Five Top Tips for Surviving the Menopause
For many, navigating the menopause can be challenging. Making the right dietary choices can help to manage the symptoms AND promote long term health.
1. Hydration is so important
Make it a habit to reach for that water bottle or glass of water. The problem is that even mild dehydration can exacerbate menopause symptoms such as lower energy, moodiness, irritability, gut issues, a craving for the sweet stuff and the famous hot flushes. Drinking more water can be one of the healthiest changes you can make to support your body.
As a guide, drink up to eight glasses of water a day - even more if you are active, the weather is very hot or you sweat a lot. The earlier you can drink in the day, the better. If you find it difficult to keep on drinking plain water, you can flavor it with pieces of fruit or mint. Checkout the color of your urine once you increase your intake of water. Ideally, it should be a pale straw color.
2. The power of plants
Everyone should be eating more vegetables and fruits, wholegrains, beans and pulses, nuts and seeds. But this becomes even more important for those perimenopausal and menopausal women with strong research showing that when they consume more plants with less animal protein, they suffer from fewer and less intense symptoms - including hot flashes and weight gain.
In addition, plant based foods are high in fiber and polyphenols - key for your gut bacteria. Your microbiome is the special lever in optimizing the body's oestrogen levels. Higher levels mean a later onset of the menopause plus lower levels of diabetes and serious diseases. Try to include a good ounce of fiber every day.
3. Balance is the name of the game
It is important to keep an eye on the balance of your blood sugar levels. Good nutritional habits with good blood glucose control can help women to manage their weight, stabilise their moods and control those hot flushes.
Stress can also cause those blood sugar levels to become less balanced so food choices are important too.
- Refined sugar and the processed foods that contain this are bad for blood glucose levels, creating a blood sugar roller coaster.
- Foods with a low glycemic index (wholegrains) when digested release sugar into the blood system more slowly.
- Proteins are also broken down slowly, releasing their energy more slowly. When eaten with carbs, the carbohydrate absorption is slowed down.
- If you eat protein with each meal or snack, it will sustain you longer by reducing fluctuations in your blood sugar levels and help to protect your precious muscle mass.
4. Eating the right carbs
The best carbohydrate choices during the menopause are wholegrains, beans and lentils because they contain fiber, protein and phytoestrogens - and so are good for your blood sugar levels. Eaten regularly and in sufficient quantities, they can start to have oestrogen-like effects,
Legumes are rich in B vitamins (including folate and B6) which serve as co-factors for enzymes involved with oestrogen metabolism. Legumes also contain zinc which can assist in preventing dry skin - which is a common problem during perimenopause.
5. Including flaxseed in your daily diet
Did you know that flaxseed contains one hundred times more lignans than any other food!
Lignans are a group of natural compounds found in plants, particularly in seeds, grains, and legumes. They are classified as phytoestrogens, which means they have a similar structure to the hormone estrogen found in humans. However, unlike estrogen, lignans do not stimulate the same biological responses in the body. Instead, they have been found to exhibit a variety of health benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Two ounces of flaxseed taken each day comes with many benefits including:
- Helping to alleviate hot flushes
- Having a positive impact on vaginal atrophy
- Linked to positive cardiovascular health
Ideally, flaxseed should be ground into a finer consistency and then kept in the freezer. The lignans are concentrated in the outer shell of the flaxseeds.
SOURCES:
Translating the Human Right to Water and Sanitation into Public Policy Reform (nih.gov)
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.