The Hollywood actress looks strong and healthy as she heads towards her 60th year, and she’s been sharing some insights into how she looks and feels, so good right now. The star has previously talked about how perimenopause and its symptoms blindsided her somewhat in her early 50s, as she knew little about it or where to go for support.
This has changed over the last few years, and Halle has adapted her whole lifestyle to help her live healthily for as long as possible. Speaking recently on the Run Through with Vogue podcast, she says: “I’ve upped my meditation, I’ve changed the way I eat. I used to be very keto. I didn’t have carbs, no pasta, no rice. I’ve realised that down this path of life, I need some carbs."
Halle has previously spoken about how she’s ditched cardio in favour of strength training, and she told hosts Chloe Malle and Chioma Nnadi that she can “lift heavier than I ever used to lift”. “I never used to lift heavy weights. I always did cardio or running or something very physical, now I’m in the gym lifting weights.”
And she added that she takes a “whole new set of vitamins and supplements,” including magnesium and one supplement that she hadn’t considered before. “I thought I would never take creatine – (I thought) that’s going to blow me up – but no… girl needs that,” she says. She says it helps improve her brain fog, which is another common menopausal symptom.
Creatine is one of the most researched and popular supplements around. It can be very effective for women in perimenopause. While it’s found naturally in foods such as meat and fish, it’s hard to get the recommended daily amount through diet alone, so creatine monohydrate is often supplemented in powder or tablet form.
Taking creatine can help prevent muscle mass loss and bone density loss - both of which are common as our hormone levels fall in menopause. If you do regular strength training, creatine will also improve your strength and stamina.
Research has also linked it to improved cognitive function, memory and mood. A review by Seoul National University College of Medicine and College of Natural Sciences found that women who took a daily antidepressant with 5g of creatine responded twice as fast as those who took the antidepressant alone.
Other studies have also shown that it can help with tiredness and reduce mental fatigue. The recommended dose is 3 to 5g a day, but if you’re not sure if it's suitable for you, you should speak to a doctor first.
Halle Berry's wellbeing must-haves
Creatine can help provide more energy to the muscles, increase muscle growth (which is key in menopause to avoid loss, i.e. sarcopenia), speed up recovery between workouts, and show promise for cognitive health. Ideally, it's taken alongside doing regular strength training.
Like Halle, we're big fans of the Oura ring at woman&home. Digital Health Editor Grace Walsh has worn hers for over a year and relies on it every day to help optimise her sleep, workout, and wind-down routine, depending on what she's been up to that day or the time of the month.
The Eight Sleep Pod 5 is a sleep tracker and optimiser in one. The Pod cools, heats, and adjusts automatically, as well as keeping an eye on your sleep quality to help you get the best night's sleep for you. It just goes on your bed like any other mattress cover.
Halle says “everything has changed” in her life when it comes to her longevity and that she has learned a lot from working with her menopause platform and community, Respin. “There are so many new things I’ve been learning”, she says, including taking peptides, which are nutrients found in eggs, dairy and marine products. They reportedly can help with our skin, muscle growth, weight management and immune system support.
She says she’s also working on improving her sleep by wearing an Oura ring and using an Eight Sleep. This is a mattress that aims to ease menopause symptoms such as snoring, insomnia or night sweats by adapting elevation, temperature, and sound for the user. Halle says she used to get around three hours of sleep a night, but now she’s up to seven or eight.
“What it does is in the middle of the night, it senses your body temperature, and when you need it to cool down because you’re overheating, it cools the mattress down and helps you regulate your temperature,” she explains. “I love it.”
