Menopause symptoms may be lessened by eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and protein, among other nutrients, and by engaging in regular physical activity.
Menopause often lasts a few years and starts in the late 40s or early 50s.
At least two-thirds of those going through menopause suffer menopausal symptoms during this time.
These include of fatigue, mood swings, irritability, hot flashes, and nocturnal sweats.
Menopausal individuals are also more susceptible to a number of illnesses, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
For comfort, many resort to natural supplements and therapies.
Here is a list of 11 all-natural methods for easing menopausal symptoms.
1. Consume foods high in vitamin D and calcium.
Menopausal hormone fluctuations may damage bones, which raises the risk of osteoporosis.
It’s critical to consume adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D in your diet because these nutrients are connected to healthy bones.
A decreased risk of hip fractures due to weak bones is also linked to adequate vitamin D intake throughout the postmenopausal period.
Dairy items like yogurt, milk, and cheese are among the many foods high in calcium.
Since your skin manufactures vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, sunlight is your primary supply of the nutrient. But as you age, your skin becomes less effective at producing it.
It can be crucial to increase your dietary intake of vitamin D or take a supplement if you spend a lot of time indoors and avoid the sun.
Rich dietary sources include foods fortified with vitamin D, eggs, oily fish, and cod liver oil.
2. Maintain a moderate weight
During menopause, weight increase is typical.
A combination of aging, genetics, lifestyle changes, and hormone fluctuations may be to blame for this.
Developing diseases like diabetes and heart disease is more likely when there is an increase in body fat, particularly around the waist.
Additionally, menopause symptoms may be impacted by body weight.
Hot flashes and night sweats were more likely to go away in a research including 17,473 postmenopausal women who lost at least 10 pounds or 10% of their body weight over the course of a year.
Here are some details about weight loss during the menopause.
3. Consume a lot of fruits and veggies.
Many of the symptoms of menopause can be avoided with a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are excellent for weight loss and maintenance because they are low in calories and might make you feel full.
They might also aid in the prevention of certain illnesses, including heart disease.
Given that the risk of heart disease tends to rise after menopause, this is significant. This could be brought on by things like becoming older, gaining weight, or even having lower estrogen levels.
Lastly, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may help stave off bone loss.
An observational study involving 3,236 women aged 50 to 59 discovered that diets rich in fruits and vegetables could prevent the deterioration of bone.
4. Steer clear of trigger foods.
Night sweats, mood swings, and hot flashes can all be brought on by certain meals.
If consumed at night, they can be even more likely to act as triggers.
Caffeine, alcohol, and foods that are sweet or spicy are examples of common triggers.
Maintain a symptom log. If you believe that certain foods make your menopause symptoms worse, try cutting back on your intake or avoiding them altogether.
5. Get frequent exercise
The effectiveness of exercise in treating hot flashes and night sweats is currently not well enough established.
However, there is proof to back up additional advantages of consistent exercise, such as Pilates-based workout regimens. Enhanced energy and metabolism, stronger bones and joints, less stress, and enhanced sleep are some of these advantages.
For instance, a 12-week walking fitness program was found to have positive impacts on the physical, emotional, and general quality of life of 40 menopausal women in a study conducted in Korea.
Frequent exercise is also linked to improved general health and defense against illnesses such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
Regular exercise may help lower the risk of heart disease, which is significantly increased in menopausal women, according to multiple studies.
6. Increase your intake of foods strong in phytoestrogens.
Plant substances known as phytoestrogens have the ability to replicate the physiological effects of estrogen.
They might therefore aid with hormone balance.
It is believed that menopausal women in Asian nations like Japan never get hot flashes because of their high intake of phytoestrogens.
Foods rich in phytoestrogens include:
However, different processing techniques result in different amounts of phytoestrogen in food.
According to one study, women participants who were about to enter menopause who consumed a high-soy diet had lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and hot flash and night sweat intensity.
Still up for contention, though, is whether soy products are healthy or not.
Research indicates that whole meals are a superior source of phytoestrogens than supplements or packaged foods
containing soy protein.
7. Drink plenty of water
Dryness is a common problem throughout the menopause. Most likely, the drop in estrogen levels is to blame for this.
Water consumption of 8 to 12 glasses daily helps alleviate these symptoms.
The bloating that can result from hormone fluctuations can also be lessened by drinking water.
Additionally, by making you feel fuller and somewhat speeding up your metabolism, water can help you lose weight and avoid gaining it.
Thirty minutes prior to a meal, 17 ounces (500 ml) of water can help you consume 13% less calories during the meal.
8. Cut back on processed meals and refined sugar
A diet heavy in sugar and refined carbohydrates can lead to abrupt spikes and falls in blood sugar, which can make you feel agitated and exhausted. Menopause symptoms, both mental and physical, may get worse as a result.
In fact, postmenopausal women may be more susceptible to depression if they follow a diet high in refined carbohydrates, according to one study.
Diets heavy in processed foods can also have an impact on bone health, particularly if they are taking the place of daily balanced diets in terms of nutrients.
A substantial observational study discovered a link between poor bone quality and diets heavy in processed and snack foods in women aged 50 to 59.
9. Never miss a meal.
When going through menopause, it may be vital to eat regularly.
Unusual eating patterns have the potential to exacerbate specific menopausal symptoms and complicate weight
management.
There was a 4.3% decrease in weight reduction when postmenopausal women participated in a year-long weight
management program when they skipped meals.
10. Eat protein-rich foods
The age-related loss of lean muscle mass can be halted by eating protein consistently throughout the day.
According to one study, eating protein at every meal of the day could reduce the rate at which muscle is lost as people age.
High protein diets not only assist in preventing muscle loss but also improve the number of calories expended and promote feelings of fullness, which can aid in weight loss.
11. Take natural supplements
Many people may think of relieving their menopause symptoms by using natural goods and solutions.
However, there isn’t much proof for many of them.
The most popular natural supplements for easing menopausal symptoms are listed below:
Phytoestrogens. Supplements or natural food sources can be used to consume them. Currently, there is insufficient data to support their usage in reducing menopausal symptoms.
Black cohosh. The research is conflicting, however some studies have suggested that black cohosh may be an effective way to reduce hot flashes. Furthermore, there aren’t many long-term studies on this supplement’s safety.
Red Clover. Red clover isoflavone supplements may help lower the frequency of hot flashes from a baseline of three per day, according to a review of research. The authors of the study did point out that additional focused research is required to validate red clover’s benefits for reducing flushing episodes and other menopausal symptoms.
Additional supplements. In order to assist reduce menopause symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats, more research is required to determine the efficacy of other widely used supplements such probiotics, prebiotics, cranberry extract, kava, DHEA-S, dong quai, and evening primrose oil.
As a 54-year-old woman currently going through menopause, I personally have found the following supplement to be extremely beneficial almost eradicating my nightly hot flashes.
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In short
Menopause is not a disease. It’s an inevitable aspect of existence.
Even though the symptoms might be challenging to manage, maintaining a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise can help both avoid and lessen them.
Try using some of the above suggestions to make your time during and after menopause more pleasurable and easier.