I haven't had much time, so I'm still at the beginning of the Menopause Health Library book. One very interesting thing I read was this paragraph about sugar:

"Insulin and estrogen have a synergistic relationship. If your insulin metabolism is out of balance, you won't be able to achieve a balance of your other hormones. A woman who is insulin resistant will not find relief from hot flashes or other menopausal symptoms with medications or other herbal remedies, but she will certainly see her symptoms diminish if she controls her sugar levels."

This explains why sugar, maple syrup, and honey are now infrequent neutrals for me. I can live with that. I had the evils of sugar pounded into my head quite thoroughly during my health nut days. I ate almost no sugar at all for years. I have indulged in a little honey and maple syrup, since they were BTD neutral. Now they will have to be rare.

I wonder if the sugar content has anything to do with why some fruits like apples and grapes changed categories. No - I looked them up on the Glycemic Index, and they are both low GI foods. This is still a mystery to me.

Tonight I had eggplant and tomatoes. Afterwards I checked the food lists. Both of them are now avoids! Yikes, I must remember to check the list before I eat instead of assuming.

I have received many interesting letters about how some of you have dealt with menopause and dryness. I apologize for not answering yet! This is going to be a very busy spring for me. I want to keep blogging - though you've probably noticed I haven't been writing as often. Things will settle down this summer, and I should be more dependable again. Almost everything that is happening is good and exciting. I'll explain it all soon.