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Natural Menopause
Hormonal Changes
Since your ovaries start to reduce the production of sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, you will definitely feel a lot of changes in your body and emotions. Frankly, I too am going through these changes now and understand most if not all the symptoms affecting my body.
You see, the long-term effects of the loss of these hormones might truly imperil your health. Take the case of estrogen, which is responsible for bringing down cholesterol levels in women. In order to help neutralize the effects of dwindling sex hormones, you may want to include soy products in your diet because soy is one of the best sources of phytoestrogen, a substance found in natural produce that mimics the role of estrogen. A cup of soymilk a day is really helpful in reducing the effects of hormonal imbalance. Since I do not like soymilk, I munch on roasted soy nuts and edamame!
To Strengthen The Bones
Another issue that is affecting post-menopausal women is weak bones and osteoporosis. It seems that bone loss can happen dramatically fast after menopause. In order to make up for the rapid bone loss, you need to take at least 1,200 mg of calcium everyday when you are in your thirties, increasing to 1,500 mg of calcium each day when you reach 50. You can also get calcium from other sources like dairy products, yogurt, and even broccoli.
You also need to take plenty of Vitamin D, which is important for the proper absorption of calcium in the body. You can get Vitamin D by exposing yourself to a half hour of sunlight everyday. Just make sure that you do not expose yourself to the sun from 10AM to 3PM, as the ultraviolet rays in those hours may not be healthy for you.
To Care For The Heart
As mentioned earlier, estrogen is the hormone responsible for lowering cholesterol in women. So once your sex hormone production plummets, you will be at a higher risk of getting heart-related diseases. In fact, figures show that heart disease kills at least 12 times more than breast cancer in women who are aged fifty and above.
What you need to minimize your risk of getting heart problems is to eat a low-fat diet. Since saturated fat is partly responsible for the clogging of the arteries, you need to make sure that you stay away from food rich in fat at all cost. Eating fish and reducing consumption of processed and baked goodies are also essential in protecting your heart. Lastly, increasing your servings of vegetables and fruits daily will not only be good for your heart, but your skin as well.
In order to help you cope with the changes that pre-menopause and menopause will bring, you need to have a good grasp of the foods that will be your allies in ensuring that you emerge from menopause unscathed and still truly beautiful. Stock up on vegetables, fruits, soy, nuts and lots of water.
