Menopause and your Diet

Menopause and your Diet

By Nancy Adler

It happens to all women . Many of my clients seek proper nutrition to alleviate symptoms caused through menopause. Some menopause symptoms are just bothersome, such as hot flashes and dry skin. Other changes related to menopause can lead to long-term women’s health problems, from bone loss to high cholesterol .

Following the optimal menopause diet can help to reduce, or even prevent, menopause symptoms and protect you from illnesses, such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

As a nutritionist, I believe there are some foundation foods that are great for women’s health and can help with menopause symptoms like dry skin, bloating, weight gain, hot flashes, and bone loss.

It’s true, the earlier you make sure these foods are staples in your menopause diet, the easier menopause and the years beyond may be.

Vaginal dryness and dry skin caused by a decrease in estrogen during menopause are common complaints among women at this time, but getting eight glasses of water a day can help maintain your skin’s moisture and offset dryness.

Drinking water also helps decrease the bloating that occurs with hormonal changes. This kind of symptom is most common in the years just before periods end for good, often referred to as perimenopause.

Your calcium needs increase during menopause because the loss of estrogen can speed up bone loss.  Try aim to get at least 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day. If you do take hormone replacement therapy, aim for 1,000 milligrams a day. Since that’s difficult for most women to achieve that through diet alone, consider a combination of calcium-rich foods in your diet, like milk and nonfat yogurt, and calcium supplements.

Getting enough vitamin D is also critical for protecting your bones during menopause. Vitamin D comes from the sun, but many experts say it’s vital for women’s health to take a vitamin D supplement to ensure you’re getting enough, especially in winter and in non-sunny climates. Although the official recommended daily dose is only 600 international units for most people, I recommend getting 1,000 to 2,000 international units of vitamin D a day. Consult your physician in testing your levels beforehand.

Your metabolism slows down as you get older, and women in their mid-forties tend to become more sedentary. This all adds to weight gain, one of the most dreaded menopause symptoms. By filling up on low-calorie fruits and vegetables, you can help minimize weight gain while getting the nutrients you need to stay healthy.

Some whole grains, such as steel-cut oatmeal, quinoa, barley, and brown rice, provide B vitamins — which help boost energy, manage stress, and keep the digestive system functioning. Folic acid and fiber, also found in whole grains, help lower risk for cardiovascular disease, which rises after menopause.

Your iron needs actually go down during menopausal years, so focusing on eating lean cuts of beef, eggs, iron-rich cereals, and grains should put enough in your diet. Iron supplements (and that includes multivitamins with iron) are generally not recommended for women after menopause unless your doctor prescribes them.

Some experts recommend soy for symptom relief, but the research is inconclusive.  Soy compounds, called isoflavones, mimic estrogen in the body. Studies of the benefits of soy for women in menopause focus on women in Asia, who get their soy from food. If you want to try soy, eat edamame, tofu, and other soy foods as much as possible instead of processed foods like soy burgers. Any time you can add plant-based foods to your diet, it’s a benefit.

Flaxseed is a wonderful plant-based food with omega-3 fatty acids. Try sprinkling ground flaxseed on cereal, yogurt, and salads; it adds fiber to your diet, keeps your arteries healthy, and has some estrogen-like compounds.The plain truth is that your calorie needs decline with every decade of life. The less weight you gain during menopause, the better your menopause symptoms in general, so it’s worth adopting a diet of low fat, healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, that will help you maintain your weight.

Steer clear of alcohol, sugar, caffeine, and spicy foods, which can trigger hot flashes, aggravate urinary incontinence (another common problem during the menopause years), increase mood swings, and increase bone loss.

Among my clients, the women who handle menopause symptoms the best are the ones who approach this time as a natural progression of their lives, and roll with the punches, rather than see it as a struggle. Many women have spent their entire lives taking care of others,This is the perfect opportunity to look in the mirror and say to yourself, “I need to take care of myself now, so I can have the quality of life I’m looking for.”