Building a perimenopausal-friendly diet with 24 African-American, Caribbean and African foods
15 plant-based dishes for Black vegans and Black vegetarians who want to help prevent brain fog
Before I make this confession, please know that I’m knocking on every piece of wood near me: I’ve had cramps less than a handful of times in 44 years and am not sure I ever had a legitimate hot flash. I also have no idea what KevOnStage is talking about when it comes to brain fog in perimenopausal women. Still, KevOnStage talked about perimenopause so much on the “Lovers By Shan” podcast that it reminded me of a kid who learned a Word of the Day. He just couldn’t wait to bring it up, with his wife (Mrs. KevOnStage) sitting next to him.
Perimenopause frustrates women in their 40s due to hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood changes, joint pain, weight gain and bone density changes. To make matters more complicated, research suggests Black women have an increased risk of hot flashes compared to white women due to a number of risk factors, including advanced age, obesity, smoking, alcohol intake and estrogen levels. And while I stopped socially smoking more than 20 years ago and barely drink (other than a random glass of wine), brain fog caught my attention more than the other perimenopausal symptoms.
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I’ve heard a number of times that perimenopausal women experience brain fog. However, all of these symptoms just sound like “busy brain” — an accusation an ex would constantly accuse me of having.
Common symptoms include:
Forgetting names, words or appointments more often than usual
Losing your train of thought during conversations
Difficulty concentrating on tasks
Feeling mentally “cloudy” or sluggish
Trouble multitasking
Slower processing speed
Difficulty finding the right word (“tip-of-the-tongue” moments)
Feeling less organized or easily distracted
Have I had these moments? Yes. But I also had these moments in my 20s and 30s because I have an ongoing to-do list in my head.
Then again, multi-tasking has become a creative challenge these days. A couple of months ago, I was on the phone with my homeowners insurance company while I washed the microwave dish for my Hound mix Junee’s wet food. I went ahead and washed a dirty cereal bowl and her dog dish too. When I was done, I heated the wet food in the cereal bowl and dumped dry kibble inside.
I looked from my dog to the cereal bowl, and then my eyes traveled to the clean dog dish and dog microwave dish that were untouched. I shrugged, put the ceramic cereal bowl on her floor mat and walked away. As picky as she is about dog dishes, she devoured her food from this unfamiliar bowl.
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Brain fog during perimenopause may come from a combination of fluctuating estrogen levels, poor sleep, stress, inflammation and changes in blood sugar regulation.
Recommended Read: “Could a Stress Journal be the stress reliever Black people need? ~ Moderating worries may be helpful to Black people diagnosed with hypertension”
While no single food can eliminate brain fog, at least 15 foods commonly found on dinner tables from African-Americans, Caribbeans and Africans contain nutrients that support brain function, reduce inflammation and help maintain stable energy levels. And when I saw one of the foods on this list, I wondered if that’s why I don’t regularly experience the kind of brain fog I hear about from perimenopause. The food I eat on a regular basis? Collard greens, thanks to a neighbor’s community garden that I pass by during my morning walks with Junee.
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But as a 21-year vegetarian, I don’t eat the seafood items that were originally suggested (and featured in the image above) and have never heard of at least three dishes. (I missed out on breadfruit while I was in Hawaii two times.) For Black vegetarians and Black vegans, could these other 15 plant-based and plant-friendly foods do the trick? Find out perks for all 15 dishes below.