No one ever said this would be easy. If youre currently experiencing menopause , you know there can be some tough moments as you navigate through the life stage that officially begins 12 months after your last period.

Those physical and mental changes are real, according to Dr. Talia Sobel , assistant professor for womens health internal medicine at Mayo Clinic Arizona. During menopause transition, women may experience a variety of symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, brain fog, mood changes, hair thinning or loss, weight gain, joint pain and sexual health changes, she said.

As if thats not enough, you should prepare for fluctuations in your gut, too, said functional medicine practitioner Erika Siegel . The microbiome starts to have a smaller variation of microbes, and theres often reduced hydrochloric acid production, she said. Both can make it harder to digest some foods. Because the drop of estrogen is also associated with an increase in cortisol production, theres often an increased stress response, which can result in less digestive efficiency, along with more indigestion and belly aches.

With your body undergoing the biggest upheaval youve likely experienced since you got your first training bra, you really need to take good care of yourself right now. Even though every woman who lives long enough will go through menopause, and every woman has a different experience, Sobel said, ensuring a healthy lifestyle with sufficient nutrition intake and exercise is very important for overall health.

Since women can live 40% of their lives after menopause , you might as well enter this period feeling as good as you possibly can.

Eat More Of These Foods

The best menopause diet is a nutrient-dense, balanced diet that you can stick with long term, said Tara Schmidt , a registered dietitian nutritionist and co-author of The Mayo Clinic Diet: Weight-Loss Medications Edition . That might look different for different people, and thats OK. A Mediterranean-style eating plan would be a good place to start.

As you consider the best way to keep yourself nourished, keep these expert suggestions in mind.

Consider phytoestrogens: According to Karen Newby , a menopause nutritionist and author of The Natural Menopause Method : This clever family of food can give an estrogen-like effect to help with the highs and lows of blood sugar. In Asia, where soy consumption is high, women report fewer menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes. Good sources, she suggested, include tofu, tempeh and soy yogurt.