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July 24, 2020

What You Should Know About Female Health, Menopause and Your Diet

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While hormone replacement therapy is an option that you should discuss with your OB/GYN, ensuring you follow a healthy diet is also essential for female health.

Menopause and Your Diet

What we eat plays a significant role in our overall health. Your diet can affect more about your body than you think. For women, the right food and nutrients can help ease menopause symptoms. 

While hormone replacement therapy is an option that you should discuss with your OB/GYN, ensuring you follow a healthy diet is also essential for female health.

Dr. Susan Fox and her team at the Center for Women, are listing some of the ways diet impacts female health and foods to consider including in your diet.

How Your Diet Affects Menopause Symptoms

As your menstrual cycles come to an end, your body will naturally transition to menopause. Officially, menopause occurs 12 months after your last period, but the transition process (and well after the process) leaves many women with symptoms that last for years. 

Menopause can cause discomfort, weight gain, and a wide range of other symptoms and increase your risk of developing certain diseases. 

Declining estrogen levels that result from menopause are linked to these symptoms and risks, so changing your diet to offset your estrogen imbalance can relieve many symptoms, such as hot flashes, poor sleep, and low bone density

For example, dairy products like cheese, milk, and yogurt are filled with nutrients like magnesium, calcium, vitamins, phosphorus, and potassium. 

These are all essential nutrients for healthy bones, and having stronger bones puts you less at risk of getting painful fractures that are more likely to occur during menopause when you have low bone density. 

Dairy products can also help if you struggle with insomnia, as foods high in amino acid glycine have promoted deeper sleep in menopausal women.

Healthy fats can also enrich your diet and give you relief from menopause symptoms. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to decrease the frequency of hot flashes and the severity of night sweats. 

Talk to your OB/GYN about implementing omega-3 supplements into your diet or foods like fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, etc.) and seeds (chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, etc.) 

Because menopause puts you at risk for things like heart disease, it’s important to be mindful of what you eat and fill your diet with foods high in nutrients like fiber and B vitamins.

Whole-grain foods like brown rice, whole-wheat bread, barley, quinoa, Khorasan wheat (kamut®), and rye are great additions to your diet. 

Enriching your diet with whole grains has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and premature death.

Lastly, don’t forget to eat your fruits and veggies! Fruits and vegetables packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants and are great for you even if you’re not going through menopause. 

Incorporating these foods into your diet can help with hot flashes, decrease the risk of breast cancer, get better sleep, and lower rates of depression. 

Incorporating healthier foods into your diet can be an effective menopause treatment for uncomfortable symptoms.

Menopause Treatment in Miami

Hormone replacement therapy works by using medication to replace the estrogen that your body is no longer producing. This medication can come in the form of pills, creams, skin patches, and more. 

Our physicians will prescribe you a dosage based on the severity of your symptoms, age, and other factors. If you want to learn more about our hormone therapy and which option is best for you, one of our physicians will be more than happy to sit down with you to discuss your options. 

While our experienced medical staff specializes in hormone replacement therapy, we also believe that our patients should make healthy changes to their diets for optimal female health. 

Both hormone replacement therapy and following a healthy diet can be effective forms of menopause treatment for women in Miami, so make sure to talk to your OB/GYN about different treatment options and which one is right for your body. 

A visit with your gynecologist can help you get an accurate assessment of your menopause symptoms and a long-term plan to manage symptoms. 

If you are looking for a female gynecologist in the Miami area then schedule a well-woman exam with our OB/GYN, Dr. Susan Fox. Dr. Fox is available to see you for your routine check-ups and answer any questions about menopause treatment! 

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