Any advice on getting more soy into my diet?

[BecauseImWorthIt]

I'm perimenopausal - periods are starting to go awry and have had the occasional hot flush. I'm also, oh joy of joys, suffering from regular acne on my chin each month, just before and after my period.

The doctor has given me some topical antibiotics for my acne and also recommended that I try to eat more soy products.

I follow a low carbohydrate diet (mostly!) and I have discovered that too much sugar/refined carbs (and too much alcohol) can trigger the hot flushes.

Any ideas? I don't really even know what soy products are available.

Milk is an easy one. Eg porridge for breakfast made with soy milk (good for cholesterol as well!).

Can't do porridge - too many carbs! I suspect that this might prove a difficult one for me.

Milk, too, is very carby (although I do occasionally eat natural yoghurt - does this count?)

I am trying to do the same for the same reasons BIWI.

I have soya milk on cereal - tricky for you if you are on low-carb though. I also have a soya probiotic drink and a soya yoghurt every day.

Can you have tofu on low-carb? You could also have edame beans - I think they are soya beans.

Alpro soya yoghurts and desserts are really nice. You can buy the plain soya yoghurt if you don't want too much sugar and stir some fresh fruit into it.

You can now get soya cream as well as soya milk.

soy milk with a good dump of chocolate powder

You could just use supplements! See here.

Thanks Buda - I think I'd better get myself to the healthfood shop!

Is it working for you?

Don't really know yet. Periods erratic and have had occasional hot flush albeit very mild, also have more spots. Haven't been to doc yet as keep making appointment for smear and for various reasons either doc has had to cancel or I have. Now no idea when period will come next so waiting till then and will make appointment for 2 weeks after and have smear and bloods done.

I bought the book Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type and as I am type A it recommends I should be veggie and avoid dairy and eat tofu! Am a bit sceptical but my Dad is type A too (funnily enough!) and he has been cutting out dairy and feels better for it - apparently only had to blow his nose once the other day while playing golf instead of the normal numerous times!

Combining the Eat Right info and the menopause stuff I have just started the soya really. Will see how it goes.

I did Atkins on and off for and found it good but always fell off wagon and found it hard to get back on. DH (blood type O - carnivore!) likes Atkins.

The jury is still out on soy products- some people think that phytoestrogens in soy and other plants can help flushes BUT there is one school of thought that thinks they might also contribute to cancer as does oestrogen itself.

I think you would bebetter off finding out if it is soy per se that he thinks would help, or phytooestrogens- if the latter, then there are other foods that contain them- do a google search.

Be careful with soy. I substituted this when my periods began to go awry and ended up with the most hideous acne. I thought it was hormonal related (not having ever suffered previously) and it took me a year to figure out it was the soy. As soon as I stopped it began to clear up. Now I only have the occasional tofu as I am veggie. Be warned.