Estrogen: The Natural Way: Over 250 Easy and Delicious Recipes for Menopause [Hardcover]

Nina Shandler (Author), Barry Elson (Introduction), Joyce Duncan (Introduction), Samuel Gladstone (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 1997

Women need estrogen, but it's a fact that the hormone diminishes with age. Most women from their forties on won't produce enough to prevent or minimize the short-term symptoms of menopause--hot flashes, night sweats, fuzzy thinking--or help to safeguard their hearts and bones for the rest of their lives. There are 40 million menopausal women in America today who face the frightening reality that traditional hormone replacement therapy, which restores estrogen through pills, often causes distressing symptoms and appears to require long-term use in order to secure long-term benefits. Moreover, long-term use seems to increase the risk of breast cancer.

Nina Shandler discovered the exciting news that estrogen occurs naturally in certain foods, primarily soy and flaxseed, which can be used as ingredients in every kind of recipe imaginable, from breakfast bars to soups, main courses and desserts.

In Estrogen: The Natural Way she shows how you can do a gentle yet effective version of estrogen replacement therapy using the kitchen instead of the drugstore.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Plant estrogens seem like a promising alternative to mainstream hormone replacement regimens for women who want to shore up hearts and bones and relieve menopausal symptoms. And mounting studies do show that hefty servings of soy and flaxseed may ameliorate, if not erase, menopausal discomforts such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Whether health benefits to hearts and bones hold up over time is still unproven, as is early data suggesting that plant estrogens may actually lower breast cancer risk. Cookbook author Nina Shandler (The Complete Guide and Cookbook for Raising Your Child as a Vegetarian) makes key research palatable by distilling it into more than 250 recipes from buckwheat pancakes to Thai-style noodles and orange-ginger sorbet.

From Library Journal

Those desiring alternatives to standard hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during menopause will find useful information in each of these books. All focus on menopause as a natural process and on the alleviation of menopausal discomfort through healthy living, especially diet. All explain menopausal symptoms, current HRT treatment and side effects, the importance of particular hormones, and the use of plant hormones instead of synthesized drugs. And all discuss in varying detail hormones and their relationship to breast cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Laux, a naturopathic doctor, and Conrad, his former patient and founder of the Natural Woman Institute, espouse the Natural Woman plan in their book. They include an interesting historical overview of both the medicinal use of plants and the pharmaceutical industry, also detailing what the "naturals" are and how to get them. The MEND Clinic Guide usefully covers a variety of alternative therapies for menopause, including herbal therapy, aromatherapy, homeopathy, mind-body therapies, massage, acupressure, and relaxation techniques. Maas is an M.D., Paula Brown an anthropologist, and Susan E. Bruning a health writer (Healing Homeopathic Remedies, Dell, 1996). An A-Z of menopausal symptoms and alternative remedies provides quick reference, and one chapter discusses diseases, including diabetes. Cookbook author Shandler concentrates on obtaining estrogen from plants. Each of her 250 recipes, ranging from yellow cauliflower curry to chocolate snack bars, incorporates either tofu, soy products, or flax seed and estimates the estrogen content per portion. While many of the recipes look tempting, only the determined are likely to follow this diet. While these three books are recommended for alternative-medicine collections, Dr. Susan Love's Hormone Book (LJ 3/1/97) is likely to become the menopause book of choice.?Kate Kelly, Treadwell Lib., Massachusetts General Hosp., Boston
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: Villard Books, a division of Random House (May 6, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067945585X
• ISBN-13: 978-0679455851
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,751,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Warning regarding over dose of flax seed, January 20, 2000

By 

Edith DesMarais (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Estrogen: The Natural Way: Over 250 Easy and Delicious Recipes for Menopause (Paperback)

I was very enthusiastic regarding this book. The recipes were very well done and I did find great relief from menopausal symptoms. However, while traveling I relied on several "portable" flax seed foods for my daily "portions" for estrogen. Shortly thereafter, I was found to have a very irregular heart beat. I have no history of heart problems and, in fact, am an athlete. Research into flax seed showed that more than 2 ounces or 60 grams a day should not be taken internally. It can cause increased respitory rate, gasping, staggering, or convulsions. In early history, it was used as a heart medication - indicating a heart link. There is no warning in the book and in fact, the book encourages higher doses. Please use extreme caution in using these flax seed foods. Use only small amounts per day. There are beneficial amounts (very low doses), but it is toxic in small amounts as well if consumed regularly. There are no warnings on the flax seed bags in stores.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well...., December 29, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Estrogen: The Natural Way: Over 250 Easy and Delicious Recipes for Menopause (Paperback)

The information in this book is very good, and that's why I keep it around. I found the recipes hugely lacking, and since this book is billed primarily as a cookbook, that's primarily how I should rate it. The author claims desserts are her specialty. I tried seven, and only one (lemon lace cookies) didn't strike me as needing serious tinkering before I would serve it again. Several I wouldn't even bother with a second time. I found it frustrating that the author didn't describe her more unusual ingredients (there are several)--I finally found barley malt (expensive)only to find the taste virtually identical to molasses (same consistency, too). I have no idea if the author had nutritional reasons for choosing barley malt as she didn't explain any of her more unusual choices, but cooks may want to test these recipes with molasses first before tracking down the barley malt. The only thing I've garnered from this book (recipe-wise)is to continue experimenting with ground flax seeds--they have mild flavor and a moist quality. If you already have information on soy foods and flax seed, I suggest you choose another cookbook (try Louise Hagler's Tofu Cookery) as I doubt these recipes will convert the soy-wary in the family. However, if you need info, this is a good, solid resource.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great info, not so great recipes, March 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Estrogen: The Natural Way: Over 250 Easy and Delicious Recipes for Menopause (Paperback)

This book was the answer to my prayers ever since I discovered there was a reason for my bad tempers, breast pain, short cycles and weird periods: perimenopause! Plant estrogens really do work, and now I'm a nice person again. Nina lays it out for you why some estrogens (such as are in HRT) may have negative effects while others (such as are found in soy and flaxseed) appear to have all the benefits with none of the side effects. It's worth the price of the book for this information alone. On the other hand, Nina admits she doesn't like soy and I think her recipes reflect it. A food that does us so much good should be honored instead of disparaged--soy should be a joy instead of a chore! There are lots of good soy-food cookbooks out there; two that come to mind are "The Whole Soy Cookbook" by Patricia Greenberg and "Tofu Cookery" by Louise Hagler. C'mon get happy--say goodbye to menopausal symptoms and HELLO to health.