Menopause Diet

A properly balanced diet can help to alleviate the symptoms of menopause including hot flashes bloating, water retention, tiredness and depression.

Foods to Include in a Menopause Diet

Fruit - Choose melons, bananas and citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, which are high in potassium. Potassium rich foods help balance sodium and water retention. Also include some dried fruit like apricots and figs.

Vegetables - Choose in particular yam, dark leafy vegetables like kale, collard greens, spinach, pak choi, broccoli and cabbage, as well as a variety of others.

Pulses and Grains - Include soy beans, lentils, brown rice, whole grains, wheatgerm.

Seaweed - Choose Nori, Wakame, Kombu, Arame, which contain natural hormones and plant chemicals which help during menopause.

Oily Fish - Rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids, like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, tuna and trout.

Soy Products - Like calcium-fortified soy milk and yogurt and tofu.

Vegetable Oils - Include canola and flaxseed oil, unsalted nuts, like walnuts, brazil nuts and almonds, and seeds like sunflower, linseeds and pumpkin seeds.

Foods to Avoid/Reduce in a Menopause Diet

Higher Sodium Foods - Sodium (salt) and all foods high in sodium (salty foods), like processed frozen entrees and processed cold cuts, foods canned in salted water, salted nuts, ketchups, package sauce mixes, processed cheese, margarine, butter and salted nuts. Use a range of fresh herbs for flavor in place of sodium.

Alcohol - Except for 4-5 glasses of wine over a week. Instead, drink lots of water, diluted fruit juice including calcium-fortified juice, vegetable juice, fat-free milk, calcium-fortified soy milk, herbal teas like fennel and green tea.

Highly Spiced Foods - Like curry, chili as they can make hot flashes worse.

Caffeine - Drink only small amounts of decaffinated tea and coffee. Better is water, freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice, and herbal teas like fennel and green tea.