This was an interesting read that as a NP I would recommend to my patients for them go understand menopause and alternative treatment approaches.

Thank you to Nourish Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I've read many books about menopause, but this one provided valuable information that I haven't read before in other books. The book's format is engaging with personal stories, recipes, questionnaires, and color photos. I especially appreciated the supplements (dosages and usage) and HRT alternatives. I highly recommend this book to anyone experiencing symptoms of menopause.

The Natural Menopause Plan by Maryon Stewart is a must-read for those who are impending menopause or deep in the heart of it.

The first part of The Natural Menopause Plan is an explanation of what menopause is, the symptoms, and natural solutions to help relieve symptoms - diet, supplements, therapies, and more. I found this part of the book so helpful. Without doing tons of research online or short of someone giving you all the answers, the author simply spells out what's happening (or what to expect) beginning at perimenopause and suggestions on how to breeze through with a minimum of discomfort. And while women have the option of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), it's not always a good solution depending on your situation. Some women can't use HRT because of cancer. So what options do they have? Thankfully, this book has solutions to make this transition better.

These are just some of the topics The Natural Menopause Plan covers

• Hot flashes/Night sweats
• Sexual problems
• Headaches
• Emotional symptoms
• Insomnia
• Dry skin/Wrinkles
• Aching joints

Next, the author discusses how consuming certain foods and supplements can help with the symptoms of menopause. She spells everything out to make it easy for you to follow and to find what works for your particular symptoms. The book goes as far as suggesting herbal medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture and acupressure, cranial osteopathy relaxation therapy, exercise, and habit changes.

Part 2 of The Natural Menopause Plan is a very extensive index of 90 recipes containing nutrients that are helpful for those with menopause. They are grouped according to meals and include desserts, cakes, breads, and snacks. There are even meal plans to make eating simple. I was impressed with the list of the nutrient content of foods. The author even included references and resources.

I really liked this book, I suffer greatly with hot flushes so was desperate for any sort of help. This book is really informative, it goes into great detail about what is actually happening to your body during the menopause and why. It also shows you what nutrients you are probably lacking and the foods which are best to rebalance the levels. If there is a specific problem you are struggling with (e.g. night sweats) it gives you a short paragraph on which particular supplements you can take to help reduce that particular problem. The book tells you that to help your symptoms you could try to eat various foods, it then goes on to give numerous recipes which contain these foods. I liked this aspect as it shows that I can easily incorporate them into my diet throughout the day.

This book will become a wonderful resource for me as I move through menopause. The information is presented in a clear manner, with appropriate use of medical language. The recipes have ingredients that are easy to find in most grocery stores. It allows you to create a plan that will work for you and is adjustable as your menopause changes.

This was a great book. It has been purchased for our library.

A well balanced book covering the causes and symptoms of menopause, natural remedies, supplements, exercises to help prevent osteoporosis and to keep your heart healthy, etc. The last section is a good selection of recipes. At first I was worried that the recommended lifestyle was going to be all soy, nuts and seeds, and ingredients difficult to find in the UK. It isn't, however, and what I like most about it is that you're free to choose the supplements and diet that address your own particular symptoms, rather than be constrained to following a complete plan. Recommended for fellow Greaders living in a constantly humid environment!

I found this book to be very helpful. The author gives a brief description of what happens to your body during menopause. She then talks about different symptoms you may experience and supplements you can take to ease those symptoms. She also talks about the importance of exercise, dietary changes, meditation, and other natural ways to ease symptoms. The end of the book contains recipes that have different foods that should also help to make menopause more bearable.

The book is fairly short but I feel like the author covered a lot of useful information. I am planning to try many of her suggestions. The recipes at the end did not look like ones I would enjoy, but that is just me personally. I am going to try to add some of the foods recommended to my diet in other ways. I thought this was a very helpful book for someone wanting a more natural approach to menopause.