Every January, social media fills up with “clean eating” plans, detox challenges, calorie cuts, and promises of a healthier body in 21 days. While these approaches may work for some, women in perimenopause
often experience the opposite effect, fatigue, weight gain, mood swings, and worsening hormonal symptoms. The reason lies in biology, not willpower.
Tamanna Singh, Certified Menopause Coach and Co-founder, Menoveda, explains why.
Perimenopause, which can begin as early as the late 30s, is marked by fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels. These hormones play a crucial role in regulating metabolism, blood sugar, appetite, stress response, and sleep. When they begin to fluctuate, the body becomes far more sensitive to dietary extremes especially those popular in January.
Many so-called “healthy” diets rely on calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, low-fat or low-carbohydrate rules, and aggressive detoxing. For a perimenopausal body, these strategies can signal stress rather than nourishment. Severe calorie cuts raise cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, which is often already elevated in midlife women due to hormonal instability. High cortisol doesn’t just increase anxiety and disrupt sleep, it actively promotes fat storage, particularly around the abdomen.
Another common mistake is eliminating carbohydrates entirely. While refined sugars should be limited, complex carbohydrates are essential for supporting serotonin, a brain chemical linked to mood regulation and sleep quality. Cutting carbohydrates too drastically can worsen irritability, low mood, brain fog, and nighttime waking, symptoms many women mistakenly attribute to ageing alone.
January diets also tend to underestimate protein and micronutrient requirements. During perimenopause, women need higher protein intake to preserve muscle mass, stabilise blood sugar, and support metabolic health. Inadequate protein consumption can lead to muscle loss, a slower metabolism, and increased fatigue, making weight management more difficult over time.
Detox trends pose another risk. During perimenopause, the liver already works harder to process fluctuating hormone levels. Juice cleanses and liquid-only diets deprive the body of essential nutrients required for effective detoxification, often leaving women feeling depleted rather than energised.
What truly supports a perimenopausal body is not restriction, but regulation. Balanced meals with adequate protein, healthy fats, fibre-rich carbohydrates, and anti-inflammatory foods help stabilise blood sugar and calm the nervous system. Strength training, regular meal timing, and consistent sleep patterns are far more effective than any short-term dietary reset.
January doesn’t need another diet trend, it needs a rethink. For women in perimenopause, health improves not by eating less, but by eating in a way that supports hormonal balance. When nourishment replaces punishment, the body responds with resilience rather than resistance.
