Tafiq Akhir aka Mr. Menopause: [00:00:00] Let's be honest. No one ever told you that your gut could be part of your menopause story? Did they see you expected the hot flashes, maybe the mood swings, maybe even the sleepless nights, but no one said a thing about bloating, constipation, new food sensitivities, or that foggy feeling that makes it hard to think clearly.
And when it all starts happening at once, well, you begin to wonder. Is this just menopause or is this something else going on? Well, here's the truth. It's actually both. See, menopause isn't only about hormones dropping. It affects your whole body, including your gut. See, your gut does a lot more than just digest food.
It actually helps control your immune system, your mood, your inflammation, and even how your body uses estrogen. So when your hormones change, your gut feels it too. And when your gut gets out of balance, well, your symptoms can feel a lot worse. And that's why so many [00:01:00] women say things like. I'm doing everything right.
I'm eating well, I'm exercising, I'm even meditating, but nothing seems to work and I still feel bloated, tired, moody, or just off? Well, you need to know that it's not your imagination, your gut and your hormones. They're actually having a full conversation behind the scenes, and right now menopause might be interrupting that discussion.
So for today's lesson, we're gonna look at how menopause changes your gut, why it matters so much, and what you can do to bring things back into balance. Because once you understand how your gut and hormones work together. Then everything about menopause starts to make a little more sense. Now, before we dive in, I do wanna thank you for tuning in and for supporting the show.
And if you're new here, welcome. My name is Tafiq Akhir, also known as Mr. Menopause. I am a certified and award-winning menopause and healthy aging strategist, educator, [00:02:00] bestselling author, speaker, and your host. I am one of the few men in the world of championing menopause education as the first essential step in menopause support. See too many women enter this stage feeling confused, dismissed, or just overwhelmed by all the conflicting advice. Well, I provide clear, compassionate, evidence-based education that helps women understand what's happening in your body and how to evaluate all the treatment options with confidence.
See, my approach removes the guesswork and empowers women to advocate for themselves, achieve lasting results, and to take full autonomy over their menopause care plan. And the lesson for this episode is all about menopause and gut health and the hidden connection that could change everything.
Welcome to the Mr. Menopause Show.
During menopause, your body goes through one of the biggest hormonal shifts of your life, estrogen and progesterone starts to [00:03:00] go down. But these hormones do more than help with reproduction. They help to regulate your brain, your heart bones, and yes, your digestive system. Now, today's lesson is gonna start with hormonal shifts and digestive health, because before you can fix what's happening in your gut, well, you need to understand what menopause is actually doing to it.
See, estrogen is a big helper for your gut. It keeps the gut lining strong and supports good bacteria. And when estrogen levels what they drop, well, that protection, it actually weakens. And that can lead to slower digestion, more bloating, constipation, and a weaker gut barrier, which is sometimes called leaky gut.
And leaky gut happens when the walls of your intestine get tiny gaps in them that lets things get through. Things that actually don't belong in your bloodstream, like bacteria or even undigested food. Now, when that happens, well your immune system goes on high alert and that creates [00:04:00] inflammation.
Inflammation is a big reason why many menopause symptoms feel worse. It can cause joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, and even skin issues. A 2022 medical review called Spotlight on the Gut Microbiome in menopause, where it found that women in menopause have less variety of their gut bacteria and that their gut starts to look more like a man's, and that change affects how the body uses estrogen and may lead to more inflammation.
Another study by BMC Women's Health found that women who had more menopause symptoms also had different gut bacteria than those who felt well. So that means that these changes aren't in your head, they're biological. So when you suddenly react to food that never bothered you before, or your stomach feels heavy after every meal, well, it's not random, right?
It's your body saying, Hey, something inside needs attention. Next we're gonna move into the hidden struggle that women aren't talking about, because [00:05:00] this is where most women get stuck doing all the quote unquote right things, but still not feeling right. See, here's what often happens. You start noticing that your body feels different. You're eating clean, you're moving your body, but nothing feels the same, right? You eat your usual breakfast and suddenly you're bloated,
you grab a salad for lunch and your stomach feels heavy. You exercise, but instead of feeling energized, you actually feel wiped out. You tell your doctor and they say, well, that's just normal for aging or menopause, but what does that even mean, right? Because too often normal just means that we don't know what to do about it.
So then you go home with no answers or support. Then you start experimenting. You buy probiotics. You try every cleanse or supplement that you see online. You cut carbs, sugar, dairy, gluten, sometimes all at once. And y'all know I ain't lying, right? But you still [00:06:00] feel uncomfortable, tired, and discouraged.
Well, here's the real problem though. You're trying to fix symptoms without understanding the system. See your gut and your hormones Well, they're partners. They talk to each other all day long, and when one gets out of rhythm while the other follows, and menopause isn't the end of that partnership either.
It's actually just the new stage in it. And when you understand that connection, well, your body can finally start to heal. You know, I met a woman named Sarah a while back and she told me that she'd been healthy her whole life, and at 52, she suddenly had constant bloating and no energy. She said, I thought maybe.
This was just how things were gonna be moving forward for me. But through testing, she learned that her gut bacteria had changed after menopause. And once she rebuilt her gut, her energy and her good digestion came back. Unfortunately though stories like Sarah's are common and they prove though that [00:07:00] gut care can come completely change how menopause feels. Now let's dive into hormones and microbes in harmony, because this part explains how gut bacteria and your hormones work together like a team. And what happens when that teamwork breaks down? See, inside your gut lives a huge community of bacteria that is called the microbiome, and within that community is a. Special group called the Estrobolome. Well, the Estrobolome actually helps your body process and recycle estrogen.
It decides how much estrogen stays active and how much leaves your system. So think of it like your body's estrogen manager, right? So when estrobolome is balanced, well, your estrogen level stays steady. You feel more, even your mood is stable, your metabolism works better, and your symptoms stay mild. But when that balance breaks down well, things can change actually pretty fast.
If the estrobolome isn't working well, well, you can have too much or too little active [00:08:00] estrogen, and that can cause hot flashes, mood swings, stubborn belly fat, low libido, brain fog, and skin issues to name a few. And this doesn't stop with estrogen. A weak gut can throw off cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones as well, and that's why menopause can sometimes feel so unpredictable.
A study from Purdue University showed that gut microbiomes play a major role in how women's bodies respond to the loss of ovarian hormones. And when researchers change gut bacteria in animals, well, they notice more inflammation and weight gain. The same things that many women report in menopause. So your gut isn't just part of the story. It's part of the cause. And now I wanna walk you through a resource that you can start using right now.
It's called the Four Step Gut and Hormone Connection Method. It's a simple science back process that's grounded in proven research about how gut hormones and daily habits work [00:09:00] together. Now, this method will show you exactly how to bring your body back into balance step by step. Step one, assess what's really going on.
So you wanna start by paying attention. Listen to your body without judgment. Ask yourself, do I feel bloated after eating? Do I have regular bowel movements? Do I crave more sugar or carbs than I did before? Do I feel tired or foggy after meals? Do I feel inflamed or achy in my joints? The these are early cues that your gut needs support, and you can also consider functional testing like stool or microbiome analysis.
But awareness alone can actually begin to shift your habits and help you to see patterns that you've ignored. Awareness, is always the first step to healing. Research shows that many menopause studies found lower gut bacteria in postmenopausal women or women with lower estrogen. Another study found major [00:10:00] differences in gut bacteria between women with symptoms and those without them. So, yes, many women already have signs of imbalance, and the sooner you see it, the sooner you can act.
Step two is to address the root causes. See, once you know your gut needs help. Focus on balance, not restriction. Feed your good bacteria with fiber rich foods like leafy greens, beans, oats, and berries. Add probiotic foods like yogurt, keefer, sauerkraut, kimchi and tempeh. They help to restore microbial diversity and improve digestion before you add gut specific supplementation.
Stay hydrated, manage stress, and move your body daily. Even doing a little deep breathing exercises can calm stress hormones and support the gut brain connection. Also limit processed foods, sugar and alcohol because they feed harmful bacteria and increase inflammation. [00:11:00] And never forget the gut heals while you sleep.
And research also confirms that a poor diet, high stress and low movement can disrupt gut balance after menopause. So your daily habits can literally reshape the world inside your gut.
Step three is to adapt for long-term gut resilience. Menopause isn't a storm you have to survive. It's a new season that deserves your care. Slow down when you eat, chew your food. Well, enjoy it. Savor it. Eat a variety of colorful plant foods. The more diverse you eat, the stronger your gut becomes.
Supplement wisely as well because magnesium helps muscles relax and keeps things moving. Omega threes lower inflammation and a quality probiotic can support you, but it works best as part of a full lifestyle. Also, healing takes time, but the payoff is well worth it. Step four is to [00:12:00] ascend and thrive beyond gut healing. So once you've assessed. Addressed and adapted. The final step is to ascend, and ascend means going beyond, feeling better, to living better. It's when your education turns into empowerment. It's when your habits become harmony, and it's when your confidence returns.
You'll start to trust your body again. You know what supports you and what drains you as well. You build routines that feel good, not forced. You exercise because it gives you energy and you eat because it nourishes you. You begin to feel joy again. You smile again, you feel lighter. And remember, your gut's still part of the story.
And a happy gut produces about 90% of your body serotonin. And that's the feelgood chemical that lifts your mood and helps you relax. So when your gut works well, your brain feels better too. And that's what thriving through [00:13:00] menopause looks like. Now let's dive into why gut health matters beyond menopause. See, your gut health affects more than your stomach. It affects your whole life, right? A healthy gut supports your immune system, helps your bones stay strong. It keeps your weight steady and even protects your brain. So research shows that women with balanced gut bacteria are less likely to develop serious memory problems later in life.
So your gut also affects how well hormone therapy works too. So when your microbiome is balanced well, your body can use estrogen safely and effectively. Caring for your gut today is an investment in your long-term vitality for the future. And what happens if you ignore your gut? Well, ignoring your gut during menopause, while it definitely won't make things better.
But it can absolutely make things worse. An unhealthy gut raises inflammation, slows down metabolism, weakens bones, and even [00:14:00] clouds your mind. It can also make hormone therapy less effective and keep you stuck in frustration and fatigue, so you deserve better than that. You deserve balances, clarity, and most importantly, peace of mind.
Now, let's get into the rewards of healing and restoring your gut health because I want you to imagine this. You wake up rested, your stomach feels calm, the bloating that used to ruin your day is gone, and you move through your day with energy, clarity, and confidence. Your skin glows. You sleep deeply. You feel like yourself again.
Well, that's what happens when your gut and your hormones work together. Your body runs smoothly, your mind feels clear and you finally feel good in your own skin again, but what do you need to do to get there? Well, if what I shared today feels like a light bulb moment, that's because it is.
Most women are never even told gut health is part of menopause health. [00:15:00] But it is, and that's one of the reasons why I created my menopause made simple experience. And that's because too often women get half the story or no story at all when it comes to their health, and even more so during menopause. So with the program, you'll gain clarity on what's happening in your body and why understand how to manage your symptoms effectively and create a plan that works with your biology instead of against it. Now the menopause made simple experience is not for everyone. So to find out where you are in your menopause journey, what your best next step should be, and whether or not the menopause made simple experience is for you, simply complete my complimentary menopause clarity quiz. It only takes a few minutes and you'll.
Finally get the clarity that you need in order to achieve the health, hope, and lasting results that you deserve. Now, the takeaway that I hope to inspire with this episode is this, your gut is the [00:16:00] foundation of your hormonal balance. It can be your best friend or your biggest challenge, and when you care for it with healthy food, movement, rest and calm, everything else in your body starts to work better. And look, I hope you got value from this lesson today. And if you did, please be sure to subscribe and click the bell for more great menopause and healthy aging support. I'm Mr. Menopause, your guide and ally, and I'm here to walk this journey with you every single step of the way.
Until next time, please stay safe and be well.
