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How Can You Use Whole Foods to Improve Your Menopausal Symptoms?

By Expert HERWriter
 
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how you can improve menopausal symptoms with whole foods Tristan Ben Mahjoub/PhotoSpin

What we put in our mouths can have a strong impact on perimenopausal or menopausal transition symptoms. Creating and maintaining a healthy diet can improve perimenopausal symptoms. In general, increasing the amount of foods that come from plant sources helps to balance out symptoms.

Why are plant-based foods so helpful? They are chock full of fiber. Examples of plant-based foods are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes.

I recommend increasing the number of plant-based food until you are eating a combination of at least 10 servings every day. Fiber binds to excess cholesterol and excess estrogen in the body.

While all plant-based foods have fiber, it is important to make sure you have plenty of fruits and vegetables, at least 5 serving per day. A serving size for cooked vegetables or fruit is ½ cup. The serving size for raw fruits or vegetables is 1 cup.

Drinking water is essential for staying hydrated. Water is necessary for getting rid of toxins and eliminating excess hormones from the body. Drinking 8-10 glasses a day is a good rule of thumb for water intake.

Foods that contain isoflavones, soy, whole grains and beans may help reduce some menopausal symptoms and lower cholesterol levels. If you are eating more plant foods it becomes easy to reduce foods that are high in fat. These high-fat foods are not healthy for you because they raise the cholesterol levels and increase the heart disease as well.

We women may benefit from supplementation of vital nutrients like calcium and iron. Calcium and iron are found in foods as well as in capsules or tablets. I always prefer foods but sometimes capsules are necessary.

Calcium is one of the important minerals found in our bone matrix along with other minerals as well. During perimenopause and menopause, the chemical changes in the body can cause bone density to decrease. Foods that are high in calcium are clams, sardines, broccoli, legumes and dairy products.

Iron levels may be impacted especially if women are having heavy bleeding. To replenish iron stores eat red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, green leafy vegetables and nuts. If you are eating processed foods, make sure to read the labels.

Be especially diligent about looking for the amounts of salt and sugar. Foods that are known to have high amounts of salt are smoked meats, canned soups and canned foods. Sugar can be hidden in such items as marinades, salad dressing, spaghetti sauces and products found in jars and cans, peanut butters, and baked goods. It's also found in candy, cereals, protein bars, ketchup.

Eating healthy is important during our transition to menopause and it helps create a healthy weight. I recommend that women maintain a healthy weight because extra fat on the body produces excess estrogen that creates an imbalance in our female hormones. This imbalance makes menopausal symptoms much worse. So dropping the extra weight can normalize or alleviate symptoms all together.

What you eat can have an impact menopausal symptoms. So eat healthy and maintain a healthy weight, and you can diminish menopausal symptoms.

Live Vibrantly,

Live Vibrantly,
Dr. Dae
Dr. Daemon Jones

Dr. Dae's website: www.HealthyDaes.org
Download one of Dr. Dae's books: Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living or Stress Relieving Recipes: Using Food to Keep you Calm, @ www.HealthyDaes.org

Dr. Dae's Bio:
Dr. Daemon Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who treats patients all over the country using Skype and phone visits. She helps her patients cultivate health and feel great, using a combination of safe and effective naturopathic and conventional methods.

Sources:

"Menopause Diet/Foods: What to Eat & What to Avoid." WebMD - Better information. Better health.. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2013.
http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/staying-healthy-through-good-nuitrition

"Menopause and Perimenopause Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatments." WebMD - Better information. Better health.. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
http://www.webmd.com/menopause/tc/menopause-and-perimenopause-overview?page=2

Reviewed May 8, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

Add a Comment5 Comments

EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I will share this information to my aunts whose approaching menopausal. Thanks for sharing this.

July 23, 2013 - 9:18am

Hello, Menopause is the end of fertility. In adult women, body starts to make less estrogen until complete cessation. When a woman’s reproductive stage ends, it produces a range of symptoms that can affect her quality of life. Low estrogen levels during menopause can cause depression, sleeping problems, hot flashes, weight gain, poor memory and vaginal dryness. Soybean is helpful for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. To know more about Benefits of Soybean for Menopausal Women .
Visit : http://www.justforhearts.org/benefits-of-soybean-for-menopausal-women/

May 11, 2013 - 4:18am

Soy contains phytoestrogens, which for some women can improve menopause symptoms.

May 8, 2013 - 10:46pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Alexander Sophia)

Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to find soy product that are not GMO. I have given up soy completely because of that. Do any other foods contain phytoestrogens?

May 9, 2013 - 11:00am
(reply to Anonymous)

yes, there are foods which contain phytoestrogens such as flaxseed, vegetable including winter squash, green beans, collard greens, broccoli and cabbage also grain products are a good source of phytoestrogens, including wheat, rye, oats and barley.

May 10, 2013 - 4:27am
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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