Press Pause On Menopause Drugs With A Little Help From Soya!
One of my goals is to go through menopause drug free. Drug free has been my philosophy for my entire life, so I sure don’t want to change now if I can help it. But as my hormones dip and dive, how do I regulate them without medicinal intervention?
Silver & Grace guest author, Susan Long, tells us about one way. It’s all about soya!
Breast Cancer and Heart Attacks – the possible side effects of HRT are frightening and anti-depressant based treatments are not for everyone. So what’s a menopausal girl to do? It’s time to serve up a delicious bowl of phytoestrogens for dinner and say goodbye to menopausal symptoms!
Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring hormones found in plants. There are three major phytoestrogen groups; isoflavones, flavones and coumestans and a diet rich in these has been found to reduce the risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol levels, bone density loss and the symptoms of menopause.
Flavones in particular are far weaker but chemically similar to some breast cancer treatments and are believed to join to estrogen receptors, preventing the return of breast cancer and balancing your hormonal levels, which in turn can relieve the symptoms of menopause.
So where do you get them? Soya products are the most convenient and easy to use source of phytoestrogens. Soya milk and tofu are the most readily available soya products, and while they may not be to everyone’s taste, they are cheap and easy to work with.
If you’ve not cooked with tofu before, you should start with “firm” tofu. Tofu acts as a flavor sponge so can be delicious when cooked correctly. Cut your block of tofu into 1/3 of an inch thick “steaks” or bite sized pieces. Marinade these in big flavors like Asian sauces, Moroccan spices or Curry and then simply cook as you would a chicken breast. Marinated soya steaks make amazing, healthy burgers and sandwiches and bite sized pieces are always a nice edition to Asian style soups.
There are two distinct camps when it comes to soya milk. One side describes it as a delicious, low fat, lactose free, nutritious wonder food. The other side describes it as liquid chalk. If you are one of the latter, try using it in protein shakes, milk shakes and smoothies or combined with honey in porridge. Soya milk is said to be an acquired taste and once you acquire it, you never go back to dairy – so give it a try, you might just fall in love.
If soya products aren’t for you, choose cereals that include flax seed (the best known source of phytoestrogens), and incorporate sesame seeds, hummus and garlic in your everyday diet.
There is plenty of research being done (some estimate 4000 papers per year) into phytoestrogens for all manner of health benefits. Unlike some “alternative” medicines, scientists are finding empirical proof that phytoestrogens are a viable alternative to harsher menopausal drugs so you can feel relatively confident that you will notice some improvement – all you need to do is learn to love tofu!
More information!
About the Author: Susan Long works everyday with women to improve their circumstances and lifestyle. See more of Susan’s work at Sell House Fast.
Don’t miss out!
To make sure you don’t miss out on any of the topics and discussions, subscribe by RSS or Email
Blog carnival
Do you have a post you would like to share on aging? Submit your post to the monthly Silver & Grace blog carnival.
Hi Susan & Eliza.
I can email it to you. Nobody will ever know there is tofu in it. Have you ever tried Tofurkey? THAT idea I can’t get used to.
It’s true, I’ve marinated tofu cubes, rolled them in sesame seeds and baked them. They turned out pretty good. Having said that, I’m not a huge fan of tofu (especially soy milk) and so far I’m evolving comfortably through my 40s — touch wood — so I don’t ‘have’ to eat it. If you’re interested, I have a great recipe for a smoothie made with bananas, pears, tofu and other ingredients that make it taste like a chocolate shake. Yum!
Davina´s last blog ..I’m Respectfully Yours
@Davina – yes, what is with Tofurkey? If you want to eat turkey, eat turkey. If you don’t want to eat turkey, don’t pretend you are! The trick with tofu is to not think of it as a meat substitute, which a lot of people do. It is simply another food item. I don’t cook with it, but my daughter uses it a lot. She says the trick is marinating it.
I love tofu and although it did not help with many of my symptoms (I used no medications) it was something that I could eat.
Some folks become intolerant to Soy products, but I have tested in a good category and my body just seems to thrive on it. I use the light on sugar/vanilla soy milk for breakfast alone lots of the time…and also as a basis for cocoa on a winter’s night.
I should say dairy products truly upset my body right left and sideways ….I think I have been intolerant all my life…
I use tofu to make a salad dressing creamy and oh my cream of broccoli soup never tasted so yummy…or cream of carrot/squash/ mushroom
I avoid the imitation food – I don’t want to eat those in the first place….
boca does make a good frozen tofu mushroom burger patty that is very good….
thanks for the post
tweet,tweet
Patricia´s last blog ..Alaska Adventure for the Summer 2010
I marinate after I fry it, it seems to give it more flavor. I also have heard men (and boys) aren’t supposed to eat it more than a couple of times per week. Has anyone else heard this?
@Patricia – my understanding of soya is that it can be quite caloric, especially soy milk. Noticed though that you said you use the ‘light on sugar’ version. I have had the boca burgers and they are very good.
@depb – welcome! Marinating it after you fry it. That’s interesting. I’ll check with my daughter to see which order she does it in. I haven’t heard that about males, but now you have me intrigued and I am going to look it up. Makes sense though because of the estrogen.
My new partner, Ruf, is a vegan and it was he who showed me how to make the most of soya and tofu in my diet. I am convinced that cutting back on meat and replacing it with soya has been instrumental in helping me to go through, so far, a relatively easy Menopause.
I like to use dried soya powder to make shepherds pie. Mixed with water and then a tin of carrot and lentil soup, add that to some fried onion and garlic and top with mashed potato. It’s a totally acceptable alternative to regular minced lamb or beef.
The one thing you do have to be careful of is the amount of yeast extract that gets added to some of the prepared tofu and soya products as flavouring. That has had a very bad effect on my Candida and I now have to read labels very carefully.
Joanna Cake´s last blog ..HNT: My First HNT – Fava Beans and Chianti
PS, Ruf loves soya milk on cereal and in tea but I’m not too keen. However, it makes a good substitute for milk in the roux for a white sauce if you’re making lasagne and it does work in porridge.
Joanna Cake´s last blog ..HNT: My First HNT – Fava Beans and Chianti
@Joanna – gosh, you almost make tofu sound palatable. I’m still not there yet, but to be honest haven’t really put much effort into trying either
Good information about checking for yeast extract though. That never would have occurred to me.
I had a fairly trouble-free menopause (very different from my mothers – she had a rough time). It may have been my genes or it could have been the supplements that I took – multivitamins/minerals, omega-3, caclium.magnesium and a supplement that contains soy isoflavones. I am now in my late 50′s and sympton-free and healthy.
Helen´s last blog ..Vitamin D insufficiency common among breast cancer survivors
@Helen – I really need to start taking supplements. My problem is I have avoided pills at all costs, so it is very hard to me to get into the habit of taking them daily. I try, but then I fall off the pill popping wagon. However, several women have told me they found it extremely helpful. Okay, I’m going to try again.