Thursday, February 5, 2009

Do's and Dont's of a Menopausal Diet

By Ricardo d Argence

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.

According to doctors, this is a natural phenomenon that happens as you leave child-bearing years behind and move into a bright new time of life. You will begin to experience power surges (hot flashes), great depth of feeling (mood swings) and your body takes on new curves (excess weight).

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.

If you're a woman in the age range for menopause, your diet should be nutrient-rich and well balanced. Women should be eating fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and calcium containing foods on a daily basis even before menopause symptoms occur.

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.

You shoul avoid: sugar, processed foods, alcohol, soy based products like tofu and caffeine.

When you add these healthy foods to a more active lifestyle, you will be able to sail through the months of menopause. The second half of your life can well be the best years because you will have transformed yourself and become even stronger, healthier, and more radiant than ever.

Products that should be in your Diet: Vitamins A, D, C and E, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, fiber, phytoestrogens, and isoflavones; cottage cheese; yogurt; seafood, especially fish; fresh berries and other fruits; whole-wheat cereals and breads; leafy greens like spinach, kale, and broccoli.

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. - 15683

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