Who’d think that menopause has benefits? Let’s see … what can they be?

The benefits of going through menopause can often be spontaneous care-free sex and clean underwear.  While it might make you want to throw up, not the care-free sex, some of you don’t get to the bathroom in time.  Thereby causing your undies to get a bit soiled.

Unfortunately, the onset of menopause, can be tempered by possibility of hot flashes, weight gain, weight loss and specific health risks such as osteoporosis or coronary artery disease.  Doesn’t sound like much of a benefit, does it?

Some of you might just prefer to reach for a bottle of pills or supplements to alleviate the symptoms or conditions. Others of you will want a new skin care  regimen of moisturizer to help with skin care challenges.

However, it’s just as simple and certainly more healthful to minimize those risks with a better way of eating.

Getting Through Menopause With Proper Nutrition

These guidelines are worth consideration for a woman at any time of her life, not just your menopausal years.

·     Catch up on your calcium – eat or drink up to 4 servings of calcium-filled products each day. It doesn’t have to come only from dairy.  Did you know that a lot of people of color are lactose intolerant?

Calcium is also found naturally in beans and legumes, broccoli, spinach and kale, clams, salmon and sardines, rhubarb and almonds.  And don’t forget, frozen yogurt counts!

·     Fill up on fiber – keep your body’s digestive system regular with whole grains, whether in breads, pasta or cereals. Don’t forget that fresh vegetables and fruit can aid in keeping your digestive system clean.

·     Increase your iron – It seems that women never get enough iron in their body and it’s important for your red blood cells, and transporting oxygen to the tissues.  Make sure you get enough of this essential mineral by eating, leafy greens, eggs, nuts, fish and lean meats.

·     Skip the sodium – perhaps it’s easier said than done.Try to take it easy on how much salt you use. This has long been linked with increased risk of hypertension.

  Wait ! There’s more …

·      Forget the fat – your daily caloric intake should include only 30% fat, and be sure to keep saturated fat below 10%.  Too much saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels, and ups your risk of heart problems.

·     Watch your weight – if you haven’t done it before, there’s no better time like the present to trim down and strive to reach your ideal weight.  There’s no need to go it alone, because there are online and in-person support groups that can help you meet your weight goal.

·     Embrace exercise – exercise not only helps you tone up and lose fat, especially around the middle which seems to worsen in middle age. However, there is evidence which shows that after exercise, a woman’s estrogen levels see an increase. This is often enough to have an effect on hot flashes, not only reducing the number of times they occur, but the severity.

These little changes are not earth-shattering or mind-boggling, and you can take a crack at ‘em all at once or one at a time.  But these little changes will go a long way towards ensuring a wonderful menopausal experience.

That’s it for this week. As always …

Dedicated To Your Beauty

Juliette Samuel,
Esthetician/Author/Publisher

Nyraju Skin Care