4 strategies to help fight the affects of menopause on your skin

Menopause brings with it a speeding up of the appearance of wrinkles, loose skin and dryness but it does not have to mean looking old and haggard.

A youthful complexion starts in your kitchen – what you eat and how you live your life has an enormous impact on how you look!

How menopause affects your skin

When a woman consults with me to help her to turn back the tide of ageing they almost always comment, it seemed to them as if it was overnight their appearance changed, they developed jowls where the night before was a firm jawline.

It’s not all in their head! What creates a firm, unlined complexion is protein structures found in the skin called collagen and elastin.

Before menopause, these protein structures deteriorate at a rate of 1% each year. After menopause the process of destruction turbo charges with women losing approximately 30% in the first five years.

Your skin mirrors the signs of internal ageing and the main culprits are hormonal changes and the general habits of everyday life: what you eat, drink, smoke, sun / UV exposure and the drugs (both prescription and otherwise) you’ve taken.

4 ways to help preserve your skin’s appearance

Let’s get solution oriented with four strategies you can follow to preserve and possibly repair your skin’s appearance. The good news is it will leave you with a spring in your step as well as your skin!

1. Nosh on nutrients that can potentially rebuild the lost protein structures of collagen and elastin.

Healing Hormones – The plant-based oestrogen (called phytoestrogen) in soy has a hormonal action. Ultimately it is your hormones that are responsible for the dramatic change in our appearance post-menopause.

Perfect Protein – eating enough complete, high-quality protein like soy, spirulina or any animal-derived food gives you the building blocks that create collagen and elastin.

Vital vitamin C and the mineral zinc are the main nutrients needed with protein to build a glowing and firm visage.

A broad range of Bs and other vitamins and minerals are accessory nutrients to skin repair. That is, they help support the work of the body to make the protein structures of the skin.

2. Prevent the protein structures from being broken down.

Nature’s anti-aging miracle nutrients are anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants quench the fire of inflammation destroying protein structures and causing skin destruction.

Vitamin A, C and E and polyphenols like green tea and grape seed extract coat your skin in an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory bath on the inside.

Avoid, reduce and eliminate where possible sugars and alcohol. Processed sugary foods like cakes, biscuits, ice-cream and/or chips speed up the ageing process.

Often we eat sugar to fight fatigue when we are tired. Creating sustained and steady energy with a high-quality protein and fibre-rich, slow-release carbohydrates may help you avoid the urge to snack by avoiding the exhaustion associated with surging and crashing blood sugar levels.

Why are protein and good fats so important to the health of women over 45 health?

3. Oestrogen and thyroid hormones both affect your skin

Oestrogen is not the only hormone that impacts the appearance of the skin; a sluggish thyroid can cause the worsening of the signs of ageing.

The good news is your skin is quite responsive to changes in thyroid hormones so make sure you are getting enough of the nutrients your thyroid loves like iodine-rich seafood and selenium-rich eggs or Brazil nuts.

4. Compare how the skin on your face looks with the appearance of skin on your butt.

I grew up in the era before g-string bikini bottoms so it’s clear to see the impact of a lifetime of sunbathing now my butt is wrinkle free but my face is ageing.

Fortunately, scientists tell me it’s not too late – green tea extract has been found in some research studies to improve the signs of sun damage when taken long term. Whew!

Prevention is always better than cure. Hippocrates said it over 2,000 years ago and it still stands as a universal truth in health and wellbeing today.

Studies have also shown Vitamin A, C and E actually boost the skin’s own natural protection from the sun.

Have you ended up with a long ‘tick list’ of foods and nutrients you need to start eating to preserve your complexion? One scoop of The Healthy Mummy Smoothie 45+ will provide all these benefits in one delicious smoothie.

Read about the foods and nutrients that help support peri-menopausal women’s health.

Read about the foods and nutrients that help support menopausal women’s health.

Get your hands on our Healthy Mummy Smoothie 45+ today!

Healthy Mummy Smoothie 45+ contains a unique combination of ingredients designed specifically to support the needs of women over 45 years old’

• Vitamin D with Calcium to enhance bone mineral density
• 50% of your Vit D RDI which is critical for bone health
• Good source of Protein for muscle mass maintenance
• Vitamin B6 for balanced hormonal activity support
• Zinc, Vitamin C + E to protect cells from free radical damage

Find out more and buy our Healthy Mummy Smoothie 45+ today!

Join our Healthy Mummy Over 45 Facebook support group to get advice and support from other mums who are over 45.