Healthy eating during menopause
During menopause, your body begins to change. Many women gain a few pounds (or more) and find it very difficult to lose this extra weight. We would like to help you with that.
Exercise is important, and healthy eating during menopause also has a positive impact. Do you want to know what you can eat best during the transition and what not? This article contains a number of tips.
Why is healthy eating important during menopause?
Because your body is changing, it is important that you eat well. It is better to avoid meat and it is important that you get a lot of iron, because you can lose a lot of blood. In addition, it is also important that you take, for example, whole wheat pasta and bread instead of white pasta and white bread. You arrive faster in the transition. Your body needs less food, because you also burn less. It may be difficult to stay away from tasty things, but eating healthy during menopause is very important.
Which products are healthy to eat during menopause?
- Eat as much fresh and unprocessed food as possible. Think of fruit (such as apples, pears, plums and cherries) and vegetables (such as broccoli, carrots, potatoes, peppers and cabbage varieties).
- Unsalted / unroasted nuts, avocado, olive oil and oily fish (salmon, mackerel and herring) are good fats for your body.
- The amino acid tryptophan can be a natural aid to reduce mood swings. There is a lot of tryptophan in protein-rich food, but also in pumpkin seeds, lentils, bananas, dates, grains, brown rice, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and nuts.
- Various spices such as cinnamon, garlic, celery and ginger are important in peri-menopause. In peri-menopause (the first phase of menopause), progesterone levels drop, causing estrogen to rise relatively speaking. We also speak of estrogen dominance in this phase. Menstruations are more painful and follow shorter periods. You gain weight, have a headache, retain moisture, your moods change and you often sleep badly.
- Take foods rich in phytoestrogen, such as tempeh and flax seeds. Legumes such as soybeans, lentils, chickpeas and tofu are also phytoestrogens or good plant estrogens. Plant estrogens are especially important in post-menopause. This second phase, the post-menopause, also causes estrogen levels to drop because the ovaries stop working. This is often the period around the menopause.
What should you not take during menopause?
Some products are best avoided around the transition. During this period, your body sometimes reacts more sensitively to certain foods than before. For example, a cup of coffee can suddenly trigger a hot flash and alcohol can be bad for a good night’s sleep.
We list all the products that you should avoid:
- Coffee
- Alcoholic drinks
- Sugar
- White flour products
- Soft drinks
- Red meat
Don’t just change your eating habits, but also your lifestyle
For example, take the bike more often than the car and have an alcohol-free drink if you have a pleasant evening. Because of these small things you often quickly notice a big difference.
You have now had many tips about healthy eating during menopause. You know which products are healthy to eat and which you should avoid. In addition to eating healthy during the transition, would you like to change your lifestyle and start exercising? Check out our website and come by for a trial lesson.
