The Top Ten Foods for Natural Menopause

1. Soy Singled out as number 1, soy has been proven time and again to have properties that help reduce hot flashes and night sweats. Eat a variety of organic soy foods, including tofu, soy milk, miso, and soy sauce.
2. Legumes All the legumes, including soy, are classed as phytoestrogens, so all deserve a place in the natural menopause diet. Go for variety and include chickpeas (good as hummus), lentils, kidney beans, aduki beans, and so on. You can buy organic canned beans, which provide complete convenience.
3. Oily Fish Salmon, tuna, herring, sardines, and mackerel contain omega-3 essential fatty acids that can counteract several symptoms of menopause.
4. Brightly colored fruit and vegetables These foods are rich in antioxidants, which not only slow down the aging process but also help fight cancer and heart disease (risks of developing these diseases increase after menopause).
5. Nuts Like oily fish, nuts contain essential fats, but they also contain antioxidants, including vitamin E (in all nuts) and selenium (particularly in Brazil nuts).
6. Seeds Nutritional powerhouses, seeds of all kinds contain essential fats, while both pumpkin and sunflower seeds contain good amounts of zinc, which helps keep your hormones in balance. Flax seeds are particularly good because they are also classed as a phytoestrogen.
7. Water Although water isn’t a “food” exactly, it’s vital that you keep hydrated at all times of your life, but especially during menopause. Water helps regulate your body temperature, helping to relieve hot flashes and night sweats. It’s also important in your body’s’ mission to deliver crucial menopause nutrients to their destination, and for eliminating waste.
8. Cruciferous vegetables Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts all contain good amounts of antioxidants and also specific substances that can protect against breast cancer. Cabbage is also high in vitamin K, which is known to help prevent osteoporosis.
9. Whole Grains Rich in fiber, whole grains are not only important for efficient bowel function, but also for helping to prevent heart disease (fiber controls cholesterol) and breast cancer (it also controls estrogen).
10. Herbal Teas Sage tea helps control hot flashes and night sweats; dandelion can help with water retention, and nettle tea improves the absorption of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium (these are important for bone health and for preventing osteoporosis).