Menopause is simply a sign of women marking the end of her reproductive period. A woman carries infinite number of eggs in her ovaries. The menstruation and ovulation is being controlled by the hormones called Estrogens and Progesterone which ovaries make.
Menopause is only conformed once there is a transition of 2 months later the last menstrual cycle. The ideal age for this is 50-year-old but this varies women to women and hence can occur between the age of 45 - 55 years old. Before 40 years of age it is considered as Premature Menopause.
The different symptoms of Menopause include:
- Mood Swing
- Bone and joint pains
- Hot flashes
- Sweating
- Increased heart rate
- Headache
- Vaginal dryness and soreness
- Weight gain
- Disturbed sleep
As per the best nutritionist in Mumbai, diet plays an important role in relieving those symptoms. The diet is not like one need to go for crash diet or have to stick to same diet for months but just a little modification in your regular eating. So our focus should be that we add some good nutrient for each symptom which ultimately helps you get relieved from all the symptoms.
i. Brain MDs Serotonin Mood Support:
Serotonin is the neurotransmitter which is produced by our brain which relaxes the brain, reduce stress and enhance your mood.
Berries like strawberries, blackberries and raspberries are rich in Vitamin C which helps cope up with cortisol hormone which is released during stress. Beans are rich in magnesium and walnuts are rich in tryptophan, an essential amino acid which helps brain to make serotonin and melatonin hormones leading to relax the brain, alleviate anxiety and enhances sleep cycle.
Herbal teas like chamomile tea and peppermint tea are high in antioxidants and have calming properties which relaxes the brain muscles and induces sleep.
ii. Good Fat is equal to Healthy Heart, Bones and Joints:
Good fats are omega 3 and omega 6. They help in reducing bad cholesterol from body and increases good cholesterol leading to healthy blood pressure and healthy heart rate.
Omega 3 and Omega 6 are anti-inflammatory in nature which helps in reducing the bone & joint inflammation and also the vaginal soreness. Hence pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, pistachios, almonds which is high in omega 3 fats, can be included in the regular diet in terms of mid-meal snacks.
iii. Three Servings of Fruits and Vegetables Is a Must:
Fruits and vegetables are high in several vitamins & minerals and dietary fibre which is highly needed by our body. One should always take care of what she eats as it is very important. During a one year intervention study on over 17,000 menopausal women, it was recorded that the women having three servings of fruits and vegetables regularly has experienced lesser hot flashes and vaginal pain than women having lesser vegetables and fruits as they lack dietary fibers.
Cruciferous vegetables like Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflowers, spinach are more helpful in postmenopausal women. Especially broccoli helps in reducing the type of estrogens which may lead to breast cancer. But here we have to give a thought while choosing, if one is having a history of Hypothyroidism and Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, they should avoid cruciferous vegetables as they may worsen the condition.
iv. Shed Those Extra Pounds:
During the menopausal period, it's difficult for many women to keep that extra pound off. Especially, women who have been in a sedentary lifestyle since so long. Especially, the belly area is more affected with fat gain. Where on one hand fat increases on another hand muscle they lose muscle. Hence it is important to maintain your body with more of muscle mass and less of fat mass.
Due to the menopausal symptoms women start becoming inactive which leads to fat accumulation and shaggy body. It is important to increase protein in diet by adding milk, curd, chicken, fish, egg white and cereal protein like quinoa. Also a minimum of 30 minutes of activity is required in whole day.
v. Hydration and Skin:
Many women can see that their skin starts getting wrinkled, getting sweat a lot and gut related problems. The root cause of all these are less hydration. It is important to drink a minimum of 10 - 12 glasses of water every day. Water helps in proper nutrient absorption & also helps in nourishment of skin. It helps in evacuation of the waste from body.
Studies from the best nutritionist in Delhi states that by having chia seeds in water once a day, it helps to maintain the electrolyte balance in body which ultimately reduce the excessive sweat.
"Menopause is a temporary state. Do not let yourself down because of these symptoms and fight back with the little things in your kitchen."
