Studies Reveal The 7 Menopause Diets: Do’s And Don’ts
Studies Reveal The 7 Menopause Diets: Do’s And Don’ts
Women between the ages of 45-55 go through a transformation that changes the hormonal balance in their body. Menopause marks the end of the fertile phase as the ovaries size to produce estrogens. Menopause causes painful hot flashes, night sweats, bone loss and mood swings, Hirsutism and many other symptoms in women.
Menopause diet is nothing but a carefully planned diet that addresses the special nutritional requirements of women during and after menopause. In this article, we have compiled 7 menopause diets along with the Do’s and Don’ts.
Why Do Women Need Menopause Diet?
Many studies reveal that Asian women experience fewer menopause symptoms in comparison to their western counterparts. As Asian women consume low quantities of meat and animal fat, they tend to experience fewer symptoms of menopause. On the contrary, women in the west consume meat and high-fat food on a daily basis, and they experience more menopause symptoms. A well-balanced diet plays a vital role in managing the menopause symptoms.
RELATED ARTICLE: Top 4 Reasons Menopause May Come Early
Menopause Diets
Do’s
Calcium And Iron Rich Food
As per the study conducted by Weaver CM, Proulx WR and Henry R on achieving adequate calcium with a vegan diet it was found that people can only absorb 30% of the calcium from milk and other dairy products. The remaining 70% is excreted without getting absorbed by the body.
Food that is rich in calcium and iron can help women to prevent bone loss due to menopause. Hence, women can get maximum quantity of calcium from greens and beans as greens are well absorbed by our bodies.
Dietary fibre
Women can find benefit from the high fibre and low-fat diet during menopause.
- Whole-grain bread
- Cereals
- Brown rice
- Pasta
- Fresh fruits
- Vegetables
As menopausal women suffer from slow metabolism and a weak digestive system, the above-mentioned foods are rich in dietary fibre that helps to speed up the metabolism rate in women with menopause.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs)
As per a study conducted by Ken D Stark, Eek J Park, Valerie A Maines and Bruce J Holub on effects of fish oil on post-menopausal women who are not receiving hormonal treatments, it was found that fish oil supplementation can reduce the heart disease risk in post-menopausal women by 27%. Diet rich in EFAs also reduces depression in menopausal women.
Water consumption
Consuming plenty of clear water is a must good health. But there are more reasons for menopausal women to consume plenty of water:
- Lack of hydration in the body can worsen the memory lags that occur during menopause. To keep the brain active hydration is essential.
- Menopause hot flashes can leave women dehydrated due to profuse sweating and dehydration causes hot flashes in turn. Such unhealthy cycle can be broken by consuming more amounts of water.
- Mood swings can be soothed with good hydration.
- Older women experience urinary infections and bladder issues. Consuming enough water ensures a healthy bladder and keeps the infections in check.Eating moderately for a healthy weight
Menopause can add few inches to the waist. Women experience a sudden increase in their body weight as the metabolism rate slows down. Menopausal women should follow a balanced meal plan and an active lifestyle to reduce weight.
Black cohosh
Traditional supplements are said to be one of the most effective ways to manage menopause symptoms. One such traditional herb that has gained a good reputation for treating menopause symptoms is Black Cohosh.
As per the findings of the American College of Gynaecology, black Cohosh supplements can considerably reduce the night sweating and palpitations when used for a short period (6 months).
Other supplements
Menopausal symptoms are effectively treated by some of the best menopausal supplements that are available on the market today. One such supplement is Menofreeze menopausal supplement. Menofreeze is formulated with natural ingredients that are clinically tested for effectiveness. Most of the menopausal symptoms can be treated by Menofreezesuch as hot flashes, sweating, weight gain, etc.
RELATED ARTICLE: 9 Signs of Hormonal Imbalance
Don’ts
While menopausal symptoms can be managed by healthy diet and supplements, women should follow certain Don’ts in order to maintain their health during menopause.
Alcohol
Regular consumption of alcohol is found to worsen the mood swings in menopausal women. Alcohol not only wrecks the mood it also induces fatigue and listlessness.
Caffeine
Caffeine can disturb sleep, and it can trigger mood swings. Women can supplement coffee with herbal tea.
Meat consumption
Fatty cuts or meat can increase the fat content in the body. Hence, menopausal women should avoid meat as much as possible to keep their body weight in check.
Sugary treats and foods
Sugar can give an instant energy, but it also gives a lot of calories to the body.
Refined carbohydrates
Consumption of refined carbohydrates adds calories, worsen mood swings and induce fatigue
RELATED ARTICLE: 3 Ways to Get Rid of Your Stubborn Menopause Belly Fat
Crash dieting
Skipping meals can deprive menopausal women of essential nutrients thereby worsening the menopause symptoms.
Spicy food consumption
Spicy foods worsen the hot flashes as they cause excessive sweating.
Conclusion
Menopause symptoms are very tough to manage for the majority of the women. Estrogen pills and patches are prescribed by doctors to treat menopause symptoms. However, these hormonal supplements can have serious side effects such as cancer, heart ailments, strokes and blood clots. If women want to manage the menopause symptoms, they should consider a diet that is safe and effective and eliminate bad diet choices.
About the Author
Katleen Brown is a health and fitness writer. She is a long-time native from Ashburn, Virginia, USA, who loves to publish her articles on various health related websites. In her spare time, she likes to do research and write articles to bring awareness to the most recent health & beauty problems, and innovative remedies that can help save the lives of people while bringing down the costs of health care. She also works for social development on health-related topics. Get in touch with her on G+, Twitter and Pinterest.
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