Menopause¶

This protocol applies when sys_menses_status is "Perimenopausal" or "Post-menopausal".

It does not apply on age alone. A 52-year-old who answered "Cycling regularly" gets the standard build; a 44-year-old who answered "Perimenopausal" gets this one. The client's answer governs.

Anabolic resistance¶

The change that matters for a menu is that muscle becomes harder to build and easier to lose. The same protein intake that maintained muscle before produces less of a response after — the tissue is less sensitive to the signal, so the signal has to be stronger.

Two consequences, and they are both about protein:

Protein per kilogram¶

1.5–1.8 g of protein per kg of body weight per day, against the 1.2–1.6 g/kg this menu uses otherwise.

Use body weight in kg — meas_weight_kg, or the self-reported fallback. Where BMI is over 30, use an adjusted weight rather than actual: ideal + 0.4 × (actual − ideal), taking ideal as the weight at BMI 25. Otherwise the target lands somewhere no one is going to eat.

Pick within the range by training load:

This target overrides the percentage split in step 4. Protein is set from body weight first; carbohydrate and fat divide what is left.

Protein per meal¶

30–40 g in each main meal — not 90 g at dinner and a token amount at breakfast. Distribution matters as much as the total here, because each meal is a separate stimulus and one below the threshold is largely wasted.

In portions, 30–40 g is 4–6 protein portions per main meal. Snacks carry 1–2.

This is the constraint most likely to make a breakfast option fail. A slice of bread with tahini and a coffee will not reach 30 g of protein; eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt or a legume-based breakfast will. Where the client's current intake (nut_typical_day) shows a carbohydrate-only breakfast, this is the single biggest change the menu makes, and Notes for you should say so plainly.

Phytoestrogens¶

Plant compounds that provide some support as the body's own oestrogen production declines. Aim for a source in the menu daily.

Ground flaxseed is the easiest to place — two tablespoons stirred into yoghurt, oats or a salad, every day. It must be ground; whole seed passes through largely intact. It also carries fibre, which is doing separate work; see Fibre & the gut.

Soy is the one to check before using. Where the client has a thyroid disorder in health_conditions, keep soy to one portion a day and separate it from any thyroid medication by several hours — and say in Notes for you that the timing is a question for their doctor. That is the boundary: the menu can space foods out, it cannot advise on medication.

Cruciferous¶

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi .

At least one vegetable portion a day from this family, and it should appear in one of the options for at least two slots so the client can actually get it.

Where the systems review shows bloating or wind (sys_digestive_bloating, sys_digestive_wind = "Yes"), cruciferous vegetables are a common contributor. Do not drop them — cook them rather than serving them raw, start at one portion, and note it. See Fibre & the gut.

What else changes, and what does not¶

Changes

• Protein target and its distribution, as above
• A daily phytoestrogen source
• Cruciferous vegetables specified rather than left to chance
• Calcium becomes worth counting — see Supplements

Does not change

• The energy calculation. There is no menopause multiplier in step 3; the equation already takes age.
• The meal schedule.
• The dinner-without-starch rule.

Out of scope¶

Hormone therapy, and whether the client should be on it. Vitex, evening primrose and maca — Supplements covers why these are recognised but not recommended. Symptom management beyond the food itself: hot flushes, sleep, mood. sys_menses_symptoms is read so the menu does not make things worse, not so it can treat them.