Fresh Advice: Eating Right During Menopause

While some women view menopause as the end to a monthly annoyance, most women find the symptoms of menopause to be more troublesome than dealing with their monthly period. However, eating right during menopause can help ease bothersome symptoms. Good nutrition is a must for women who want to make the transition easier. Providing a changing body with an arsenal of nutritious foods is a menopausal woman’s best defense against unsettling menopausal symptoms.

Double CC’s – Calories and Calcium

A dreaded side effect of menopause for many women is weight gain. Even women who have maintained vigorous, healthy lifestyles often find themselves battling a rising scale. Why?

As estrogen levels decline, many woman begin to crave more high fat, sugary foods. High fat, sugary foods have a high/low effect that can lead to weight gain. These foods provide women with a rush of energy that is not sustainable for a long period of time leading to a sugar crash. For anyone who has ever experienced a sugar crash, you know what comes next; fatigue and inactivity. A caloric increase in high fat, high sugar foods plus a decrease in physical activity mixed with a natural dip in metabolism are the perfect ingredients to encourage weight gain.

For the majority of menopausal women, eating right is synonymous with eating less. Simply reducing your daily caloric intake by 200 calories, based on USDA Guidelines on Healthy Eating and a woman’s current age and activity level, can fend off unnecessary weight gain.

Calcium is another part of the eating right equation. As a woman ages, her calcium levels decrease and getting the proper about of calcium solely through diet can be difficult. At this stage of life, women need 1000 mg of calcium a day. A daily, natural supplement can be an easy way to reach this requirement. Amberen clinical trials found that women who take natural supplements experience less unpleasant menopausal symptoms. These supplements can be found in your local grocery store or online through suppliers specializing in natural remedies.

Keep it Fresh

Everyone knows that pre-packaged, processed foods can derail healthy eating. So keep it fresh. Consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables can help your body counteract the dip in estrogen. Certain fruits and vegetables have a substantial amount of phytoestrogens, basically a plant-based form of estrogen.

Summertime dishes that may please your palate and keep your nutritional goals on track include; Green Bean Salad, Butternut Squash Soup or Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Green beans, butternut squash and garlic each contain phytoestrogens. If you have a craving for something sweet, some fresh raspberries in a cobbler may do the trick. Or try a strawberry smoothie. Raspberries and strawberries are super fruits that can help you eat right as you tackle menopause.

Balance

Finding a balance between eating right and eating delicious meals doesn’t have to be tricky. Your doctor can provide you with a wealth of menopause information and technology lets you find hundreds of delicious recipes with the click of a mouse. As always, if you are unsure of how a certain food or diet will affect your well-being, please consult your doctor.