Good nutrition is important for women of all ages, but it is even more critical for menopausal women. There are a number of health risks that increase during menopause, and many of these risks are exacerbated by a poor diet. Menopausal women are at much greater risk of osteoporosis, weight gain, and other health problems as a result of an unhealthy diet.
Osteoporosis and Menopause
As women approach menopause, the body begins to decrease its production of estrogen and progesterone. While we tend to think of these almost exclusively in terms of their roles as female reproductive hormones, these hormones also play an important role in bone health.
Decreases in estrogen levels accompany a reduction in a woman's bone density. This decline actually starts well before menopause, especially in women with inadequate intakes of calcium and vitamin D during the crucial young adult years of bone formation. The loss of bone density is greatly accelerated during menopause, making women up to seven times more likely to fracture a bone than men, and putting them at risk of osteoporosis.
Weight Gain and Menopause
During menopause, a woman's metabolism also begins to slow down, especially if she is not already active. Digestion of food becomes sluggish, causing greater absorption of nutrients from food. Unfortunately, this also means that bad fats, sugars, and other processed food items will have a greater impact on a menopausal woman's health.
The decrease in female reproductive hormones combined with changes in digestion and metabolism can lead to weight gain. Weight gain, in combination with these other changes, also puts menopausal women at greater risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and related conditions. The good news is that eating a healthful diet during menopause can help reduce the risk of developing both osteoporosis and cardiovascular illnesses.
How to Eat Healthfully During Menopause
The key to a healthful diet that can help stave off osteoporosis, weight gain, and associated health complications, is balance. Start by eating at least three nutritious meals each day. Eating more frequent, smaller meals is even better. Avoid focusing too much on calories, and instead pay attention to reasonable portion sizes and eating foods that pack a lot of nutrients into few calories. Some examples are leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and brightly colored red and yellow vegetables. A daily multi-vitamin is also a good idea to ensure adequate intake of important nutrients.
Increase Fiber, Decrease Fat
Remember that fiber is your friend. Fiber helps move food through the digestive tract to combat a sluggish metabolism. This promotes digestive health, and helps curb excess weight gain. Whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables are nutritious foods that are high in fiber. In combination with a high-fiber diet, avoid fatty and fried foods. Limit overall fat intake to less than 30% of caloric intake.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Some fats, though, are essential for good health. Do include sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Some common food sources of omega-3s are salmon and other cold water fish, seeds, and nuts - especially walnuts. Omega 3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, and can minimize certain bothersome symptoms of menopause.
Managing Symptoms of Menopause
For managing common symptoms of menopause like hot flashes and irritability, try reducing or eliminating caffeine and spicy foods from your diet. Avoid excess sugar, especially corn syrup and other highly-processed foods.
Drinking at least eight glasses of water each day can also help fight hot flashes, as can eating foods rich in plant phytoestrogens, such as beans and other legumes, apples, potatoes, and carrots. Soy also contains high levels of phytoestrogens, and there are many tasty flavored drinks, yogurts, and even frozen desserts, that contain soy.
Reducing the Risk of Osteoporosis
Be sure that your intake of calcium is adequate. The recommended daily allowance for calcium for women over age 50 is 1200 mg, but strive for this amount even if you're younger than age 50. Vitamin D aids in absorption of calcium, so eating low-fat dairy products that are fortified with vitamin D is a good choice. Consuming enough bone-protecting calcium can help slow down bone loss, decreasing the risk of developing osteoporosis.
Improve Health with a Balanced Diet During Menopause
The risk of osteoporosis, weight gain, and other health problems can be significantly reduced through good nutrition during menopause. A healthy diet will also provide you with more energy, and can help you reduce or eliminate troublesome symptoms of menopause.
It doesn't matter how old you are, there's nothing like a healthy lifestyle if you want to look great. But, during menopause, it is even more important. If you are looking for the best diet for menopause, in my website you can find a lot of articles and info that will help you to understand much better this period of your life.
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