The menopause, is a natural progression for every woman.
For some, the menopause is a time to embrace a new, positive stage of life, but for others, it can be a rollercoaster of depression, loss of identity, weight gain, mood swings, hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety, and other debilitating symptoms. Food can be used effectively to reduce many a troublesome symptom of the menopause.
As the body changes during menopause, selecting the right food is crucial for supporting these natural, hormonal changes, as well as for combating symptoms that can be so chaotic and troublesome. Food can be a highly effective ally in combating the symptoms that play mayhem with a woman’s hormonal changes and can directly tackle menopause symptoms and support women through the changes.
Food needs to be carefully selected to target menopause symptoms as weight gain happens for many women due to hormonal changes.
A bespoke diet plan is recommended to prevent excessive weight gain and unhealthy cholesterol levels. Food such as oily fish, with its good Omega-3 content, can also promote effective balance of ‘good’ cholesterol and lower levels of unhealthy/bad cholesterol.
Hot flushes resulting from falling oestradiol (oestrogen produced in ovaries) can be soothed by fruits and vegetables containing vitamins C and E, whole grains, oily fish, flax seeds, soy and other food beneficial for the menopause.
Falling oestrogen levels can reduce bone density, raising the risk of osteoporosis, making bones fragile. See our blog on how eating olives can help bone density.
A diet containing good levels of calcium is required and Vitamin D is also needed for calcium absorption.
Sources of Calcium: Dairy products, Seeds, Beans, Lentils, Almonds.
Sources of Vitamin D: Tuna, Mackerel, Salmon, Egg yolks, Butter.
Reducing the amount of tea and coffee will also aid calcium absorption as these drinks can speed up calcium loss.
Research has focussed on the use of plant phytoestrogens to alleviate hot flushes and other symptoms.
Sources of phytoestrogens: Soy beans, Lentils, Flax seeds, Sesame seeds, Alfalfa sprouts.
Menopause symptoms and their severity vary from one woman to another. Speak to the Nutripanda team about how food can support you through the menopausal stage of life.
Contact us today to arrange for a test for your Hormone levels and your bone density.