Seven Superfoods to Feel Your Best in Menopause
Each day you make choices about your food intake as you plan your meals. But many women don’t consider how improving their food choices can help them through their perimenopause and menopause journey.
Consuming superfoods during menopause — nutrient-dense and relatively low in calories but rich in what your body needs most — antioxidants, nutrients, and anti-inflammatory properties, is a wonderful place to start.
Incorporating these seven foods into your diet during menopause will put you on the path to good health! They help manage menopause symptoms, balance blood sugar levels, and improve cholesterol while reducing fat mass and inflammation. Chronic inflammation can eventually start damaging healthy cells and organs creating disease.
Start small when looking to improve your diet. Changing too many habits at once can be hard. Add one or two of these superfoods to start.
For more habit change tips, check out my blog post Three Ways to Make Positive Habit Change in Menopause.
Menopause and Health Concerns
Inevitably, 6,000 women a day will enter menopause in the United States. There is no way to avoid this stage but you can incorporate superfoods to ease some of the symptoms you’ll experience.
A small percentage of you will breeze through perimenopause and menopause without many symptoms. However, 80% of women report experiencing negative symptoms, and your diet plays a large part in how you feel.
Since the average age of menopause is 51 and many women experience symptoms 7 to 10 years earlier (perimenopause), it’s a good idea to look at the choices you are making.
Improving your food choices, adding movement you enjoy as well as managing sleep and stress will reduce or eliminate many of the symptoms and health concerns listed below:
Main Symptoms Women Report in Menopause
- irregular periods
- weight gain
- night sweats/hot flashes
- decreased libido/painful sex
- mood changes including anxiety, depression, and even rage
- insomnia
Medical Conditions that Arise in Menopause
- heart disease
- osteoporosis
- dementia
- type 2 diabetes
What I Had to Change in Menopause
I went into full menopause at 44 and, even as a nurse, had a difficult time knowing how to feel better.
My perimenopause journey started in my late 30s and along with night sweats, hot flashes, and moodiness, I also put on over 20 pounds because of poor lifestyle choices (too much sugar and wine).
To lose weight, I returned to my old habits — eating less and exercising more. Because of changing hormones, this approach no longer worked. I needed to change my food choices and stop restricting myself!
After much trial and error, researching all topics around menopause, and working with a health coach, I fully understood how the changing female body needs to approach changing hormones differently for optimal mental and physical well-being.
Choosing nutrient-dense foods I enjoy while increasing my protein intake and slowly decreasing my sugar consumption was one of my most life-changing decisions! I wish I had implemented these changes in perimenopause when my hormones started changing.
The more I learned, the less interested I became in going on another diet. I practiced eating intuitively which taught me how to stop restricting foods (something that always led to overeating).
I learned to stop emotional eating and listened to my hunger and fullness cues. Over time, I lost the 20 pounds I put on during menopause!
Learn more at my blog post ‘How to Start Eating Intuitively‘ to practice this way of eating.
Superfoods to Consume During Menopause
Superfoods
Foods that are especially nutrient-dense and usually low in calories. They help promote health by reducing inflammation and increasing immune function, which decreases your chance of disease.
Adding many of these foods to your diet will help you feel better and improve your overall health:
- Greens – Three dark green vegetables that are incredibly nutrient-dense and rich in vitamins C, A, E, and K, potassium, calcium, and iron are kale, spinach, and broccoli. They are rich in fiber which keeps you satisfied longer and calcium which is good for your bones. You can add these to soups, smoothies, pasta, and many side dishes.
- Berries – Berries are loaded with anthocyanins and antioxidants, which stop free radicals from creating inflammation. They are also rich in vitamins C and K, folate, copper, and manganese. Choose any type you like — fresh or frozen without added sugar.
- Yogurt – Yogurt contains active, live cultures of beneficial bacteria to promote gut health, and prevent new inflammation. It also contains calcium for bone health. Women going through menopause are at risk for osteoporosis and foods rich in calcium are important to consume. Choose plain yogurts to add to smoothies or eat on its own and add fresh berries and nuts for more health benefits and natural sweetness.
- Fatty Fish – Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish (DHA + EPA) suppress inflammation and encourage the synthesis of anti-inflammatory compounds. Consume salmon, mackerel, and anchovies to reduce blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and improve your mental health. These foods are also a good source of protein and consuming fatty fish eases hot flashes in many women.
- Nuts – Nuts are an excellent source of vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, fat, and protein making them an ideal snack. Vitamin E and healthy fats found in almonds can work to combat dry skin and vaginal dryness, common complaints with lowering estrogen levels in menopause. Consuming nuts also promotes blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity. Incorporate almonds and walnuts as a snack or add to salads.
- Legumes – Legumes contain protein, fiber, iron, B vitamins, magnesium, copper and zinc. They are also rich in phytoestrogens, which can support estrogen deficiency and alleviate menopausal symptoms. Incorporate lentils, chickpeas, and soybeans into your stews, salads, and pasta dishes. Check out this easy chickpea recipe.
- Flax and chia seeds – Both flax and chia seeds are full of omega-3s, minerals, proteins, fiber, and fats. They improve digestion, blood sugar levels, and heart health, and create protection against certain types of cancer. Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of flax or chia seeds to oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, or salads.
Lifestyle Choices to Make During Menopause
Menopause is inevitable but we don’t have to suffer through it. Our lifestyle choices can help us improve how we look and feel, and how we are aging both inside and outside.
It’s about the foods we’re ingesting, our sleep patterns, and how we deal with stress. It’s also important to add weight training and regular movement into our day since our muscle mass decreases as we age.
Don’t look at what you must remove from your diet. Add delicious ingredients you enjoy while adding the superfoods I’ve listed. You can eat various foods, even desserts, for a sustainable healthy lifestyle.
It’s important to nourish your body and mind with the foods that will help you feel and look your best. Focus on the above foods that you can incorporate into your day.
We have one life. Let’s make it the best we can! It took me a long time to recognize I had to change habits during hormone changes in my 30s and 40s. Adding these superfoods during menopause has helped me feel my best!
Let me know if you incorporated any foods or lifestyle choices into your day that are helping you manage menopause symptoms. I’d love to hear from you!
Book a free discovery call to discuss how I can help you thrive in midlife.
Kathleen is a registered nurse who became a certified life and health coach after going through a very difficult perimenopause (full menopause at 44). With the help of a health coach, she finally understood how making simple lifestyle shifts would improve her health and help her feel her best! She’s now on a mission to help other women tackle menopause head-on, embrace intuitive eating, and rediscover trust in their bodies — without all the stress or struggle.
