The 12 Most Beneficial Foods for Menopause Diet

Learn what foods will give you a healthy glow during the menopause

Women going through the menopause

Menopause terrifies most women. Symptoms will vary from woman to woman, but most women will experience a hot flush, night sweats, sleep disturbances, jitters, tiredness, and forgetfulness during this period. Decreased estrogen levels can lead to libido decline, bone loss, heart problems, and cognitive decline over time.

As a woman reaches her mid-50s, her ovaries no longer release eggs, and she no longer experiences menstruation. Other women are likely to have symptoms that include menopausal weight gain, feeling uneasy, and mood swings in addition to hot flushes. Body changes are primarily caused by oestrogen deficiency and the way it affects various hormone levels.

In some women, symptoms may appear shortly after the ovaries stop producing these hormones. Oestrogen, for instance, makes us feel good. Therefore, if we produce less, this may lead to depression. Others turn to alternative therapies. While some women get hormonal treatment.

In spite of menopause’s distressing side effects, a healthy diet can help you cope.

Effortless menopause with these amazing foods

Menopause symptoms can be eased or prevented by eating some foods. You can reduce their severity by including these 12 healthy foods in your diet.

1. Oatmeal

Oats are one of the best sources of soluble fibre, which can help to lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels, keeping you fuller longer. Oatmeal contains fibre to help you maintain healthy digestion too.

A recent study found that women who ate oatmeal and other whole grains for five or more years had a 65 percent reduction in risk for breast cancer.

2. Salmon

Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower triglyceride levels and reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke by preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol particles that harden into clots in your arteries and cause CVDs like heart attacks or strokes. It may also lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels.

3. Peanuts 

Peanuts are a good source of monounsaturated healthy fats, which may protect against CVD by reducing LDL cholesterol levels and improving heart health; protein for maintaining muscle mass; folate for healthy pregnancies; and vitamin E for healthy skin. 19. 

4. Broccoli

Broccoli is rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that helps protect against CVD by lowering LDL cholesterol levels and reducing inflammation as well as vitamin C—which supports strong bones—and potassium to keep your blood pressure normal. It’s also a good source of dietary fibre—which can help you feel full longer—as well as folate, which has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke by preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol particles that harden into clots in your arteries and cause CVDs like heart attacks or strokes. It may also lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels.

5. Soy Products

Soy-based foods like tofu, soy milk, edamame and tempeh are all good sources of plant-based protein—which can help you feel fuller longer—as well as calcium to keep your bones healthy and magnesium to support heart health. They also contain isoflavones called phytoestrogens, which work like estrogen in the body but have much less potency. 

While they haven’t been proven to prevent or treat menopause symptoms, they may offer some relief from hot flushes or other symptoms associated with low estrogen levels during this time.

6. Eggs

Eggs are one of nature’s most nutrient-dense foods with high levels of choline, which is important for brain health and may help lower your risk for Alzheimer’s disease. They also contain antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin to keep your eyes healthy and vitamin D to support your immune system.

7. Leafy Greens

Spinach, kale and other leafy greens are rich in vitamins C and E—two antioxidants known to neutralize free radicals that damage cells throughout the body—as well as magnesium, which has been shown to help prevent osteoporosis by keeping bones strong.

They are also packed with antioxidants like beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin—which may keep your eyes healthy—as well as iron, folate to support bone health. It also contains magnesium to help improve heart health.

8. Whole Grains

There’s a reason why the USDA recommends that 50 to 60 percent of your daily calories come from whole-grain foods—they can help lower cholesterol and reduce your risk for heart disease. 

In fact, researchers found that people who eat whole grains have a 17 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes than people who don’t eat whole grains. The best sources include oats, brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa and 100 percent whole-wheat bread (and remember: “enriched” slices of bread are not the same).

9. Garlic

Garlic contains allicin, which has been shown in animal studies to lower cholesterol levels while promoting heart health by preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol particles that harden into clots in your arteries and cause CVDs like heart attacks or strokes. It may also lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels.

10. Dark Chocolate

Research shows that eating dark chocolate can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. It’s also high in cocoa flavanols, which are known to lower blood pressure levels and improve blood flow to the heart. Just be sure to choose dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa (or higher).

Dark chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a stimulant that can boost your mood and energy levels and is also a good source of magnesium to help regulate blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

11. Pears

Pears are a good source of dietary fibre as well as pectin, which may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by lowering insulin levels. They’re also a good source of vitamins C and K to maintain healthy bones and a good source of potassium to keep your blood pressure normal.

12. Poultry 

Poultry contains protein to maintain muscle mass, selenium to lower your risk of cancer by inducing detoxification enzymes in the liver which help prevent harmful compounds from forming in the body, vitamin B3 (niacin) to maintain healthy skin and hair, zinc to support a strong immune system and iron which helps carry oxygen throughout your body.

The bottomline

You can look at menopause as simply another stage in your life rather than an illness. You are starting anew.

Keep hydrated. Drink eight glasses of water every day. Avoid caffeinated drinks, spicy foods, processed foods including alcohol, as these contribute to dehydration and exacerbate some symptoms related to menopause.

Lose weight naturally by following a healthy lifestyle. Get in the habit of walking every day. Fitness programs offered over the internet are a convenient way to get personal training from the comfort of your own home from a professional trainer.

An important component of your diet should be abundant in calcium, iron, fibre, fruits, and vegetables. A dietitian or nutritionist can help you develop an individualized diet plan according to your ideal healthy weight and body requirements.

You should also maintain a positive attitude and get assistance when necessary.