Oestrogen rich superfoods for the menopause
Every woman's body is different – that's for sure. We're rarely completely satisfied with the one we’ve got. During the period of menopause, these feelings can increase. It's a period in our lives where we aren't very happy with ourselves. For some women, this lasts for years. There has been a movement in recent times to consider the "change" as an opportunity: a new beginning. For most of us, that feels a lot like extreme Pollyanna behaviour – positive thinking gone berserk.
But rather than just crossing fingers, closing eyes, and willing every symptom to just go away and never come back – maybe taking action, and making tangible changes will help us feel like we’re wrestling back some of the control over our bodies that the ageing process seems to be swiping from us.
Of course, exercise and adequate sleep are important – as they always are. During this period in our lives, this can be a hard enough challenge in itself. But often overlooked, diet is a crucial component to assist in alleviating your menopausal symptoms during the menopause. Recent research into menopause has thrown up some interesting ideas about the food we eat and hormones.
In this article, we'll take through a few pointers to consider and list a few of the oestrogen rich foods to eat that we believe to be great superfoods in assisting alleviating menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes. Hopefully, this assists you in creating a diet plan to help you get the appropriate nutrients into your body.
Eat food containing phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that occur in a variety of foodstuffs. They are a natural form of oestrogen and why we list them as one of our oestrogen rich superfoods. Some of our favourite superfoods that contain phytoestrogens include:- legumes
- leafy green vegetables
- spinach
- kale
- berries
- apricots
"Cooling" Foods to eat that may help manage hot flashes
Foods that are defined as "cooling" by Ayurveda (the traditional system of alternative medicine originating in India), can be consumed to relieve hot flashes and inflammatory skin problems. Cooling superfoods you should look to eat and include in your diet plan include:- dark leafy greens
- cucumbers
- squash
- melons
- grapes
- apples
- nuts
- tropical fruits
- dark leafy greens
Isoflavones can help taper menopausal symptoms
Isoflavones are another oestrogen rich plant-based superfood you should consider including in your diet plan. Typically they are found in soy-based products. Oestrogen found within soy is not particularly strong. Nevertheless, it has been noted that eating 2-3 servings of soy can go some way to alleviating problems thrown up during this hormonal transition period. Great forms of soy to eat include:- tofu
- soy milk
- edamame
Calcium to help assist dealing with osteoporosis
Calcium is essential to bone health. Women dealing with osteoporosis as a side effect of menopause need to ensure their consumption of dairy products is appropriate. Common products that include calcium include:- yoghurt
- milk
- goats cheese
- pecorino
Make sure you're considering the lower-fat options. Check that you’re getting enough Vitamin D to help your body process and absorb calcium too.
Omega 3 fatty acids to help support the body during depressive symptoms & insomnia
Moving away from the physical indicators thrown up by menopause, omega 3 fatty acids offer help to sufferers of depressive symptoms and insomnia. Food packed with Omega 3 fatty acids include:- salmon
- sardines
- walnuts
- cashews
- soy and linseed bread
Protein and iron to help assist energy levels
If your energy levels have taken a wallop, make sure you’re getting enough protein and iron. Red meat is a common source of both. Consider the many varieties of beans too:- kidney
- cannellini
- black beans
These beans all have distinctive flavours and textures. Crush cooked butter beans with some olive oil and parsley for a great alternative to mashed spuds. Legumes also have the bonus of adding plenty of fibre into your diet, while being low in calories.