Health Network News

While we know the cliche that only two things are certain “death and taxes.” There is another event that is inevitable for women. Menopause is a change of life that happens to the bodies of females when they hit their 40s. As hormone levels in the system change, exciting and emporwering events begin to take place.

Doctors will agree that this is a natural occurence and it happens as you are no longer able to bear children and are moving on to a new time in our life. You will begin to experience hot flashes, mood swings and your body takes on new curves.

This seems a bit unfair to have to deal with excess pounds on top of all of the other symptoms, but nonetheless it happens. One of the reasons that menopause predisposes us to weight gain is because our natural estrogen levels begin to decrease during these years.

During menopause, when women are in their mid to late 40s, they typically gain about 10-15 pounds, with a minimum weight gain of 5 pounds in one-third of women. Less than 50% of the women according to the studies maintained their weight throughout the menopausal years due to extreme dieting and determination.

Since increased pounds can also raise the danger for several diseases such as high blood pressure, stroke and heart failure caused by increase in weight it is advisable that this be managed or avoided. You need to exercise to keep a healthy weight and females need to do both cadio and weights to maintain proper weight.

A woman who is going through menopause should eat a diet rich in nutrients and minerals. Pre-menopausal women need to focus on consuming more fruit and vegetable, lean meats, whole cereals and calcium rich foods.

You should always take vitamins and minerals and eat food that are good for you, as they are the main factors to stay healthy and help stop a lot of menopausal symptoms if you make changes to your diet.

Some foods you should avoid are: sugar, processed foods, salt, edamame (soybeans), soy based products like tofu.

You will fly right through menopause when you add these healthy foods to your diet and acquire more daily activity. When you are in the second half of your life, you can certainly have some of your best years due to the cumulative experiences you’ve had.

Foods that should be in your Diet: Vitamins A, D, C and E, Vitamins and supplements that include B-12, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, fiber, phytoestrogens, and isoflavones; skim or fat-free milk; cottage cheese; yogurt; leafy greens like spinach, kale, and broccoli; seafood, especially fish; whole-wheat cereals and breads.

When you introduce a new healthy diet and exercise routines in your life you can meet the menopause with a bright smile. You may be able to sail through this normal transition if you manage to eliminate or assuage those symptoms. Taking more time to eat healthy whole foods and get more exercise will help you make this new era in your life the best one in your life.