A menopause diet is the type of diet recommended for exceptional nutritional needs of women who are already undergoing the menopause, which decreases bone mass and bone density, and usually, incapacit

A menopause diet is the type of diet recommended for exceptional nutritional needs of women who are already undergoing the menopause, which decreases bone mass and bone density, and usually, incapacitates the foods rich in calcium and vitamin D for the strengthening of bones all over the body.

Unfortunately, aging is the process that humans cannot inhibit, and so every person’s body will go through specific changes as they age. Much like a young girl starting her period is a sign of becoming a young woman, menopause is the sign that a woman is entering her elderly years. Menopause is the name that is used to describe the point in a woman’s life when she has completely stopped releasing eggs from her ovaries for one consecutive year; at this point, the woman is infertile and can no longer become pregnant. Menopause is a process- this means that it occurs gradually, taking years to complete. According to WebMD’s article “The Basics of Menopause,” the average age for a woman to begin experiencing symptoms is between 40 and 45, and it can take some women ten years to complete.

There is a consent among health specialists that a hale and the hearty diet containing a wide variety of foods will be salient for women’s health during menopause. This is considered as the time to lower fat and increase fruit and vegetable intake to help maintain weight and to ensure a daily intake of low-fat dairy products to keep bones strong. Women who suffer from specific menopausal symptoms should consult a physician for personal dietary advice.

Some of the foods containing vegan diet include Calcium and vitamin D supplements. They have proven to provide substantial nutrients which aid in preserving bone mass and prevent hip fissures. Other supplements include red clover, rice bran oil, wild yam, licorice roots, sage, passion flower, chaste berry and omega-3 fatty acids.

Pros of Vegan diet for post-menopausal women:

Below are the nutritional benefits arise from a vegan diet, that is, foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, and soy products which are of benefit to the females who have reached and passed menopause stage.

A vegan diet is salient as it aids in feeding the right diet for women in menopause and prevent their bodies from body illnesses and infections.

Compacted saturated adipose tissue. Foodstuffs and meats contain an enormous volume of saturated fats. By reducing the amount of the taken saturated fats from the diet, the females will suffer less illness. Vegetables provide sufficient starch and are highly reach in iron. They are also concerned with preventing and renewal of tissues. Avoiding animal proteins such as beef and pork will be salient as there will be least over-accumulation of fatty acids.

Carbohydrates. These are the energy-giving foods. They provide the body with sufficient energy to carry out body metabolic processes as well as daily activities. However, natural forms of carbohydrates are the best, unlike the junk foods that offer carbohydrates since the natural ones are easily digestible and do not result in over-accumulation of fats in the body. A good contrast of such foods are the yams and chocolate cakes. Worth-noting is that when women who are at menopause do not have enough carbohydrates, their body will burn muscle tissue.

Fiber. Women in menopause and all other people require fiber in their diet to ease the fecal process. A diet high in fiber, typical of vegan eating, leads to a healthier colon and bowel movements. High fiber diets help against colon cancer. Such women hence have reduced chances of being attacked by illnesses such as cancer. Most of the energy-giving foods contain fiber. They include whole grain foods such as maize, rice. Fruits too have some fiber content that prevents constipation.

Antioxidants. In order for the body to fight against cell damage, antioxidants are one of the best ways to help the body. Women in menopause require the antioxidants to help fight the cell damage and their replication. They are salient because they enable the body fight against various forms of cancerous tissues which may grow in their tissues.

Vitamin C. Women lose a lot of blood during menses. The blood lost usually carries iron and other supplements. Hence, women need foods rich in supplements to boost the immune system, helps keep gums healthy and helps bruises heal faster. Fruits play a major role in ensuring immune system is enhanced.

Vitamin E. due to the level of blood lost during menses, women at this stage of menopause will have reduced menses and thus is their high time to consume supplements that will aid in the recovery of the lost supplements. Vitamin E has numerous benefits for the heart, skin, eyes, brain, and may even help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Females need to feed on foods rich in vitamin E. The diet containing a good amount of grains, nuts, and dark leafy greens is rich in Vitamin E.

Eating vegetables or the plant-based diet aids in maintaining the body mass index, body weight and cut out unnecessary fats and oils. Greens contain a lot of nutrients ranging from vitamins, starch, natural salts, and minerals. Women in menopause require such greens to help in the restoration of the lost but required body nutrients.

Strengthening and keeping feet of the cardiovascular and brain health. Food supplements that do not include for instance eggs, sea vegetables or the seaweeds do lack the n-3 fatty acids which are of essence to the body. The vegetables to offer eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids which are very useful for the cardiovascular health as well as the visual and brain function. Thus, women who consume high levels of plant foods show low levels of heart diseases, reduced illnesses as a result of blood loss, osteoporosis and cancerous diseases.

Plant foods such as soy nuts, soy milk, and eggs offer relief from hot flashes, boredom and other signs of menopause. They also reduce the risk of cancer when taken in the right amounts.

Calcium and vitamin D in healthy postmenopausal women have proved to offer sufficient advantages in preserving bone mass and to prevent the fissures.

The vegan foods enable lowering of blood-pressure.

The cons of the Vegan diet for post-menopausal women:

A lot of women in post-menopausal stage believe that there lie huge benefits of consuming vegan diet to the common animal diet. I do not deny that there are huge benefits of increasing intake of fruit, vegetables, and fiber. However, completely cutting out animal proteins will worsen the situation as one becomes deficient in omega 3 and vitamins B12, calcium, and iron. It requires numerous efforts to obtain the nutrient these nutrients from the vegan diet.

The possibility of recurrence of a similar problem. Women on post-menopausal stage believe that feeding on a plant-based diet helps in building and maintain a healthy weight. However, I would object this partially because a diet such as Irish potatoes which contains high levels of fats and sugar and starch. So the same problem that they would be trying to avoid will be met with some plant-foods.

The idea that women in a post-menopausal stage will get everything from vegan foods is a probing question simply because they too suffer from low levels of protein hence suffer from anemia.

While it is almost certain that the vegan foods contain low levels of saturated fats and increase intake of mineral salts and vitamins, the restrictive diet may have a negative impact on their health because vegans are such a small population and thus there is the insufficient amount of it.

Due to its increasing market for the vegan foods, numerous menopause diets, supplements, and medicinal creams are being commercially sold as the cure for all post-menopausal signs and symptoms. While most may contribute to removing most of the signs of post-menopausal state, there is an underlying risk of the adverse effects linked to supplements taken above-recommended levels.

The raid radical change: a sudden decision by the post-menopause women to change from feeding on an animal to plant-feeding may be tricky. This is because the body requires some sufficient time for its adaptation to another state. It might prove some difficulties to efficiently plan a successful vegan diet.

There might be probabilities of interference with the existing medical conditions. The post-menopausal women with some who have conditions such as diabetes may find it not accommodative to critically consult their physician or a registered dietician when implementing the eating plan. This may heavily interfere with the taking of such medications.

Difficulties when dining out with friends or in conferences or hotels. It may prove impossible for the women in the post-menopausal state to engage and feed outside as there are not many hotels or places which offer true vegan foods.

Below is an example of a recipe for a super-vegan juice for the women in the post-menopausal state.

70g kale stalks removed and chopped

2 celery stick, chopped

10.5cm piece of cucumber, peeled and deseeded

3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

2 Medrol dates, stoned

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Juice of one lime

Juice of half a lemon

3-4 ice cubes, plus extra to serve.

Put all the ingredients in a blender, add some 250ml water and stir till they thoroughly mix.

Serve while still fresh.

Works Cited

http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/menopause-basics#1

http://www.pathophys.org/menopause/

Magee, E. Eat Well for a Healthy Menopause: The Low-Fat, High Nutrition Guide. New York, NY: Wiley, 1997.

Klimis-Zacas, D., Wolinsky, I. Nutritional Concerns of Women. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2003

Gillespie, L. The Menopause Diet Mini Meal Cookbook. Beverly Hills, CA: Healthy Life Publications, 1999.