What I Do At 54 For A Strong Body Through Perimenopause – Nutrition
Welcome to the first part of my two part blog series on maintaining a strong body through perimenopause. I’m Zora Benhamou, and over the past few decades, I’ve dedicated my life to health and wellness, focusing on weight loss and biohacking for optimal health. My journey began with my “LA DNA”. I am born and raised in Los Angeles, so health was always on my radar. Over the years I started health coaching friends and clients. Although I initially focused on weight loss because it seemed more appealing, my real passion lies in biohacking and prevention.
After a personal transformation in 2016, I launched Hack My Age in 2017 and earned my Precision Nutrition certification in 2018. Since 2020, my podcast has been dedicated to biohacking for women over 50, shifting towards menopause. I completed my Masters in Gerontology in 2022 and the Menopause Method training with IOBIM in 2023.
Why Focus on Body Composition?
My goal isn’t to shame anyone for their weight or to advocate for being skinny. Instead, I emphasize the importance of being strong and maintaining an optimal body weight—not too thin, not too thick. Here’s why body composition matters:
1. Health Risks: Obesity is the most modifiable risk factor for age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart attacks, and strokes. Since 1975, global obesity has nearly tripled. In the U.S., 41.9% of adults are obese, not just overweight. Obesity reduces lifespan and healthspan, limiting life quality.
2. Menopause Symptoms: Women who are overweight may experience more severe menopause symptoms.
3. Strength and Independence: More strength, power, and muscle mass translate to greater independence as you age.
4. Self-Confidence: A healthier body composition boosts self-confidence.
5. Longevity and Quality of Life: A healthy body composition contributes to a longer, happier, and better life.
Understanding Menopause and Weight Gain
Menopause is a significant transition in a woman’s life, marked by various physiological changes. For detailed information on the stages of menopause—perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause—listen to this podcast episode.
Why Weight Gain Occurs During Menopause:
1. Hormonal Changes: Estrogen helps regulate fat distribution, promoting storage in the hips and thighs. With the loss of estrogen, fat tends to redistribute to the abdominal area, increasing visceral fat and the risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Stress and poor sleep further exacerbate weight gain.
2. Decreased Muscle Mass: Estrogen has anabolic effects on muscle tissue. Its reduction leads to a loss of muscle protein synthesis and an increase in muscle protein breakdown, resulting in more fat and less muscle, reducing the body’s ability to burn calories efficiently.
3. Emotional and Psychological Effects: Menopause can affect self-confidence, self-worth, and lead to depression.
Traditional Approaches to Managing Weight During Menopause
We have heard it all before. Diet, exercise, lose weight and quit smoking.
1. Dietary Adjustments: The old adage “exercise more, eat less” often doesn’t work. Fasting, keto, low-carb, low-fat, vegan, and caloric restriction diets may or may not be effective. It’s crucial to maintain a balanced diet rich in nutrients.
2. Exercise and Physical Activity: Incorporate cardio and possibly high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into your routine. Discipline and willpower are essential, but elusive during menopause.
3. Lifestyle Modifications: Stress management techniques like meditation and yoga are important. Ensure you get enough sleep and avoid smoking.
But is this enough? For some, it works, but for many of us who are going through the menopause transition, no.
My Biohacks for Better Body Composition
Biohacking can play a significant role in managing body composition during menopause. For a detailed discussion, listen to the podcast episode “Menopause Weight Gain and My Personal Biohacks for Better Body Composition Part 1” and “Part 2“
Here’s a brief overview:
1. Introduction to Biohacking: Biohacking involves using science and technology to optimize health. It’s particularly relevant for managing menopause symptoms.
2. Where Biohacking Goes Wrong: It’s essential to approach biohacking with caution and ensure methods are safe and evidence-based.
3. Preface: My Personal Journey with Osteoarthritis
Eight years ago, I started experiencing hip impingement, leading me to biohack my way out of pain every few years. After June 2022, I stopped all impact and strength training, focusing on rehab, mobility, walking, biking, and yoga. Since March 2023, I’ve been using Kaatsu training, and from January 2024, I’ve reduced my daily steps to under 10,000, aiming for 5,000. I know. It sounds contrary to what people normally do, but I wanted to see if moving less helps the joints heal.
So, for the last 2 years I had to crack the code on how to maintain my body composition while remaining more sedentary.
Here is the nutrition component and in Part 2 I will cover the rest. Keep in mind, I am not recommending all of us to eat this way. We are all bioindividual and it is your job to figure out what works for you.
Nutrition-Based Biohacks That Worked For Me
Everyone is unique, and what works for me may not work for you. However, I share my approach to inspire and provide insights.
1. Mindset: My goal is muscle, strength, and power, not just weight loss. I love my body and I am fascinated by its biology and capabilities. The body and mind work together, and it’s essential to appreciate and respect what our bodies can do.
2. Diet: I don’t follow a strict diet but focus on real, mostly plant-based foods with animal foods, including organs. The closest diet I can imagine is a paleo-ish style. Again, I am not strict, whatsoever.
I eat intuitively, listening to my body’s hunger signals. Protein is a priority—30g three times a day.
I prefer protein and vegetables first, carbs last. I don’t restrict any foods but rarely crave processed foods or sweets. If I ever do, I quickly correct it by eliminating them entirely until cravings go away.
I do enjoy something sweet, but I don’t like it when I have cravings, so, I usually eat fruit, 90 – 99% dark chocolate or some homemade treat, like my Happy Hormone Chocolate Nut and Seed Bar. Remember, I am a curious eater and a nomad, so I like to experiment and try something new every so often.
Never say never. I eat it all, but I usually don’t feel like eating sugar, bread, rice, pasta, processed foods, pastries, pizzas, burgers and fries… They’re just not on my radar. But there are times in the year I do feel like it, so I eat them. It’s not what I do once in a while that counts. It’s what I do daily.
I don’t diet, but I sometimes like to experiment with different ways of eating. I learn something about myself every time.
My plate– ¾ vegetables (includes the carbs about handful), ¼ protein, usually animal, but swap with plants like tempeh, tofu, edemame, lentils and lentil pastas.
3. Eating Habits: I fast 12-14 hours without much thought. I am not a fan of fasting much longer than this for women and I certainly stick closer to the 12 hours fast when I am training harder.
I eat a large breakfast and lunch, with a smaller dinner, unless I am training more intensively. I also leave 2 – 3 hours in between my dinner and lying down to sleep.
I enjoy a varied diet and as a nomad I eat out frequently. You can read this blog article on how I make healthier choices while eating out.
I practice mindful eating – no electronics while I eat
4. Supplements and Devices: I use devices like a continuous glucose monitor, Oura, and Lumen to track my health. I haven’t followed a keto diet but use the Cronometer app to keep track that my macros (proteins, fats and carbs) are in balance. I seem to do best with a balance of approximately 30% protein, 30% fats and 30% carbohydrates.
Some find supplements like berberine, metformin, inositol, EGCG, gut supplements, and digestive enzymes beneficial. I don’t take them.
I take 5g of creatine and daily dose of essential amino acids.
5. Alcohol – I don’t like alcohol, but a couple times of the year I may still have a glass of wine, cider or beer for one reason or another.
6. Caffeine – I enjoy coffee, but I can live without it. I may have one cup after lunch. I prefer green tea in morning after a glass of lemon water.
I like coffee alternatives – matcha latte, chicory, hot cocoa, golden milk, chai, beetroot latte, mushroom drinks like chaga or reishi.
Remember, this is not a guide for you. It’s just what I do from my nutritional side that works for me. Curious for more? Download the Eating For Longevity Cookbook for all of my favorite recipes.
To get the full explanation and more hacks, please listen to the full episodes! Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
In the next part of this series, I’ll discuss:
1. How my exercise routine has evolved.
2. The biohacks I use to hack exercise when traditional methods aren’t possible.
3. The importance of sleep and stress management.
4. Foundational biohacks that often go unnoticed.
For more insight into my personal biohacks, join the Biohacking Menopause women’s only private membership. This is a safe space where women and professionals offer valuable support and recommendations for managing your symptoms effectively. Join us today!