Healthy recipes for menopause

Healthy recipes for menopause do not have as many complex taboos as those spread online. At the core, as long as the three key points of "stabilizing hormone fluctuations, protecting bone density, and preventing metabolic decline" are adhered to, there is no need to cut out carbohydrates deliberately, and there is no need to stock up on estrogen supplements at high prices. Make sure to ensure 3 servings of high-quality protein, 250g of dark green vegetables, 300ml of low-fat milk every day, and avoid refined sugar and alcohol. 80% of common discomforts such as hot flashes, irritability, and insomnia can be solved.

A while ago, I met Aunt Zhang at a community nutrition consultation. She was 52 years old and had just gone through menopause for half a year. She heard from her best friend that she should give up sugar and carbohydrates and eat imported soy isoflavones every day during menopause. However, she persisted for more than three months. The number of hot flashes increased from two or three times a day to seven or eight times a day. Her weight also increased by 7 pounds. When she went to check for bone density, she had lost 0.2 compared to last year. When she came to me with the report, she was very aggrieved. She said that she was already eating "healthy", but she had more problems.

In fact, she just jumped on the misunderstandings of many menopausal recipes on the Internet, which are either one-size-fits-all or excessive supplementation, without considering her own physical condition at all. Take the most controversial soy products as an example. Most doctors in the field of gynecological endocrinology recommend that the daily intake of soy isoflavones be controlled within 50 mg, which is about the amount of a cup of 200 ml sugar-free soy milk plus 100 g of brine tofu. After all, phytoestrogens regulate in both directions. If people with breast nodules and endometrial hyperplasia eat too much, it will increase the burden on their organs. ； However, some studies in the field of nutrition show that menopausal women with no underlying diseases will not have any health risks if they eat 200g of tofu every day. Especially for people with severe hot flashes, eating more soy products can indeed reduce the frequency of attacks. There is no need to stick to one standard.

For example, many aunts think that a light diet is just white porridge with pickles. In fact, white porridge has a high glycemic index and makes you hungry within two hours after eating. On the contrary, it is easy to be tempted to eat more snacks such as biscuits and pastries that raise blood sugar quickly, which in turn increases the risk of metabolic syndrome. It is better to replace the white porridge for breakfast with a small bowl of boiled oats, add a hard-boiled egg, and then blanch half a plate of broccoli and sprinkle some dried shrimps. The beta glucan in oats can stabilize blood sugar. The combined calcium of broccoli and dried shrimps is equivalent to half a cup of milk. After eating, the calories are not much higher than that of white porridge with pickles. You will not be hungry all morning. If you are lactose intolerant and can't drink pure milk, it doesn't matter. Just switch to sugar-free yogurt or about 10g of cheese. The calcium content is higher than that of pure milk. You can also supplement it with probiotics, which is also useful for relieving the common constipation during menopause.

Don’t go vegetarian just because you’re afraid of getting fat. There was a 49-year-old sister who ate a vegetarian diet for three months in order to control her weight. As a result, her hair fell twice as much as before. She tossed and turned at night and couldn’t sleep. When she checked her hemoglobin, it was almost at the anemia level. In fact, there is no need to completely quit red meat. Eating lean beef two or three times a week, about 50g each time, can supplement the iron and B vitamins needed for the day. It is especially effective in relieving irritability and fatigue during menopause. If you don’t like red meat, you can also eat about 20g of pork liver once a week. It is much better for absorption than taking iron supplements that cost dozens of dollars.

Many people also ask whether honey and royal jelly should never be touched? In fact, there is really no need to talk about it. The current test data shows that the estrogen content in pure honey is very low. As long as there are no blood sugar problems, it is perfectly fine to make a cup of honey to moisten your throat occasionally. You don’t have to worry about it for a long time after taking a sip. ； However, royal jelly does contain a small amount of animal estrogen. People with breast nodules and uterine fibroids are advised to avoid it. If healthy people want to eat it, there will be no problem if it is limited to less than 5g per day. Don’t listen to what the merchants say “eating it will delay aging and rejuvenate you”, nor do you listen to the marketing accounts saying “if you eat it, you will get cancer”. Both extremes are not advisable.

People who have frequent hot flashes can carry around a small iron box with about 10 pieces of plain almonds or walnuts, and eat it when you are hungry at 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Unsaturated fatty acids can help stabilize hormone levels, which is much more effective than eating cookies and cakes. I had an aunt who lasted for two months, and the number of hot flashes dropped from seven or eight times a day to two or three times. She said that it was much more effective than the more than 300 bottles of health products she bought before.

Oh, by the way, that doesn’t mean you can’t eat sweet things at all. It’s easy to get depressed during menopause. If you suddenly want to eat a cream cake or drink a cup of bubble milk tea, it’s absolutely fine to eat it once in a while, just don’t eat too much. I have seen too many aunties feel guilty for a long time because they took an extra bite of dessert. As a result, they tossed and turned at night and couldn't sleep, which caused hot flashes. The impact of emotions on endocrine is much greater than a bite of cake. There is really no need to treat yourself harshly for the so-called "standards".

In fact, in the final analysis, there is no standard answer for menopausal recipes. There is no need to copy other people's recipes, and there is no need to panic when you see a list of "must eat/fast food during menopause". If you feel comfortable after drinking soy milk, drink more. If you feel bloated after drinking it, drink less. Being happy with your food and feeling comfortable are more important than any rigid standards. After all, eating well is a happy thing.