Nutritionist Marilyn Glenville advocates altering diet and lifestyle to minimise the impact of menopause, writes SYLVIA THOMPSON
THE ADVICE ON how to cope with the menopause has changed hugely in the past 20 years or so. Where once it was common for doctors to prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women suffering from symptoms such as night sweats and hot flushes, now natural approaches have become much more popular.
Studies that found a link between breast cancer and taking HRT have certainly influenced this changed emphasis, but so has the increased use of complementary therapies for menopausal symptoms.
Marilyn Glenville, nutritionist and author of nine books on women’s health, is a strong advocate of a natural approach to the menopause. Over the years, her books and workshops have given many women guidelines on how to cope with menopausal symptoms through diet and lifestyle.
Her latest book, Natural Solutions to the Menopause, is similar to the others but with a new emphasis on staying healthy before, during and after the menopause.
“We know now that we can live for 30 years [or more] past the menopause, so solutions to deal with the menopause will also offer a good quality of life afterwards,” says Glenville who runs nutritional clinics in England and more recently in Dublin.
She suggests that women in their 40s should consider making changes to their diet so that they can cope better with hormonal fluctuations. “The more women take stock during the peri- menopause – which lasts between two and six years – the easier the transition will be,” she says.
She is opposed to hormone replacement therapy on the basis that it is not natural. “The menopause is a natural event in our lives that should be happening. It is not a medical condition to be treated with HRT. This is like saying that Mother Nature has got it wrong, that there is something missing and we need to rectify this by putting those hormones back again,” she writes.
One key aspect of the book is what she calls the 12-step hormone balancing diet, which she believes will give women more energy, a healthy weight, and optimum mental health, as well as helping slow down the ageing process.
Her dietary advice is similar to much nutritional advice for healthy eating in general. It includes increasing your intake of fruit and vegetables, drinking enough fluids, increasing intake of fibre and avoiding or reducing intake of caffeine and alcohol. She suggests menopausal women avoid refined sugar, reduce their intake of saturated fats and change from refined carbohydrates to unrefined carbohydrates.
It is also important, she says, to include foods containing phytoestrogens in the diet. Phytoestrogens are contained in plants, seeds, legumes and grains – and several studies have highlighted their hormone-balancing effect. Japanese women who eat a diet rich in these plant foods have fewer menopausal symptoms than western women and a lower incidence of breast cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.
In her book, Glenville writes in detail about specific kinds of phytoestrogens – isoflavones, lignans and coumestans – which foods contain them and how they help relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, memory problems and night sweats. She also stresses the value of Omega 3 fatty acids (found in oily fish and flaxseeds) in relieving painful joints, improving mood and keeping skin, nails and hair in good condition.
It is not only what you eat that counts, however, but how you eat. “Women should eat little and often – including a healthy snack between each of their meals,” says Glenville. “This stops blood sugar levels from dropping, which will control mood swings. This is most important for women of this age. We need to look after ourselves more at this time when we can be more emotional.”
At 58, Glenville is a mother of three and grandmother of two, and is post-menopausal. She follows much of her own advice. “I never took hormones and I do take vitamins, minerals, herbs and essential fatty acid supplements,” she says.
She also exercises regularly and stresses the benefits of weight-bearing exercise. “When I’m not travelling, I walk every lunchtime and I go to the gym at least three times a week,” she says. Her new book also deals with how to control weight at this age.
Before becoming a nutritionist, Glenville qualified as a psychologist. Curiously enough, in her book she completely avoids the psychological issues that can arise during the menopause. She does, however, say that she will refer clients to a counsellor if necessary.
“A lot of women are under stress at this age because they are what we call the sandwich generation – juggling work, children and elderly parents. The stress itself can push them into the menopause,” she says. “Also, the empty nest syndrome can be very difficult for women who haven’t worked as they can feel that their role disappears at this stage,” she says.
“For other women who haven’t had children, the menopause closes the door on fertility and it can be helpful to talk this through with someone. Then, they can find a new sense of acceptance and rejoice in life afterwards.”
Marilyn Glenville is holding seminars on natural approaches to the menopause this week. Venues include the Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway, tonight at 6pm, the Clarion Hotel, Cork city, tomorrow at 6pm and the Red Cow Moran Hotel, Dublin, on Saturday at 10am. See positive nutrition.ie
Natural Solutions to Menopauseby Marilyn Glenville is published by Pan Macmillan). Marilynglenville.com
