Recently, I got a membership application from AARP. It was a scary letter, after all it came as a wake-up call telling me that my days of youth are numbered.

I talked to my mother about menopause and she warned me that I will start to have solid evidence that gravity do exists.  She told me that I will have my own summer season and that I would start to look “womanly”. What does that mean, I asked her.  After couple of minutes of silence, she said: well, you will begin to look like me. That was when I became worried.

Then, after talking to my mother, I discussed menopause with some friends who were my age.  One said she intended to stand on her head periodically to overcome the pull of gravity.  Another said she was going to do some wight training to prevent her muscles from deteriorating.  Another friend announced, “sweetheart, it is Botox for me. “  When it came my turn, I had to give them a lecture- which according to my husband I am good at-.  I said that because I had always believed in the miracle of soy to fight menopause, I now intend to drink more soy milk and increase the doses of tofu that I’ve been eating. 

It’s now maintenance time, which is, time to do just enough exercise to maintain what I have and forget the idea that I’ll ever be a size 6. I do weight training three times a week to prevent muscle and bone loss; I eat more dark vegetables, dark fruit to ingest more anti-oxidants, snack on walnuts, consume good source of calcium to prevent osteoporosis.  I eat about 8 ounces of tofu a week and drink 6 cups of soy milk a week for good source of calcium to prevent osteoporosis and hopefully hot flashes.  Lastly, I drink more water and cook with olive oil to keep my skin healthy and glowing.

I’ve decided that I will no longer worry about how my body looks. I’ve decided to accept it as it is, that is, it resembles the portraits painted by the Renaissance painters, you know, the women with big hips.

Here are couple recipes that hopefully will improve your memory, you heart, your looks, and hopefully delay the onset of menopause.

Blueberry Parfait

serves 4

2        cups frozen, thawed and pureed

1 1/2cup grape juice

1        cup fresh blueberries

1        tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1 1/3 cup tofu cream, see recipe below

4        fresh mint leaves

4        parfait glasses

-Mix pureed blueberries with 1 cup of grage juice.

-Pour the remaining grape juice in a small sauce pan.  Sprinkle gelatin over and let it stand until gelatin soften.

-Stir gelatin mixture over low heat just until gelatin dissolves.

-Whisk warm gelatin mixture into pureed blueberries.

-Refrigerate overnight.

To assemble:

-Spoon 1/4 cup of blueberry gelatin into each of parfait glasses.

-Top with fresh blueberries.

-Spoon about 1/3 cup of tofu cream over berries.

-Top with more fresh berries.

-Garnish with mint and serve.

*Blueberries improve memory, grape juice help your heat, soy strengthen your bones and ease hot flashes.

Tofu Cream

Makes 2 cups

12        ounces lite firm tofu

2          tablespoon honey

4          tablespoons maple syrup

1          tablespoon orange liqueur

-In a food processor, puree tofu with the rest of the ingredients until smooth paste.  Chill.

Filed under: Deserts, Food Allergies, General Posts, gluten free