3 Ways Diet Can Affect Your Menopause Symptoms

Menopause marks the end of a woman's reproductive cycle. This is a significant moment in the life of every woman, one which comes with its share of complications. Before and after your menstrual cycle ends, you'll experience a lot of physiological changes.

These changes will affect not just your physical but also your mental health. As such, it's best to be prepared beforehand.

Do you know that certain foods can affect the severity of your menopause symptoms? Incorporating such foods into your diet during the menopausal transition can make the process more burdensome.

To avoid this, it's important to identify these trigger foods and eliminate them from your diet as soon as possible.

 To begin, let's explore some symptoms of menopause.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop releasing eggs every month, marking the end of your menstruation cycle. It typically begins after women reach age 40.

However, certain factors like previous surgery, chemotherapy, or damaged ovaries can cause some women to experience menopause early. At such times, it's called premature menopause.

Whether premature or timely, menopause is usually preceded or followed by some symptoms. They include;

• Hot flashes
• Headaches
• Depression
• Dry skin
• Change in libido
• Fatigue
• Irregular sleeping patterns
• Frequent urination
• Hair loss
• Muscle aches
• Weight gain

Many of these symptoms may occur as a result of hormonal issues. Your question should be 'how can I Balance My Hormones' to reduce these symptoms? Here are some dietary solutions that could help.

Foods that may aggravate menopause symptoms

1. Spicy foods

Foods that pack so much heat can trigger hot flashes when consumed. A study conducted also showed links between spicy foods and increased anxiety levels in women.

What to do instead

We each react differently to spicy foods so it's best to observe your body's reaction. If you notice that your symptoms worsen whenever you eat such foods, you should reduce how often you eat them or consider other alternatives. If you decide to cut down on such hot spices, you can use other flavourful but less fiery spices such as turmeric, cumin, and curry as replacements.

2. Fatty and processed foods

It's so satisfying to gorge yourself on fatty, and processed foods. However, your satisfaction cannot combat the damage they do to your body. Menopause or not, such a diet is sure to increase your risk for cardiovascular diseases and also promote weight gain.

What to do instead

Replace unhealthy fat with healthier options like  omega-3 fatty acids. Rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, mackerel, flax seeds, tuna, sardine, walnuts, and plant oils such as canola oil and soybean oil.

Also, limit your intake of processed foods and added sugars by replacing unhealthy snacks with more fruits and vegetables.

3. Alcohol and caffeine

Heavy caffeine and alcohol consumption can trigger hot flashes in menopausal women. Taking too much alcohol can also increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases.

What to do instead

We understand that completely removing alcohol and caffeine from your diet may be impossible. What you can do is cut down on how much you drink every day. You can combat your reliance on alcohol by consuming more juices and water.

This way, you'll stay hydrated and disease-free during and after menopause.

Final word

Menopause is a natural part of aging and the food you eat can be the difference between how mild or severe your symptoms are.