Healthy eating is important for everyone, but certain foods are especially good for issues that affect women. Specifically conditions such as hormonal symptoms, osteoporosis and breast cancer.

Whatever your age these so-called ‘super foods’ are rich with the nutrients that will help to protect your body and keep it working at its best.

So just what are these and how can they help you with your hormonal symptoms?

Edamame (soybeans)

The difference between soybeans and edamame is in the level of maturity when the beans are harvested. Mature soybeans are a light cream colour while edamame is harvested when the beans are still young, soft and green.

These tasty soybean pods are full of fibre, good fats, and oestrogen-like compounds called isoflavones.

These can be very helpful at menopause to help cool hot flushes as a natural form of soy.

Kale

Their green leaves contain very high levels of vitamin K, which works with calcium and vitamin D to keep your bones strong and healthy.

If you are looking to protect from osteoporosis this is an excellent vegetable and one serving has more than 20% of the daily recommended amounts of vitamins A and C.

Asparagus

Another one to help with bone building, this gives you more vitamin K. Just half a cup, and you’ve got a third of what you need for the day.

It’s also full of folate, which helps maintains a healthy nervous system and works with vitamin B12 to form healthy red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body.

Beans

They have lots of protein, without the fat that comes with meat, and they’re high in fibre.

They can lower your blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart rate and these are all things that can lead to heart disease, a major risk factor for women at menopause.

Grapefruit

This contains flavonoids, which help lower the likelihood of certain kinds of strokes in women and may also help your heart.

Grapefruit may not be a good combination with medication such as statins so check with your doctor or pharmacist first.

Oranges work too, but grapefruit has less sugar, so you could substitute them if grapefruit doesn’t work for you.

Berries and cherries

These have flavonoids and antioxidants, which can protect healthy cells from damage. Berries help keep your brain sharper as you get older and cherries are a great help for those who suffer from gout.

Plus, you need their vitamin C to build collagen, the protein that keeps your skin firm and smooth.

Papaya

Not as easy to find in the UK, but its red-orange colour comes from beta carotene as found in carrots and lycopene in tomatoes and watermelon.

The human body converts beta carotene into vitamin A (retinol) as it is a precursor of vitamin A. We need vitamin A for healthy skin and mucus membranes, our immune system, and good eye health and vision.

Lycopene lowers your chance of getting cervical and breast cancers. It’s an antioxidant, too, and keeps cholesterol and blood pressure at healthy levels to help ward off heart disease.

Plain, low fat yogurt

You need more calcium when you’re over 50 as it is an essential mineral. In addition to building bones and keeping them healthy, calcium enables our blood to clot, our muscles to contract, and our heart to beat.

When we don’t get the calcium our body needs, it is taken from our bones so again helps prevent osteoporosis. Just 8 ounces of yogurt will give you more than a third of your calcium for the day and if it is enriched with vitamin D that helps your body use the mineral better.

Sardines

These are an excellent source of healthy fatty acids, vitamin D, and calcium so again good for your bones.

They’re also a good source of iron and tinned sardines contain close to 100% of the recommended daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

Flaxseed

Did you know that ground flaxseed can help lower your risk for some cancers, including breast cancer?

Full of fibre as well as lignans, plant compounds that act like oestrogen, these are a healthy addition to an anti-cancer diet.

If you are on medication, please check with your doctor or pharmacist before you add flaxseed to your diet as it can affect how well some medications work.

Walnuts

These have an amazing number of health benefits. They’re packed with healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and may prevent cancer as part of a balanced diet.

They are also believed to decrease inflammation, promote a healthy gut, lower blood pressure and may help manage Type 2 diabetes.

Avocado

You may have avoided these thinking they are full of fat – which they are – but it’s the good fat.

In fact, studies show avocado-rich diets can help get rid of belly fat and protect your eyes and skin.

They may even help lower bad cholesterol levels and boost the good cholesterol.

Sweet potato

Copper, fibre, vitamin B6, potassium, iron are all in sweet potatoes. Best of all, they’re full of beta carotene, which is an excellent source of vitamin A.

Spinach

Folate is something we know is essential during pregnancy, but don’t discount it at menopause as it lowers your chances for getting dementia, heart disease, and colon cancer.

Spinach has plenty of folate and is rich in vitamin C and iron – if you add lemon juice to your cooked spinach it will help the iron be absorbed.

It also contains lutein, an antioxidant that protects the lens and retina in your eye.

Iron sources

Women need iron in good levels, particularly as the menstrual cycle depletes us of iron.

One source is red meat as this can also give you a zinc and vitamin B boost. Best in moderation as eating lots of red meat might lead to uterine fibroids, possibly due to hormone enriched meat, so check the source and get organic if possible..

Vegetarian sources include pulses such as kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils, dried apricots, dark green vegetables, wholemeal bread and flour and fortified cereals.

Helpful information:

If your diet is already healthy, but you are struggling to lose weight, then it might be your hormones at work.

Bioidentical progesterone helps with weight loss and this article might give you some helpful ideas.

https://anna.blog.wellsprings-health.com/what-you-need-to-help-with-weight-loss/