The Best Diet Hacks to Support You Through Menopause

Menopause is a natural stage of life that’s officially reached once you haven’t had a period for 12 consecutive months. However, the transition to menopause (perimenopause) can take several years, as your levels of estrogen slowly decline. 

The steady reduction in hormone levels often brings about a wide range of incredibly unpleasant symptoms, with some of the most common including hot flashes, mood swings, and low energy.

Your general health can also be affected, since low estrogen can lower metabolism, reduce muscle mass, and weaken bones. Your risk for developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes also goes up during this time.

Thankfully, there are plenty of things you can do on your own to decrease the severity of perimenopausal symptoms, one of which is making changes to your diet.

At Women’s Specialty Care in Lake Forest and Grayslake, Illinois, our team led by Karen Mass, MD, FACOG, is passionate about helping women during the transition to menopause. So, we’ve highlighted foods to both include and avoid to better your health while you’re going through perimenopause.

Include these foods

Let’s take a look at some foods to include in your diet to improve your health and reduce your symptoms:

Dairy products

Low estrogen increases your risk of developing osteoporosis and bone fractures. By boosting the amount of calcium in your diet, you can strengthen your bones and keep them from fracturing so easily. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt are chock full of calcium and work hard to protect your bone health.

Omega-3 fatty acids

During the transition to menopause, you may notice that your metabolism slows down, and you start gaining weight more easily. The excess weight can put you at risk for coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. To lower your risk for these chronic health conditions, focus on eating foods with omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, anchovies, chia seeds, and hemp seeds.

Vegetables

Vegetables offer lots of beneficial nutrients at any stage of life, but especially during perimenopause. Leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and collard greens can add more calcium to your diet, so make sure to fill at least half your plate with these green powerhouses. Broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus can also protect your overall health and even decrease the severity of hot flashes. 

Lean protein

While some red meat from time to time is okay, leaner sources of protein like chicken, turkey, tuna, lentils, and beans are better for menopause management. Lean protein can help protect your bones, increase muscle mass, and reduce your risk for heart disease. 

Avoid these foods

On the flip side, some foods can negatively affect your health, worsening your menopause symptoms and your risk for chronic conditions. For those reasons, we suggest severely limiting, if not eliminating altogether, these particular foods:

• Highly processed foods such as candy, chips, and fried foods
• Foods with lots of added sugar such as baked goods and soda
• Foods high in sodium such as deli meats and pretzels
• Alcohol

In addition, you may notice that spicy food or caffeine worsen symptoms such as hot flashes or insomnia. Try cutting back on these to see if the symptom severity subsides. 

To learn more ways you can better manage symptoms of perimenopause, schedule an appointment with our Women’s Specialty Care team by calling your nearest office location or using our online booking feature today.