Top 7 tips to support your immune system in midlife
+ Meet Esther Blum, author of "See ya later, Ovulator!"
Peri/menopause and immunity
Do our immune systems tank in midlife?
Are you stuck with a cold that just won’t go away?
Are you picking up every bug that goes around the office? Have you just been diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis or Hashimoto’s?
You’re not alone. Midlife is the time when hormones, life stress, and immune health collide and things get messy. So let’s get into this and find out exactly why a once strong immune system can suddenly start to fail when menopause arrives.
How menopause affects your immune system
This risk can partly be explained by the hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause and menopause. Estrogen and progesterone are often only thought of as reproductive hormones but in fact, they influence immunity too. And when they start to fall, there’s a knock-on effect on immune function.
Progesterone is known to have a modulatory effect on mast cell activity (mast cells release histamine which triggers inflammation and other symptoms) and T-cell development. It also relaxes smooth muscle tissue, which has an impact on gut motility and digestive function — and we’ll see in a moment why this is linked with immune health.
Estrogen regulates parts of your innate immune response to viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. It influences inflammatory pathways and most importantly, it interacts with your gut microbiome. This diverse colony of microbes plays a major role in regulating immune health. This two-way relationship between gut flora and estrogen means that menopause is a time when things can start to go wrong.
Top 7 tips to support your immune system during menopause
1.   Check your vitamin D levels
Vitamin D is essential for a healthy immune system but deficiency is a problem in many parts of the world including the U.S. Black women and women of color have a higher risk of deficiency than their white counterparts because skin pigmentation reduces vitamin D production in the skin. Even so, everyone needs to have their levels checked at least once a year. Take a supplement during the winter months, and for the rest of the year too if your levels are consistently low.
2.   Nourish your gut microflora
The beneficial microbes in your gut love to feast on fiber from whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, beans, and pulses. Fermented foods are helpful too, as they can top up your levels of good bacteria. Include sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, or natural yogurt several times a week, and enjoy plenty of fiber-rich foods each day.
Meet Esther Blum, an integrative dietitian, bestselling author, and menopause expert
Weston, Connecticut • Instagram @gorgeousesther • TikTok @esther_blum
I help women make menopause their b*tch with nutrition, hormones, and self-advocacy. I’m an integrative dietitian, bestselling author of five books, menopause expert, teenage boy mom, wife, avid reader, and humorist.
I am in the midst of
Growing my team and rebranding my business. I’m creating a movement that will give one million women a voice in their menocare because right now, the situation is quite dire.
1.2 billion women will be in menopause by 2030, and doctors are not only uneducated about hormone replacement therapy but are taught to fear hormones that the FDA approved long ago for women in menopause. We deserve better and can empty out nursing home units, offsetting the risk of Alzheimer’s, UTIs and bladder leaks, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis–all with long-term use of microdoses of bioidentical hormones, a protein-rich diet, strength training, and some supplements.
The best thing I’ve done for myself in midlife
Healing from childhood abuse after my mother died last year has been the most powerful game-changer I’ve ever experienced. I finally feel safe in my body for the first time since I was six years old. My operating system has had a complete upgrade!
My midlife must-have
Sleep and hormones are my ultimate necessities. Without them, I’m a hot mess (literally), have zero energy or motivation, and can’t string a sentence of words together properly!
Calling all midlife trailblazers! We’d love to tell your story. Upgrade your subscription to become a Founding MidstHer here on The Midst Substack. We’ll email you with more details. If you have questions, email tiffany@the-midst.com.
Counterphobia: How doing things that terrify me helps my anxiety
Sometimes, managing my generalized anxiety is like walking around an emotional world dodging landmines. My experience with this diagnosis consists of learning new coping methods, implementing mental-health management tools, and taking preventative measures regularly.
I also see a therapist. Last week, while Zooming with him, he lobbed over the term counterphobic, which he’s observed as a noticeable character trait of mine.Â
We’ll soon publish an exclusive chapter of See ya later, Ovulator! Mastering Menopause With Nutrition, Hormones, and Self-Advocacy by Esther Blum.