I'm starting to approach menopause, do you have any natural suggestions? Any dietary advice?

My preference is to treat my patients who have complaints during menopause with homeopathy. Similar to puberty, menopause is a normal milestone in a woman's life. The homeopathic approach is to give a homeopathic remedy to balance a woman's constitution so that the transition is a smooth one. In addition to homeopathic treatment, I feel it is important to consider other aspects such as lifestyle, diet and exercise. The following is a 'cookbook' list of dietary and exercise considerations.

Diet for Menopause
All diets in general should consider the following:

Minimize Fat
Minimize animal fats, margarine, commercial peanut butter. Vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and naturally produced nut butter are okay.

Increase Water Intake

Minimize Coffee
Minimize coffee and caffeine products. Caffeine causes calcium loss.Black and green tea are okay and have beneficial antioxidant activity.

Avoid Carbonated Soft Drinks
Colas cause calcium loss from bones and teeth.

Minimize Dairy Products
Cow's milk is not good for calcium-magnesium metabolism.

Minimize Red Meat
Similar to cow's milk, it causes calcium loss.

Calcium Rich Foods
In many parts of the world, there is no consumption of dairy products nor calcium supplements and osteoporosis is uncommon.

Include the Following:

• Leafy green vegetables: kale, spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens, beet greens, broccoli
• Unhulled sesame seeds
• Chicken or lamb with the bone (remove skin). Make a stew or stock out of the bones. (for non-vegetarians)
• Whole foods: (organic vegetables with the skin on) whole grains peanuts, sesame seeds, root vegetables, potatoes, turnips
• Seaweed as a vegetable or as a condiment
• Sea Salt
• Phytoestrogens- legumes, soy beans, yams, sweet potatoes
• Fresh fruit

Avoid antacids
Antacids which contain calcium. They neutralize normal stomach acid which is necessary for proper digestion.

Vitamin Pills/Supplements
It is always best to receive nutrients from natural food sources rather than a pill. However, this is not always practical nowadays. If you do take vitamins it is best to take the pill in divided doses throughout the day instead of one single pill in the morning.

Organic yellow and green vegetables, seeds, nuts, seaweed and legumes are good sources of the following recommended vitamins and supplements:

• Vitamin B complexonce a day with each meal.
• Vitamin A 5000-10,000 units per day
• Vitamin C 500-1000 mg per day
• Vitamin E 400-800 units per day (taken as an oily capsule with meals)
• Lecithin 400-1200 mg per day (taken as an oily capsule with meals)
• Zinc 25-50 mg per day
• Cod Liver Oil capsule (high in omega fatty acids and Vitamins A and D

Exercise
Weight bearing exercise on a regular basis is encouraged. Our ancestors had plenty of exercise when they had to rely on walking as well as carrying heavy loads.