Weight loss: Two common breakfast mistakes that cause women to 'store more belly fat' during menopause

“I’m a qualified nutritionist who helps 40+ women look and feel their best as they go through the ageing process, but particularly as they go through menopause," she told her viewers.

The first worst mistake women can make when having breakfast, according to the expert, is having nothing besides black coffee.

“So many women do this in a bid to eat less and to do some intermittent fasting, and to have fewer calories going into their system," Sarah Lawuk explained.

“I am absolutely not against intermitted fasting at all, however, I do believe there are when it can be good, and seasons of life where you might need to be a little cautious.

“When you are going through perimenopause and your hormones are all over the place, your body is probably going to be a little bit more stressed out.

“If you’re going loads of fasting on top of that, you can stress your body out even more.

“And in fact, the best way to do fasting if you’re going to do it, is to actually bring your dinner forward, and still have breakfast in the morning."

Having coffee on an empty stomach first thing in the morning is going to trigger a sharp cortisol spike, which in turn, contributes to a hormonal imbalance.

“And it’s going to cause you to store more belly fat,” the expert added.

The second worst breakfast women eat during menopause, according to Sarah, is a “lovely little bowl of [cereal such as] Weetabix with berries on a little bit of milk”.

Although it is low-fat and high in fibre, there are better sources of fibre than common cereals, the expert cautioned.

“Where is the protein? Where are the healthy fats? It’s going to be way better for you to start your day with some quality protein and some healthy fats, rather than just a bowl of carbs,” she said.

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Evidence suggests that a lack of protein contributes to weight gain during menopause, as the body’s need for protein naturally increases at this time.

What’s more, a dysregulation of hormones often leads to increased hunger - which is only exacerbated when protein is excluded from the diet.

The food group is essential for keeping the body full and satisfied while helping increase metabolic rate.

Cutting out protein also significantly increases the risk of losing muscle mass, which is essential for prolonging healthspan as we age.