What does vegetarianism have to do with menopause? As a vegetarian before, during, and after menopause, I tend to be biased. But here is my take on the subject:

Changing to a vegetarian diet raised my awareness concerning the importance of the diet/health connection. I became a vegetarian before my last pregnancy, and while I did not have my third child until I was 41, I felt healthier and stronger, both during and after the pregnancy, than I had with my earlier pregnancies in my late twenties. I attribute that to a healthier, vegetarian diet.

When menopause reared its multiple heads, I found I had fewer hot flashes than my older sister, who was very thin, smoked, and drank coffee. (These are supposedly three contributors to menopausal miseries.) I did not sail through menopause like some women in third world countries supposedly do (lack of stress?), but I believe, in reflection, that my meatless diet and moderate exercise program were positive contributors to managing my own menopause.

If you are already post-menopausal, you may want to add more plant-based foods to your diet to see if this change brings you more energy, less fatigue, and perhaps some weight loss (if menopause came with weight gain, as it often does.) Improving your diet by eating less saturated fat, fewer foods stripped of their nutrients because of excessive processing, and by increasing fresh plant-based foods is not difficult to do, since almost all stores now carry healthy alternatives.

Feel free to email me (menupause2006@yahoo.com) if you have any questions about changing your diet. If you click on Products and Services, you will see that I do nutritional counseling over the phone or by email. I will not make you become a vegetarian, but I will suggest more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. You can count on that!

Since October 1st is World Vegetarian Day, I bumped my blog on chocolate to bring you information about a meatless diet. As I explain in Kitchen Nutrition with Recipes, all the recipes to date are meatless, so I decided to feature a recipe with tempeh and green soybeans, since they are two non-meat, protein foods I use in my meatless menus. However, I do plan to feature tempeh in a future blog.

Do check out the Horizons Cookbook in Book, Film, and Website Reviews. It’s a great cookbook with wonderful recipes and great photos of the dishes from their Philadelphia restaurant. The culinary partnership of Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby makes a delicious combination.

The quote in Health Flashes may surprise you. It did me, since the American Dietetic Association has not always been pro-vegetarian. The paper was made available to me from the Vegetarian Resource Group. They, along with The North American Vegetarian Society, are two great places to find information. See Profiles for more information.

While I don’t expect everyone reading this posting to jump on the vegetarian bandwagon, maybe on October 1st you could try going meatless for one day. As the old ad on TV used to say, “Try it. You might like it!” I did 30 years ago and have never regretted my decision to make my meals meatless. The experience of eliminating meat from my diet was my entree into concern for my health, the health of my family, and the health of the planet. (See This ‘n That for my take on Menopause and Vegetarianism.) It was my wake-up call and has led me to challenges about myself and my environment that I don’t think I would ever have experienced.

Happy World Vegetarian Day!