Please enjoy this guest post by Angela Peck with common sense advice about relieving menopause symptoms with diet.
If you’re bothered with common menopause symptoms like night sweats, hot flashes, mood changes, and weight gain, then this period of your life can feel like you’re constantly fighting against your body—and your body is clearly winning. And certainly, some of these signs of “Meno-Pot-Belly” or “turning St. Catherine’s corner” (editor’s note: Angela tells me that this is an antiquated, vague term for going through menopause) are to be expected due to the changes that are going on internally, but that doesn’t mean that they have to be tolerated.
The one positive thing about menopause (if there is such a thing), is that you have a lot of different options when it comes to easing the symptoms that come along with it. One that is not talked about often but that can have a very positive effect on how easy this period of your life is, no pun intended, involves your diet. What are some changes that may help you better survive “the change”?
Eat More Fruits and Veggies
Dr. Elaine Magee suggests that one way to help manage bothersome menopausal symptoms is to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet. This can be accomplished by cutting them up and eating them as snacks, adding them to your favorite dishes and casseroles, and using them as side dishes.
Juicing is another way to help ensure that you get the fruits and veggies your body needs to function as efficiently and effectively as it can during this time of change. Plus, getting an abundance of vitamins and minerals often comes with other benefits as well. For instance, one woman used juicing to help her reverse her skin condition, which is a bonus in anyone’s book.
Limit High Fat Foods
While you want to increase your fruit and vegetable intake to better survive menopause, at the same time you also want to decrease the amount of high fat foods you eat to further lessen its effects. How much? According to WebMD, “Fat should provide 25% to 35% or less of your total daily calories. Also, limit saturated fat to less than 7% of your daily calories.”
This mean choosing lean meats over meats that have visible fat on them and selecting lower fat options when it comes to dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese. However, some good-for-you fats that actually offer a number of health benefits can be found in nuts, seeds, salmon, coconut oil, and seafood, so those are ones you’ll want to consider leaving in your diet.
Drink More Water
Because the decrease in estrogen during menopause generally results in drier-than-normal skin and a dry vaginal area, drinking enough water daily can help. It’s been found that water can actually help to lower the amount of bloating that can take place during changes in hormones. As a result, a little extra H20 offers a few different benefits in this stage of life.
Ultimately, you want to aim to consume at least eight glasses per day. If plain old water bores you, consider adding fruit slices or melon dices to it to give it some flavor without adding sugar or calories. Also, keep in mind that caffeine is a diuretic, so you’re best sticking with water when you can.
Menopause may be not unavoidable, but sometimes its symptoms are. Making these three dietary changes certainly can’t hurt. Who knows? They might even help.
Women who received the soy protein along with isoflavones had significantly reduced levels of βCTX as compared to the women receiving only soy protein. The findings from the research conducted by University of Hull suggested that the rate of bone loss in these women was potentially slowed down and their risk of developing osteoporosis was hence reduced than the women who avoided usage of Soy Protein. Menopause may not be avoidable but the proper diet can help in controlling the symptoms of menopause amongst other things e.g, strengthening the bone structure for ensuring better health
Source: http://www.healthunits.com/these-foods-will-help-you-fight-the-symptoms-of-menopause/
Good info – but remember that soy is one of the top eight food allergens (acccording to Mayo clinic).(alas, I am one of those afflicted. Soy is helpful in relieving menopause symptoms for many women – remember moderation in all things.
It can all be so confusing!! I was taking the over the counter Estroven to help with my menopause symptoms (especially since it contained soy.) However, after consulting with a migraine specialists (because yes, I get those, too), he told me to stop taking them b/c they can contribute to strokes (especially in women.) I explained to him that they were not prescription…just over the counter…but he reiterated his concern. I have since discontinued my visits with said specialist (for other reasons), but it can be so difficult to know what to believe when there is even so much controversy within the medical community. Is there any definitive and trustworthy source that can be counted on?
Soy is controversial, that’s true. I recommend visiting a holistic medical practitioner to get a more complete idea of how to alleviate symptoms. And it is important not to take even phytoestrogens like soy without progesterone cream as well. Check out the Menopause Marketplace for progesterone creams.