Hot flashes, fatigue, and moodiness are all symptoms of menopause, and hormone replacement therapy is often an effective way of controlling or alleviating them. However, sometimes doing something as simple as changing your diet can also help reduce or eliminate menopause symptoms. Here are two small dietary changes you can make that may make a big difference in how you feel.
Reduce Sugar Intake
Menopause symptoms are caused by a hormonal imbalance; specifically, people with a uterus typically produce less estrogen, which is the primary cause of the development of vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and other related symptoms. Unfortunately, certain foods can acerbate this hormonal imbalance and sugar is one of them.
This is because excess sugar in the body causes a corresponding rise in insulin levels. When there is too much insulin in the blood, it can lead to a rise in estrogen and testosterone levels. While this may seem like a good thing in people who are experiencing low levels of estrogen, this actually acerbates menopause symptoms and makes them more intense. In one study, women whose diets consisted of high amounts of sugar were 20 percent more likely to have hot flashes and night sweats.
Therefore, reducing your sugar intake as much as possible may lead to a corresponding reduction in menopause symptoms. You don't have to get rid of all the carbs and sweet stuff, but you should focus on keeping your blood sugar levels stable and avoid spikes that may lead to increased insulin levels.
Eat More Oily Fish
Another change you can make that can benefit you greatly is to eat more oily fish, such as salmon, herring, and sardines. These fish contain an important nutrient called omega-3 fatty acid that's been shown to reduce the frequency of hot flashes as well as improve the health of menopausal persons in a couple of different ways.
First, omega-3 fatty acids help reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, which reduces the risk of a heart disease, a major concern for menopausal people. Second, this fatty acid may also help improve memory function, so you're less likely to forget your keys on the kitchen table for the umpteenth time.
While one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acid is oily fish, you can also get it from flaxseed, walnuts, chia seeds, and egg yolks.
For more information about dietary changes you can make to alleviate menopause symptoms or whether hormone therapy is right for you, contact your healthcare or treatment provider, like Radius.
Share23 September 2017
Having a daughter comes with a number of challenges. One challenge that you will one day need to tackle is determining when to introduce your daughter to the gynecologist. Do you take your daughter to the same gynecologist that you see or take her somewhere else? Do you wait until she gets her first period or do you take her in to learn about the menstrual cycle from the doctor? There is a long list of questions you likely have about introducing your daughter to the world of gynecology. Having gone through this twice myself, I have learned quite a bit and have included a lot of helpful information in my site to help other parents get through this complicated time a little easier.
