Menopause diet: Food to eat and avoid during menopause.

Verified by Dr. Vaishali Sakpal Rane (MBBS, DGO Obstetrics and Gynaecology, DNB Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

As a woman's menstrual cycle permanently comes to end ( usually considered 12 months following the last period) she naturally starts her menopause phase. Maintaining your health becomes utmost important during menopause because your body goes thorough a number of changes. One of these factors to pay attention is menopause diet.

There are many changes that happen to your body on a different level and you might get to see various symptoms like hot flashes, tiredness etc. However, menopause's transition and symptoms might last for a few of years. Although menopause is associated with a number of unpleasant symptoms and raises your chance of contracting particular diseases, your diet may assist smooth the transition and lessen symptoms.

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Your regular cyclical rhythms of oestrogen and progesterone are disturbed as you approach menopause and beyond because the hormone oestrogen starts to diminish.

Your metabolism is significantly impacted by declining oestrogen levels, which might result in weight gain. The way your body digests carbohydrates and your cholesterol levels may also be impacted by these changes.

During this time of transition, many women encounter symptoms including hot flashes and trouble sleeping. Fortunately, adopting dietary modifications may help alleviate menopausal symptoms. Hot flashes are more common in menopausal women and have been linked to excessive blood sugar, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.

Blood sugar is known to rise quickly in response to processed diets and added sweets. Foods may have a more noticeable impact on blood sugar the more processed they are. Limiting your intake of processed foods and added sugars, such as white bread, crackers, and baked goods, may thus help you have fewer hot flashes throughout menopause. Caffeine and alcohol have been demonstrated in studies to cause heat flashes in menopausal women.

However, another research connected coffee consumption to a decreased risk of hot flashes. It could be worthwhile to evaluate whether giving up caffeine has an impact on your hot flashes. Another aspect to consider is that coffee and alcohol are notorious sleep disruptors, and many menopausal women have difficulty sleeping. In this instance, you might want to think again about drinking alcohol or caffeine right before bed.

Menopause symptoms may be lessened by including foods in your menopause diet like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, high-quality protein, and dairy products. Additionally helpful substances include phytoestrogens and good fats like fish oil's omega-3 fatty acids. You might also want to cut back on alcohol, coffee, processed carbohydrates, added sweets, meals rich in salt, and spicy foods. This crucial adjustment in your life could be made simpler by some straightforward dietary modifications.