Learning to Love Soy??
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• Soy FAQ | Isoflavones | How much is enough?
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"Since I have started perimenopause I have tried to eat soybean products to reduce my hot flashes.  The trouble is I really don't like the taste even though I've tried eating it every which way.  What can I do?"

There are products in pill form  that include the active ingredient in soy beans- isoflavones.  Isoflavones is a type of plant estrogen found in soy and red clover.  Research suggests that isoflavones are the active ingredient which cool the hot flashes.  These supplements in the forms of Promensil and Estroven, contain isoflavones taken from soy or red clover. Theses isoflavones are plant versions of estrogen but not as potent as human estrogen.  In some cases they block the effects of human estrogen or substitute for it once levels decline after menopause.

Research has only been done on the whole soy bean not just the isoflavone part.  This leads some researchers to conclude for now that it may not be the isoflavones by itself but the whole soybean that reduces hot flashes. Soy research continues today.

Women taking HRT (hormone replacement therapy), raloxifene, or tamoxifen should not take supplemental isoflavones before talking to their doctor.

Recommended Reading
The Menopause Manager:
A Safe Path for a Natural Change
click here to find out more
by Mary Ann Mayo, Joseph L. Mayo
see the Mayo cyber-interview
"The Menopause Manager" is a road atlas through menopause's maze of medical and homeopathic interventions. Designed for the busy woman, this guide provides current, accurate, and complete information in small, digestible doses. This book will help readers make health decisions with confidence and keep them on the highway of healthy living

Could It Be...Perimenopause?
by Steven R. Goldstein, Laurie Ashner

see the interview with Dr Goldstein
In clear, supportive prose, Goldstein offers no-baloney advice. "Today's perimenopausal women has neither the time nor the patience to go through four to fifteen years of symptoms without relief," he says. He fully delineates the roles of various hormones, how to determine if you're in perimenopause or not, as well as how to treat the various symptoms to gain control over your life. He's a big advocate of low- and ultra-low-dose birth-control pills: "There is nothing inherently advantageous about bursting the capsule of your ovary and having to repair it each month. There's no reason for having fluctuating levels of hormones floating around unless you want to have a baby." He also recommends some natural and herbal treatments (he tells which ones are more appropriate for menopausal or postmenopausal women, and which are worthless or even dangerous). He's also a big promoter of sonohysterography, a type of ultrasound test that he says could prevent up to three-fourths of all emergency-room visits made by women with excessive uterine bleeding.

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Meet the Author:
Patricia Greenberg
author of "The Whole Soy Cookbook"
hosted by Sue Spataro, RN, BSN
see the interview & FREE excerpt
Lately there has been a lot of excitement about soy and soy products.    Soy and soy products have become more popular in the last decade. One of the leaders at the forefront of this soy phenomenon is noted author and dietician/ nutritionist Patricia Greenberg.In her quest to getting out the good word about soy and soy products, Patricia has developed both simple and delicious recipes for people who want to incorporate soy into their diets and for the folks who already are cooking with soy.

Soy of Cooking:
Easy to Make Vegetarian, Low-Fat, Fat-Free, & Antioxidant-Rich Gourmet Recipes
by Marie Oser, Suzanne Havala (Introduction), Neal D. Barnard

Endorsed by many prominent health professionals, inc. Ornish, & McDougall Soy of Cooking features 172 delectable dishes, appetizer to dessert. Over 30 new and traditional soy products are defined and used to create enticing recipes, all under 5 grms of fat per serving. nutrient analysis & soyfood exchange information.

Recipes for Change :
Gourmet Wholefood Cooking for Health and Vitality at Menopause
by Lissa Deangelis, Molly Siple

You can manage menopause naturally, beginning with your very next meal! Learn about those foods that dampen hot flashes and lessen the many other symptoms of menopause including mood swings, fatigue, and weight gain.