CASE STUDY / MENOPAUSE
My specialist menopause plan has seen my whole health and mindset change
The most well known symptoms in menopause are hot flushes and night sweats, but the most common are fatigue, anxiety, brain fog and weight gain. In women following an inappropriate diet, oestrogen declining leads to a severe energy deficiency in the brain and body, leading to ALL these symptoms. I have developed a protocol that can reverse this energy deficit – and reduce symptoms by 75% – with nutrition alone in 8 weeks.
Brain fog in menopause completely cleared in 8 weeks
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Sandra Ishkanes is a Functional Medicine expert specialising in women’s hormonal health. She works like a health detective to root out the underlying causes of hormonal imbalances and takes a whole-body approach to healthcare, combining nutrition, lifestyle and cutting-edge medical testing.
Introduction
LM was 59 years old when she came to see me asking for help with severe menopausal symptoms. Her most significant concerns were severe brain fog, low energy and wanting to get fit to do a trek.
She said:
“I have always had a busy, active life and enjoyed walking and cycling holidays. Now when I have an active day at work I get home exhausted and sleep most of the evening. I find I have a ‘fog’ in my brain which makes it difficult to work especially as I have several ongoing responsibilities at any one time. This year I am transitioning to retirement and I want my energy back in order to enjoy it.”
LM had gone up a dress size in the last year and although she had cut down on eating biscuits and cakes, this didn’t make any difference to her weight. She was still having some hot flushes and night sweats. She regularly fell asleep straight after dinner and was tired in the daytime. She wanted to do regular exercise to prepare for the trek that she planning, but she just didn’t have the energy to do it.
Health History
- LM had been on the pill for 20 years
- Peri-menopause started when she was about 50 and she had her last period at 53
- She started noticing menopausal symptoms around 4 years previously
Nutrition History
- LM’s diet was high in sugar and carbohydrates: typically cereal with fruit, or porridge with sugar for breakfast, bread and soup for lunch, and frequent rice or pasta dishes for dinner.
- She always had a desert such as cake or ice cream or biscuits after lunch and dinner.
- She frequently snacked on fruit, dried fruit or biscuits.
- She drank little water and 5-7 cups of tea with milk every day
Menopause Type Analysis
- 64% of symptoms were associated with oestrogen metabolism
- Progesterone was fine
- Testosterone was possibly low
Significant Test Results
| Marker | Level | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D | Severe deficiency | Low immune function Bone concerns |
| Cholesterol | High | Inflammation |
| Liver enzymes | High | Impaired liver function |
Root Cause Analysis
During the menopausal transition and post-menopause, a woman’s body is switching from using sugar as an energy source, to using fat. Hence menopausal symptoms are not really an oestrogen deficiency problem, they are an energy deficiency problem.
LM’s diet was too high in sugar for this phase in her life. Her body was converting her dietary carbohydrates to fat, and at the same time it she was not able to burn fat for energy. This meant that her brain and body were starving for energy, leading to severe brain fog, weight gain, hot flushes, night sweats and feelings of severe exhaustion.
Her high sugar intake was affecting her liver, possibly leading to a fatty liver, and at the same time her vitamin D deficiency was lowering her brain function and preventing restful sleep.
First Consultation Protocol
NUTRITION
- I recommended MenoKeto, a nutrition formula that I have developed through my clinical practice that is ideal for women in peri-menopause and menopause;
- LM was provided with a range of suitable recipes and meal plan suggestions.
- LM was asked to follow my 7 food rules as closely as possible.
SUPPLEMENTS
- Vitamin D: calibrated dose of emulsified vitamin D drops
INITIAL SYMPTOMS
| Symptom | Scale: 0=none, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe |
|---|---|
| Memory deficit | 3 |
| Brain fog | 3 |
| Fatigue | 2 |
| Hot flushes | 2 |
| Night sweats | 2 |
| Vaginal dryness | 2 |
| Pain with intercourse | 2 |
| Bloating | 2 |
| Mood swings | 1 |
| Poor sleep | 2 |
| Anxiety | 1 |
| Headaches | 1 |
| Hair loss | 1 |
| Weight gain | 2 |
| Decreased sexual desire | 2 |
| Decreased sexual arousal | 2 |
| Decreased sexual response | 2 |
| TOTAL SCORE | 34 / 51 |
Follow-up Consultation 2 Results (+8 weeks) – symptoms reduced by 82%
- M reported that she was feeling much better and the brain fog had completely lifted. She was able to multi-task with ease, and she happily started and finished writing work proposals on time and with pleasure.
- Her energy was back and she had started going to pilates classes, as well aiming to go swimming 2-3 times a week, and starting Tai Chi.
- She found the nutrition recommendations easy to follow and had upgraded her meals.
- She was now only eating 2-3 meals a day without any cravings or energy dips in the daytime.
- LM’s nutrition and supplements were further adjusted for the next 3 months to ensure complete remission of symptoms.
SYMPTOMS AT WEEK 8
| Symptom | Scale: 0=none, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe | Week 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory deficit | 3 | 0 |
| Brain fog | 3 | 0 |
| Fatigue | 2 | 0 |
| Hot flushes | 2 | 0 |
| Night sweats | 2 | 0 |
| Vaginal dryness | 2 | 1 |
| Pain with intercourse | 2 | 0 |
| Bloating | 2 | 0 |
| Mood swings | 1 | 0 |
| Poor sleep | 2 | 0 |
| Anxiety | 1 | 1 |
| Headaches | 1 | 0 |
| Hair loss | 1 | 0 |
| Weight gain | 2 | 0 |
| Decreased sexual desire | 2 | 1 |
| Decreased sexual arousal | 2 | 1 |
| Decreased sexual response | 2 | 1 |
| TOTAL SCORE | 34 / 51 | 5 / 51 – symptoms reduced by 82% |
Client Review
“My specialist menopause plan concentrated on my nutrition and supplements personalised to me to support me – it has seen my whole health and mindset change.“
LM
My Review
I was delighted for LM, she cognitive function was excellent and she had more than enough energy in day, enough to start training for her mountain trek.
No woman should be suffering through menopause and the main change that needs to made is with nutrition.
