Foods that can help you in your fight against menopause symptoms

The menopause fighting foods here may not only help you lose weight but they can provide some nutrients that help your body combat the onset of the aging process. You goal is to attain as many nutrients to help alleviate the symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, bloating, irritability and tiredness as well being packed with calcium to help prevent osteoporosis.

Foods for fighting menopause

• Oily fish, nuts and seeds for essential omega oils; good for general body and brain condition.
• Whole grains, lean red meat, pulses-rich in B vitamins.
• Nuts, seeds, white fish, leafy greens, white cabbage, low-fat dairy produce rich in calcium.
• Pulses, including soy beans, lentils, and chickpeas; contain natural hormones (isoflavones) which may help menopausal symptoms and are also rich in nutrients. Linseeds contain lignans, which may also help menopausal symptoms.
• Vegetables, including yams, bean sprouts, seaweed, dark leafy greens contain natural hormones, plant chemicals, vitamin C and minerals which help menopausal health.
• Fruits most are rich in potassium which can help alleviate fluid retention.

What to do and what to avoid doing

• Have 450 ml skimmed milk or calcium enriched soya milk a day, preferably as a drink on its own.
• Avoid coffee, alcohol and highly spiced foods, which may make hot flashes worse. Weak tea is fine, and so are herbal teas, redbush tea, green tea and water. Drink 2l of fluid each day. Caffeine hinders calcium absorption.
• Avoid added salt in foods, which can make bloating worse. Use fresh and dried herbs instead, or use salt substitute (e.g. Losalt).
• Eat plenty of vegetables and salad.
• Have 2 small daily snacks between meals.
• Click Here to learn how you can treat menopause symptoms naturally.

Weight gain inevitable with menopause?

Experts have said that a lower level of estrogen in the body tends to redistribute body fat, increasing deposits around the waistline, whilst legs and arms may get thinner. So dress size increases and for those on synthetic progesterone as part of HRT will also have to cope with fluid retention. For some women, tiredness during menopause is very common, so it makes it difficult to motivate themselves to a regular exercise routine and comfort eating may also become a contributing factor. Evidence suggests that plumper women tend to produce more estrogen after menopause and some experts believe this may encourage weight gain.

Related: Proactive health solutions for busy aging women

Does HRT cause weight gain?

Evidence suggests there is no direct link between gaining weight whilst on HRT. In fact studies show that the women on HRT during and after the menopause maintained a slightly lower weight than those not taking it.  However the side effects of taking HRT is that it causes fluid retention, which can make the body look larger. However fluid does not mean fat!  To counteract fluid retention whilst on HRT combines a low-salt diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Stop skin sagging

The problem: With menopause – i.e., ovaries’ absence of ovulation and hormone secretion – estrogen production drops sharply. And it is precisely estrogen that plays an essential role in maintaining the skin’s elasticity. With increasing age, the skin no longer regenerates as quickly. There is also a decrease in the pre-hormone DHEA, which is essential for maintaining the skin’s youthfulness. The result: wrinkles deepen, the skin sags, dries out, and becomes sallow.

The solution: choose care specifically designed to combat the difficulties of this sensitive phase. For menopausal women, specific care counteracts the loss of fat from the skin and strengthens skin structures.

Put an end to fatigue.

The problem: the onset of menopause can bring extreme fatigue. This could be due to an iron deficiency.

As far as diet is concerned, the solution is to increase the use of foods that give you an energy boost, but without having too high a glycemic index. So rice and whole-grain bread, quinoa… these are your new allies!

Look for new sources of iron as well! Iron can be found in red meat, for example. However, it would help if you enjoyed this only in moderation, and especially not grilled in the BBQ because grilled meat promotes skin aging. But luckily, there are other iron-containing foods, such as lentils or oysters.

Sweet dreams, insomnia!

The problem: For women over 50, sleep problems are not usually due to having children. Menopause, on the other hand, can rob them of sleep: night sweats but lower stress resistance are the cause. In addition, the female hormone deficiency, especially progesterone, which has calming properties, can manifest itself in night wakings.

The solution: if you suffer from early morning waking (4 or 5 a.m.), try to go to bed earlier to have at least an approximate full night’s sleep.

Do you lie awake in bed and are plagued by negative thoughts? Then don’t stay in bed brooding – that’s the worst thing you can do. Instead, get up earlier, or at least make yourself comfortable on the sofa and rest there: The bed must be exclusively for sleeping.

If possible, try to sleep in a reasonably relaxed environment, with a room temperature of about 18 °C: a body temperature that is too high makes it difficult to fall asleep.

No to age spots

The problem: The skin is confronted with a new challenge due to the lack of estrogen. It becomes more sensitive and especially more susceptible to the sun: dark spots can appear on the skin if you do not protect yourself sufficiently against the sun!

The solution: choose a cream with SPF 50 when you expose yourself to the sun in summer.

We can’t repeat it enough: a high SPF will not prevent you from getting a tan. The tan will be slower to appear, but it will also last several months. Don’t hesitate to use a progressive self-tanner.

Unsure which sunscreen is good for you? We tested the new sunscreens for the face! Not in the mood for a special sunscreen for everyday use? Then protect your face best with a CC cream. This offers a high SPF (approx. 30), reduces wrinkles, and ensures a radiant, uniform complexion. And even if it is transparent, this cream usually contains the same pigments as a foundation.

Build muscle instead of fat

The problem: It’s official, ladies: From the age of 30, we lose about 0.4 kilos of muscle mass per year…. And that’s in favor of devilish fat mass. But the bad news is yet to come: things don’t get better with menopause! Fat also has a nagging tendency to settle in the abdominal area, no matter how slim a woman may be.

The solution: Ideally, combine a sport that strengthens the deeper muscles with a sport like walking or jogging that boosts your circulatory system and increases your energy expenditure (while also having the benefit of protecting your heart, since menopause puts women at the same cardiovascular risk as men).

Our favorite is Pilates – a discipline that builds your muscles with elegance while refining your silhouette. Moreover, Pilates intelligently trains the abdominal muscles, taking into account another typical female problem: organ sagging.

Acne: Getting back to the skin’s natural balance.

The problem: We often mistakenly believe that the skin dries out with menopause. But women can also experience a surprising reunion with an old familiar acquaintance during menopause: Acne!

The solution: make sure to cleanse your skin thoroughly. Ideally, you’ll use a soap-free cleanser with a bit of water. There is also very efficient make-up removing gels. The product must address the specific needs of your skin. So do not hesitate to use care products specifically designed for menopausal skin.

Beware of osteoporosis

The Problem: Osteoporosis is a common problem among menopausal women. Because hormones play a significant role in maintaining the skeleton of the bones, decreased hormone production can lead to reduced bone density.

The solution: increase your calcium and vitamin D intake! In addition to risk factors such as family predisposition, age, and gender, osteoporosis can also be promoted by other factors that we can influence. So to prevent osteoporosis, make sure we have an adequate calcium and vitamin D supply.

This is not so complicated because there are fortunately numerous calcium-rich foods, such as various dairy products. Yogurt is especially recommended if you want to watch your diet. Pressed cheeses such as Emmental, Comté, or Cantal are also ideal sources of calcium. Other foods rich in calcium are shrimps, oysters, egg yolks, lentils, soy, …

To fix calcium deficiency, vitamin D intake is also necessary. So start already by going out in the sun for at least 15 to 20 minutes a day (with an appropriate sunscreen!), especially in winter. And in terms of nutrition, I prefer fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, and sardine.

Learn how to fight back against menopause click here