The Menopause Diet by Larrian Gillespie Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Menopause Diet
Book Review: Women are not little men - what a concept!
Summary: 5 Stars
Gillespie's book is very refreshing in her no-angst acceptance of the fact that women's bodies are just not the same as men's; she points out clearly that most dietetic and medical research (including the infamous FDA food pyramid) were based on the requirements of young men. Much of the information in her book is available from other sources, but she has put it all together very clearly. I particularly liked Gillespie's emphasis throughout on the individuality and personal responsibility of each woman's choices and decisions, and found her presentation of the hot-button estrogen supplementation therapy very even-handed. I was amazed, given the terror linkage of estrogen supplementation and breast cancer, to find that the risk of dying from breast cancer, even when using very low dosages of straight estrogen is only 3.3%, and the risk of dying of heart disease, when not using estrogen, is 22% (p113). Another example of her even-handed approach is her appraisal of the pros and cons of eating soy foods, and her warning that women with hypothyroid (me, again) should use caution and restraint with soy. I also liked the simple, easy to digest and remember, of the diet recommendations (p54). As I do not eat fish or seafood, am hypoglycaemic, and gluten-sensitive, lack the digestive enzymes required to digest pulses, and loathe coconut in any form, I tend to toss books with comprehensive diet plans. I'm sufficiently intelligent and committed to keep tabs on what I eat and appreciate the flexibility of Gillespie's commonsense advice not to drive oneself crazy trying to balance every single meal perfectly. [...]I use the tools available on the free website Spark People dot com. I edited the basic recommendations in my nutritional profile, and add the foods I eat on a daily basis to that day's record. With increasing awareness, over time my intake oscillates around the 40/25/35, and it's becoming hardwired. I've lost 10lb. There's a huge amount of information available on the glycaemic index, and Gillespie gives a quick-and-dirty list of what to avoid, apart from the obvious "white stuff" - refined starches and sugars (p46). I also like her discussion of the exercise options.
One advantage of estrogen supplementation that Gillespie does not mention, surprisingly, is reduction of migraine headaches. Mine, which started in early childhood, had become chronic, as in 23+ days of pain out of every 30. I had to quit work and spent 6 months working through a Chronic Pain Clinic, taking large doses of powerful medications, Botox shots, emergency shots, learning and practicing biofeedback, and so on. I was told there was nothing left for me except surgery to sever my cranial nerves, and that is not infallible. After careful discussion of the risks of estrogen supplementation with my OB-GYN, who was clear that small doses posed a minute risk of cancer, while my risk of stroke during a headache was rising with each attack, I made the decision to go with it, and take 0.5mg Estradiol daily. I've gone to 7-9 days of pain per month, at an intensity of 5-8 out of 10, instead of 9-10. The hot flashes and night sweats, which were severely debilitating (my husband thought I was wetting the bed!), are now no more than a minor inconvenience. I went back in school, work part-time, go to Curves, and have a life.
To sum up, Gillespie makes it very easy to head for lifetime health; waist size under 30", BMI under 25, body fat under 25%. The last one's a bummer, but I'm working on it! The minimeals approach is well proven, and Gillespie's formula for calculating the number required (p135) is easy.
Book Review: technical, but useful
Summary: 4 Stars
i found this book to be very benificial in learning about the menopause and how it really affects us in a biological way. I wasnt looking for a 'diet' book and this fitted the bill very well. It was hard reading sometimes and i had to re read certain parts before it stuck. I use it often and would recomend it to someone who wants to understand the menopause ina deeper way yo to beat it.