Menopause occurs when the menstrual period of a woman permanently stops. Like pregnancy, menopause is one of the drastic physical changes in a woman’s life. Menopause is stated as the span when there has been no menstrual period for 12 uninterrupted months and it is also known as the end of fertility.

Due to these drastic physical changes in your life, you might observe some changes like anxiety, depression, isolation, frustration, and many others. You can overcome the situation by cutting a few unhealthy habits and by proportionately adding preventive foods for depression in your regular diet.

During this stage, many changes take place, both physically and mentally, so it is necessary to be familiar with those changes by maintaining a few guidelines. Physical illness or changes can also make you feel depressed and frustrated; so in this span, you undoubtedly need some preventive foods for depression.

Foods used to prevent or reduce depression include the following:

1. Snacks rich in carbohydrates
During this stage, no observable physical change takes place other than the hormonal changes and changes in brain chemistry with a powerful nerve chemical called serotonin. When the serotonin level of your body goes under the minimum level, some sort of mood disorders occur, which is the reason behind your depression. Carbohydrate-rich snacks are one of the food groups that work as preventive foods for depression as they boost the serotonin level.

2. Protein and vitamin
Vitamins provide energy and control chemical changes in the brain, while protein helps to control the blood glucose level. Proteins and vitamins work as a preventive diet for both physical and mental changes and protect you against various diseases. You need to ensure that these two components must be included in your regular diet to ensure good physical and mental health during this period.

3. Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are full of fiber, which helps in preventing both cardiac issues and constipation, and they also have some estrogen-like components that can be helpful for the hormonal changes in your body. Many women who are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome with constipation during this stage tend to suffer from depression and anxiety. You must introduce fiber-rich foods to work as inhibitory foods for depression to your daily meals.

4. Green vegetables
Green vegetables are a great source of fiber and minerals, which help maintain the nutritional requirements of your body during this stage. The fibers mainly help in the digestion process and the minerals in vegetables help to regulate your energy levels and moods.

5. Yogurt
During menopause, your body needs high levels of calcium, so dairy products can be a great choice for you. Not only calcium, but dairy products like yogurt also contains probiotics, which help in your digestion process. Improper digestion of food is also one of the reasons for depression during this period so it could be great if you add yogurt to your meals as a snack. You can consider yogurt as one of the preventive foods for depression, as well as other health hazards.

It is a very delicate time for you, so you must maintain a few dietary tips and cut some unhealthy habits to ensure yourself good mental and physical health.