Menopause is a naturally occurring process that women go through as they age. Hot flashes, irritability, and other symptoms that come with menopause can be lessened by knowing what foods to eat, and what foods to steer clear of while you are going through “the change”.

By eating the proper balance of food you will gain a better control over your body’s needs. You will be able to control your hot flashes and thus live a little more comfortably during this time in your life.

Avoiding Menopause Symptoms with Proper Food Choices

  • Added inches: One of the menopause symptoms that women worry about is the weight gain. The majority of women gain anywhere from eight to fifteen pounds during the first twenty four months of menopause. In order to curb that weight gain you should curb your consumption of fatty foods like bacon.

Make sure that fatty foods like bacon, pan sausage, and beef brisket make up only twenty percent of your menopause food choices. Swap out some healthy grilled fish for fried fish, and try a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a hamburger. Your waist line will thank you.

  • Fatigue: You may not realize this but fatigue is one of the biggest problems people have during menopause. One way to help decrease the amount of fatigue you suffer is to decrease the amount of sugar you consume.

You want to limit the sugar you eat to about ten grams per serving. That means you can still have a treat, but make it a small one. If you swap out a fresh piece of fruit for those afternoon cookies, you will help combat the fatigue, and the weight gain.

  • Hot flashes: The number one complaint of menopausal women has to be living with hot flashes. One of the main effects of the hot flashes is that the women do not get as much rest at night, so they are fatigued in the morning. Most women reach for a cup of coffee to help get them awake and moving after a poor nights sleep, but the caffeine may be increasing your hot flashes and your fatigue. It may also increase the amount of irritability you have. If you add sugars and creams to your cup of joe you may also increase the calories you take in and thus increase your chances of gaining weight. Try a nice herbal tea, like an herbal peppermint variety when you need a lift.
  • Fatigue and mood swings are increased if you drink alcohol laced beverages. Avoid the glass of wine that you think is going to relax you, because the truth is the wine may make you more irritable and cranky.
  • Hot flashes and spicy foods do not mix. Eating pepper ladened foods will increase your core body temperature and make the hot flashes seem worse than ever. Watch the sugar and spice if you want everything to be nice during this period of your life.