Blood sugar stability
Protein, fibre and healthy fats at every meal; fewer refined carbohydrates; eat every three to four hours on unstable days.
Diet, Exercise & Lifestyle
The foundation no prescription replaces
Health through this transition is roughly 70% diet, 20% activity and 10% supplements — and none of the three replaces the others. This is what that looks like in practice, whether or not you take hormone therapy.
Diet foundations
Anti-inflammatory eating
Olive oil, nuts, seeds, whole grains and omega-3 twice a week — this can reduce hot flashes and joint pain.
Protein for muscle
25–30g of good-quality protein per meal protects against the muscle loss that accelerates after 40.
Exercise: what earns its place
Resistance training
Builds muscle and counters sarcopenia — the single highest-yield change for most women in this decade.
Weight-bearing and impact work
Increases bone density; even 10–20 vertical jumps a day has produced measurable hip BMD gains in trials.
Aerobic activity
Improves insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular fitness as estrogen protection fades.
Daily movement
Regular, unstructured movement improves mood and sleep independently of formal training.
New to exercise?
Perimenopause is still a good time to start — 10 to 15 minutes a day, low-impact first, form before load. Women who start in their 40s or 50s see gains equal to or greater than those who started younger.
Supplements worth discussing
Useful alongside diet and exercise, never instead of them — and worth matching to your blood results rather than buying on reputation. See tests and diagnostics for what to check first.
Omega-3CollagenMagnesium glycinateCreatineFibreVitamin DVitamin B12
This is not advice from a single prescription pad — nutrition, exercise medicine and metabolic health each have their own specialist on the care team.
Quick check: BMI and waist circumference
Quick check
Waist circumference tracks central fat, which is what shifts most through the transition — it is often the more useful of the two numbers.
Frequently asked
How much protein do I need during menopause?
Around 25–30g of good-quality protein per meal is the working target, because muscle becomes harder to build and easier to lose as estrogen falls. Spreading it across meals works better than one large serving.
Is it too late to start exercising in my 40s or 50s?
No. Women who start resistance training in their 40s or 50s see gains equal to or greater than those who started younger. Ten to fifteen minutes a day, low-impact first, with form before load, is a legitimate starting point.
Which supplements actually help in menopause?
Vitamin D, magnesium glycinate, omega-3, B12, creatine, collagen and fibre are the ones most often worth discussing — alongside diet and exercise, never instead of them. What you need depends on your blood results, so review them with your doctor rather than self-prescribing.
Bring your symptoms. Leave with a plan.
Consultations with Dr. Rajeev Agarwal at Renew Healthcare, Kolkata — in person or virtual. If you have taken the symptom quiz, bring your result: it gives the consultation a running start.
A note on this section. Everything here is general educational information about perimenopause and menopause. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace individualised medical advice — please discuss your own symptoms, history and options with Dr. Agarwal or your own physician before making any treatment decision.