Superfoods To Help You Manage Menopause

Including a selection of superfoods in your diet can help to alleviate symptoms commonly seen in menopause, maintain your memory power, and prevent osteoporosis. These superfoods are delicious to eat, easy to prepare, and super-good for you!

Tofu is an alternative protein source to meat. Along with other soy products, tofu can be beneficial for lowering your cholesterol and preventing heart disease. Soy products like tofu may also decrease the side effects associated with menopause, including the dreaded ‘hot flashes.’

Navy beans are loaded with fiber, which can help reduce your risk of color and other forms of cancer, as well as relieve the symptoms associated with diverticulosis. Women need 30 grams of fiber each day, so include them in your favorite chili recipe, or try them as a side dish alternative to pasta or rice.

Packed with calcium, yogurt can help prevent osteoporosis. It has also been shown to boost your immunity and help with weight management. Additionally, yogurt contains high amounts of good bacteria such as acidophilus, which helps to prevent yeast infections and urinary tract infections. It also contains protein, which may help your body battle the fatigue and weariness that follows a hot flash.

As we age, we sometimes find ourselves forgetting things or feeling as if we’re in a fog. If you find this to be the case, grab for the blueberries the next time you’re shopping for groceries. Recent studies show they may actually help with short-term memory loss. They’re also loaded with antioxidants. Pair them with some low-fat plain yogurt for a top-notch way to protect both your brain and your bones.

Avocado also contains antioxidants, such as vitamin E, which can help to protect your vision and skin, which can suffer as we age. The monounsaturated fat found in avocados has also been shown to improve the condition of hair and skin. They’re great on a turkey sandwich, or mash up a few ripe ones and whip up a quick side of guacamole to have with some low-fat baked tortilla chips.

And as always, it’s important to make low-fat and low-sodium choices when menu planning. These do nothing to help alleviate the symptoms brought on by menopause, and are unhealthy options at any age, but especially as we grow older. Avoid smoking or alcohol, and get plenty of rest, and you’ll soon find your menopause symptoms are easily managed.

Although red wine may not cause you to live longer, it may mean you could live healthier. Aging mice fed a chemical found in red wine were healthier in their twilight years, according to scientists.

The chemical – resveratrol – mimics the effects of a calorie-restricted diet which has been shown to give mice, dogs, and worms longer, healthier lives. Although resveratrol only extended the lives of obese mice in this latest study, it made all the animals healthier. They had healthier cardiovascular systems, and stronger bones than did untreated animals. The study – which was completed by the National Institute on Aging found non-obese mice fed resveratrol also had significantly lower total cholesterol.

The study offers yet more evidence of the possible anti-aging benefits of resveratrol – which is found in the skin of grapes and left on the fruit during red wine's fermentation.

Researchers gave one-year-old mice--that's middle-aged, in mouse years-- high doses of resveratrol, and it had a broad range of health benefits for mice, they confirmed. The mice had fewer cataracts, better bone density, healthier cardiovascular systems, and better motor coordination than did untreated animals, and resveratrol also made obese mice more sensitive to insulin.

Now, let's hope it will do the same things for humans!

High cholesterol is responsible for 70% of all heart disease. It is a leading killer of both men and women over the age of 45. High cholesterol is also a leading cause of death worldwide.

High levels of LDL cholesterol will form plaque in the arteries. As a result atherosclerosis can occur. However, lifestyle changes can prevent or lower high cholesterol.

Lifestyle changes that include eating a diet low in saturated fat, increased physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight will help to lower high cholesterol. A diet that is high in fiber helps to lower high cholesterol levels.

A diet that consists of high fiber foods include whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruit. Diets with high fiber will keep your digestive tract regular, satisfy you and provide good nutrition. A high fiber diet will block cholesterol from being absorbed into the intestinal tract. The bad cholesterol will be expelled with normal excretion.

There are good reasons to naturally lower your cholesterol.. The most common drugs used are statin drugs and these have serious side effects. Statin drugs are very effective and work a relatively short period of time. The down side is that statin drugs produce very harmful side effects.

It is well established that statin drugs cause serious liver damage. Patients that use this medication are required to have a routine blood test every two months.

Statin drugs cause muscle disease, muscle pain and a breakdown of muscles. It causes weakness and creates problems with walking.

It can be responsible for the loss of memory and clarity. It can occasionally create confusion and amnesia. This group of drugs and be responsible for sexual dysfunction and irritability.

Statin drugs are know to cause nausea, diarrhea, constipation, fever, sleeplessness and headaches.

This medication is also responsible for depleting essential nutrients important for the heart and brain.

It is quite possible to naturally lower your cholesterol. The good news is that this can be accomplished without experiencing any harmful side effects.

Here are some steps that you can take:

1/ Exercise for between one half hour and an hour every day. This can be very effective. A regular exercise program will help to increase your good cholesterol. It will also help to lower the harmful cholesterol. The truth is that exercise will help to lower bad cholesterol without harmful side effects.

2/ Change your diet.

It is important to realize that getting high cholesterol does not occur in a vacuum. The biggest contributing factors are what we eat and our lack of activity. These factors are even greater than heredity. Heredity is a factor only to the point that our parents pass their lifestyles onto us.

As mentioned above, it is essential to eat a diet high in fiber. This includes whole grains, beans, vegetables and fresh fruit. It is the fiber from these foods that bind with the cholesterol and carries it from our system.

3/ Avoid or reduce foods that are bad sources of fat. This also includes red meat and dairy products.

4/ Natural herbal supplements.

Herbal supplements can be helpful in lowering high cholesterol. Research has shown that herbal supplements actually help to lower bad cholesterol.

Chinese medicine incorporates the use of natural herbs. Ancient Chinese therapy demonstrates very positive results when it comes to lowering high cholesterol levels. Thousands of years of Chinese medicine have devised natural, herbal treatments that are natural, safe and effective.

There are major differences between western medicine and Chinese medicine. Unlike conventional medicine, the Chinese herbs are very mild. They do not have any harmful side effects. Because they are mild, it appears to take months to work.

Although visible results may take months, the herbs do begin to work immediately. The herbs do not jar or shock the system. They improve our health in a gradual and steady manner. An added benefit is that the herbs actually improve the function of the liver. This can be experienced within a couple of months. A simple blood test will prove this.

Chinese herbal treatments have been around for centuries. If, however, you are taking medication or are under a physicians care, please consult with your doctor first.

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If you're feeling resistant to changing poor eating habits, it may be in your best interests to think differently.

Best Eating Habits

The best kind of eating habits you can develop are ones that allow you to enjoy what you eat (not a complete feel good diet however), but have a balanced and good diet that doesn't leave you getting too much of one thing and not enough of another. One nutrient that is commonly out of proportion is carbohydrates. Typically people in modernized western cultures have feel good diets that lead to a higher than necessary carb intake, which leads to those carbs being broken down and stored as fat. Carbs are essentially complex sugars, which are burned for energy, unless they are unneeded. Unfortunately most of the foods that taste the best are loaded with carbs. However, they are not altogether bad, but eating too many carbs can cause you to gain weight. Good eating habits and a good diet plan cause your carb intake to be balanced so that excess carbs are not being stored as fat and you actually feel good instead of having a completely carefree feel good diet.

Avoid Too Much Cholesterol

Too much fat and cholesterol intake is also an enemy of good eating habits. In some ways it is better to eat more fat than carbs, since your body has to work harder, burning more energy, to break down fats. Cholesterol is a necessary part of your diet, but too much cholesterol can cause your heart to become clogged, increasing your blood pressure, and causing you to be less healthy and put you at risk for a heart attack.

Balance is the Key

Although a good diet plan is going to be a little different for everyone, good eating habits should incorporate foods from all the food groups: grains, meats, dairy, and fruits/vegetables. The classic food pyramid says that you should get about six servings of grains, about three servings of fruit, three servings of vegetables, two servings of meat, and two servings from the dairy group. There is also a designated 'other' group that consists of junk food and beverages, like soda, that have little positive nutritional value. The food pyramid indicates that foods from this 'other' group should be used sparingly, and perhaps should not be part of your good diet plan. However, your intake of food from the 'other' group will depend largely on your metabolism and your health goals.

Although it can be tough to stay disciplined, good eating habits will repay you with improved health and energy. If you develop an exercise routine, your metabolism will speed up, allowing you to eat more without consequence, which makes it easier to maintain a balanced diet. After all, good eating habits do not mean being a diet monk that avoids any pleasure from food. It simply means taking care of yourself by watching what you put in your body.