Menopause:Hidden Dangers and Natural Relief Remedies

Many women find that during the “change of life” not only do their bodies change, but their personal and professional live change as well. As you are trying to cope with all the physical as well as emotional surprises, there are two potentially life-threatening conditions on the horizon (if not carefully prevented).

Beware of Weakened Bones

Osteoporosis is a condition that may have began while you were a teenager. It’s during your adolescent years that you prepare your body for the bone density you will have as an adult. Consider yourself fortunate if you were a milk drinker or if your mother made you drink lots of milk as a child. However, if you didn’t grow up drinking lots of milk, it’s not too late. You can start strengthening your bones today-the key is calcium.

Research has determined that a young woman in her pre-menopausal years (about 35 years of age) needs 1,000 to 1,200 mg. of calcium daily. If you are post-menopausal, you will need up to 1,500 mg. per day to keep your bones strong. It is best to get your daily calcium intake naturally, from the food you eat. However, if you feel that you don’t or cannot tolerate a lot of calcium rich foods then a supplement is always available. Some good sources of calcium rich foods include: Dairy such as cottage cheese, seafood such as oysters and sardines and vegetables such as kale, turnip greens and beet greens.

Because your body has decreased the amount of estrogen it produces, you are likely to gain weight. However, you want to be cautious about dieting because studies show that weight loss in post-menopausal women significantly increases bone loss and puts you at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. Being more physically active can help you avoid this problem all together.

The Heart of the Matter

It is during and after menopause that a women is at her highest risk in developing heart disease. But if you are mindful of the foods you eat you can eliminate the cause for concern. Heart healthy eating consists of a low fat and high fiber, balanced diet. However, for post-menopausal women, a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet seems to increase risk factors. So, just be mindful of the carbs you are taking in as well as watch the saturated fat content on labels. If you use olive, canola, pure vegetable and soybean oils you can replace a lot of saturated fat with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are better for you.

Natural Estrogen Therapy

There is a plant compound that acts like the estrogen in your body; it’s called phytoestrogen. This means that you can find natural sources of estrogen in your food! This could reduce the need for hormone and estrogen therapy. There are no recommended doses, however, it is just smart to include them in your balanced diet.

Soy: Researchers around the world have found that soybean products are effective in reducing hot flashes and vaginal dryness in post-menopausal women. Amazing! Just one small, brown pea can help ease the most uncomfortable of all symptoms.

Phytoestrogens: There are many delicious foods that contain this plant compound. This component is especially helpful in easing symptoms like hot flashes. The following is a list of these wonderful flash fighters: Wheat, barley, oat and rye flour, green beans, carrots, peas, potatoes, cherries, apples, rice, garlic and alfalfa. Researchers have even studied grains like red-clover sprouts and linseed and found similar effects to hormonal estrogen. Women who supplemented their diets with these grains for six weeks showed a significant change in estrogen levels.

Calcium Connections

Your body is a complex machine that uses all of its body parts together; the nutrients you put in your body included. If you take a calcium supplement with a meal, you could be decreasing your body’s ability to absorb zinc by as much as 50%. So, if you are taking a calcium supplement then you need to balance it out with more zinc. Foods like black beans, crab meat, steak, oysters, and roasted dark meat turkey are excellent sources.

Magnesium is another nutrient that plays an important role in your body’s operations. If you have a magnesium deficiency, your bones can’t absorb the calcium efficiently. If you take in the proper amount of magnesium, calcium levels will rise, even if you don’t take supplements.

Vitamin D plays an important role in how much calcium your bones actually absorb and sunshine helps activate your daily dose of D. You can eat eggs, shrimp, and drink fortified milk to get your calcium and your D all at once!

Vitamin E many of us take the easy way out and buy the pills, and in many cases that’s okay. But if you are a post-menopausal woman, taking a supplement will not protect you against heart disease as much as natural Vitamin E. So, boil up some shrimp or bake a sweet potato; they are both great natural sources.