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Menopause Matters magazine ISSUE 75 out now. (Spring issue, March 2024)

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Author Topic: Diet  (Read 5977 times)

toffeecushion

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Diet
« on: November 18, 2015, 08:07:51 AM »

Is there a way to balance your hormones through diet?
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dazned

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Re: Diet
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2015, 10:10:14 AM »

I'm not sure that you balance ones hormones,ie you can't balance your thyroid through diet which requires a hormone,but you can certainly eat as healthily as you can to help maintain the best balance for one's body.

Isn't everyone suppose to anyway,needless to say alot of us don't ,well I don't anyway  ::)
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SadLynda

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Re: Diet
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2015, 11:32:51 AM »

I have been told and read a lot of books on the subject that it is meant to help.  I think I do feel healthier in general but not really found much that lessons the symptoms so far, I keep trying though.

I eat regularly and have never eaten so much fruit and green veg in my life ::)
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dazned

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Re: Diet
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2015, 11:55:10 AM »

That's what I meant ,I'm not convinced that in itself healthy diet can alleviate all severe meno symptoms but it can certainly help to keep us healthy in general which in turn can help us tackle it. Now I just have to learn to put it into practice !  ;D
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Hurdity

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Re: Diet
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2015, 12:47:26 PM »

Absolutely - I think when we approach menopause it is time to look at what we are eating and make sure it is as healthy as possible. I think a healthy diet using a wide variety of fresh ingredients (esp fruit and veg!) - including reduced caffeine and alcohol - goes a long way to making us feel as well as we can do and better able to cope with menopausal symptoms.  This will enable the body to perform its functions optimally. As you say dazned - for many women this is not sufficient but I agree we should all be looking at our diet.

Yes Prajna female hormones are different - insulin directly affects blood sugar but our diet cannot directly affect female hormones in the same way from what I understand - apart from perhaps phyto-oestrogens to a small extent. A diet rich in these may be of benefit but from what I've read it is somewhat complex ie their relation to oestrogen receptors. They must have some effect because supplements of these are not recommended for women with oestrogen dependent breast cancer, but I understand trials are still ongoing? There is information on this site about them here: http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/phytoestrogens.php

In terms of balancing hormones during peri-menopause - there is nothing in the diet that can stop the heavy bleeding due to anovulatory cycles - which means progesterone isn't produced, and some women have to be prescribed progestogens at this time.

A bit of a ramble and thinking aloud!

Hurdity x

PS Chocolate is still allowed! :)

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dahliagirl

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Re: Diet
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2015, 02:15:44 PM »

I find that following a healthy diet helps you deal with the knocks.  When I get down, I want to eat white carbs and rubbish and it makes it all worse.  :(

My favourite dietary info comes from arthritisUK (click on the download to the right of the screen for the leaflet) http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/arthritis-and-daily-life/diet-and-arthritis.aspx  Basically it is a healthy balanced diet with extra information on things that promote or lessen inflammation. It has information on fats and fatty acids that is important and applies to everyone. There have been articles in New Scientist and elsewhere that suggest minimising inflammation is a good thing for everyone.  I think that this leaflet is a good starting point.

It is also worth looking at the glycaemic index on Diabetes UK and eating plenty foods that are low GI, and keeping the others for one-offs.

I do believe that getting what you need from your diet is much better for you than having to take supplements.  Supplements are useful if you are missing something in particular, such as VitD (I have found out the hard way!) or your diet is restricted in some way.  But a good diet is the best way forward.
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Dana

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Re: Diet
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2015, 10:47:49 PM »

I've gone the phyto-estrogen/diet route. Cost me a fortune, and for me it didn't work at all. In fact it made things worse.

Definitely a healthy diet is a good thing - for everyone, but does it in itself do anything to really help with severe meno symptoms? Doubt it, and "for me" definitely not.

There may be some evidence that phyto-estrogens and other types of specific foods may help when the symptoms aren't very severe, or maybe in peri-meno, but when you've got full blown severe meno symptoms IMO you need the big guns.

All just my experiences and opinions of course.
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