Menopause Diet: How Food Can Help You Navigate This Natural Phase

Blogs27 Aug 2024

Menopause is a natural transitory period in a woman’s life. It is marked when a woman stops menstruating for 12 months and typically occurs in the 40s. During this time, a woman’s body naturally reduces its oestrogen and progesterone production which can lead to the stopping of menstruation, and other menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, mood changes, night sweating, sleep issues, weight gain, joint pain etc. Since it’s a natural process, one can simply try to manage menopause through diet and exercise.

In this article, we’ll focus on what a diet during menopause should contain and how having the right foods during menopause can impact your health. So, let’s begin!

The Role of Diet in Managing Menopause Symptoms

Did you know that menopause is associated with a higher risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart conditions and osteoporosis? By eliminating foods that may increase the risk of these issues and making healthier modifications to our diets, we can try to prevent or delay these conditions from occurring. Even if you are currently facing one of these health issues, dietary changes are always an integral part of the treatment and can help manage a condition better!

Furthermore, in the absence of oestrogen and progesterone, another hormone, known as oestradiol can have several worrisome effects on the body. It affects many bodily processes including the nervous system, increases food intake and energy consumption, increases insulin sensitivity, and decreases metabolism. This can have a direct impact on body composition and may lead to weight gain and other health issues. A holistic approach to containing and managing these changes include dietary modifications, lifestyle changes, exercise and more.

Foods to Include in a Menopause Diet

Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds which have oestrogen-like properties. There are two main types of Phytoestrogens, they are isoflavones and lignans. Soybean is a good source of isoflavones and flaxseed, whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables are sources of lignans. You should add these oestrogen rich foods for menopause to your diet to boost your health. These compounds tend to have an estrogenic or anti-estrogenic response in the body, depending on the oestrogen levels. These compounds may help manage menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and reduce them to some extent. Further research is required on the same to establish a stronger connection.

Calcium and Vitamin D

The absence of oestrogen is also linked to bone loss and osteoporosis. This means that menopausal women have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. To delay or prevent this condition, it’s important to consume foods that contain calcium and Vitamin D. We all know that calcium is an essential micronutrient that helps strengthen and develop bones. Meanwhile, Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium from our food sources. Hence it’s crucial to have foods that are sources of calcium like dairy products and vitamin D such as fish, eggs and meat.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

It is recommended that menopausal women do not exceed the intake of saturated fatty acids. Too much of these fats can raise your bad cholesterol levels (LDL) which can be a huge factor for heart conditions. Instead, replace these fats with polyunsaturated fatty acids like Omega-3 fatty acids which may reduce the risk of heart conditions and alleviate night sweats, a common symptom of menopause.

Fibre

Dietary fibre is not a nutrient that our body absorbs, nonetheless, it’s an important component of our food that aids smooth digestion, promotes satiety and prevents digestive issues. Menopausal women can consume foods with fibre to stay full for longer and avoid snacking or overeating. This way you may prevent weight gain and unhealthy eating patterns. Fibre may also help keep your blood glucose levels stable!

Antioxidants

Menopause in women also brings about a state of inflammation. If inflammation worsens, it may hamper organs in the body and increase the risk of chronic conditions. To fight inflammation, it’s important to have antioxidants-rich foods like berries, nuts, green tea etc. These can fight oxidative stress and reduce inflammation.

Lifestyle Tips to Complement Your Diet During Menopause

While your diet during menopause affects the way your menopause pans out, it’s equally vital to make different lifestyle choices to manage it better.

• If you lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle, consider trying to exercise a few times a week. Consistently exercising can lower cholesterol levels, boost muscle health, bone health and density, aid weight management, improve energy levels and flexibility and may elevate mood as well.
• If you feel stressed or irritable, try mindfulness exercises like meditation, journaling, and yoga to get in touch with your emotions and feel calmer. Please visit a doctor if you are having chronic stress.
• When it comes to sleep during the menopausal period, be prepared for it to evade you. Sleep changes are a common symptom of menopause. But all is not lost! You can still try ways to prioritise sleep by improving your sleeping routine and environment to make it susceptible to sleep. Do get in touch with a physician if you are having serious trouble with your sleep. They can guide you on how to tackle this issue in an informed manner.

Conclusion

In short, if you are a menopausal woman in any part of her menopausal journey, it’s necessary to consider nutrition and diet as an important factor that affect this natural condition. To make an effective menopause diet plan, you must prioritise foods with Phytoestrogens, Calcium, Vitamin D, dietary fibre, and antioxidants to avail all of their health benefits and alleviate your menopausal symptoms. Since menopause not only affects menstruation, but also various other health functions such as bone density, metabolism, energy consumption, weight and more, it’s important to have a healthy and balanced diet, filled with nutrient-rich foods to ensure that you can stay healthy and happy in this period!

For more such informational content on all things health, nutrition and ageing, follow Right Shift. We create interesting and motivating articles about healthy ageing so that those in their midlife can prioritise their health and become the best version of themselves. We also have some free tools that can make this journey smoother. Our free health score calculator can assess your current health status and help you understand your problem areas. Apart from that, you can also try our free meal plan creator to get a personalised healthy meal plan that helps you achieve your new health goals. Try these now and make the right shift today!