Thursday, February 12, 2009

How to Design a Healthy Diet for Menopause

By Ricardo d Argence

While we know the cliche that only two things are certain "death and taxes." There is another event that is inevitable for women. Menopause is a change of life that happens to the bodies of females when they hit their 40s. As hormone levels in the system change, exciting and emporwering events begin to take place.

This is a natural phenomenon and it happens as you are no longer able to bear children and move into a bright new time of life. You will begin to experience power surges, great depth of feeling and excess weight.

It may seem a bit unfair to have to deal with excess pounds on top of all of the other symptoms, but, it is true. One reason that menopause causes weight gain is that the estrogen levels start to decrease that this time.

While one third of women between 45 and 50 years of old will again at least five pounds, according to most reliable studies, menopausal women will gain between 10 and 15 pounds. Fewer than 50 per cent of all women studied were able to avoid weight gain during menopause, and only then through rigorous dieting.

Weight control is important because increased weight can increase the chance for diseases such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. Exercise is a key factor which helps in maintaining proper weight, and the females should be involved with the cardiac activities as well as weight training.

A woman who is going through menopause should eat a diet rich in nutrients and minerals. Pre-menopausal women need to focus on consuming more fruit and vegetable, lean meats, whole cereals and calcium rich foods.

You should always take vitamins and minerals and eat food that are good for you, as they are the main factors to stay healthy and help stop a lot of menopausal symptoms if you make changes to your diet.

You shoul avoid: sugar, processed foods, alcohol, soy based products like tofu and caffeine.

When you add these healthy foods to a more active lifestyle, you will be able to sail through the months of menopause. The second half of your life can well be the best years because you will have transformed yourself and become even stronger, healthier, and more radiant than ever.

Foods that should be in your Diet: Vitamins A, D, C and E, Vitamins and supplements that include B-12, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, fiber, phytoestrogens, and isoflavones; skim or fat-free milk; cottage cheese; yogurt; leafy greens like spinach, kale, and broccoli; seafood, especially fish; whole-wheat cereals and breads.

When you introduce a new healthy diet and exercise routines in your life you can meet the menopause with a bright smile. You may be able to sail through this normal transition if you manage to eliminate or assuage those symptoms. Taking more time to eat healthy whole foods and get more exercise will help you make this new era in your life the best one in your life. - 16004

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