Technically, the menopause is the point at which a woman has her last menstrual period and is therefore no longer fertile. For some time before this, periods may have occurred without ovulation, and they may have been getting gradually further apart or, in some cases, closer together.At the menopause, the ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which leads to other bodily changes. For example, although  estrogen is mainly thought of as a sex hormone, cells in the vagina, bladder, breasts, skin, bones, arteries, heart, liver, and brain all contain estrogen receptors.

The peri-menopausal years - in other words, those leading up to that final period - may be as long as ten years, and are different for each woman.

At least two major health problems can develop in women in the years after menopause: heart disease and osteoporosis. A decrease in hormone production is most likely the cause of these conditions at that stage in life. The years following menopause can be healthy years, depending on how you take care of yourself. Not all women will develop heart disease or osteoporosis after menopause. Many lifestyle factors that have nothing to do with estrogen levels can affect your heart and your bones. The key to helping prevent heart disease and osteoporosis is lifestyle change, with nutrition and physical activity as major components.

Nutrition and diet

You may find that you feel better if you eat little and often as if your blood-sugar levels drop menopausal symptoms often increase. Always take time to digest and enjoy your food, which may mean having a little less to eat on any one occasion.

Foods should be as unprocessed as possible. Remember that the more highly processed or refined a food is the fewer nutrients it contains. This is a high-nutrient time of your life and you cannot afford to eat low-nutrient foods.

Nutritional supplements

Although manufacturers of nutritional supplements are not allowed to make specific claims, there is now a plethora of products which, as their names suggest, are aimed specifically at the menopausal woman. The main things to look out for are adequate amounts of:

  • Magnesium citrate
  • Calcium citrate
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin E
  • Essential fatty acids
  • Dong quai

A diet rich in phytoestrogens can also be beneficial to help reduce menopausal symptoms. Try adding some foods rich in phytoestrogens such as tofu, miso, soy beans, chickpeas, lentil, flaxseeds, also known as linseeds or spinach to your diet.

Ensure your diet is also rich in calcium. Calcium will help prevent osteoporosis, a risk of menopause. Include the following foods to help increase your dietary calcium intake:

  • low fat diary products (milk, cheese and yoghurt)
  • broccoli
  • cauliflower
  • salmon
  • tofu
  • leafy green vegetables

Controlling weight:

  • Healthy eating habits
  • Regular exercise
  • Eat from a smaller plate
  • Eat slowly and thoroughly chew each mouthful of food
  • Eat small amounts of food regularly instead of large meals
  • Eat your smallest meal at night
  • Use a list when grocery shopping
  • Avoid grocery shopping when hungry
  • Avoid eating after 8 pm when the metabolism is very slow
  • If going, eat a little less that day and the day afterwards
  • Limit alcohol
  • Weight loss supplements

The risk of heart disease is also increased after menopause. Use our diet to protect your heart by eating a balanced, low fat diet with plenty of nuts, seeds and fish.

Weight Gain in Menopause

Perimenopause, which leads to menopause, marks the beginning of the end of the menstrual cycle. In this stage, which spans from five to ten years, estrogen levels begin to decline, ovulation becomes less regular and weight gain tends to become a problem. Some women who have struggled with just a few extra pounds often find themselves struggling harder against weight gain during perimenopause. Even women who have generally stayed in a healthy weight range for many years suddenly find themselves having to work a lot harder to stay there. Some experts believe that the reason for the weight problem is the fluctuation in hormone levels, while others suggest it is an age-related decline in muscle mass that ultimately decreases metabolism. As with weight loss at any stage of life, dieting isn’t the only answer. The key is lifestyle change and exercise combined. Experts feel that if you have not been exercising throughout life, perimenopause is the time when you should really begin. At this point in your life you need to develop more muscle mass through exercise to achieve a higher, fat-burning metabolic rate that can help you lose extra pounds and help you to stay at a healthy weight.

Foods for Menopause

There are many foods you can eat to help you avoid the symptoms of menopause and ward off diseases associated with menopause. A vegetarian diet for menopause (that includes specific kinds of fish) is helpful for most women. I’ve listed some of the foods to add to your meals below.

To help ward off cancer

  • fresh apples inhibit tumor growth.
  • sardines, almonds, green leafy vegetables, blackstrap molasses, broccoli and cabbage are full of calcium that may help prevent cancer.
  • tomato juice or carrot juice can help repair DNA; damaged DNA is correlated with cancer.
  • grapes contain resvertrol that has the ability to destroy cancer cells.
  • onions contain flavonoids that protect against carcinogens.
  • raspberries and strawberries inhibit the growth of tumors.
  • soy contains anti-breast cancer substances.

To reduce depression, nervousness and irritability

  • egg yolks, soybeans and whole grains contain biotin; a biotin deficiency is correlated with depresión.
  • whole grain breads and cereals, figs, spinach and kale contain magnesium that wards off depression, nervousness and irritability.
  • trout, herring, eggs, tempeh, sea vegetables, miso and kelp are high in vitamin B12 that protects against depression.

To protect against fatigue

  • kelp enhances thyroid function, thereby reducing fatigue.
  • soy with citrus fruit, peppers, strawberries, cauliflower, parsley or watercress can provide iron that wards off fatigue.
  • brown rice, dates, legumes, lentils, mushrooms, split peas, tuna and whole grains contain folic acid that fight fatigue.

To ward off hair loss/thinning

  • Copper works with zinc to aid hair growth; sources include barley, beets, garlic, nuts, pecans, soy, radishes, raisins, and seafood.
  • fish provides essential fatty acids that keep hair healthy.
  • cook in iron pots to get the iron you need to keep your hair healthy.
  • to improve circulation eat vitamin C-rich foods such as beet greens, black currants, mangoes, sweet peppers and pineapple.

To protect against headaches

  • tryptophan-rich foods such as brown rice, turkey, peanuts and soy help prevent headaches.

To reduce hot flashes

  • 12 ounces of tofu or three glass of soy milk has been shown to reduce hot flashes.
  • a tablespoon of flaxseeds on your cereal or salad or ground in a coffee grinder and sprinkled in a glass of water.

To help you sleep

  • banana, cucumber, beets and/or rice eaten at dinner may aid sleep because they contain melatonin.
  • eat whole grain breads and cereals, dates, green leafy vegetables, legumes, lentils, mushrooms,and/or split peas because they contain folic acid, a sleep aid.

Sources: Life Family Education, Bella On Line

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