I’ve long considered diet to be influential in how menopause affects us. I’m a dietary vegan, not a ‘health-freak’ type, but it does mean that I probably eat more of the beneficial foods you mention. Years ago, before I got frozen out of vegan groups for being a terf, the older vegans used to discuss sometimes how they seldom had issues with menopause, and that applied to me, too, when I went through it. Most people do not like the idea of veganism, so I don’t often mention it, but your post pretty much backs up the experience I and other older vegans have had with menopause. Just as an fyi, I’ve been a vegan for around 20 years, and a voluntary bone density test 7 years ago showed that my bone density was “excellent”, so dairy products may not as essential for that as we get told, if that’s a question which pops up in anyone’s mind. I would hazard a guess that if we’re eating the beneficial foods you’ve mentioned, then that serves our bones well, too.
A lot of the problem with UPF is what we are NOT eating as well as what we ARE eating? So a vegan diet probably is low UPF by nature (although not if you are persuaded to eat all those 'plant based' UPF products!!) And therefore you are getting a lot of beneficial food. x
That's brilliant. My 10 year old is properly allergic to dairy but not so keen on kale 😆 he's super keen on Dr Pepper though and upf biscuits 🤦🏻♀️😆 #parenting 🤣
Great topic Milli! I know your book is focused on women, but as women we all start off as fetuses and infants so... There is a lot of chatter now about UPF baby formulas and the negative impact that these have on a baby's microbiome and general health. (And since the only non-UPF food for babies is breast milk, they all can be criticised. There is no "better" brand.) Considering the age of the cohort now entering menopause, I wonder how many of these women were bottle or breastfed and what sort of flow on effects this may have? Are women who were formula fed "primed" to react to UPF foods? Does it make a difference to the sort of menopause you have? It is known that breastfeeding (or not) impacts on your health for the rest of your life and this is just one more aspect that science is busy ignoring as they do with so many other issues that are sex based, but only affect women.
Very thought provoking article thanks Milli - what comes to mind for me is growing up with a working mother in the 1960s and 70s. I was brought up on a lot of instant food. Smash - Vesta dishes - my mum wasn’t a keen cook at the best of times and so embraced all things ultra processed. I know that when I was a working mother I also was glad to have food available that meant cooking after a days work was quick and easy. It is only since not working retiring that my interesting cooking food from scratch has really grown. I now have the time the energy and interest, how can we help busy mothers to find the balance? I think you’re attitude. Milli is positive that it is inevitable in modern life to use UPF.
I have actually written a chapter about this Lynn, I think you are so right. I think part of it is about eating more simply. Of course you cannot make all of the stuff we can get in the TV dinner section of the supermarket on a daily basis, lasagne, pizza, curries, fancy puddings etc! But if you go and spend the evening with an Italian or French family they are probably not eating them either. They go out for pizza. They would have pasta with a simple sauce, some fresh veg or salad, nice bread, decent cheese. Fruit. I honestly think we have been sold an idea by food companies (more on that in the book) that is actually not making our lives easier and is also extremely unhealthy! xx
I've not read all of his book but one thing I will say is that he is a great writer. I've bought a few books on food / diet and his is the only one that really 'zings'!
Yes it is all a bit messed up in terms of what we are all eating. I think this ship might turn easier than the gender one though!! hahah x
Btw, when we see skinny actresses on TV eating straight from the ice cream tub or frequently eating pizza/fast food I find myself telling my daughters that in real life those actresses are not eating these foods. My 6 year old asked 'why do they eat it on this show then?'.....very good question...normalisation of things that aren't normal is always my reply. Hard to explain that to little ones so instead explain it's just entertainment/for fun and that real food is food our grannies had access to when they were young! x
What I also find interesting is that ice cream is not actually as bad for you if it's not UPF ice cream! So make it yourself or seek out a version that is not UPF and you can probably enjoy it more, without it messing with your microbiome or tricking your body into eating more etc etc! Ditto pizza! We need to get back to enjoying food rather than 'mindlessly scrolling' our way through whatever we are eating! xx
Hi Milli. You've prompted me to continue with my series of porridge adventure blog posts which I started a while ago. I've just written about putting caraway seeds in my porridge this morning https://hannahlynes.com/can-i-put-caraway-seeds-in-my-porridge/. I have been thinking of this series as a bit of a silly frivolous thing (which it is) and not really what I should be spending my time on, but now I'm thinking maybe it has some use in the world as lots of us are thinking about how to have a less processed breakfast, and also how to eat a wide range of plant foods.
I think of caraway as a spice rather than a seed, but clearly it is a seed - I don't know if it has similar nutritional profile to say flax seeds or sesame seeds. Spices are also meant to be good for us though aren't they.
From a quick google, it sounds like it's really good for you, and also, it's not a seed but a dried fruit!! of the caraway plant!! Who knew?! Lots of health benefits! xx
I wonder Milli - do you follow or have you considered ‘Zoe’? That organisation with Prof. Tim Spector are seen as the leaders I think in this country on microbiome and nutrition for health stuff - if you were a guest on their podcast/YouTube your work would reach a vast audience. One thought, I note even as researchers they tend to use ‘people’ instead of women in some of their written articles but mostly it’s a mix and certainly guests say what they like…
I have been in touch with them but not got much of a response so far! I am surprised because I thought they would be extremely interested in this book. But let's see. Hopefully they will get back to me soon! x
Haha thanks. I'm very interested in herbs. Would like to reclaim 'wortcunning' - do you know that word? Women's knowledge of plants and herbs basically. But homeopathy...not so much! I'm not convinced! 😆
I'm really interested in eating weeds. I love plantnetting https://apps.apple.com/us/app/plantnet weeds I find in my garden and then googling what they're used for. A lot of the time they're edible. I'm a bit cautious though if I'm not 100% sure what they are, because I know there are serious risks of eating plants if you're not sure. I do eat ground elder, wild garlic, three-cornered leek and marigold petals. And apple blossom in small quantities (they have some kind of cyanide in I think, but it's OK to eat a small amount apparently!). I also pour cold water over cleavers and leave overnight to make a refreshing drink. I'm interested in trying violet leaves - I read that they're edible, but that they can be a bit slimy like okra, so I'm a bit unsure how I'll use them but I have loads of them so it would be good if I can. Anyway, it's exciting, there's so much to discover, which I'm sure was all known by our great great grandmothers but maybe we can rediscover it now.
In that case would you please write on homeopathy? 🤣I’d love to see someone who’s not convinced gather the info. I’m not convinced either but our pediatrician is and gives us remedies and it kinda … works? But as I think Marylou Singleton said, they are just “juju-ed up sugar pills”. So many really competent herbalists and doctors use homeopathy and I haven’t been able to see the big picture the way you often craft it in your writing!
I’ve long considered diet to be influential in how menopause affects us. I’m a dietary vegan, not a ‘health-freak’ type, but it does mean that I probably eat more of the beneficial foods you mention. Years ago, before I got frozen out of vegan groups for being a terf, the older vegans used to discuss sometimes how they seldom had issues with menopause, and that applied to me, too, when I went through it. Most people do not like the idea of veganism, so I don’t often mention it, but your post pretty much backs up the experience I and other older vegans have had with menopause. Just as an fyi, I’ve been a vegan for around 20 years, and a voluntary bone density test 7 years ago showed that my bone density was “excellent”, so dairy products may not as essential for that as we get told, if that’s a question which pops up in anyone’s mind. I would hazard a guess that if we’re eating the beneficial foods you’ve mentioned, then that serves our bones well, too.
A lot of the problem with UPF is what we are NOT eating as well as what we ARE eating? So a vegan diet probably is low UPF by nature (although not if you are persuaded to eat all those 'plant based' UPF products!!) And therefore you are getting a lot of beneficial food. x
True! There was very little in the way of those UPF vegan foods here in NZ when I became vegan, so I never developed a habit of using them overmuch.
Yes, my son has dairy aversion (it causes eczema) but he eats bags of kale and other dark greens that are rich in calcium 👍
That's brilliant. My 10 year old is properly allergic to dairy but not so keen on kale 😆 he's super keen on Dr Pepper though and upf biscuits 🤦🏻♀️😆 #parenting 🤣
Ooh, mine’s a Doc Pepper fan too. And I’m sure the only reason he gobbles the kale is because it’s crisped up and doused in salt 🤭
Great topic Milli! I know your book is focused on women, but as women we all start off as fetuses and infants so... There is a lot of chatter now about UPF baby formulas and the negative impact that these have on a baby's microbiome and general health. (And since the only non-UPF food for babies is breast milk, they all can be criticised. There is no "better" brand.) Considering the age of the cohort now entering menopause, I wonder how many of these women were bottle or breastfed and what sort of flow on effects this may have? Are women who were formula fed "primed" to react to UPF foods? Does it make a difference to the sort of menopause you have? It is known that breastfeeding (or not) impacts on your health for the rest of your life and this is just one more aspect that science is busy ignoring as they do with so many other issues that are sex based, but only affect women.
Yes I am going to write about formula, not got to that bit yet! xx
Very thought provoking article thanks Milli - what comes to mind for me is growing up with a working mother in the 1960s and 70s. I was brought up on a lot of instant food. Smash - Vesta dishes - my mum wasn’t a keen cook at the best of times and so embraced all things ultra processed. I know that when I was a working mother I also was glad to have food available that meant cooking after a days work was quick and easy. It is only since not working retiring that my interesting cooking food from scratch has really grown. I now have the time the energy and interest, how can we help busy mothers to find the balance? I think you’re attitude. Milli is positive that it is inevitable in modern life to use UPF.
I have actually written a chapter about this Lynn, I think you are so right. I think part of it is about eating more simply. Of course you cannot make all of the stuff we can get in the TV dinner section of the supermarket on a daily basis, lasagne, pizza, curries, fancy puddings etc! But if you go and spend the evening with an Italian or French family they are probably not eating them either. They go out for pizza. They would have pasta with a simple sauce, some fresh veg or salad, nice bread, decent cheese. Fruit. I honestly think we have been sold an idea by food companies (more on that in the book) that is actually not making our lives easier and is also extremely unhealthy! xx
This research is fascinating!
We used to have a fridge magnet with Michael Pollan’s quote - “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”*
So much stuff we eat isn’t food 😔
*I never actually read his book 🙈
Love the focus on the female body xx
I've not read all of his book but one thing I will say is that he is a great writer. I've bought a few books on food / diet and his is the only one that really 'zings'!
Yes it is all a bit messed up in terms of what we are all eating. I think this ship might turn easier than the gender one though!! hahah x
Love this Milli.
Btw, when we see skinny actresses on TV eating straight from the ice cream tub or frequently eating pizza/fast food I find myself telling my daughters that in real life those actresses are not eating these foods. My 6 year old asked 'why do they eat it on this show then?'.....very good question...normalisation of things that aren't normal is always my reply. Hard to explain that to little ones so instead explain it's just entertainment/for fun and that real food is food our grannies had access to when they were young! x
What I also find interesting is that ice cream is not actually as bad for you if it's not UPF ice cream! So make it yourself or seek out a version that is not UPF and you can probably enjoy it more, without it messing with your microbiome or tricking your body into eating more etc etc! Ditto pizza! We need to get back to enjoying food rather than 'mindlessly scrolling' our way through whatever we are eating! xx
Hi Milli. You've prompted me to continue with my series of porridge adventure blog posts which I started a while ago. I've just written about putting caraway seeds in my porridge this morning https://hannahlynes.com/can-i-put-caraway-seeds-in-my-porridge/. I have been thinking of this series as a bit of a silly frivolous thing (which it is) and not really what I should be spending my time on, but now I'm thinking maybe it has some use in the world as lots of us are thinking about how to have a less processed breakfast, and also how to eat a wide range of plant foods.
Yes! Seeds are so good for us. Never tried caraway though I don't think, I'll have to give it a go! xx
I think of caraway as a spice rather than a seed, but clearly it is a seed - I don't know if it has similar nutritional profile to say flax seeds or sesame seeds. Spices are also meant to be good for us though aren't they.
From a quick google, it sounds like it's really good for you, and also, it's not a seed but a dried fruit!! of the caraway plant!! Who knew?! Lots of health benefits! xx
Oh how interesting! Well, that's good, as I found that I have lots of it to work through when I sorted out my spices recently. xx
I wonder Milli - do you follow or have you considered ‘Zoe’? That organisation with Prof. Tim Spector are seen as the leaders I think in this country on microbiome and nutrition for health stuff - if you were a guest on their podcast/YouTube your work would reach a vast audience. One thought, I note even as researchers they tend to use ‘people’ instead of women in some of their written articles but mostly it’s a mix and certainly guests say what they like…
I have been in touch with them but not got much of a response so far! I am surprised because I thought they would be extremely interested in this book. But let's see. Hopefully they will get back to me soon! x
All good stuff Milli. You are such a wise and witchy woman!
Herbs and homeopathy next then? More womanly wisdom that the corporates have trashed because they can’t make money out of it.
Haha thanks. I'm very interested in herbs. Would like to reclaim 'wortcunning' - do you know that word? Women's knowledge of plants and herbs basically. But homeopathy...not so much! I'm not convinced! 😆
I'm really interested in eating weeds. I love plantnetting https://apps.apple.com/us/app/plantnet weeds I find in my garden and then googling what they're used for. A lot of the time they're edible. I'm a bit cautious though if I'm not 100% sure what they are, because I know there are serious risks of eating plants if you're not sure. I do eat ground elder, wild garlic, three-cornered leek and marigold petals. And apple blossom in small quantities (they have some kind of cyanide in I think, but it's OK to eat a small amount apparently!). I also pour cold water over cleavers and leave overnight to make a refreshing drink. I'm interested in trying violet leaves - I read that they're edible, but that they can be a bit slimy like okra, so I'm a bit unsure how I'll use them but I have loads of them so it would be good if I can. Anyway, it's exciting, there's so much to discover, which I'm sure was all known by our great great grandmothers but maybe we can rediscover it now.
In that case would you please write on homeopathy? 🤣I’d love to see someone who’s not convinced gather the info. I’m not convinced either but our pediatrician is and gives us remedies and it kinda … works? But as I think Marylou Singleton said, they are just “juju-ed up sugar pills”. So many really competent herbalists and doctors use homeopathy and I haven’t been able to see the big picture the way you often craft it in your writing!
I can’t wait to read UPW!