Fruits and Vegetables for Life’s Changes

Getting older can’t be avoided.  Women in particular experience unpleasant hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, even incontinence which are common during menopausal life changes. For some, these symptoms are quite overwhelming, so much that some turn to hormone therapy for relief. Intensity can vary depending on several factors including obesity, physical activity, smoking and diet.  A recent study suggests that certain diet patterns could result in either more severe, or even fewer negative symptoms.    

Researchers assessed and interviewed 400 post-menopausal Iranian women to understand how what they ate related to symptoms of menopause.  Women completed comprehensive food frequency questionnaires that helped categorize them into three groups:  Vegetable and Fruit (VF), Mayonnaise, Liquid Oils, Sweets, Desserts (MLSD), and Solid Fats and Snacks (SFS).  Eleven symptoms in three areas (physical, mental and genitourinary) were assessed using The Menopause Rating Scale.  Unhealthy diets that include eating sweets and fatty snacks frequently could contribute to excess calorie intake and unhealthy body weight which was observed in this study.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, researchers observed that the VF group had fewer symptoms in all three areas while the participants that ate more fats, sweets, desserts and snacks were at increased risk of negative symptoms.  Investigators are encouraged that their findings will be useful for planning diets for women going through these changes. 

At Dole, we are ALL ABOUT adding more fruits and vegetables to your day.  And with these #trending recipes doing it doesn’t seems like a chore!    

• Start with our 6-Minute Egg Breakfast Bowl
• Take a Nicoise Salad Jar with you for a portable lunch on the go
• Lose the carbs with our Cauliflower Gnocchi for supper
• Sneak them into a treat with our Vegan Banana Cream Pie Bites