5 Surprisingly Powerful Ways to Eat Carbs and Still Support Your Hormones in Perimenopause

When you first start noticing perimenopause symptoms—brain fog, bloating, and that “where did my waist go?” moment—the internet’s advice is often the same: cut carbs, cut calories, and double your HIIT workouts.

Cue the collective sigh.

You scroll through Instagram, watching other women who “finally cracked the code” and wonder what you’re missing. Is it willpower? Discipline? A secret stash of rice cakes that actually work?

It’s none of that. The truth? Most women who are feeling better aren’t cutting carbs completely. They’re just choosing the right ones—and using them to fuel their energy, mood, metabolism, and hormones.

So in this blog, I’m breaking down 5 surprisingly powerful ways to eat carbs that actually support your perimenopausal body—without guilt, overwhelm, or beige sadness 😉

1. Forget about the Myth that Carbs = Belly Fat

If you’ve been conditioned to believe that eating a banana after 3pm is the nutritional equivalent of tax fraud, it’s time to breathe.

Here’s what’s actually true: Your hormones need carbs.

Carbohydrates help regulate:

• Cortisol (your stress hormone)
  
• Serotonin (your mood stabilizer)
  
• Blood sugar (your energy control panel)
  

Without enough quality carbs, your cortisol can spike, your mood can tank, and you might find yourself crying because your avocado wasn't ripe again.

Instead of slashing carbs, focus on swapping them:

→ Trade ultra-processed white carbs for fibre-rich options like oats, sweet potato, and brown rice.
→ Include protein and healthy fats with your carbs to slow digestion and reduce energy crashes.

This is the real “secret” to trimming belly fat: blood sugar balance, not carb fear.

2. Stop Eating Like it's still 1997 (aka. Just Cereal and Coffee)

Remember those “healthy” mornings of Special K and skim milk?

Spoiler: your 40-something metabolism needs more than a spoonful of air and good intentions.

Start your day with complex carbs paired with protein and fat—think overnight oats with chia and berries, or sourdough toast with eggs and avocado.

If cereal is your preferred way to go, that’s cool. Try adding some protein like greek yoghurt or mix a scoop of vanilla protein powder into the milk; and finish with some fats like a couple spoons of nuts or a drizzle of almond butter.

Why this matters:
Eating balanced carbs at breakfast helps reset your circadian rhythm, supports cortisol flow, and gives your serotonin (aka, your feel-good neurotransmitter) a solid head start.

It’s not about ditching breakfast carbs all together—it’s about giving them backup dancers. Protein + fat = the Spice Girls of blood sugar support.

3. Supercharge your Mood with Evening Carbs

This one might sound backwards—but hear me out.

Having a small serving of carbs in the evening (like roasted sweet potato or brown rice with dinner) can actually help you sleep and boost your mood.

Why?

Carbs help the amino acid tryptophan enter the brain, where it gets converted into serotonin and then melatonin—your sleepy-time hormone.

So if you’re lying in bed at 3am wondering if the fridge light actually turns off, it might be time to try a dinner that includes some complex carbs.

Bonus tip if you’re struggling with sleep and night sweats: opt for plant-based protein at night (like lentils, tofu or chickpeas). 

Why?

Meat protein can slightly raise body temperature due to diet-induced thermogenesis—which might make night sweats and disrupted sleep worse.

4. Ditch the "No-Carb after 6pm" Rule Forever!

This one’s a hangover from the 2000s diet era—and it’s gotta go.

Carbs eaten in the evening won’t automatically turn to fat. What matters is the type, amount, and what it’s paired with.

In fact, if you’re active during the day, stressed, or peri-zapped (aka flatlined energy by 4pm), evening carbs might actually help you recover and recharge.

Try this:

→ ½ cup cooked quinoa + steamed greens + grilled salmon
→ Sweet potato mash + chickpea curry
→ Stir-fry with brown rice, tofu, and veggies (bonus: sprinkle pumpkin seeds for magnesium)

It’s not about eating less. It’s about eating smarter for your symptoms.

5. Create a Carb Strategy that Matches YOUR Archetype

The biggest shift I made—personally and professionally—was realising that not all perimenopause symptoms are caused by the same thing.

Some women struggle with blood sugar crashes and stubborn belly fat.

Others can’t sleep, feel wired at night, or wake up in a fog.

The food your body needs depends on the root cause driving your perimenopause symptoms—and carbs play a role in that.

That’s exactly why I created the Perimenopause Archetype Quiz —to help you figure out whether your body is dealing with adrenal stress, blood sugar dysregulation, inflammation, or sluggish liver detox.

Once you know your archetype, you can tailor your carb intake (and your meals in general) to what actually works for you.

No more guesswork. No more copying your friend’s keto plan from 2014.

BONUS: Carb-Friendly Checklist for Mood + Energy

Not all carbs are created equal. Here’s a handy-dandy list of whole food carbs to help boost mood, support energy, and stabilise blood sugar:

• Root Veggies – sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, beetroot
• Whole Grains – oats, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat
• Legumes – chickpeas, lentils, black beans
• Fruit – berries, bananas, apples, pears, cherries
• Gluten-Free Wholefoods – amaranth, millet, corn
• Bonus Mood Boosters – dark chocolate (85%), raw honey (in small amounts)

Save this. Pin this. Print it and stick it on your fridge next to that expired bottle of fish oil 😉

Wrapping it up...

Carbs aren’t the villain. In perimenopause, they’re often the missing puzzle piece.

From fueling your brain and supporting sleep to stabilising mood and taming cravings —smart carbs can change everything.

Here’s your permission slip to ditch the diet rules and build meals that work for your body —because feeling better isn’t about restriction, it’s about reconnection.

🤍 Want to figure out exactly what your body needs?

Take the Perimenopause Archetype Quiz and get a tailored nutrition plan based on your symptoms and root cause 👇🏻