Squeezing lemon juice on her salmon and brown bread sandwich, Marilyn Glenville is certainly living the part of a healthy eater. She sips on sparkling water and nibbles on a sidesalad as we begin the interview. Working as a nutritional therapist for 20 years in both the US and the UK, Glenville spends a good deal of her time advising women on how eating certain foods can eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of female hormonal problems.
In Dublin recently to promote her latest book, Natural Alternatives to HRT Cookbook, itself a follow-up to Natural Alternatives to HRT, she is a calm, considered voice in this burgeoning field of "food is medicine". Initially trained as a psychologist, Glenville turned her attention to nutrition and how food and food supplements can alleviate fibroids, endometriosis and troublesome menopausal symptoms.
First off, Glenville advises menopausal women to avoid anything that triggers hot flushes: coffee, red wine, spicy foods or hot drinks. "This won't necessarily eliminate all hot flushes but it will reduce their frequency," she says. Glenville also advises women - particularly menopausal women who are likely to put on some extra pounds at this time - not to diet but to lose weight by eating better food.
Food to cut back on for those approaching or going through the menopause unsurprisingly include refined products such as sugar ("empty calories"), white flour (which has lost nutrients through the refining process), and meat, eggs and dairy products because they contain saturated fats that increase the risk of hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis).
The Japanese, she says, have the best menopausal diet - full of rice, soya products such as tofu and miso soup, seaweeds and green tea. They don't have a term for hot flushes, which Glenville cites as proof that their diet prevents them suffering from this irritating menopausal symptom. Other commendable diets include the Middle Eastern diet with its lavish use of beans and chick peas, hummus and tahini. The Indians also fare pretty well where rice, lentil and vegetable dishes take prominence. And Glenville suggests that perhaps, if Irish women still ate lashings of colcannon (recipe in her book), bean and barley soups and porridge, we would be getting the crucial nutrients from our food too. Generally speaking, Glenville reiterates the latest mantra in the health food sector that we are not eating enough wholegrains. She suggests that 7080 per cent of our diet should be made up of grains (oats, wheat, barley, rice) and pulses (beans, lentils and chickpeas). The rest should be made up of fruit, vegetables, some dairy and other kinds of protein.
To justify this nutritional advice, Glenville refers to scientific research into the importance of phytoestrogens, anti-oxidants and essential oils, which are believed to be particularly important in the diets of menopausal women. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring substances present in plants, which have a hormone-like action on the body. They are found in almost all fruit, vegetables and cereals. Isoflavones are one particular class of phytoestrogen: Glenville suggests these are crucial for menopausal women to relieve symptoms such as vaginal dryness, night sweats, osteoporosis and those aforementioned hot flushes, as well as protecting against fibroids, breast and womb cancer, and heart disease.
Essential oils (or essential fatty acids) present in nuts, seeds, oily fish and some vegetables, Glenville believes are a valuable lubricant of the joints to minimise aching and stiff joints. According to nutritional therapists, they also provide a balance of hormones to the skin, hair and vagina, protect against cancer and prevent degenerative diseases such as arthritis.
Antioxidants, also present in many vegetables, nuts and seeds - particularly carrots, green leafy vegetables, avocados and tomatoes - protect the body against cancer, osteoporosis and heart disease, as well as alleviating menopausal symptoms. Nutritional lecturing aside, one of the most attractive aspects of this book is that instead of wrapping it all into a colourless vegetarian paperback, Glenville has chosen a mouthwateringly tasty look with full-page photographs sprinkled throughout. One glance at the oatmeal, tofu, hummus and cheddar cheese `bangers' with almond and parsley mash, and you want to give them a try.
Even more tempting are the recipes for caponata (Sicilian version of ratatouille with tomatoes and courgettes providing anti-oxidants and pine nuts, and anchovies providing essential oils) and pizza marinara (soya flour, fennel, shellfish and seaweed providing phytoestrogens, essential fatty oils and trace minerals).
Although a lot of the recipes are vegetarian, fish - particularly shellfish - recipes feature strongly. When it comes to desserts, Glenville tries to wean us off creamy, sweet addictions with lots of berries and tofu, soya milk and soya cream as alternatives to eggs and dairy products. But what happens to those women who don't have the time or inclination to introduce a whole new menu in their homes? Well, Glenville suggests small changes such as taking soya milk on your cereal (organic, if possible). Plus, having a tuna and wholemeal bread sandwich at lunchtime will be an improvement even if the family meal is not tailored to the needs of the menopausal woman.
Buying better quality food, to reduce the number of additives and preservatives present, and choosing organic foods will also help, she says. And, for those already on HRT, she suggests weaning oneself off it gradually - over three months or so while introducing the suggested changes in the diet at the same time.
Marilyn Glenville can be contacted at the Natural Health Practice, Danegate, Eridge Green, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9JA, England. Tel: 0044-01892-750511 Fax: 0044-01892- 750533. Contact: Source Sessions (Tel: 01-4911711) for more details of forthcoming nutritional therapy workshops. Natural Alternatives to HRT Cookbook is published by Kyle Cathie, price £16.99
Marilyn Glenville's Mixed Berry Fool
`Mixed berries contain proanthocyanidins, which are excellent antioxidants. They are useful in preventing osteoporosis since they stop the destruction of collagen and strengthen the collagen matrix. With their powerful antioxidant properties, they also play a major part in the prevention of heart disease and strokes. This tangy fool is also rich in phytoestrogens from the tofu.'
From Natural Alternatives to HRT Cookbook:
450g (1lb) mixed berries of the season
225g (8oz) soft tofu, chilled
dash of vanilla extract
maple syrup to taste
a little soya milk, chilled
Reserving a few of each type of berry for decoration, put all the ingredients except the soya milk in a blender or food processor. Process well until smooth. If too thick, let down with a little soya milk if necessary to give a good consistency - it should be like cream whipped to soft peaks. Spoon into clear glasses and decorated with the reserved berries. Chill briefly before serving. Serves four. Variation: if you have time, puree half the berries on their own with some maple syrup to taste and build up layers of fool and ee puree in the glasses for a really attractive effect. Serves four.
Atholl Brose
Said to have been invented by and named after the Duke of Atholl, and here recommended for the heart as well as a source of phytoestrogens.
2 oz fine oatmeal, toasted
4 tablespoons honey, plus more to serve
1/2 pint soya cream
6 tablespoons Scotch whisky (optional)
Mix the oatmeal and honey into the soya cream and chill well. Stir in the whisky, if using, just before serving, topped with another spoonful of the honey. Serves four.