Overdoing a number of our favorite foods at this point in your life can not only aggravate some menopausal symptoms, but increase your risk of post-menopausal disease. And because of the complex way foods interact, certain substances can undo some of the benefits of any healthy additions you make to your diet.
Sodium plays an essential role in our bodies. It regulates blood pressure and transmits nerve impulses. But most of us get more than enough from dietary sources, so using a lot of salt is unnecessary and can be harmful. There is an as yet unconfirmed belief that excessive salt contributes to high blood pressurewhich is a health risk as you age. And there is definitely a link between salt and osteoporosis. In fact, excess sodium leeches calcium from your digestive tract before it can be used by your bones, literally pulling it into the kidneys, where it's eliminated from the body.
Unless you prepare meals carefully, using only fresh ingredients, you probably get plenty of sodium from a variety of sources. These include baking soda, baking powder, canned and cured foods, prepackaged and convenience foods, potato chips, condiments, and flavor enhancers such as MSG. The easiest way to avoid eating too much salt is to remove the salt shaker from the kitchen table and stop cooking with salt. In addition, cut back on salt-cured and smoked foods, such as sausages, smoked fish, ham, bacon, bologna, and hot dogs.
Americans are conditioned to use salt. Your family might protest for a week or so, but they'll be surprised how quickly they adjust to the real taste of food.
If you're a heavy coffee drinkerand most American women arenow's the time to cut back on caffeinated coffee or eliminate it from your diet altogether.
A stimulant also found in soft drinks, chocolate, and tea, caffeine is used by most people to overcome fatigue and work harder or fasterthus, the traditional "coffee break" mentality in American business. At menopause, however, coffee and other caffeinated beverages can increase the number or intensity of hot flashes. Caffeine also has been implicated in breast changes such as fibrocystic disease, in osteoporosis, and in a rise in serum cholesterol associated with heart disease. Despite our affection for coffee, it's difficult to make a case for caffeine use at menopause.
Warning: If you're used to drinking five or six cups of coffee or caffeinated soft drinks daily, eliminating caffeine too quickly can trigger withdrawal symptoms. These range from headaches and nervousness to drowsiness, nausea, and constipation. To avoid caffeine withdrawal, switch gradually to decaffeinated drinks over a period of several weeks.
Fluctuating hormones affect blood sugar levels and can cause cravings for sugar. Refined sugarsthose found in your sugar bowl and in candy, cakes, pastries, cold cereals, syrups, and a nearly endless variety of processed and prepackaged foodsare packed with calories and little else. They make it easy to gain weight, but contribute nothing of value to your nutritional status. Sugar also suppresses the body's use of calcium and phosphorus. And too much sugar can cause a vaginal discharge that can contribute to recurring vaginal and urinary-tract infections.
In general, you can suppress a craving for sweets by keeping your protein levels steady. Also, be sure to stock your pantry with healthy alternatives. Fresh and dried fruits contain the natural sugar fructose along with fiber. A small serving can quench a sugar craving and serve as a natural laxative to aid your digestive system. Scientists believe that fruit may also help protect against stomach and colon cancers. Today's grocery stores carry nearly every variety of fruit year-roundfrom the mundane to the sublime. Indulge your taste buds while treating your body to good nutrition.
Prior to menopause, estrogen helps suppress the buildup of fat along arterial walls that often results from intake of too much saturated (animal) fat and cholesterol. But as menopause drives down your estrogen levels, this extra protection vanishes, leaving you prey to the arterial buildup that often ends in cardiac disease, heart attack and stroke.
Some experts have suggested that high rates of breast cancer may also be due to the excessive amounts of dietary fat, though some evidence casts doubt on this assertion.
Although a modest amount of fat is a recommended part of our diet, it is easily obtained from meager amounts of lean meats, nuts, fish, and poultry. Fats can be used sparingly to add taste to a menufor example, a dab of avocado to garnish a salad or a spoonful of peanut butter on whole-grain toast. But otherwise, spare your heart by reducing or eliminating your intake of butter, rich sauces and gravies, fatty meats, and whole milk and ice cream. Bake, steam, or broil your food instead of frying it in fat. And serve eggs and organ meats sparingly. Though they add iron and protein to your diet, they have extremely high concentrations of cholesterol. For more information, see "What to Do About Fat."
Numerous studies have confirmed the negative effects of alcohol and smoking on a woman's health at midlife. It may be confusing to hear that moderate amounts of alcohol can reduce the risk of coronary disease in women by raising "good" HDL cholesterol levels and improving other lipid levels. At some point, however, too much alcohol can increase the risk of high blood pressure, while limiting its use can bring blood pressure down. Heavy drinking is a risk factor for osteoporosis, and may aggravate hot flashes. Due to its high sugar content, alcohol even promotes weight gain. Most experts agree that minimizing or eliminating your alcohol consumption, including beer and wine, boosts your overall health at midlife and beyond.
As for tobacco, lung cancer now causes more deaths in American women than breast cancer. Heavy smokers also tend to have an earlier menopause, which has been linked to higher rates of heart disease and osteoporosis.
Several new studies have confirmed that cutting out smoking even in midlife or old agecuts your chances of developing heart disease and cancer of the lung, mouth, esophagus, kidney, stomach, and colon. It also helps the heart, lung, and circulatory systems and reduces the impact of emphysema or chronic lung disease. By giving up cigarettes, you'll unquestionably improve the health of your heart and lungs and decrease your risk of developing osteoporosis. (For more, see "What Smokers Need to Know About Diet.")
Remember that variety and moderation are the keys to good nutrition during this exciting, though occasionally turbulent, period. At midlifeas in your younger yearsyou are what you eat. Embrace a healthy diet for its boost to a robust heart, strong bones, and radiant skin. Maximizing your intake of nutritious foods and minimizing your reliance on empty calories will prepare you to appreciate the joys of menopause without suffering its sorrows.
