How to eat during menopause – the dietitian’s best tips

A lot happens in the body during menopause. However, some of the symptoms can be alleviated with the right diet. Here, our dietitian Sofia gives her best advice on how to think about your diet during menopause.

Reader question: I am 54 years old and have some menopausal symptoms. Can changing my diet help? Hormone patches help a little, but I still feel moody and my hair has become brittle. I struggle to exercise and try to eat healthily to stay in shape, but I wonder if there are specific foods I should choose or avoid.

The dietitian answers: “Go for fiber and nutrition”

Sure, you can feel better by changing your diet. For your body’s hormone production to work optimally, you need nutrition and healthy gut flora. So, it’s important to go for the colors of the rainbow on your plate.

Be sure to include crunchy vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, and legumes, as well as colorful berries such as blueberries, lingonberries, and raspberries. Choose frozen varieties so you always have a supply at home.

Also, reduce your intake of processed foods, meat products, and sugar. These are things that do not provide any benefits to the body. So, it’s important to seek out both nutrition and fiber.

Estrogen, which decreases during menopause, has many important functions in the body in terms of both osteoporosis and cardiovascular health. Nowadays, there are good clinics that focus on women’s health. Getting help from a knowledgeable midwife/gynecologist is important for receiving the right treatment and feeling good in the long term, so perhaps you should book an appointment for a check-up if you feel that you are not getting the full benefit from the treatment you are currently receiving.