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Perimenopause & Diet

Perimenopause is the stage in a woman's life when hormone levels begin to change, leading to menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings and weight gain while you're still menstruating. It can last for several years before menopause, but symptoms can be minimized and life can continue fairly normally if you simply switch to a healthy diet.

  1. Foods to Eat

    • Reduce saturated fat and eliminate trans fats in your diet. Include more calcium-rich foods such as low-fat dairy, spinach, white beans, canned sardines and salmon with bones. If you're dairy-intolerant, look for calcium-fortified juices, cereals, breads, soy beverages or rice beverages. Choose whole grains like bran and brown rice instead of processed white grains. Increase your fruit and vegetable intake since most produce contains phytoestrogen, which helps relieve hot flashes, improve bone density and reduce the risk of breast cancer and heart conditions. Sprinkle flax seed on your cereal or vegetables; flax seed helps increase the ratio of estrogen to progesterone in the body, as well as helping reduce hot flashes and cholesterol. Drink green tea, which is full of antioxidants and may help boost weight loss.

    Helpful Supplements

    • Take a supplement with Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which improve metabolism, help distribute vitamins throughout the body, balance stress and ovarian hormones, and help to ward off depression and breast cancer. Take vitamin B6, which eases perimenopausal symptoms like bloating, mood swings, depression and anxiety. Vitamin B6 also balances out levels of magnesium. Supplement with vitamin E, which can remedy breast tenderness, hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Take zinc to keep progesterone levels balanced and prevent yeast infections, weight gain and food cravings. Also make sure your supplement includes magnesium, calcium and vitamin D.

    Avoid These Foods

    • Avoid high-glycemic foods like processed white grain products and potatoes. Instead choose low-glycemic foods, which help avoid blood-sugar swings. These foods tend to be low in carbohydrates and include fruits and vegetables, lean protein and lean dairy. Eat starchy foods like grains sparingly, and even then, make sure they're whole-grain and high-fiber, such as bran and multi-grain breads. Avoid sugar as much as possible; not only does it lead to weight gain at a time when it becomes harder to lose weight, sugar contributes to skin aging and hormonal imbalances. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, both of which can trigger hot flashes. Look for natural foods and try to reduce or eliminate food additives and pesticides in your foods, choosing organic when possible. Some studies have shown that toxic environmental chemicals inside the human body can mimic estrogen.

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