The menopause is a period in a woman's life that we recognize when there is no spontaneous menstrual bleeding for 6 months. Menopause usually occurs in women between the ages of 40 and 58. In common understanding, menopause is the moment when a woman stops being fertile. The period that precedes menopause is referred to as the menopause. During the menopause, a woman's body experiences a series of rapid changes resulting from hormonal imbalance. At this difficult time for women, the menopause diet helps support the body. How to eat during menopause?
1. Symptoms of menopause
There comes a time in a woman's life when the function of the ovaries gradually diminishes. This period is called menopause or menopause. Along with this process, the amount of the hormone estrogen is reduced, making the woman more vulnerable to cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. The most important symptoms of menopause are:
- fatigue,
- irritability
- lack of menstruation,
- hot flushes,
- attention deficit disorder,
- urinary incontinence
- skin laxity,
- dry skin.
To prevent these ailments, you can use hormone replacement therapy, which consists of replacing the hormones – estrogens that disappear during the menopause. However, this therapy has some contraindications and side effects. A woman's body undergoes numerous changes during the menopause. The metabolism slows down, which reduces the daily energy requirement. The level of the fat tissue hormone leptin also drops, which causes a feeling of increased appetite. During this period, a woman often gains weight significantly, which is why a proper diet during this period is so important. It can be based on products containing phytoestrogens.
2. Diet during menopause
What especially bothers women during menopause are hot flashes. Their effects are treated with hormonal agents. However, to avoid hormone therapy, doctors recommend consuming products that contain phytoestrogens . These are plant-derived estrogens that effectively protect against the symptoms of menopause. They prevent not only hot flashes, but also excessive sweating, concentration disorders, mood swings, and osteoporosis. In addition, they improve memory, skin and hair appearance.
They are included in the following products:
- soybeans
- linseed,
- apples,
- blueberries,
- wheat bran.
It is worth emphasizing that phytoestrogens also have anti-cancer, bactericidal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, every woman should eat as much flaxseed bread as possible, drink soy milk, add soy sprouts to sandwiches and salads. A diet with coumarins also helps with the symptoms of menopause. They are compounds similar to estrogens and are found in licorice, the dried root of which can be added to desserts, coffee and tea or made into infusions. You can also prevent excessive sweating and heat waves by regularly drinking ginseng tincture or tea and aloe vera tonic.
3. Osteoporosis during menopause
During the menopause, bone loss is common and the bones become weaker and brittle as a result. In every third woman, lowering the level of hormones – as a result of menopause – has a negative effect on bone density. Hormonal changes, especially a decrease in estrogen, make bone cells, called osteoblasts, responsible for building bone, become less active and do not maintain adequate bone density.Bone loss is the fastest in the first few years after menopause, when osteoporosis usually begins, so menopause should be a signal for every woman to strengthen her bones.
- milk and its products,
- cheese,
- fish,
- soy,
- broccoli
- whole grain products.
For calcium to be well absorbed, it is important to eat foods rich in phosphorus, which is found in fish, milk, and wholemeal bread. Vitamin D is also very important for the body as it prevents the excretion of calcium from the body and thus bone fragility. Our body can produce it by itself under the influence of sunlight.
4. Alleviate menopausal symptoms with diet
Lipid metabolism disorders also occur during menopause. LDL cholesterol goes up and HDL cholesterol goes down. As a result, the risk of developing atherosclerosis and heart disease increases. Therefore, you should introduce a proper diet that will reduce the consumption of fats and introduce more vegetables and fruits. Animal fats should be replaced with olive oil and vegetable oils. Include fresh fruit and vegetables with every meal. Instead of meat, eat more fish, use more herbal spices instead of salt, and add garlic to as many dishes as possible. Sweet pastries should be replaced with bran cookies. A proper diet in menopause also requires that you limit the amount of coffee you drink in favor of green tea and Yerba-Mate tea. A glass of red wine, which can be drunk with lunch or dinner from time to time, will also have a positive effect on circulation and heart function. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables: the greener and more reddish it is, the better.
For a diet to help you survive the menopause , it should be easy to digest, rich in vitamins and antioxidants found in vegetables and fruits.
