cover image The All-Natural Menopause Diet: The Drug-Free, Natural Way to Beat Your Symptoms and Lose Weight

The All-Natural Menopause Diet: The Drug-Free, Natural Way to Beat Your Symptoms and Lose Weight

Theresa Cheung, with Dr. Adam Balen. . Pegasus, $14.95 (229pp) ISBN 978-1-933648-94-1

Losing weight gets more difficult as women get older, and those in menopause have the added problem of dealing with the physical and emotional stress of huge hormonal changes. Cheung and Balen (a health/nutrition writer and gynecologist, respectively) speak specifically to women who would like to address the symptoms of menopause without going the hormone replacement therapy route. The word “diet” in the title is misleading, as the book is less about losing weight than about overall wellness. Nutrition is only a part of the program, which also advocates proper exercise, stress release, detoxification, etc. Most of the advice is standard: drink lots of water, eat more fish, go organic and so on. It's sensible but hardly original; readers can find the same advice in any current health-and-diet book. However, the authors have tweaked the information to speak to women of a certain age, and their holistic approach to dealing with menopause (and pre- and post-) may hit their target. (Nov.)