- Team alina
Symptom specific dietary changes
Updated: Mar 26, 2020

We've taken a look at which dietary changes can help you have a smoother menopause here. But did you know that research has shown us that each menopausal symptom responds to changes in diet in different ways? In this blog we'll be looking at what you can be doing differently to lessen specific symptoms that you may be experiencing.
To relieve aching joints:
Increase your water intake
Increase essential fatty acids – nuts, seeds, oily fish
Increase phytoestrogens – soya, chickpeas and lentils
Cut out all caffeine-containing drinks, alcohol and smoking
Reduce dairy foods and red meat
To combat constipation and gut problems:
Increase your water intake
Eat slowly – little and often
Increase your fibre intake through whole grains, fruit and vegetables (including skins), linseeds (soaked)
Eat fruit in between main meals – not at the end of a meal where possible
Increase your intake of live natural yoghurt (sheep or goat’s) which carries good bacteria for the gut
Drink mint or ginger tea
Cut out rich, creamy, fatty, sugary foods
Cut out processed foods
Reduce laxatives if you use them as they only work on the symptoms, not the cause and your body can become dependent
Cut out chewing gum
Try cutting out various food groups to work out intolerances. Common culprits include: gluten, yeast, stimulants, sugar, citrus fruits, fizzy drinks, beans of all kinds, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, spinach, and beetroot
To lessen the occurrence of headaches and migraines:
Increase your water intake
Eat regularly – don’t miss a meal
Work out what your triggers are. Many find that they get a headache after eating: dairy, chocolate, eggs, citrus fruits, red meat, fish, wheat products, nuts, tomatoes, onions, apples, bananas, red wine, MSG, pickled or cured foods, artificial sweeteners, or drinking alcohol
Increase your consumption of whole grains such as brown rice, wholemeal or spelt bread, quinoa, whole oats
Increase calcium and magnesium-rich foods such as nuts, and beans
Increase serotonin-producing foods – turkey, fish, and bananas
Drink filtered water with warm water and fresh lemon every morning, which helps your liver detoxify and expel old hormones
Cut down (or cut out) salt, caffeine, and alcohol
For hot flushes and night sweats:
Increase your water intake
Work out your triggers such as spicy foods, black pepper, caffeine, alcohol, hot drinks, and salt
Eat smaller meals as large meals dilate your blood vessels
Eat phytoestrogens daily – soya, lentils, chickpeas, beans, garlic, celery, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, seeds, rice, oats, wheat, barley, rye grains, apples, plums, cherries, rhubarb, alfafa and mung bean sprouts, cinnamon, sage, fennel, hops, and parsley
Increase citrus fruits and leafy green vegetables
To maintain your mood:
Eat every three hours to ensure your blood sugar levels are stable
Cut out all stimulants such as sugar, alcohol, tea, coffee, drugs, smoking
Cut out wheat and gluten-grains which have found to depress some people
Investigate other food allergies
Increase your consumption of oily fish such as salmon, sardines, pilchards, mackerel, and trout
For osteoporosis:
Increase foods rich in calcium (but avoid ‘bad’ fats dairy – hard cheese, full-fat cows’ milk), skimmed goats’ milk and sheep’s cheese
Increase fruit and vegetable intake
Use cider vinegar in dressings and/or one tablespoon of cider vinegar and honey in warm water daily. This may help with calcium absorption
Increase phytoestrogens such as chickpeas, lentils and soya
Drink a herbal infusion of alfalfa herb (Medicago sativa), nettles (Urtica spp.) and horsetail (equisetum arvense), which is a natural source of silica and thought to positively affect bone turnover
Cut out fizzy drinks, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, salt, bran, spinach, rhubarb, and high levels of animal protein
Stop smoking if you do
For period problems:
Reduce your consumption of meat and dairy foods
Increase essential fatty acid such as ground linseed each day
Increase oily fish intake
Cut out drinking tea with food (stops iron absorption from food)
Increase iron-rich foods if having heavy periods – consider a tonic such as Floradix
To improve your sleep:
Cut out caffeine totally from your diet if possible (green tea and chocolate also contain caffeine)
Cut out other stimulants such as sugar
Cut out cured meats, cheese, chocolate, pickles and tomatoes before sleep as they contain a chemical that produces noradrenalin
Eat your main evening meal before 7 pm
Eat small ‘complex carb’ meal before sleep such as banana or oatcake with hummus or peanut butter
Drink camomile, valerian or passiflora tea before bed as these herbal infusions can help you nod off
For urine incontinence:
Increase daily water intake but not too much in evenings
Cut out stimulants – caffeine, alcohol, smoking, fizzy drinks
Cut out foods high in acidity such as tomatoes and oranges
Increase your vitamin C rich foods, such as fruit and vegetables
Drink unsweetened cranberry juice
Eat live natural yoghurt daily
To improve vaginal dryness and sexual problems:
Increase your daily water intake
Increase isoflavones (phytoestrogens) – eat soya, lentils or chickpeas daily
Eat ground linseed daily
Increase essential fatty acids – eat daily oily fish, nuts or seeds – do not go on a ‘no-fat’ diet
Increase your vitamin C rich foods, such as fruit and vegetables
To combat water retention:
Do not decrease your water intake – increase your daily intake to eight normal-sized glasses a day
Drink Dandelion tea
Reduce salt intake – found in ‘fast foods’, snacks and ready-made meals
Increase omega 3 essential oils intake – found in oily fish (mackerel, sardines, tuna, herrings, salmon) and to some extent in linseed, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and dark green vegetables
Whilst considering making these changes can be daunting, please know that your diet plays a very important role in your menopause, and the more that you can do naturally (and without much effort) to help you relieve your symptoms, the better. As always, if you'd like a bespoke plan from one of our nutritionists when we launch, you can register here.
With love,
Team alina
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