Does exercise get old?
Advice from an expert in aesthetic medicine to avoid having to choose between face and ass
Yoga for stiff people: if you are a beginner, these are your postures
How to get off sugar;
Marta García-Orea, the pastry chef who succeeds with her 'without' recipes, gives the keys: "You should not eat sweets on an empty stomach"
As much as 50 is the new 40 and it is becoming easier to live well for many more years, age takes its toll, especially on women.
As we get older,
hormonal changes
, especially those that occur with
menopause
, mean that by eating the same thing we gain centimeters in the
abdominal area
and hips and, in addition, it is much more difficult to lose weight.
Menopause also brings many other symptoms, including
hot flashes
and loss of skin elasticity
,
which, although not serious, do complicate daily life.
And they can be better controlled thanks to nutrition and specific diets, with 'allied' foods that will help us during this period.
Among the essential guidelines, two basic ones: increase the consumption of liquids - especially water, infusions or vegetable broths - and that of vegetables, preferably those that have a diuretic effect, such as asparagus
and artichokes.
As for diets, Fodmap is beginning to appear on the horizon as one of the most suitable for relieving the symptoms of menopause.
But what is true in this increasingly widespread belief?
We asked Dr.
María José Crispín,
a nutritionist at
Clínica Menorca
and an expert on the subject.
"It is true that since it is a very restrictive diet, it helps to lose weight, and in this sense it can benefit, but it is not a specific plan for menopause: it neither eliminates
hot flashes
nor helps with other symptoms. If it is done to avoid fat that accumulates at the waist, those 2 or 3 kilos that you begin to gain when you enter that stage and before the weight skyrockets, perfect, but it should never be continued for more than 15 days; then you have to go back to a diet healthy and balanced, gradually including the foods previously eliminated," says the doctor.
It can also help us in cases of
inflammation
and
fluid retention , "this
diet
is really
designed for digestive problems, abdominal distension, flatulence and abdominal pain, symptoms that also usually occur in
menopause
," he adds.
"It is usually recommended to those who suffer from
Irritable Bowel Syndrome,
people whose stomach swells when they eat and they do not know why, they have gas and pain."
The name of this diet responds to the
abbreviation
of the English Fermentable Oligo Di Monosacharids And Polyols, and refers to "those foods rich in oligosaccharides, disaccharides, fermentable monosaccharides and polyalcohols," says
Mònica Llop,
specialist in dietetics and nutrition.
In reality, explains the expert, to be exact we would have to talk about a diet low in
FODMAPs
, that is, one that follows a dietary pattern that limits the consumption of these foods, "which are not fully absorbed in the small intestine and "they reach the colon."
In the large intestine they are fermented by our intestinal
microbiota
, which causes gas and other
discomforts
, such as bloating, pain, diarrhea or constipation." Therefore, "it is not a diet that focuses on weight loss, but on improving
digestion
," he says.
When to start the Fodmap diet
If the case is to lose the kilos gained during menopause before they accumulate more, the
Fodmap
diet can be done in short periods, "when needed, but not preventively, but a posteriori," explains
María José Crispín ,
which warns that it should be done at most two or three times a year, no more, and always being very careful with the
rebound effect.
"There may be after each brief restrictive diet, which is why I insist that after those 15 days of diet we must ensure that our diet is once again as
healthy and balanced
as possible. And be active," says the doctor.
Foods indicated for menopause
In this sense, what would be the list of foods most suitable for following the Fodmap diet during
menopause
?
Dr. Crispín makes the list: potato, sweet potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, zucchini, carrots, celery, spinach, chard, coconut, kiwi, pineapple, papaya, blueberries, red fruits, banana, unprocessed meats, eggs and all fish, as well as vegetable drinks and
lactose
-free milk and yogurts .
On the other hand, the expert also points out those that must be radically
eliminated
from the list: "They are basically all
alcohols
and refined flours," she says.
"It is also advisable to use pasta, bread and brown rice, and eliminate all ultra-processed foods and
sugars
."
As a fat, the doctor recommends using only extra virgin olive oil, "because it is very satiating as well as healthy, so without restriction."
6 keys to not gaining weight during menopause
Between 50 and 75% of each meal or dinner should be
vegetables
.
You must always prioritize plant-based proteins such as
legumes
, which should be present 2 to 4 times a week.
It is best to increase the consumption of
lean proteins
such as eggs or white and blue fish, and reduce meat in general and sausages.
The healthiest thing is to eat all
whole grains
(bread, couscous, pasta, rice...).
In any case, its consumption should be moderate.
It is necessary to take
Omega 3 fatty acids
, present in oily fish, walnuts or chia and flax seeds.
It is essential to eat
fruit
daily and consume
red fruits
.
Fodmap diet, 1 day menu
This is an example of a menu indicated for a day with foods low in fodmaps that Dr. María José Crispín has prepared.
Breakfast:
Coffee, tea, infusion or 1 glass of lactose-free milk or vegetable drink (rice, oats, almonds or spelled) + 1 fruit (of those allowed) or homemade natural juice of only 1 piece + 2 slices of spelled with serrano ham , sweet ham, turkey, tuna or lactose-free cheese.
Mid-morning:
2 slices of cured cheese (Manchego or Parmesan type) or lactose-free cheese + spelled or oatmeal bread rusks.
Coffee, tea or infusion are allowed.
Lunch:
Mashed potatoes (can be with lactose-free milk) + Grilled pork tenderloin with spinach and grated carrot salad + 1 of the permitted fruits.
Snack:
Lactose-free yogurt + 1 handful of nuts (4-5 walnuts or 10 almonds or hazelnuts).
Dinner:
Spelled or rice noodle soup (with chicken broth and allowed vegetables) + Hake with sautéed chard.
And one last key: "Do not use garlic or onion at all. Neither in stir-fries nor as added to the broth, not even in small quantities; nothing," warns the doctor.
Yo Dona Nutrition
Subsistence allowance