Diet and Hormone Replacement Therapy

The Importance of Diet with HRT......

Quality nutrition is most important to all women and those ladies experiencing the change of life should practice good nutrition as well.

In addition to taking hormone replacement therapy to help with the side effects of menopause, women should also be making changes to their diet. Eating the correct foods can greatly benefit a menopausal woman in several ways.

A woman can more easily maintain her weight and the symptoms of menopause will be less severe when she maintains the right diet.

When going through menopause, whether you are taking hormone replacement therapy, you can help ease the symptoms by eating a healthier diet. Consider the following diet tips for menopause:

Add vitamin E to your diet.

Vitamin E is a well known anti-oxidant. This means a healthy amount of vitamin E in women experiencing menopause can help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

E is especially important for women who are taking hormone replacement therapy as some studies show that taking HRT can actually increase the risk of heart disease.

You can easily add vitamin E to you diet in a variety of ways. One way is to buy supplements. Look in the vitamin section of your store and find oral tablets that are for vitamin E.

Another way to add vitamin E to your diet is to eat foods that are high in vitamin E. There are many prepackaged cereals, breads and other baked items that contain added vitamin E. Also, adding fresh fruits such as apples, apricots, peaches and avocados adds to your vitamin E intake.

Also consider the health of your bones while experiencing menopause. Taking hormone replacement therapy can decrease the risk of osteoporosis. This is a common disease in aging women.

You can fight osteoporosis by eating a variety of foods that are fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Magnesium can also help a woman’s body absorb vitamin D and calcium. Add foods such as yogurt, skim or low fat milk, and cheese to your daily intake.

Women should receive at least 400 IUS of calcium each day to combat bone loss and women over 50 should double that intake. You can also take calcium supplements to get your daily intake. Look for candy-like chews or oral supplements.

Also, foods that contain soy protein are thought to benefit women during menopause.

While experiencing menopause, there are some types of foods you should try to avoid.

Foods that are high in fat should be eaten in moderation. Also avoid foods that can trigger migraines such as those that contain monosodium glutamate and nitrate sodium.

Caffeine can also trigger migraines, which are common during menopause and can also trigger hot flashes and panic attacks. Alcoholic beverages, warm beverages, and spicy foods can also trigger hot flashes and panic attacks.

Whether you are taking hormone replacement therapy, or are trying to face menopause the natural way, you can help lessen the unpleasant symptoms by diet.

Eating a healthy diet and taking certain vitamin supplements can help you live a healthy life and reduce the risks of some diseases and menopausal side effects.

Next we look at some HRT Mistakes.