Hurting Foods | My Healing Kitchen

Avoid White Foods for Menopausal Health

Once upon a time, when it was more expensive and difficult to process them, “white” grains were considered more desirable. But today we know that white flour and white rice are simply not good for you. These grains are missing vital nutrients menopausal women need to protect themselves against obesity, cancer and heart disease – all potentially deadly risks for women in midlife. 1.White foods downgrade health. White...

Trans-fats Strike a Blow to Menopausal Health

Hydrogenated oils, or trans-fats, are the double agents of the food industry. They’re in the food you eat, but they work for the Big Food industry, profiting from products with a longer shelf life. Worse, they seriously undermine your menopausal health. 1. Snub hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils contain the trans fatty acids, or trans-fats favored by the food industry because they have a longer shelf life. What’s more,...

Soft Drinks are Hard on Menopausal Health

Americans consume close to 50 billion liters of soda per year—about 57 gallons per person (see graph) according to the National Soft Drink Association. The problem is that soda is linked to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and depression – all increased threats to women in midlife. 1. Sugary soft drinks hurt the heart. Drinking a soft drink or more a day – the national average — ends up equaling the...

Corn Syrup: A Menopausal Health Saboteur

The health issues women face during and after menopause are serious. Just to name a few: excessive weight gain, breast cancer and heart disease. Eating well is your primary tool in combating these problems. Don’t let high-fructose corn syrup, (HFCS), undermine your healthy menopause diet. 1. Denaturing corn to boost sweetness. To make HFCS, cornstarch is separated from the corn kernel and is then converted into fructose...

White Breads and Pastas Decimate Menopausal Health

Once you are in menopause, serve yourself up some whole grain breads and pastas. Their refined-flour counterparts, simple carbohydrates, hit your system like sugar. And like sugar, eating these “fast carbs” lead to obesity, cancer and heart disease – all potentially deadly risks for women in midlife. 1. White flours downgrade health. White wheat flour has had the germ, bran, and the oil stripped from it, leaving only...

Sweet Baked Goods: A Triple Threat to Menopausal H...

As tempting as they are, doughnuts, cookies, coffee cake and the like, contain the “terrible trio” for menopausal women: refined flours, processed fats and sugar. These three “bad guys” worsen a woman’s risk for weight gain, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and cancer—threats that are already on the rise in midlife. 1. Refined flours are like sugar. These flours, like white wheat flour, have had the bran, oil...

Aspartame Sours Menopausal Health

Although you may use it to sweeten the dishes you make, aspartame’s effects on the brain are especially souring for the menopausal woman. 1. Aspartame worsens hormonal symptoms. When a woman’s estrogen levels start to go down during menopause, her brain produces fewer important, mood-regulating neurotransmitters. Aspartame contains aspartic acid and pheylalanine, chemicals that compete in the brain with serotonin and...

White Breads and Pastas Decimate Menopausal Health

Once you are in menopause, serve yourself up some whole grain breads and pastas. Their refined-flour counterparts, simple carbohydrates, hit your system like sugar. And like sugar, eating these “fast carbs” lead to obesity, cancer and heart disease – all potentially deadly risks for women in midlife. 1. White flours downgrade health. White wheat flour has had the germ, bran, and the oil stripped from it, leaving only...

Aspartame: Bad for the Menopausal Brain

Aspartame is like the wolf dressed as Red Riding Hood’s grandmother. It seems like a sweet alternative to sugar, but in reality, it is lethal to a menopausal woman’s brain health. 1. Aspartame makes symptoms worse. During the hormonal changes that come with menopause, women may find themselves dealing with new symptoms related to brain health: sleep issues, depression, anxiety and memory problems. Aspartame, found in most...

White Bread: a Downer During Menopause

White bread used to be a luxury for the rich. “Rough” whole-wheat flours were what peasants had to use for their bread. Today we know those peasants were the lucky ones, eating bread that protected them from hormonal fluctuations, weight gain, cancer and heart disease – all big risks for menopausal women. 1. White breads feed disease. Stripped of 80% of their nutrients for a longer shelf life, breads made from white...

Corn Syrup Sabotages Menopausal Health

Weight gain, breast cancer and heart disease – these three big health threats increase for women during and after menopause. And high-fructose corn syrup, (HFCS), turns out to be an arch-villain to all these serious conditions. 1. Highly processed to boost sweetness. To make HFCS, corn starch is separated from the corn kernel and converted into fructose to increase sweetness. Found in up to 90% of non-diet sodas, HFCS is an...

Junk Food: Toxic to Menopausal Heart and Bones

Junk food is like a charming stranger with a deadly secret: It may seem to be an easy option when you are rushed, but it destroys a woman’s heart and bones, already at risk during and after menopause. 1. Poor quality, poor nutrition. Junk food greatly increases a menopausal woman’s risk for heart disease and osteoporosis. Why? Fast food tends to be high in unhealthy fats, and contains disease-creating additives and...

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