The Menopause Diet

Now that you have a better concept of nutrition, you will be able to understand the menopause diet. Some of the changes the body goes through during menopause are associated in part with eating habits. Being aware of what you eat and what you don’t eat, can avoid and reduce certain symptoms of menopause. "You are what you eat".

1. Eat a variety of foods, it's the best way to ensure getting all the essentials nutrients from the diet. The proper variety and balance can be achieved by selecting foods from the four basic food groups.
2. Maintain desirable weight. Don't resort to crash diets because they are doomed to fail. Tackle the basic problem - lifelong of wrongfully eating and exercise habits. Reduce food portions and increase physical activity if you desire to lose weight.
3. Avoid too much fat, mainly saturated fats and cholesterol. Fatty foods promote weight gain and high levels of blood cholesterol.
4. Eat foods with adequate starch and fiber. A healthful diet should be built around starchy foods or complex carbohydrates.
5. Avoid too much sugar; moderate amounts of sugar and other simple carbohydrates are not harmful.
6. Avoid too much sodium if you can. Sodium is added to many processed foods, including cereals, soft drinks and other items that don't taste salty.
7. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.
8. Reduce both, the frequency and intensity of hot flashes (transient feeling of heat), a common menopausal symptom, by avoiding the following known triggers: excessive amounts of sugar, animal fats, highly processed foods, chocolate, and hot drinks. 
9. Avoid large amounts of caffeine and alcohol as well as the consumption of large amounts of food at one time.  These excesses can raise your body temperature and, consequently, trigger more flashes.  Moderation is the key. 
10. Make sure you are eating whole grains, cold-pressed vegetables oils, legumes, nuts and seeds, and fish strengthen your body so it is up to par and able to regulate the hormonal shifts during this time with more ease.
11. Eat soy bean products, such as tofu, soy milk, and soy yogurt regularly because soy reduces hot flashes in some women due to an estrogen like ingredient.
12. Drink lots of water and try herbal teas or supplements that include gingseng , dong quai, and black cohosh to reduce hot flashes.
13. Consider a multi-vitamin/mineral. Some health care providers suggest that you take supplements of vitamin E, vitamin C, and bioflavonoids to help strengthen your body’s temperature-regulating mechanisms; B complex to avoid moodiness; and calcium-magnesium  supplement (1500mg of calcium daily is recommended after menopause to slow down bone loss) to keep your bones strong as your estrogen levels drop.
14. Avoid frozen or raw foods:  Though a quick fix to our very busy lifes, frozen foods deplete you of your energy and increase fatigue. This happens because it takes the body longer to process these foods, you have to use your internal energy to warm up the food before digesting it.  The more tired you are, the greater your need for well-cooked food, like hot foods or teas. Energy producing foods, such excessive amounts of coffee, sodas, or chocolate will make you feel more fatigued at the long run.