And What Perimenopause Has to Do With It
How to stop fighting your body and start trusting what it actually needs
"Just notice," I say when working with clients. "Am I tightening through my shoulders? Am I gripping through my collarbone area?" It’s often easier and more obvious to work directly with the body on where you feel tight or where you might feel less flexible.
But what if I asked you the same question about eating during perimenopause? Where are you gripping with food?
Maybe it's in the way you clench your jaw when you're trying to "be good" with your choices. Or how your whole body tenses when you see sugar, like you're bracing for a battle with yourself.
The Hidden Places We Hold Food Stress During Hormonal Changes
Your body knows. It knows the difference between nutrition that supports and substances that make you grip tighter from the inside.
When perimenopause symptoms hit, I found myself in a body I didn't understand—sensitive, moody, heavy. I knew I needed more protein for menopause, but everything I tried seemed to make my system feel more scattered, not more grounded.
Sugar made my menopause nervous system spike and crash. Most protein powders for women over 40 left me feeling artificially wired, then depleted. My body was asking for support, but everything I found made me grip tighter, not soften.
What if Menopause Nutrition Could Be a Softening Practice?
"Thank your body for loosening its grip," I teach in movement. What if you could thank your body for knowing what it needs during hormonal transitions?
When we created XO Jacqui protein, we asked a simple question: What would menopause support protein feel like if it worked with your changing body instead of against it? What if nourishment could help you soften instead of making you grip tighter?
Clean ingredients for menopause. No added sugar protein powder. Nothing that hijacks your nervous system or makes you feel like you're fighting yourself during an already challenging time.
How to Notice Your Body's Wisdom Without Judgment
"The practice isn't about getting somewhere," I always say. "It's about becoming curious about where you've been all along."
What if you approached eating during menopause the same way? Not with rules and restrictions, but with gentle curiosity. How does your body feel an hour after you eat something? What makes your symptoms worse? What helps your system settle?
Signs Your Food is Making You Grip:
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Jaw tension after meals
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Energy crashes that leave you irritable
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Sugar cravings that feel desperate, not satisfying
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Feeling scattered instead of nourished
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Perimenopause anxiety that spikes after eating
What Supportive Menopause Nutrition Feels Like:
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Steady energy without crashes
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Reduced inflammation and menopause bloating
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Better sleep and mood stability
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Feeling grounded, not scattered
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Trust in your body's signals
The Connection Between Food Stress and Symptoms
Your body is already working overtime during perimenopause and menopause. When you add foods that create internal stress—sugar spikes, artificial ingredients, inflammatory compounds—you're asking your system to manage even more.
But when you choose hormone-supportive nutrition like clean protein with no sugar added, you give your body the building blocks it needs without the extra burden.
XO Jacqui organic protein was created specifically for women navigating hormonal changes. It's gentle on menopause digestion, supports menopause muscle maintenance, and helps balance energy without the crash.
Trust What Your Changing Body Is Telling You
Your body already knows the difference between what supports and what disrupts during this transition. Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is stop micromanaging your choices and start trusting what your body is telling you.
Perimenopause is not the time for restriction and forcing. It's time for gentle support and strategic nourishment.
Where could you practice a little more softening with food today?
Ready to try nutrition that works WITH your changing body? Discover how XO Jacqui protein supports women through perimenopause and menopause without the grip of added sugars or artificial ingredients.