Menopause and Nutrition
Women seem to have a natural tendency to worry about food throughout their lives, as food is not only the most important thing for their own health but also for their families’.
And the thing is the worry over food seems to only increase with menopause. Women become even more anxious by age, health problems seem to increase and things get out of control by the wrong dietary habits– a vicious circle that is hard to move out of.
They can start craving more of high calorie foods like pastries, sweets, cakes and chocolate as they are more stressed about things and life in general during menopause. With hormonal imbalance, lower mood and more depression, they may start walking less and moving around less.
Then it is inevitable that they put on weight, which also places them at greater risk of chronic diseases as they are also getting older. Almost all diseases women suffer from have a more or less direct relationship with what they eat and their lifestyles. Diseases that become riskier for women over the age of 50 are: Cardiovascular diseases (Strokes, acute myocardial infarction, hypertension and arteriosclerosis), Osteoporosis, Cancers (Breast, ovarian, uterus and cervical), Diabetes and Obesity.
But the good news is it doesn’t always have to be that way. With proper nutrition and exercise program, they can get over the menopausal period much easier than they think. So they don’t have to suffer from high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases.
So what diets should work in their favor to prevent these diseases?
By reducing the consumption of saturated fats and red meat, increasing the intake of cereals, legumes, vegetables and fruits, yogurt, dietary fiber and by not smoking or drinking alcohol excessively, they will have reduced their risks of developing tumors and cancer.
They can decrease their risks of hypertension by not eating salty foods. This includes not adding salt to their meals but also monitoring the intake of foods that contain salt such as nuts, sausages, ham, anchovies, olives and more.
They should restrict their intake of cholesterol and saturated fats and consume more of foods that are rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, B, C and E to reduce their risks of cardiovascular diseases. They should include leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, vegetables, dairy, fish and seafood, citrus, tomatoes and olive oil in their diets.
Osteoporosis rates also increase after the age of 50. So women in menopause can not do without calcium- the essential mineral for bone formation and the thing that is most important for the bones to gain their solidness. Sufficient calcium intake prevents the onset of osteoporosis. Women need roughly 1500mg of calcium per day to meet their metabolic needs. So they should include dairy, sardines, parsley, spinach, chard, anchovies, almonds, hazelnuts, chickpeas, soybeans, lemon, orange, tangerine, squid, octopus and mussels and olives in their diets.
The key points to remember here are:
- Antioxidant vitamins E, C and A protect them from heart diseases.
- They need 1500mg of calcium daily to fight the onset of osteoporosis.
- Probiotics rich yogurt and high fiber foods can help prevent the type of cancers women are exposed to.
- They should restrict their salt intake to fight hypertension.
- They need to protect themselves from overweight and obesity.
- Last but not least they should avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
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