A woman’s body goes through significant changes with the onset of menopause due to the lack of estrogen and rogesterone as you age. The changes are often so significant that it can reflect in your body through increased body fat (mainly around your abdomen), your bone health, and even your muscle mass. Unfortunately, menopausal women should also be wary of heart disease risk. Cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and a progressive increase in a woman's cholesterol are just some of the many things that can occur as women enter early menopause.

Through physical activity (utilizing cardio and resistance training), dietary factors that follow a low-fat diet with modest portion sizes, and making sure to drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated you can keep yourself healthy and feeling good.

Foods That Make Menopause Symptoms Better

Whole Grain foods are high in nutrients Whole grains are nutrient-dense, packed with dietary fiber and b vitamins including thiamine, niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. If you love pasta, make sure it is made with whole grains. To maximize health benefits, try cooking whole-grain meals with quality protein, and even top them with calcium-rich sauces fortified with vitamin d. Whole-grain foods include food like brown rice, quinoa, rye, barley, whole grain oats, and whole-wheat bread. So be sure to make yourself a hearty bowl of oatmeal, topped with natural fruit to start your mornings off right.

Fruits and Vegetables

It's no surprise that whole fruits and vegetables are not only good for your health but more so during menopause. Cruciferous vegetables are helpful in preventing the onset of a multitude of diseases like cancer. Broccoli, for example, is helpful in boosting a type of estrogen that helps protect the body against breast cancer while also aiding in weight loss and overall health. Green, leafy vegetables such as collard greens, spinach, and kale are packed full of calcium as well for better bone health. So, no need to worry if you follow a vegetarian diet or even a vegan diet.

You can still get your calcium from your veggies. Vegetables, including legumes and beans, are packed with nutrient-dense benefits. They are a good source of essential nutrients like magnesium, vitamin C, and folate. They also contain dietary fiber and a broad range of phytochemicals. Legumes offer some of the same nutritional benefits as lean meats, fish, eggs, and poultry, so those following a vegetarian diet, as well as a vegan plan, are still able to combat menopause with confidence. Green, leafy vegetables are packed full of calcium Calcium-Rich Food Dairy Products are great for women in every stage, from perimenopause to postmenopausal women, be sure to include plenty of calcium-rich foods into your diet.

Vitamin D is an essential key factor in women's health, especially in postmenopausal women with low estrogen levels and decreasing bone health. Calcium is not only found in dairy products but in fish with bones such as sardines or canned fish like salmon. It's found in broccoli, and legumes as well. Legumes also contain antioxidants, which may delay the onset of menopause. Phytoestrogen-Rich Foods Postmenopausal women benefit from phytoestrogen-rich foods as phytoestrogens act as estrogens in the body.

Foods that naturally contain phytoestrogens include soybeans, barley, peanuts, flaxseed, plums, chickpeas, grapes, berries, green, and black tea, to name a few. Other alternatives, such as soy, can alleviate and even manage their menopause symptoms. Soy is usually found in tofu, soybeans, soy flour, soy nuts, soy milk, and also comes in supplements. It contains chemical compounds called isoflavones, a plant-based chemical that has estrogen-like effects.

Green tea, for example, is an herbal tea often used for relaxation. It has a small dose of caffeine but is also full of antioxidants and Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), a plant compound. EGCG in green tea is known to boost metabolism, to aid in the fight of weight gain in many menopausal women. However, with everything, drink in moderation as caffeine in high quantities may contribute to your insomnia, hot flashes, and night sweats, so a decaffeinated tea is best.