How can I change my diet and exercise routine to prevent hot flashes?

Even though no one understands exactly what causes hot flashes, there is an increasing awareness of the benefits of lifestyle choices, including the role of diet and exercise, to alleviate them. Vegetable-based diets are associated with less frequent, milder hot flashes. Vegetarians in the United States, as well as those in other parts of the world, report fewer hot flashes. Those who exercise regularly, or are physically active, have fewer, less intense hot flashes. Women who walk daily report fewer hot flashes.

In Japan, women eat mostly vegetables, have a more active lifestyle, and are seldom overweight. Fewer than 25 percent of Japanese women have hot flashes. In fact, the Japanese language does not include a word for hot flashes. Women in certain African tribes also meet these criteria and, similarly, have fewer hot flashes.