Nutrition Facts & Diet advice for Menopause and menstrual Problems

1 Comment7 June 2016

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Nutrition Facts & Diet advice for Menopause and menstrual Problems

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Some women go through menopause with few or no noticeable symptoms, whilst other women experience short-term or acute symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, anxiety, depression, poor libido, bladder problems, vaginal dryness and itching, burning and discomfort during sexual intercourse, breast tenderness, dryness and ageing of the skin, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, poor memory and insomnia. All of these symptoms are due to oestrogen and progesterone deficiency. Osteoporosis is a major problem for women after menopause.

Menopause is not a disease. It is the next natural phase of life, and with proper diet, Health Supplements, and exercise, most of the unpleasant side effects of menopause can be minimized, and often eliminated.

Nutrition Facts & Diet advice for Menopause Problems

Consider the following nutrition guidelines:

Eat a diet high in raw and lightly steamed vegetables, particularly green leafy varieties.
If you have a tendency for hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), always mix some protein with your carbohydrate intake.
Eat oily fish, and if you use tin fish eat the bones also.
Eat phytoestrogens as found in miso, soybeans and tofu.
Substitute garlic or onion powder for salt in cooking, as salt increases urinary excretion of calcium.
Drink at least 2 litres of filtered or bottled water per day to help prevent drying of skin and mucous membranes.
Avoid dairy and excessive meat, which can cause hot flashes and excrete calcium.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugar, which can cause hot flashes and mood swings.
Avoid spicy foods.
Avoid stress when possible.
Get regular exercise.

Heavy Periods

Excessive menstrual bleeding is a common complaint which is usually preventable through proper nutritional measures, so long as the cause is determined. The most common cause is the body producing too much arachidonic acid, which is hormone-like substance (called prostaglandin series 2). This excess prostaglandin series 2 is probably the main reason for excessive menstrual bleeding and menstrual cramps.

Other factors in heavy periods include iron deficiency, underactive thyroid, vitamin A deficiency, vitamin K deficiency, essential fatty acid deficiency (omega 6), endometriosis, fibroids and birth control devices.

It’s easy to imagine that a woman may develop an iron deficiency if she is bleeding heavily during menstruation, but it’s not so well recognised that chronic iron deficiency can actually be a cause of heavy bleeding.

Nutrition facts & Diet Advice for Heavy Periods

The following nutrition guidelines should be considered:

Increase green leafy vegetables, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds and other nuts, all of which will provide omega 6 essential fatty acids, which also have the effect of keeping arachidonic acid levels down.
Eat oily fish, pumpkin seeds, linseeds (flaxseed) and walnuts for their omega 3 content.
Eat sprouted alfalfa seeds for their vitamin K content.
If not pregnant, eat organic liver for the vitamin A content – if you can’t get organic, leave it alone, and get a vitamin A supplement instead.

The green vegetables and nuts and seeds mentioned above also contain calcium and magnesium which will help relax muscles and relieve cramps.