“What foods should I be eating to relieve menopause signs and symptoms naturally?” is the question asked by many women approaching menopause (myself included).
Hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, …. these are certainly not fun.
The good news these symptoms can be significantly reduced or even completely stopped when you make some simple changes to your diet and lifestyle.
But is there really a special diet to relieve menopause symptoms?
Well, yes and no.
A diet to relieve perimenopause or menopause symptoms is actually the same diet that you should be eating for optimum health. This diet will keep your body healthy and your hormones balanced, so you will be virtually free from any chronic disorders that are commonly associated with the “western” type diet.
So, in that sense, there is no “special” diet for “menopause symptoms”. This really is a good news for you, because this means that if you only follow the recommendations below, you will not only relieve your menopause symptoms permanently – without any need for hormone replacement therapy, or other menopausal remedies; you will also prevent more serious health problems that are the result of an unhealthy, Western diet, that is filled with processed foods, excessive fats and animal proteins, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease.
What to Eat to Relieve Menopausal Symptoms Naturally?
Natural, plant-based diet is the optimum diet for human beings to remain healthy and disease free.
Fresh, raw fruits, vegetables and leafy greens should constitute the bulk of your daily caloric intake. Other foods to include are whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds.
This means most your daily calories should be coming from these natural sources.
Relieve Menopause Symptoms Naturally
You should be eating a LOT of these:
- Fresh, raw fruits
- Fresh raw vegetables (in salads and as snacks), lightly cooked vegetables (as in soups, stews, or just steamed veggies),
- Fresh raw greens (eaten in salads, green smoothies)
- Beans and legumes
- Whole grains
- Raw nuts and seeds (limited quantities)
Most of these foods, especially when eaten raw (fruits, vegetables and greens) – you can eat as much of these as you like, as often as you like. If your weight is normal, then you can also eat as much as as you like of legumes and whole grains. If you are overweight, then legumes and whole grains should be eaten in moderation, limiting the amount to 4-6 cups.
Use nuts and seeds as condiment for salads, or eat small portions for snacks – don’t eat too much of them as they are very high in fat (even though these are healthy fats, it’s still not recommended to eat huge amounts of these foods).
Foods to avoid or eliminate completely:
- Cut out completely or limit to minimum all processed foods: white flour products (breads, pastas, pastries, processed cereals), sugary foods, etc.
- Cut out completely or limit to minimum all animal-based foods: meats, fish, dairy.
Many studies consistently demonstrate that for best health, including healthy hormonal balance, you need to eat a diet as close to vegetarian as possible. One reason is that animal products don’t contain any fiber. However, that’s only part of the story. Consuming large amounts of animal-based foods on a daily basis leads to all sorts of chronic health problems, and menopause symptoms is just the tip of an iceberg here.
I know that for most women it’ll be very hard to implement such drastic changes to your diet overnight.
Don’t worry – just start by adding more fresh plant foods to your daily meals as salads, snacks, soups, stews, etc.
Now that you know what to eat, simply go to the grocery store and head straight for the Fresh Produce section. Pack your shopping cart with all kinds of fruits and vegetables that look appealing. Then go find some beans, legumes, and whole grains. Brown rice, barley, oats, quinoa or other.
Then find some recipes to prepare simple vegetarian dishes: salads, soups, stews, baked and steamed veggies.
Now, if you really must have some meat, don’t obsess over it – at least initially. Have a small piece, but try NOT to make it the central part of your meal, but more like a small side dish.
Do this for at least 2-3 weeks and see how you feel. When you start noticing positive results, you should find motivation to continue this way of eating indefinitely.
Killer tip for adding more fruits, vegetables, and greens to your diet
I know that for most people eating such large amounts of fruits and veggies may be difficult, if not impossible. Who has time to prepare all these healthy recipes, chop the salads, etc. Right?
Below is my secret weapon that I’m sharing with you for free, that will make consuming large amounts of fruits, veggies and greens a breeze.
Super Healthy Recipe For Happy Menopause #1
Green Smoothies. Green smoothies are simply blended drinks made from fruits and greens that are super-easy to prepare, super delicious and super-healthy.
Great Ingredients For Your Green Smoothies:
GREENS: spinach, lettuce, kale, parsley, arugula, Swiss chard, mint, basil, cilantro, or other.
FRUITS: bananas, pears, apples, mango, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, kiwi, pineapple, melon, papaya, watermelon, grapes, or other.
VEGGIES: celery, avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers.
Some fruit and green combinations you may want to try:
Spinach with bananas and strawberries
Spinach with apple, banana, and some lemon or lime juice
Spinach, banana, peach, mango
Romaine lettuce with bananas
Parsley and ripe pears
Parsley, celery, apple and pears
Tomatoes, celery, basil, parsley, cucumber, peppers, and pear
Drink a big glass of this green drink 2-4 times a day (or even more, if you wish), and I guarantee you that your symptoms will become much lighter, and you will soon forget about your problems with menopause symptoms.
As you can see relieving your menopause symptoms naturally and getting your elimination back on schedule is not so complicated. So get started right as soon as possible with these easy simple steps.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this blog for others to enjoy too!
I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!
