Food For women as we age.

During perimenopause, the hormone oestrogen begins to decline. When this occurs we may find this negatively impacts our metabolism, which in turn may lead to weight gain.

Lots of us may experience symptoms like hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, vaginal dryness, mood swings & mental fuzziness during this transition period through perimenopause to post menopause

However, making changes to our diet may help relieve some of these symptoms.

Now we all know that sugar isn’t good for us and that processed foods should be avoided. Filling your diet with foods which are high in calories and low in nutrient value can drastically effect your health. Poor healing, low immunity, fading energy levels, poor skin and hair condition, digestive discomfort, & poor oral health for starters. A diet like this can soon lead to diabetes, thyroid problems and metabolic syndrome which is very common during this time of life.

However all is not lost…. the humble vegetable can rescue us!

As well as being an important source of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fibre, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C, anti oxidants did you know that vegetables are a sources of phytoestrogens or plant oestrogens. These phytoestrogens lock on to hormone receptors and block the passage of more potent oestrogens (which are likely to cause an imbalance between the sex hormones).

Vegetables, If eaten in sufficient quantities and varieties and regularly (like with every meal), they can start to have oestrogen-like effects. For some these effects could be sufficient to help relieve menopausal symptoms, particularly hot flushes.

As a bonus, ensuring your diet is full of lovely fibrous vegetables will help you avoid constipation (which becomes quite common during menopause) and help you poop regularly. Every time you poop you are expelling unwanted waste, toxins and hormones instead of retaining them with in the bowel.