THE WIKI COMMUNITY

Saturday, 7 August 2010

Menopause Diets Women Should Follow

By Ezra Rogers

The importance of a good, healthy diet has been known for many years, this is no secret. But did you know that there are certain foods that a woman going through perimenopause can eat that will lessen her symptoms, and cut her risk of certain diseases? Read more to find out how you can do just that.

The trend in this country over the past few years has been towards more of a vegetarian diet, away from the more meat is good diets of yesterday when the bad effects of this diet werent as well known. Even as recently as five years ago the craze was still high protein, in which meat was favored over carbohydrates to keep slim. These fad type diets not only dont work well, they are unhealthy, especially for women facing perimenopause.

So what should a woman eat more of? There are the usual recommendations of at least 5-10 helpings of fruits and vegetables per day, which has shown to help prevent certain diseases such as heart disease and even cancer. Keeping the immune system healthy is very important, and having a variety of different natural foods every day is a great way to ensure you are getting the right combination of healthy nutrients.

So what is it that makes fruits and vegetables so good for us? Well they contain healthy chemicals such as phytochemicals, which aid in preventing disease in the body. They are contained in different specific ways in foods, such as lycopene in tomatoes, isoflavones in soy, and flavinoids in fruits. They arent actually a necessity in the body the way most vitamins are, but actually strengthen the immune system. Most of these chemicals are considered anti-oxidants, which keep tissues healthy by protecting cells against damage from oxidation.

What about soy products? You may have heard that soy is especially good for women going through perimenopause symptoms, and yes that is though to be true. Soy contains isoflavones which imitate the female hormone estrogen in the body. Some studies have shown the a diet high in soy can actually help reduce symptoms of menopause and help to prevent osteoporosis in women. There are many foods that can now be eaten containing soy, such as tempeh (fermented soy), soy milk which even comes in flavors such as chocolate; miso (which is a soy paste) can be added to many soups and even salads.

Experiment with soy and find there are many ways to add just a little to foods you already enjoy, and benefit from its healthy goodness. Of course you can still enjoy certain meats if you like, chicken and fish are both very high in protein and low in fat. But if you really want to stay healthy and prevent disease, make it a habit of lots of good veggies and soy, your body will thank you.

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