When was the last time you introduced a menopause-friendly recipe into your go-to collection?
Whether you’re just at the beginning of menopause or well into your menopausal transition, your diet can play an important role in supporting your health and wellbeing through every upcoming change. As with many other seasons in our lives, the foods we consume can either support our ongoing health, or make it more difficult for our bodies to find the balance of vitamins and elements necessary for healthy functioning.
Menopause is the perfect moment to examine your diet for new opportunities to balance your hormones, support your daily functions, and elevate your mood. With a wide range of foods also helping to reduce some of the more challenging symptoms of menopause, there’s a recipe for everyone’s taste preferences.
Phytoestrogens: A menopausal game-changer
One of the first natural sources of nutrition to consider for hormonal regulation is phytoestrogens. These are naturally occurring compounds found in plants that can have a positive influence on fluctuating oestrogen levels during menopause. These compounds can mirror the impacts of oestrogen in our bodies, helping to supplement the role it used to play as oetrogen production begins to decline throughout menopause. When oestrogen reduces, hot flushes, mood swings, and night sweats will likely climb, making phytoestrogens a worthy contender for top place in menopausal diets.
One of the most common sources of phytoestrogens is soy, which has long been celebrated for its potential to alleviate menopausal symptoms. If soy’s not to your taste, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, and various beans, such as chickpeas and lentils, can all offer a healthy boost of these hormone-regulating compounds.
Our recommendations for delicious recipes that are heavy on phytoestrogens are:
- Flaxseed bread – with flaxseeds, sprouted oats and chia seeds taking centre stage in this bread recipe, you can enjoy a healthy hit of phytoestrogens at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Soybean ragu – with just 10 minutes of prep time, this cosy soybean and vegetable ragu is the perfect source of menopause-friendly comfort food.
- Tofu stir fry – quick, healthy, and versatile, this tofu stir fry gives you all of the nutritional benefits of tofu in an easy weekday dinner.
Make way for Omega-3s
Omega-3s are commonly featured on lists of menopause-friendly food groups, and for good reason. Offering mood-regulating and anti-inflammatory properties all in one source of healthy fat, Omega-3s are a versatile natural source of support for the impacts menopause may bring your way.
One of the main reasons behind Omega-3’s mood-regulating abilities is their well-documented anti-inflammatory nature. Not only are there proven links between inflammation and mood disorders (including depression), but hormonal changes brought on by menopause can also create further exacerbation of underlying inflammation issues. This makes Omega-3 even more important during this transition phase, offering integral support to ongoing health and longevity.
Thankfully, Omega-3s are found in a wide array of ingredients and natural sources, catering to all kinds of dietary preferences. Common sources include salmon, mackerel, and sardines, which are packed with these essential fatty acids. If fish isn’t your forte, chia seeds, walnuts, eggs, soybeans, avocado, flax seeds, spinach, and hemp seeds can all provide ongoing support thanks to their Omega-3 properties.
Try these Omega-3 recipes for mood-regulating size:
- Sheet-pan salmon with sweet potatoes and broccoli – with cheese, coriander, and fresh bursts of flavour from the presence of lime and chilli, this sheet-pan dinner will bring salmon to life in a whole new way.
- Sardines and tomatoes on toast – start the day off right with this budget-friendly sardine recipe, which makes the most of tinned sardines to give you a kick of heart-healthy oily fish.
- Chia pudding – great for breakfast, to snack on throughout the day, or after dinner, chia pudding is a versatile and delicious source of Omega-3s.
- Healthy banana bread – love banana bread? You’ll appreciate it even more with this Omega-3 friendly recipe – just opt to keep the walnuts in.
Up your calcium intake to support your bone health
With declining oestrogen levels comes the heightened risk of bone-related diseases, such as osteoporosis. Boosting your calcium intake is one way you can support your health throughout fluctuating hormonal levels, ensuring you’re protecting your bones from the risk of brittleness or increased fragility throughout menopause.
Dairy products offer a simple and accessible form of calcium, but for those who may follow a dairy-free diet, there’s no shortage of options. Green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach, almonds, oranges, and certain nuts and seeds are all great sources of calcium, giving you flexibility throughout the day to mix and match in your meals.
To increase your calcium intake, add these recipes to your rotation:
- Fetta and semi-dried tomato omelette – with eggs, fetta, and the option to add in spinach leaves, this omelette’s designed to give you multiple sources of calcium in one easy serving.
- Roasted cauli-broc bowl with tahini hummus – thanks to the tahini, this delicious, nutritious bowl can give you a calcium boost at lunch or dinner.
- Warm mushroom salad with miso dressing – this vegan recipe makes the most of kale, farro, and avocado, finished with a hearty miso-sesame dressing. Enjoyed as a side or a main, you’ll benefit from calcium-rich kale and Vitamin D-rich mushrooms.
- Sunshine orange smoothie – tick a wide range of essential nutrients off your intake list with this powerful smoothie. With oranges, goji berries, bananas, almond milk (the calcium source), hemp seeds and ginger, you’re benefitting from a digestion-boosting, anti-inflammatory source of goodness that can provide you with an easy breakfast.
Conclusion
Menopause doesn’t need to be the end of the story when it comes to fluctuations in hormones and mood levels. By choosing to focus your diet on menopause-supporting natural foods and nutrients, you can reduce the impact of menopause’s symptoms, supporting your health and wellbeing as you navigate each change it brings with it. Even a few simple changes can have a remarkable difference on your overall wellbeing.
Find more support, insight, advice and treatments for menopause’s symptoms with the help of the Australian Menopause Centre.
About The Author - AMC Team
Our team consists of doctors, nurses, program assistants, naturopaths and nutritionists that join their wealth of knowledge to offer our patients and website visitors interesting and insightful articles to assist you understand the symptoms you are experiencing and how to relieve them.