The phytoestrogens in soy do help reduce hot flashes in some women, but it doesn’t work for everyone.
If you don’t want to eat soy, or if it doesn’t work for you, I would bump up your other sources of phytoestrogens by mixing in foods like ground flax meal, any kind of beans, (just not too spicy!), barley, yams, and berries.
One last tip that can be helpful is to include a few small servings of healthy fats each day. A handful of nuts, ½ of an avocado, or a handful of olives, are all good sources as is olive oil.
Finally, you might try to keep a hot flash journal to see when they occur most often, if they’re related to something you just ate/are eating, if they’re related to stress or your sleep habits etc.
That makes it easier to pinpoint and change your triggers.
- Vittoria Pasca (Nutritionist)