency over
(09:16):
the past few years and if younotice this, if you experience
this, perhaps you have friendsthat are having iron infusions.
I mean, so many of the womenthat I see in clinic have had
iron infusions or are thinkingabout having iron infusions.
I mean, this can be formultiple reasons and of course,
heavy periods is one of thefactors that is relatively
(09:36):
common in perimenopausal womenand that can be from fibroids,
it can be from adenomyosis,endometriosis and the hormone
changes that happen inperimenopause.
So all of these can beaddressed.
These conditions can beaddressed or at least improved
with personalized nutrition andherbal medicine.
(09:57):
So that's you know.
One really positive thing is,even if it's always in
naturopathy, we're wanting toget to the underlying cause and
we don't just want to be, youknow, giving you iron
supplements or if you're underthe care of a doctor having iron
infusions without understandingwhy this is happening, why
you're losing iron or why you'renot absorbing iron.
(10:18):
So if you're one of the peoplethat's chronically low in iron
but you don't have heavy periods, or perhaps you're in menopause
and you don't have periods atall, then we need to know why is
this happening?
Because we want to make sureour iron levels are good for so
many of the reasons that I'vealready mentioned.
So if you follow apredominantly plant-based diet,
then you'll be receivingnon-heme iron in your food.
(10:41):
So you can improve theabsorption of this by increasing
your intake of iron-rich foodslike lentils and tofu and eggs
and nuts and seeds, leafy greens, dried apricots, et cetera, and
you eat them with vitamin Crich foods.
So obviously oranges, but alsostrawberries, capsicum, guava,
black currants those sorts ofthings will really help to boost
(11:04):
your absorption of iron.
So whether that's non-heme ironor heme iron, they both need
vitamin C to support theirabsorption.
So let's talk about calcium.
So calcium is best known, Ithink, for its role in
maintaining strong bones andteeth, but it's also really
(11:25):
important for our electrolytebalance.
It's important for the heart.
There's many, many differentroles that calcium has in our
bodies and it's crucialthroughout your lifespan.
But in perimenopause andmenopause it can be particularly
challenging for bone healthbecause the drop in estrogen and
progesterone contributes to aloss of bone density and on
(11:48):
average, women lose around 10%of their bone density in the
first five years post-menopause.
It's a lot and the thing isit's completely asymptomatic
until you have a fracture from alight injury, you know, like a
fall, where you really shouldn'tbreak a bone, you break a bone
and that's often the first timewomen actually realize they've
(12:11):
got a lack of, or a loss of,rather, bone density.
And I know if you've beenfollowing me for a while I did
talk, probably a couple ofmonths ago now, about my own
journey with a diagnosis ofosteopenia which absolutely
shocked me.
And it's only because I have avery proactive menopause GP and
I had already asked my other,more sort of day-to-day GP if I
(12:37):
could get a bone scan.
And she said to me you have norisk factors, you do not need
one.
And when I went to my menopauseGP to have a chat to her about
things, she said to me have youhad a bone scan?
I went no, and she goes right,you got to go and get one.
And that showed that I hadosteopenia.
And without knowing that, I'dhave just been going along on my
(12:58):
merry way thinking thateverything was fine because I
don't really have risk factors.
And now that I know this, I canmake the changes needed to
ensure that I'm making my bonesstronger and I cannot tell you
how many women in their 40s and50s and beyond that I speak to
that have never been offered abone scan.
So please, if you are in thatcategory, go and talk to your GP
(13:21):
and ask them for one.
If they say you don't have anyrisk factors, say but I want one
anyway, because if you know now, before you progress to
osteoporosis because osteopeniais like the pre osteoporosis, if
you like, then you can reallydo things now that will support
your bone health and actuallyreverse osteopenia, which is
(13:42):
awesome.
So, anyway, I've got on mylittle soapbox there for a
minute.
So let's talk about calcium andmental health, because calcium
isn't just about our bones.
There's growing evidence thatcalcium also plays a role in our
mental health and we alreadyknow that.
Calcium is involved in thenervous system.
It helps our nerve cellscommunicate and we know that low
(14:04):
calcium levels have been linkedto mood changes, irritability
and, in extreme cases,depression.
So, ensuring you get enoughcalcium through your diet or,
you know, maybe supplements, ifyou've been recommended to have
them by your GP I'm a little biton the fence with calcium
supplements myself.
(14:25):
There is a limited amount ofabsorption.
You can only absorb roughly 600milligrams at a time.
So if you're taking really highdose, you're probably wasting
your money.
And you know, really, with awell-planned diet, you should be
able to get enough calcium on adaily basis, but you want to
make sure you are and you'rethinking about what you're
eating.
If you're not quite sure, thenhave a chat to a nutritionist.
(14:49):
You know, engage me, get apersonalized nutrition plan so
you're getting exactly what youneed, because you want to keep
your bones in good shape, youwant to keep your mood in good
shape, because you know you'vegot enough going on in your life
without having to worry aboutthat, particularly in peri and
menopause.
So let me give you five steps toimprove your iron and calcium
(15:11):
levels right now.
These are things you can dostraight away without having to
see a nutritionist, although Ialways strongly advise it
because, honestly, you know,when I did my training, I was
amazed at how much I didn't knowabout nutrition.
Everything was so confusing onthe internet and that's actually
what inspired me to studynutrition is.
I was so confused about what toeat myself and I thought, oh,
(15:34):
there's going to be the perfectdiet in inverted commas that
suits everyone, and that'sactually not true.
Everyone is so different andthat's why I've now specialized
in personalized nutrition,because I really believe that we
are all different, we havedifferent needs and that if we
get the diet right, it makes ourhealth and our life so much
(15:56):
better.
But anyway, again on my soapboxagain.
So my five steps to improveiron and calcium levels right
now Firstly, time your mealssmartly, as I've just discussed.
Eat your calcium rich foods andyour iron rich foods at
different times so you can havea calcium rich breakfast, for
(16:16):
example.
I just use that for breakfastbecause it's often easier.
That's when people are havingthings like yogurt, nuts and
seeds like a granola orsomething like that Nuts and
seeds like a granola orsomething like that, you know.
And an iron-rich lunch is oftena little easier.
Adding vitamin C, so pairingsources of iron that's, food
(16:38):
sources of iron with vitaminC-rich foods to improve
absorption.
So things like capsicum,tomatoes, citrus to your
iron-rich meals.
And that's so easy.
Just to do a little squirt oflemon juice over your greens.
That will improve theabsorption.
It's adding capsicum to yoursalad.
This is so easy to do if youput some thought into it.
(16:59):
Also, include vitamin D foods.
Now there are limited foodsthat actually have a decent
level of vitamin D in them,foods like fatty fish, like
salmon, sardines, eggs,mushrooms and there's a little
trick with mushrooms you can popthem in sunlight and that will
(17:21):
actually improve their vitamin Dlevels.
Interesting, isn't it?
Yeah, and then, plus, spendingtime in the sun daily, if
possible without coverage.
So I grew up in Queenslandwhere we had the sun safe
message drilled into us as kids,and I also had a grandfather
with severe skin cancer.
(17:43):
So I'm very, very sun smart,probably to my detriment.
Maybe that's why I haveosteopenia when I think about it
.
But, yeah, spending some timewith exposed skin, and I always
recommend exposing some skinthat doesn't normally see a lot
of sun, because my understandingabout skin cancer is that there
(18:08):
is a correlation between thenumber of hours you've spent in
the sun over your lifetime up tothe time you get diagnosed with
it.
Once you hit that, your numberof hours, you're more likely to
get skin cancer.
So, like your forearms wouldsee a fair bit of sun, your
chest, your neck, your face,your hands, but perhaps not your
(18:28):
tummy, perhaps not the upperpart of your legs.
So I always recommend, if youcan use part of the skin that
doesn't see a lot of sun andexpose it to the sun, say in the
morning or the afternoon, butnot in the middle of the day,
definitely not between kind of10 and two, depending where you
are in the country, and overseasit might be a little different.
(18:54):
I know in Australia we havedaylight savings across the
country, so the timing is alittle different depending on
where you live.
So, yeah, having some unexposedso some exposed skin time every
day is ideal, maybe for 10 to20 minutes.
Also incorporatingweight-bearing exercise.
So, because the thing is havingstrong bones isn't just about
(19:17):
having calcium.
You need to move the body in away that stresses your bones.
So brisk walking, jogging,strength training can all help
maintain bone density and it'sessential to keep your body
moving in perimenopause andmenopause.
Also, avoiding iron blockers.
(19:40):
So, as I mentioned before, yourdarker colored beverages are
probably one of the key ones.
So coffee, tea, your darkerherbal teas, cola, red wine have
these tannins that block youriron receptors when you have
these with food.
If you struggle with irondeficiency, really reassess your
(20:01):
intake of these kinds ofbeverages.
Make sure you're taking youriron supplement with food.
Make sure you're taking youriron supplement with food.
Make sure you're taking youriron supplement away from those
dark colored beverages and alsocalcium rich meals.
So the upshot of all of this isthat having the right nutrient
(20:25):
base and timing and justknowledge can really help with
your absorption of particularnutrients.
In this case it's iron andcalcium.
And iron and calcium you maynot have known this can really
help keep you energized and in agood mood, and this is
important.
So balancing these twoessential nutrients.
(20:48):
Making a few strategic changesto your diet can support your
body and mind may reduce theneed for supplementation, which
is awesome.
And if you want to know moreabout this, then and you're
thinking well, maybe I need somepersonalized nutrition
absolutely get in touch.
I offer free introduction callswhere we can have a chat.
I can talk to you about whereyou're at health-wise, what your
(21:11):
needs are, and then whether ornot what I do can help you.
If you have any questions,please feel free to send me a
message through the podcast, ifthat link is available to you,
depending on which podcast appyou're using, or you can message
me on Instagram atSusieGardenWellness that's
S-U-S-I-E, and otherwise helloat SusieGardencom via email.
(21:36):
Hope you've enjoyed this podcast.
I'll try and include a few morenutrient kind of focus pods,
because I think I mean, I lovetalking about it and I hope you
love listening to it as well.
Have a great week.
I'll be back on Thursday withQ&A.
Thanks so much for joining metoday on the Ageless and Awesome
podcast.
(21:56):
If you liked today's episode,please make sure you click the
little plus button if you're onApple Podcasts, or the follow
button if you're on Spotify, sothat you get each new episode
delivered to you every week.
If you like free stuff, thenhead to the show notes and click
the link to receive my freeRadiant Reset Hormone Detox
Guide for Perimenopausal Women.
(22:17):
Or, if you'd like to continuethe discussion, head over to
Instagram and DM me atSusieGardenWellness.
I'd love to connect with you.
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