Sugar, Hormones and Weight Gain: Menopause Insights

Originally published in 2017. Updated 23 September, 2026

9 Ways Your Life Will Improve Without Sugar

Sugar is a seductress, and reducing added and refined sugar can improve your life in several ways. It may support steadier energy, appetite, sleep and metabolic health. 

It won’t fix every menopause change, but it can remove one factor that may be making some of them feel worse. And who knows? You may find that the issues you blame on growing older could actually be due to the sugar you ingest.

1. You’ll sleep better

In Part 1 of The Sugar Series: Sugar, Hormones & Weight Gain, we mentioned sugar increases the blood sugar fluctuations and levels of the hormone cortisol that occur in your body. 

And once you know how it works (again, we invite you to read Part 1), it becomes easy to understand why your energy goes up and down when you eat sugar. 

As a result, when you give it up, your body balances out, your brain lights up, and you won’t feel the need for an afternoon snooze from a sugar crash. 

In addition, once you’re through your sugar hangover, you’ll sleep through the night. Ahhh bliss.

2. You’ll lose weight

From the feedback you give us, we know sleep and weight gain (oh, and hot flushes!) are some of your biggest crosses to bear during peri/menopause. 

And one way to lose weight relatively easily is by eliminating or minimising sugar from your diet. 

So you’ll be doing your body a lot of good as you’ll learn from reading this story. And as a bonus, your waistline will reduce. 

Swap cakes and biscuits for a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts or a piece of soft cheese stuffed in a date. While these snacks still come with calories, they’re very different from refined sugar. It takes a while to get into the habit, but once you do, you’ll never look back. Promise.

Need support with managing your weight? Explore our Shake It Off® weight-management options, including targeted capsules, the flexible System and value bundles.

Women eat about 10.5 teaspoons of sugar from sweets, non-alcoholic drinks and fruit per day – consumer.org.nz. Share on X

3. You’ll have more energy

The reasons for this go back to number 1. However, it’s important to note you can go through a withdrawal period that could come with fatigue. 

And just like cocaine and heroin, sugar can be addictive. Therefore, it takes a while to wrest it from your life. 

If you’ll pardon the pun, there’s no sugar-coating that fact. But once you get over the hump, the way gets smoother.

4. You can wave brain fog bye-bye

Brain fog? Is it from sugar or peri- or post-menopause? Or other reasons? In our honest opinion? It could be for several reasons. 

But avoid refined white sugar, and you could find your brain becomes more alert. 

In fact, one study discovered that a high-sugar diet affects learning and memory adversely. They found it may even damage brain cell communication. 

5. You’ll look younger

And don’t we all want that? Oh, to have the skin we had at 20 and the wisdom we have now, right? 

That said, minimise sugar in your diet, and your skin may become smoother and more radiant. Why? The main proteins in our skin are collagen for plumping and elastin for elasticity. 

When we eat sugar, it sticks to these in a process called glycation. As a result, it becomes dry and undernourished. And what happens then? Fine lines and wrinkles. 

6. You can deal with your anxiety & depression

Whether you’ve got a minimalist sweet tooth or a full-on sugar habit, the effects of sugar are different for everyone. Although one thing we do know is that the ups and downs of continual sugar spikes always have a result. 

Indeed, if you don’t get your fix, you could go through an addiction-like withdrawal with signs like anxiety, restlessness and depression.

A study led by Columbia University’s psychiatry professor James Gangwisch that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that sugary foods (and refined carbs) could lead to depression. 

“Most nutritionists would agree that people should try to keep to a minimum added sugar and refined grains and to eat whole, natural, seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans,” said James. “I think this would be well worth a try for anyone suffering from depression.”

Not so long ago, I was trying to give up coffee and I couldn’t. And one of my fellow Integrative Nutrition students said she’d done it and found that after 48 hours she was OK. So the next time I tried, I kept saying 48 hours in my head every time I was tempted. And it worked! Therefore, I’d suggest trying it for sugar avoidance. And if you give it a try – do let me know by emailing me here.

Columbia Uni found a diet high in sugar is likely to cause anxiety, irritability, and mood swings. Share on X

7. You can ask any mid-life blemishes to disappear

I’ve been hearing of lots of women who are experiencing menopausal acne and not liking it one little bit. Indeed, they thought they’d left pimples and blemishes behind years ago. 

But no, our friend sugar contributes hugely to systemic inflammation, which can be a trigger for acne. 

That’s one reason to get over your sugar addiction.

8. You’ll give your health a boost

We know that as our estrogen levels decline during peri- and post-menopause, and our incidence of chronic and serious illness can increase. 

Additionally, systemic inflammation and topsy-turvy insulin levels (mentioned above and in part one) accompany dietary sugar.

So it’s something you want to keep a lid on when it comes to conquering overall health. Inflammation and insulin can increase blood sugar and heart rate, and the subsequent buildup of fatty liver and insulin resistance put you at risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Among other things.

These are all to do with your metabolic health, and if you want support with it and to understand it more, explore our Shake It Off® weight-management options, including targeted capsules, the flexible System and value bundles with an entire metabolic library.

A Columbia University study discovered sugary foods (and refined carbohydrates) could lead to depression. Share on X

9. You’ll feel wonderful

Hallelujah! 

The benefits of minimising sugar are 10-fold. 

What’s more, if you give yourself three weeks, it’ll become like second nature. 

So swap the sugary coffee for fresh lemon and ginger tea (yummy) and the cupcake for an orange or two pieces of really good, 85% dark chocolate (that doesn’t have sugar listed in the top three ingredients). 

And try to get into the habit of eating a salad a day. In winter, try a warm salad. 

It’ll transform how you feel.

Conclusion

That being said, it’s not easy. 

Have you ever heard of anyone breaking an addiction and saying it was? 

But I have to tell you that when you swap the refined and added sugars for lots of green leafy vegetables and a salad a day, you begin to feel great. As a result, you have a ready smile, bucketloads of energy, tend to be ‘nicer’ and are always ready, willing and able to go the extra mile.

THIS WAS PART TWO OF OUR THREE-PART SERIES ON SUGAR. YOU CAN READ PART 1: SUGAR, HORMONES & WEIGHT GAIN HERE.

Jennifer is a certified integrative menopause & weight loss coach with a specialty in 40+ women, peri- and post-menopause. If you have questions, email her here.