Well, not only are soy foods very nutritious and a great alternative to dairy, but soy is also an excellent way to get some much-needed menopause relief. The estrogen-like components (phytoestrogens) in soy replace your natural estrogen, providing the hormone support you need, but at lower potencies that are not likely to produce unwanted side effects.

Some of the benefits of consuming soy include the reduction in the severity of menopause hot flashes and the thickening of vaginal cells that thin after menopause. Not to mention, soy can also lower your cholesterol and even possibly help protect you from breast cancer and osteoporosis. In fact, studies have found that Asian women whose traditional diet is high in soy foods are four- to six-fold less likely to develop breast cancer compared to women in the U.S., where this disease is much more common.

So what are the best ways to add soy to your diet?
You can forgo dairy milk and drink soy milk (such as Silk brand), and you can replace dairy ice cream, yogurt, and cheese with the soy varieties. You can easily find these in health food stores and most grocery stores. Other good soy foods include soy burgers and tofu. If you choose to supplement, you can take soy isoflavones in capsule form—50 mg–150 mg each day.