8 Tips to Stay Healthy in Menopause

Your diet is always important, but it is even more important during menopause. These eight tips will help you stay healthy and slim during menopause.

Staying Healthy

Aging does not have to equal weight gain. Women do tend to put on a pound a year in their 40s and 50s, but it’s more likely due to a drop in activity rather than hormones.

However, hormonal changes can shift your body composition, so any pounds you do gain tend to land in your middle.

Find out how to stay slim, reduce menopausal symptoms, and cut the health risks that can rise after menopause. If you’re overweight you can minimize menopausal symptoms and reduce the long-term risks of declining hormones by losing weight.

Go fish

Heart disease risk is likely to rise after menopause, so you should try to eat at least two servings of fish per week (preferably those with healthy fats like salmon or trout). “Women may want to give [fish oil] supplements a try if having two servings of fish a week is problematic”. Fish oil may also help prevent breast cancer.

Bone up on Calcium

Your calcium needs go up after age 50, from 1,000 milligrams per day to 1,200 mg. “With less estrogen on board, your bones don’t absorb calcium as well”. If you have a cup of low-fat milk, one latte, and one 8-ounce yogurt, you’re getting around 1,100 mg calcium. This means you need to take only an additional 100 mg of supplements a day—less than one caplet’s worth—to make up the difference. If you're eating dairy, choose low-fat products. These have roughly the same amount of calcium as their full-fat counterparts, but with fewer calories.

Ease bloating

"About 100% of my patients going through menopause complain of bloating." Although the reasons aren't clear, fluctuating hormones during perimenopause may play a role. Cutting the amount of salt and processed carbohydrates in your diet, as they can make you retain water. But don't skimp on whole grains, which are rich in heart-healthy fiber, as well as fruits and vegetables.

Rethink that drink

Red wine gets a lot of press for its impact on heart health, but for menopausal women the drawbacks of alcohol might outweigh the benefits. “One drink a day has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.”  If you enjoy a glass of Pinot, try watering it down with seltzer to make a spritzer (you’ll cut calories too). Also keep in mind that red wine and other drinks may bring on hot flashes as a result of the increase in blood-vessel dilation caused by alcohol.

Say yes to soy

Soy contains plant estrogens, so many women think it can increase their breast cancer risk.However, there is little data to support this. The misconception likely comes from studies of high-dose soy supplements, which may stimulate the growth of estrogen-sensitive tumors. Soy foods like tofu, soy nuts, and soy milk may offer relief from mild hot flashes and are not thought to increase breast cancer risk.

Try iced herbal tea

A warm cup of Joe might be as much a part of your a.m. routine as brushing your teeth. Still, starting your day with a piping-hot drink may not be the best idea during menopause. “In general, warm beverages seem to trigger hot flashes” And the caffeine in coffee and tea could also be having an effect.

Find a diet that fits

If you need to shed pounds, weight loss is no different during menopause than before it. “If you take in less calories than you burn for a long period of time, you’re going to lose weight.” Any balanced diet that cuts calories—and that you can stick with in the long run—will do the job.