Discover What Foods Should Be Taken During Menopause To Help Calm The Hormonal Tornado

The interest in learning about what foods should be taken during menopause has skyrocketed, especially since, as we all know, hormone replacement therapy has many negative side effects.

It's important to note that when we use the term "what foods should be taken during menopause," what we mean is that these foods are dietary recommendations by experts and, as such, may be helpful in calming the hormonal tornado and providing you with menopausal symptom relief.

So, without further adieu, let's delve into a diet that may help combat those menopausal symptoms that wreck havoc on millions of women's lives.

The road to combating the hormonal tornado. Start with a diet that consists of whole, unprocessed foods such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts.

Chase away symptoms with soy foods. Soy foods are highly recommended by health enthusiasts as one of the foods that should be taken during menopause. Do you know that only a few women in China and Japan experience those miserable hot flashes? Indeed, their traditional diet is rich in soy foods, particularly tofu. Soy harbors phytoestrogen properties similar to human estrogen, the female hormone.

Become best friends with the plant kingdom of foods. It seems that women who are vegetarians experience little discomfort and breeze through menopause, an observation made by the famous Andrew T. Weil, MD. Many plant-derived foods harbor phytoestogen properties besides soy such as apples, carrots, lentils, mung beans, chickpeas, flaxseed, rye, parsley, fennel, celery, wheat, oats, cashews, and almonds. As such, you may want to consider increasing plant-derived foods and adding them to your list of what foods should be taken during menopause.

Say hello to your bone protectors, calcium and vitamin D. To prevent osteoporosis, increasing your intake of calcium and vitamin D rich foods are always recommended. Good food sources of calcium include: broccoli, most dark green leafy vegetables, flounder, chestnuts, kale, kelp, dandelion greens, sesame seeds, soybeans, tofu, turnip greens, salmon (with bones), sardines (with bones), molasses, and wheat germ. In order for calcium to be absorbed, your body needs vitamin D. Good vitamin D food sources include: fortified low-fat or non-fat dairy items, vitamin-D fortified breakfast cereals, and fatty fish such as salmon. In addition, vitamin D can be found by stepping outside and exposing your face to the sun for 15 minutes per day, and it's also found in supplements.

Gobble up your water. Drinking 8-ounces of water a day chases the drying of skin and mucous membranes away.

Now that we discussed what foods should be taken during menopause, equally as important is what foods to avoid.

Food contributors to menopausal symptoms. Alcohol, caffeine, sugar, spicy foods, hot soups, and hot drinks can be triggers for hot flashes and, as such, can make them worse, including making mood swings worse.

Steer clear or limit animal and dairy products (except for salmon with bones, sardines, and white fish). Meat promotes hot flashes and it also contributes to a loss of calcium from the bones. This also applies to dairy products so you may want to limit your consumption to small amounts of low-fat yogurt or buttermilk.

Don't pass the salt please. The consumption of salt increases urinary excretion of calcium. Therefore, you may want to consider using garlic and onions when cooking as a substitution for salt.

Going beyond what foods should be taken during menopause and what foods to avoid...

Get acquainted with relaxation therapies. Deep relaxation may take the heat out of those hot flashes.

Kick the butt habit. We understand this isn't easy, but if you smoke, try quitting. Smoking is a bone robber and it's also been linked to more severe hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.

Get physical. Many, if not all, experts recommend getting at least 30 minutes a day of physical everyday. Exercise may just help you stay one step ahead of symptoms.

Discover the magic of herbs. There are many herbal supplements that can help in the battling of the hormonal storm. For example, Black Cohosh, Wild Yam, Dong Quai, Red Clover, and Soy Isoflavones are all highly respected herbs, often recommended by Naturopaths and other like-minded professionals to help ward off menopausal symptoms.