Menopausal diet

Women lose energy with age and metabolism slows down. In this sense, fluid retention, increased body fat, bone osteoporosis or hypothyroidism are common. It is from the age of 35-40 that women’s metabolism tends to slow down, which means that, eating the same food, they put on weight more easily. The body saves more and spends less energy or calories to perform metabolic functions.

As the metabolism slows down, fat tends to accumulate in the waist, belly and hips. Thus, resting energy expenditure is reduced, fat tissue increases and lean tissue decreases. Age and lack of physical exercise aggravate it, as well as the decrease in sex hormones, since the lack of estrogen makes the body less efficient at burning fat from the diet, and it tends to store it. This increase in abdominal fat is associated with alterations in blood cholesterol levels, also increasing the risk of cardiovascular problems.

A diet for menopause will help the patient to improve symptoms. This type of diet should be slightly hypocaloric, varied and based on fresh and seasonal products, to improve nutritional quality. In this way it will regulate the patient’s intestinal transit and influence the way fat is accumulated and burned.

A menopause diet will help the patient with the symptoms of menopause.

Why is it done?

Many aspects of women’s health are related to the hormonal changes that occur in our bodies. During menopause there is a reduction in sex hormones, specifically estrogen.

What does it consist of?

The menopausal diet should follow certain patterns to help the patient control symptoms:

1. Breakfast. The patient should eat breakfast first thing in the morning, when she gets up. Drinking juice is not recommended because, by removing the fiber, fruit sugar (fructose) is rapidly absorbed and stimulates fat storage. It is therefore important to include protein in breakfasts.
2. Starchy foods (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, quinoa, buckwheat…) should not be mixed. It is not recommended to mix starches in the same meal because they increase the glycemic load of the dish and favor the release of insulin which, in turn, makes the patient put on weight and accumulate fat more easily.
3. Avoid fatty dishes, preferably simple dishes. It is better to prepare grilled, boiled, steamed or baked dishes and avoid culinary preparations with too much fat (breaded, stews, casseroles).
4. Be careful with salt and, in case the patient suffers from fluid retention, it is recommended to take sodium-free salt.
5. Reduce the consumption of trans fats and increase the consumption of unsaturated fats, which are not bad for the body. Thus, for example, olive oil should be the fat of choice for any dish, since the vitamin E it contains favors the production of estrogens.
6. Two thirds of the plate should be made up of fruit and vegetables, and one third either protein or starch (bread, brown rice, potatoes or wholemeal pasta).
7. Increase the consumption of thermogenic foods and spices that activate the metabolism and help reduce fat deposits. Some of them are pepper, ginger, cinnamon or turmeric, among others.
8. Intake of anti-aging or anti-aging foods: fruit, dried apricots, soy, oatmeal, etc. The dried apricots, in particular, are a source of calcium, beta-carotene and potassium that eliminates fluid retention and lowers blood pressure.
9. Intake of depurative broths, which help eliminate toxins and purify the body, helping it to absorb all the quality nutrients.
10. Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea, mate or coca-cola, as they are stimulants of insulin and body fat storage. It is recommended to combine them with foods rich in fiber and drink them the rest of the day in the form of decaffeinated.
11. Fiber is very important at any stage of life, as it regulates intestinal transit, helps control cholesterol and activates the intestinal flora. During the menopause more fiber should be ingested, since the hormonal changes can cause more fat and cholesterol to accumulate. Some foods are: fruit with skin, legumes, seeds, whole grains or vegetables.
12. Include certain minerals in the diet:

• Calcium is essential for bones: seeds, legumes, sardines, almonds, oysters, prawns, seaweed, broccoli, kale, etc.
• Magnesium and zinc promote better absorption of calcium (at digestive and bone level). Some foods that should be ingested are: fresh cheese, seaweed, seeds and wheat bran, among others.
• Phosphorus joins calcium and magnesium to maintain bone density. It is advisable to ingest: seeds, wheat bran and germ, tahini, soybeans…
• Boron favors bone maintenance, collaborates in the metabolism of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Some foods that help are: cabbage, parsley, watercress, broccoli, peas, mushrooms, lettuce or green beans.
• It is important to renew iron deposits, as some women improve their tendency to anemia during menopause. There are a number of foods that are very good for iron levels: shellfish, anchovies, sardines, anchovies, red meat, liver, legumes, whole grains…

Preparation for the menopausal diet

The preparation for a diet for menopause should always be dictated by the specialist in Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as by the specialist in Endocrinology. Depending on each patient, certain healthy habits (diet and exercise) that the patient should follow before, during and after the diet will be indicated.

Care after the intervention

The main care is to maintain the diet for menopause correctly, following the indications of the specialist in Nutrition and Dietetics. If the guidelines are followed correctly, future ailments or illnesses derived from the body slowing down will be avoided. Likewise, some of the symptoms of menopause will also improve.