Changing Diet for Menopause

Are you at the age when menopause is creeping up on you? Have you started to notice subtle changes, knowing that the change of life is just around the corner? If so, there is nothing to be afraid of but you should do all you can to learn about menopause and the things that can be done to make the process easier. Most of our lives, we have heard that eating a healthy diet is essential for a long, healthy life. Obviously, this is true but what we are learning more and more is that diet goes well beyond just everyday living. For example, diet and menopause has become a huge topic, especially in the last few years. The reason, there are too many fad diets on the market.

Although fad diets have come and gone for years, they have exploded in the past ten years. We have seen The Zone, the Atkins Diet, Slim Fast Diet, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, low fat, low cholesterol, high fiber, you name it, and there is probably a diet for it. When it comes to diet for menopause, this is actually more important than it might sound. Yes, you need to eat the right foods but you also want to make sure that if you plan to follow any of the "fad diets", you choose wisely.

You see, when going through menopause, your body is undergoing many changes. The estrogen hormone levels in the body are starting to slow down and with this, all kinds of things happen. Therefore, you need different nutrition than what you might have needed before menopause. Experts have done one study after another, all with the same results – women going through menopause that eat healthy and stick with the right foods, feel much better and struggle with far fewer symptoms.

Therefore, we wanted to talk about diet for menopause and specifically each of the popular diets being marketed today so you know what you should and should not do. For menopausal women, foods such as melons and citrus are important since they contain high levels of potassium, and work as a natural diuretic to help with water retention, one of the many menopausal symptoms. Additionally, foods like soy, tuna, salmon, and seaweed are great for menopause, as is broccoli, yams, figs, and apricots.

Atkins Diet

As far as menopause and diet, unfortunately, the Atkins Diet is not a good choice. With too much fat and meat intake, the body is not getting the right types of foods to combat all the symptoms associated with menopause.

Slim Fast Diet

Overall, when it comes to menopause and diet, the Slim Fast Diet rates well. In addition to balancing healthy foods, watching calorie intake, and maintaining essential nutrition, this particular diet is also flexible and convenient.

Bob Green

Known as Oprah’s personal trainer, when it comes to menopause and diet, this is a good, long-term diet plan. In fact, you could consider Bob Greene’s Total Body Makeover more of a lifestyle change, rather than a diet. The goal here is to eat sensibly while incorporating exercise, which is also important for women going through menopause.

Living with Diabetes

Interestingly, you might not immediate associate a diabetes diet as a menopause type diet but in truth, the meals are balanced with an emphasis on improving blood sugars while decreasing risk of disease. Therefore, many doctors consider the diabetic diet as being a good, all-around diet.

High Fiber Diet

This diet is also a good, all-around diet for menopause that helps stabilize blood sugar, control the appetite, and lower the risk of cancer.

Heart Smart Diet

Since women with menopause are at greater risk of cancer due to reduced estrogen levels, the Heart Smart Diet is an excellent diet for menopause. This particular diet works by preventing some forms of heart disease while also lowering dangerous cholesterol levels.

Low Fat Diet

This too is a good diet for menopause in that it is low in fat but rich in complex carbohydrates. That means the calories consumed are the "right" calories, which help reduce the chance of heart disease, certain cancers, provide long-term weight management, and provide more energy to the body and brain.