What foods should we consume during menopause. What are the best dietary choices to alleviate menopausal symptoms and maintain overall health. What foods should be limited or avoided.

The Menopausal Transition: Understanding the Challenges

Menopause is a natural biological process that all women experience, marked by the gradual decline of estrogen production. This hormonal shift can lead to a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including weight gain, hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. During this transitional period, it is crucial to be mindful of dietary choices to support overall health and alleviate menopausal discomforts.

Weight Changes and Visceral Fat: A Hidden Health Concern

One of the common challenges women face during menopause is weight gain, particularly in the form of visceral fat that surrounds the internal organs. “An increase in visceral fat makes you more susceptible to heart disease, hypertension and insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes,” warns Halle Saperstein, a clinical dietitian at Henry Ford Health. Maintaining a balanced diet and engaging in regular exercise can help counteract these changes and promote overall well-being.

Nourishing Foods for Menopausal Women

When it comes to managing menopausal symptoms, the foods you choose can make a significant difference. Saperstein recommends focusing on a diet rich in the following:

• Fruits and Vegetables: Dark leafy greens, bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and brightly colored fruits like mango, cherries, and berries are packed with antioxidants that can help prevent cell damage.
• Fatty Fish: Salmon and other fatty fish are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to improved mood, brain function, and blood pressure regulation, potentially helping to control hot flashes.
• Protein: Consuming adequate protein, such as from fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, and seeds, can help maintain muscle mass as it diminishes with age.
• Cooling Foods: Foods like apples, bananas, spinach, broccoli, eggs, and green tea may have a cooling effect, potentially providing relief from hot flashes.
• Hydration: Staying well-hydrated is crucial during menopause, as it can help maintain a healthy weight and support the body’s ability to flush out toxins and absorb nutrients.

Foods to Limit or Avoid

While it’s essential to focus on nutrient-dense foods, there are certain items that may exacerbate menopausal symptoms and should be consumed in moderation or avoided:

1. Spicy Foods: Spicy dishes like those containing hot peppers, jalapeños, and cayenne can worsen hot flashes and should be limited, especially for those with high blood pressure.
2. Alcohol: Excessive alcohol consumption can interfere with sleep, exacerbate hot flashes and anxiety or depression, and potentially lead to weight gain.
3. Fatty Foods: Except for healthy fats found in fish, nuts, and seeds, it’s best to limit the intake of high-fat foods, such as fast foods, fried items, and processed snacks.

Supplements: Proceed with Caution

While some women may consider supplements to address menopausal symptoms, it’s essential to exercise caution and consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new regimen. Many over-the-counter supplements that claim to balance hormones or relieve hot flashes may not be backed by scientific evidence and could even be harmful. Instead, focus on a well-rounded diet and discuss any potential nutritional deficiencies or the need for supplements with your doctor.

Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle

In addition to a balanced diet, incorporating regular exercise and stress-management techniques can also play a crucial role in supporting women during the menopausal transition. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity, including both cardiovascular and strength-training exercises, most days of the week. Practices like yoga and stretching can also help manage stress levels and improve flexibility.

Empowering Women Through Informed Choices

The key to navigating menopause is to approach it with a holistic, proactive mindset. By understanding the dietary needs and making informed choices about the foods to include or limit, women can take an active role in managing their health and well-being during this significant life transition. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, so be patient, listen to your body, and work closely with your healthcare provider to find the strategies that work best for you.

What To Eat (or Not) During Menopause | Henry Ford Health

Most women agree, menopause is no picnic. Just as shifting hormones can lead to acne and mood swings during puberty, they can also wreak havoc on body and mind when estrogen levels decline.

What Happens During Menopause

During menopause, women tend to gain fat while simultaneously losing muscle mass. But it’s not the fat you can pinch that’s the problem. Instead, it’s the visceral fat that surrounds your organs.

“An increase in visceral fat makes you more susceptible to heart disease, hypertension and insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes,” says Halle Saperstein, a clinical dietitian at Henry Ford Health. The good news: Eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains can not only prevent weight gain, it may also help alleviate menopausal symptoms.

What Foods to Eat

Whether you’re suffering from hot flashes, insomnia, irritability or any other combination of troubling symptoms, what you put in your mouth can make a big difference in how you experience symptoms.

“When estrogen levels begin falling, we have to be more mindful of what we eat and how much we eat,” Saperstein says. “We also have to make sure we’re getting a wide variety of nutrients to protect our bones and vital organs.”

Some great staples to have on hand:

• Fruits and vegetables: Many fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, which help prevent cell damage. Favorites include dark green leafy vegetables, including spinach, kale and broccoli, as well as bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and carrots. Brightly hued fruits, such as mango, cherries and berries, are also loaded with powerful antioxidants.
• Fatty fish: Several studies link the heart-healthy fats in fish, called omega-3 fatty acids, to improved mood and brain function. Omega-3 fatty acids can also help keep blood pressure levels in check. Healthy blood pressure can help control hot flashes. Fatty fish like salmon is also one of the few food sources of vitamin D, a key nutrient for both mood and bone health.
• Protein: To help your body hang on to muscle, eat plenty of high-protein foods, such as fish, poultry, legumes, nuts and seeds.
• Cooling foods: If you’re suffering from hot flashes, so-called “cooling foods,” including apples, bananas, spinach, broccoli, eggs and green tea may help you cool down, according to Chinese medicine. A bonus: all of these foods are rich in nutrients and disease-fighting chemicals.
• Water: It’s really important to stay hydrated during menopause. Not only will it help keep your weight in check, it will also help your body flush out toxins and absorb nutrients.

What Foods to Avoid

While it’s important to focus on getting necessary nutrients during menopause, limiting foods that can exacerbate symptoms is also key. Here are a few culprits to watch out for:

• Spicy foods: Not surprisingly, spicy foods can make hot flashes worse. If you tend to feel hot or if you have high blood pressure, consider avoiding spicy foods like hot peppers, jalapenos and cayenne.
• Alcohol: Having a glass of wine a few times a week probably won’t affect your symptoms. But if you drink more than one drink a day (12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of spirits all count as one drink), your health and well-being could suffer. Alcohol interferes with sleep and may exacerbate hot flashes and anxiety or depression. If reduced inhibitions lead you to the kitchen, it could cause you to gain weight, too.
• Fatty foods: Except for fatty fish and nuts, try to keep your intake of fat-laden foods to a minimum. Steer clear of fast foods, fried foods and processed cookies, cakes and snacks.

Staying Healthy As You Age

The dietary repertoire during menopause is really no different than at any other time of the life cycle. The best approach to follow is either a DASH or a Mediterranean-style diet boasting plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Not sure your diet is up to snuff? Talk with your doctor about whether you should take a supplement. Many women aren’t getting the vitamin D and calcium they need during their menopausal years. But be wary of any supplements, pills or potions that promise to balance hormones, relieve hot flashes or boost metabolism, and talk to your doctor instead. There are a variety of remedies for menopausal symptoms, including hormone replacement therapy.

“Exercise is important, too, since we lose muscle mass as we age,” Saperstein says. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week — more if you’re trying to lose weight — and be sure to include strength training at least two times per week to help preserve bone. “It’s important to incorporate yoga and stretching, too, not only to improve flexibility, but to help manage stress levels,” Saperstein says.

Related Topic: Could Sex Be Even Better With Age?

To find a doctor, midwife or registered dietitian at Henry Ford, visit henryford.com or call 1-800-HENRYFORD (436-7936).

Halle Saperstein, RD, is a clinical dietitian at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital and enjoys teaching the importance and benefits of a healthy diet.

What to Eat & What to Avoid

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Basic Dietary Guidelines for Menopause
• Foods to Help Menopause Symptoms
• Avoid Foods During Menopause?
• Supplements After Menopause

Some risk factors and symptoms linked with aging and menopause can’t be changed. But good nutrition can help prevent or ease certain conditions that may develop during and after menopause.

During menopause, eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Since women’s diets are often low in iron and calcium, follow these guidelines:

Get enough calcium. Eat and drink two to four servings of dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day. Calcium is found in dairy products, fish with bones (such as sardines and canned salmon), broccoli, and legumes. Aim to get 1,200 milligrams per day.

Pump up your iron. Eat at least three servings of iron-rich foods a day. Iron is found in lean red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, leafy green vegetables, nuts, and enriched grain products. The recommended dietary allowance for iron in older women is 8 milligrams a day.

Get enough fiber. Help yourself to foods high in fiber, such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Most adult women should get about 21 grams of fiber a day.

Eat fruits and vegetables. Have at least 1 1/2 cups of fruit and 2 cups of vegetables each day.

Read labels. Use the package label information to help yourself make the best choices for a healthy lifestyle.

Drink plenty of water. As a general rule, drink eight glasses of water every day. That fulfills the daily requirement for most healthy adults.

Maintain a healthy weight. If you’re overweight, cut down on portion sizes and eat fewer foods that are high in fat. Don’t skip meals, though. A registered dietitian or your doctor can help you figure out your ideal body weight.

Cut back on high-fat foods. Fat should provide 25% to 35% or less of your total daily calories. Also, limit saturated fat to less than 7% of your total daily calories. Saturated fat raises cholesterol and boosts your risk for heart disease. It’s found in fatty meats, whole milk, ice cream, and cheese. Limit cholesterol to 300 milligrams or less per day. And watch out for trans fats, found in vegetable oils, many baked goods, and some margarine. Trans fat also raises cholesterol and increases your risk for heart disease.

Use sugar and salt in moderation. Too much sodium in the diet is linked to high blood pressure. Also, go easy on smoked, salt-cured, and charbroiled foods — these foods have high levels of nitrates, which have been linked to cancer.

Limit alcohol to one or fewer drinks a day.

Plant-based foods that have isoflavones (plant estrogens) work in the body like a weak form of estrogen. For this reason, soy may help relieve menopause symptoms, although research results are unclear. Some may help lower cholesterol levels and have been suggested to relieve hot flashes and night sweats. Isoflavones can be found in foods such as tofu and soy milk.

If you’re having hot flashes during menopause, you may find it helps to avoid certain “trigger” foods and drinks, like spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol.

Because there is a direct relationship between the lack of estrogen after menopause and the development of osteoporosis, the following supplements, combined with a healthy diet, may help prevent the onset of this condition:

• Calcium. If you think you need to take a supplement to get enough calcium, check with your doctor first. A 2012 study suggests that taking calcium supplements may raise the risk for heart attacks in some people — but the study showed that increasing calcium in the diet through food sources didn’t seem to raise the risk.

• Vitamin D. Your body uses vitamin D to absorb calcium. People ages 51 to 70 should get 600 IU each day. Those over 70 should get 800 IU daily. More than 4,000 IU of vitamin D each day is not recommended, because it may harm the kidneys and weaken bones.

Top Picks

which foods are suitable, which should be avoided

No matter how old you are, nutrition has a direct impact on the condition of the skin, hair, nails and overall health. With a deficiency or excess of nutrients in the body, a vitamin-mineral imbalance occurs, which negatively affects your well-being. During menopause, during this important period for a woman, the diet should be enriched with beneficial nutrients to maintain the overall tone of the body. We will tell you what foods are suitable for women during menopause, what should be added to your diet, what to remove and what you should never refuse.

What foods are good for menopausal women

— Foods that contain all essential and essential nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc.) that form the basis of a balanced diet. For example, protein is a plastic material. Proteins of animal and vegetable origin are needed. Proteins of animal origin should prevail. These include: meat, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy products, legumes, etc.

Fats are a plastic material and a source of energy. Fats should also be of animal and vegetable origin. Fats of animal origin should prevail. Products: butter, vegetable oils, fish as a source of Omega 3 PUFAs, cottage cheese and sour cream with a high fat content, etc.

Carbohydrates are a source of energy. Complex carbohydrates (cereals, vegetables, etc.) are useful. Vitamins and minerals are all of the above food groups, so do not forget about the diversity of the diet, – comments obstetrician-gynecologist of the highest qualification category Natalya Belyaeva .

Daily diet of a woman during menopause

Proteins

First of all, this is meat, you should give preference to red meat, poultry, optimally – this is not chicken, but turkey, goose, duck, also necessarily fish, eggs, dairy products (cottage cheese, cheese). Plant proteins include beans, wild rice, lentils, chickpeas, and nuts.

Fats

These are fats of animal origin – butter, sour cream, eggs, liver, poultry meat. Of course, these are vegetable oils – olive, linseed, avocado, coconut. It will also be useful to add avocados, yolks, flax seeds to the diet.

Carbohydrates

The diet should contain only complex carbohydrates in the form of cereals, buckwheat, oatmeal, buckwheat noodles, durum wheat and wholemeal pasta, beans, berries. Fruits only with a low glycemic index and limited.

Fiber

In order for proteins to be digested, you need to add dietary fiber to the diet, fiber – eggplant, zucchini, cabbage. Be sure to have greens and spices, legumes, nuts, spices. Also, with menopause, useful bright vegetables, fruits with a low glycemic index and berries: carrots, bell peppers, currants, cherries, grapefruit. It is important to eat onions and garlic, which not only strengthen the immune system, but also normalize blood pressure, the “jumps” of which are often observed during menopause.

Dairy products help compensate for calcium deficiency, which is necessary for strong bones, healthy teeth, and the cardiovascular system. To better absorb calcium, you need magnesium and phosphorus. These micronutrients are found in fish, legumes, cocoa and grain bread. Low-fat varieties of fish are useful (pike, perch, cod, pike perch).

Compliance with the drinking regime is an important rule for women during menopause. The norm of water for each is 30 g per kilogram of weight.

Natalya BelyaevaDoctor obstetrician-gynecologist of the highest qualification category

What foods are bad for menopausal women

There is no definitive list of foods that are best avoided during menopause. Basically, these are products that did not benefit before. This can include too sweet, salty and fatty foods.

– There is such a thing as power triggers. These are substances that can adversely affect metabolic processes, including in menopausal women. These are transgenic fats, fructose, lactose, gluten. From the group of these substances – categorically no, we can say only transgenic fats (margarine, popcorn, improper heat treatment of dishes, etc.). The restriction of other substances should be decided personally and at the doctor’s appointment, the doctor comments.

It is better to avoid foods made from fine flour, such as white bread, foods rich in easily digestible carbohydrates (sweets, cakes, biscuits, sugary and carbonated drinks)

During menopause, it is better for women not to eat too salty foods. The prohibited list also includes fast food, bacon, smoked fish and meat, pickled and canned vegetables and fruits – they are not healthy for anyone.

Popular Questions and Answers

What is the right diet for menopausal women?

I’ll start with the important thing: no independent diets! If we are talking about a healthy woman in menopause, then the diet, as a way of eating, does not suit her.

We are talking about a balanced diet that contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Diet is a way of eating for unhealthy people. The diet is determined by the doctor depending on the presence of chronic diseases and metabolic disorders. If we are talking about a healthy woman in menopause, then the diet, as a way of eating, does not suit her.

What is better to limit during menopause?

We try to limit (but not exclude) lactose, fructose, gluten. I would also like to mention such a concept as the end products of glycation – are formed during frying. Therefore, we refuse frying as a way of cooking. But baking in the oven, on the grill is possible and desirable. Barbecue is also possible. If the meat is marinated for a couple of hours, this significantly reduces the presence of advanced glycation end products.

I am a good doctor and rarely ask to refuse any product completely. It is important not to give up forever, but to redistribute the balance between useful products and not very useful ones. You can have dessert after a wonderful balanced dinner.

What foods are good for menopausal women?

• Protein is a plastic material. Proteins of animal and vegetable origin are needed. Proteins of animal origin should prevail. Products: meat, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy products, legumes.
• Fats are a plastic material and a source of energy. Fats should also be of animal and vegetable origin. Fats of animal origin should prevail. Products: butter, vegetable oils, fish as a source of Omega 3 PUFAs, cottage cheese and sour cream with a high fat content.
• Carbohydrates are a source of energy. Useful complex carbohydrates (cereals, vegetables).
• Vitamins and minerals are all of the above food groups, so do not forget about the diversity of the diet.

Be sure to observe the drinking regimen! Let me remind you of the products that I recommend to always have in your kitchen and add to your diet: garlic, ginger, lime, cream, cottage cheese, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, pomegranate, sauerkraut, greens.

Proper nutrition