Dr Michael Mosley is a doctor turned weight loss guru who is a huge fan of intermittent fasting and the principles of the Mediterranean diet. He spoke about how incorporating a Mediterranean diet can be beneficial for women in perimenopause who want to lose weight.
Dr Michael Mosley appeared on The Dr Louise Newson Podcast to discuss weight loss options for this specific group of women.
The expert stated: “There’s a very clear link with the menopause in the sense that as women go through the menopause, it doubles their risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of the large waist, high blood pressure, high blood sugars as you know, and high blood fat.
“In that, whereas type two diabetes is relatively rarer in women before the menopause, it becomes increasingly common.
“And that seems to be largely to do with the fact that as women go through menopause, they’re at greater risk of laying down visceral fat, the fat shifts, if you like, towards the abdominal area.”
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Dr Michael referred to this as “high-risk fat”, and provided his advice on how to shift it.
One of his key tips for women during this period was to follow a Mediterranean diet.
He started off by dispelling the myth that fat is bad: “People buy some decent olive oil and they’re scared that they’re going to have a heart attack by the time they’ve finished the bottle.”
Dr Michael continued: “In terms of the Mediterranean diet, it’s very much bringing in fatty fish, nuts, seeds, pulses.”
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He continued that whole foods and dairy – the non-processed kind – are vital for this sort of diet.
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He placed an emphasis on “real food“, and detailed the types of ingredients slimmers should be eating on his website.
On the Fast 800 official website, Dr Michael explained that dieters should kickstart the day with eggs – and for some extra nutrients, pair this with oily fish and greens.
Full-fat yoghurts are also a great snack, topped with some blueberries that are brimming in antioxidants.
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High quality proteins are a must, so perimenopausal women should go for chicken, turkey, oily fish, nuts and seeds.
However, processed meats should be avoided for the most part, as these are not nutrient rich.
Foods such as chips and white bread should be eaten very sparingly, according to Dr Michael, with slimmers opting to fill up on whole grains instead.
The expert is a big fan of adding extra virgin olive oil – which is rich in healthy saturated fats – to things such as veggies and salads.
Perimenopausal women should “cut right down on sugar” when following a Mediterranean diet.
This even includes sugary fruits such as mango pineapple and melon.
Fruits such as apples, pears and berries make healthier, low sugar, low calorie options instead.
Dr Michael suggested that the benefits of a Mediterranean diet are plenty – “much better bones, better strength, less weight, lower risk of heart disease, lower risk of breast cancer, lower risk of cognitive decline”.
Source: Daily Express | Diet
