I am trying to follow the ERFYT guidelines, due to two sisters dying in early fifties and I am 52 (female also; mother, father, and another brother died at 60). My blood pressure is slightly elevated but controled on 37.5 mg of Atenolol. I am 15 pounds overweight. I am exercising regularly, weight resistance and aerobic, but have a real hard time with food. Am trying to stay with the program but have a very hard time in the afternoon!

I have gone from 4 tablespoons of sugar in a single coffee to stevia in one cup each morning (decaf) campared to 6 cups a day with all that sugar x 6. I TEND TO HAVE ANXIETY THAT HAS COME ON AS MENOPAUSE HIT. WHAT CAN I EAT THAT IS NATURAL FOR A CALMING EFFECT ON MY SYSTEM? THANK YOU. ~ Pennie

_

Hi there, Pennie! You're having a real hard time with food, eh? It sounds like you've had a major victory with coffee, a terrible stumbling block for lots of Os!! In my humble opinion, you're doing beautifully, and deserve loud praise and a hearty pat on the back. Hey... maybe you're hungry in the afternoon because of all that exercise? Add a protein meal when the 3 or 4:00 blahs hit -- like a half portion of beef stew you've made & frozen. Or a couple of hard-boiled eggs with a drizzle of olive oil and a spray of fresh-ground pepper. I keep a couple of fish filets in a bit of olive oil and spice rub in bags in the fridge (replaced constantly, never more than one day old). If your workplace has a fridge and a microwave, it's better than most things you'd snack on in a sugar-pinch. If you're at home, just dump one in a pan, and grab a little salad. Instant protein gratification!

I understand that there's a lot of persuasive talk on the Net about supplements, especially calcium. Here's my view: How many of our ancient forbears munched on coral? It sounds silly to our modern minds, but the whole idea behind this diet plan and the supplements created to augment it is: food shall be your medicine. Peter's Phytocal products are based upon seaweeds that people have eaten for millennia, and will continue to eat. These are plants that re-grow at a speedy rate. Their harvesting does not reduce the potential supply, nor does it interfere with ocean ecosystems. And to address your specific concern, the absorption rate for these food-based mineral supplements is as high as any you will find. We are designed to eat sea vegetables. We are not coral-eating creatures. Using sea salt, seaweeds, and high-solids mineral water, along with foods high in calcium, will move you a long way toward optimal intake all by themselves.

The marketers of coral calcium supps would have you believe that vacuuming a reef involves no destruction of these delicate underwater ecosystems. I ask you: when you vacuum your rug, does your vacuum pick and choose what it will suck into the bag? Can it inhale the dirt, but spare the spider, so to speak? If you were vacuuming a reef, would your whoosher manage to pick up those heavy calcium droppings without also removing and destroying the much lighter organisms who inhabit and/or form the reef?

I urge anyone who cares about the health of this Earth and our own, to use sustainable food sources of calcium. :-}

End of speech!

Now, a couple of things that came to mind when you mentioned BTD -- I think you're in the U.S., so I just wanted to alert you that Live Right 4 Your Type and the ER4YT Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia have effective recommendations for stabilizing blood pressure and ensuring a smooth menopause transition. Maca root has a long history of levelling out hormonal surges, and is available from www.pennherb.com (my favorite) among other sites. I also wanted to mention the sweetener "vegetable glycerine" made by two companies I'm aware of, Heritage and NOW. This may prove more effective than stevia to curb your sweet tooth -- it actually helps normalize blood sugar levels, rather than throw them high and plunge them down, and it has an absolutely neutral "sugar" taste.

Don't be concerned for your lifespan because of how your family has fared. This is a different time, a different life, yours, and you are doing your utmost to prosper -- with tools they did not have. You will live a long time, dear. Do good, and do well ~ and share the joy. :-)