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At Last – Natural Menopause Relief

July 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

Victoria came in yesterday wondering if she should take hormones for menopause.  At age 54, she hadn’t had a menstrual period in over six months, but wasn’t having any of the usual symptoms of menopause either and was wondering what to expect.  She’d had a couple of hot flashes (“I think”), but they weren’t distressing.  However, even though her symptoms were minimal, she was told she needed the hormones to prevent osteoporosis and heart disease.

At age 45, Julia had already had over a year of hot flashes and they were keeping her up at night. After sweating so much at night, she couldn’t get right back to sleep; and it happened several times every night.  During the day, she was tired all the time and irritable both at work and at home.  She even started getting anxiety.  “Miserable…” was how she described herself.

As you can see, there are many faces of menopause.  Some women are really miserable with the hormonal changes and mood swings, while others seem to sail through without a blip on the hormone radar screen.  Because of this, the big question is, “Does every woman require hormone treatment?”

Options For Managing Menopause

Doctors have turned this very normal process of life into a disease.  It’s not a disease.  There is nothing about menopause that creates poor health, except for the symptoms.  The truth is women can live long and healthy lives without the hormones that produce ovulation and menses.  Because of this, menopause is one of the few conditions that should be treated symptomatically.

Treatment for menopause is really about controlling symptoms; if a woman has no symptoms and just stops her menstrual periods, she doesn’t need to do anything.  But, if her life is miserable with sleep deprivation, panic attacks, foggy brain, hot flashes, vaginal dryness and loss of libido, it may be prudent to find natural menopause relief from those symptoms.

The treatment options a woman has are very broad due to the wide variety of symptoms.  There are many herbal remedies, vitamin treatments, natural combinations, homeopathic remedies, creams, suppositories, patches, hormone replacements and prescriptions available to those navigating through menopause.  “How to choose?” is the biggest question.  Read on to find some helpful tools that might fit you.

Remember: You are the only one who knows how you feel, so a doctor cannot tell you what will work for you.  Consider the advice you are given, try the ones that seem promising and then evaluate them for yourself.  This is definitely not a one-size-fits-all condition.  It just has to work for you!

Best Of Herbal Remedies

There are so many herbal preparations that it is impossible to list them all.  Let me say that many of my patients find one herbal remedy or another that works well for them. Streamlined doctors are told that herbal preparations don’t work, so they pass unbelief on to their patients.  This is unfortunate because, while they don’t work for all women, countless find great natural menopause relief and avoid having to take potentially harmful prescriptions.

Some of the preparations that I have seen women use successfully include:

  • Black Cohosh
  • Red Clover
  • Russian Rhubarb
  • Ashwaganda
  • Chayawanprash

I highly recommend Black Cohosh because it is the most visibly affective.  There are many preparations and combinations to try – just find the one that works the best for you. Recently, while shopping, I came across...


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Filed Under: Dr. Scott Saunders, Menopause, July 2011, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why Japanese Women Almost Never Worry About the Symptoms of Menopause

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In fact, they don’t even have a word for hot flashes…

Menopause is a word that generally makes people cringe— both men and women.

Women – because they have to go through the discomfort of hot flashes, night sweats, muscle fatigue, dehydration, insomnia or restlessness. Because they lose the ability to think straight, and sometimes even acquire the dreaded paunch of a spare tire in the midsection. Of course, there are the classic symptoms of menopause, such as irritability, mood swings, or becoming anxious are all noteworthy facts of this mid-life phenomenon.

Men – because their women are irritable and yell at them.

*Author’s note: Dear Ladies, I don’t mind you yelling at me. It probably makes you feel a little better and I’m more than willing to do anything I can to help relieve the uncomfortable symptoms brought on by your changing bodies. Just know that I’ll always be here for you and you don’t look a second older than that earth moving day when my eyes first feasted upon you.

Here’s a little news flash for you guys – there’s also a male menopause (there’s a gender joke in there somewhere) that has to do with a drop in testosterone. So, wipe that smug little smirk-of-superiority from your lips and be supportive!

And a great way to be supportive to any woman in your life going through this trying time is to give them good, solid, healthy suggestions for putting discomfort behind them so they can feel happy, healthy, and free from aches of mind, body, and spirit…

The secret is in Asia…

But, you won’t have to move to Japan to take advantage of this menopause mauling miracle!

You see, in Asia – specifically Japan – most women don’t worry about hot flashes or night sweats – or any of the other symptoms associated with menopause.

There’s a very good reason: it’s their diet.

First, the most common symptom of menopause is the hot flash.

Hot flashes, or vasomotor flushes, are intense feelings of heat and sweating, especially around the face and neck areas. Hot flashes can affect 50–85% of women – up to 20 times a day.

Hot flashes are of particular concern because they occur in the premenopausal stages, during, and even after the “change” has fulfilled its dastardly obligation.

It all starts with a dramatic drop in estrogen levels

Once a woman reaches a certain age, usually around 51 — but can start earlier or later depending on the woman — menopause signifies the end of fertility. It begins with a significant drop in estrogen levels and is marked by irregular periods and a decline in egg production.

You can’t avoid it. You can’t stop it. So if you must deal with it, why not make it as easy as possible? A change in your diet could work wonders…

Discover the natural wonders of Asian food remedies

Somen Noodles by Flickr FotoosVanRobin

Instead of the high animal protein diets we westerners take in, Japanese women eat more...


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Filed Under: Healthy Recipes & Eating Ideas, Menopause, July 2011, Recipes, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Menopause: Is It All In Your Head?

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

You can be 54 and still be an attractive woman and feel full of energy. What may surprise you is that for some, menopause feels like a haze has been lifted and you see in a way that you haven’t been able to see before.

Until menopause, hormones, physical touch, emotions and the synapses to care, fix and help others have programmed a woman’s brain. But, in later years the brain circuits that have provided the foundations for these impulses are no longer being fueled.

Menopause is characteristically the moment 12 months after a woman’s last period and 12 months after the ovaries have stopped producing hormones that have boosted communication circuits, emotion circuits, the drive to tend and care, and the urge to avoid conflict at all costs.

All the main brain circuits to run the course are present, but the fuel for running a highly efficient engine for tracking the emotions of others has begun to run dry. As estrogen decreases through menopause, so does the calming affect of oxytocin. Even the rush of dopamine from enjoying life has diminished.

This biological truth is one of the greatest mysteries to women at this age – and to the men around them – as how the changes in hormones affect thoughts, feelings and brain functions.

Perimenopause Reward

Starting at about age 43, a woman’s brain becomes less sensitive to estrogen, accompanied by a variety of symptoms for months to years, including hot flashes, joint pain, anxiety and even depression.  The rocket fuel that feeds the sex drive (testosterone) also drops and estrogen withdrawal symptoms start with the shortening of the menstrual cycles by a day or two.  The brain’s response to glucose changes dramatically too, giving energy surges and drops, as well as cravings for sweet and carbs.

Since estrogen affects the brain’s levels of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine other neurotransmitters that control mood and memory, it is no surprise...


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Filed Under: Grandma's Cure Corner, Menopause, July 2011, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Accepting the Transitions of Life

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Is Menopause a Joke?

The moment notice came that this month’s issue of Home Cures That Work would focus on menopause I knew the angle I would take in my monthly column on the Spiritual Dimension of Wellness. However, I also knew I would be unable to restrain myself from my favorite little joke on the matter of menopause.

Where is menopause mentioned in the Bible? Answer: “…and Mary rode Joseph’s a** all the way to Egypt.” My wife said, “Don’t you dare drop that in your column.”

Hopefully, I have not alienated half my audience. If so, my apologies and I should have heeded my wife’s warning. All kidding aside, the Bible does speak to every area of life and we don’t have to twist texts like that to get them to apply.

Of course, PMS and menopause are not the same thing. Menopause is part of life. It is a transition every bit as much as birth, puberty and death are transitions.

Though we think of it as primarily a female transition, the male body has its own version sometimes called male menopause, man-opause or andropause. Changing hormonal levels are normal as the human body ages and men and women transition out of a childbearing phase or season of life.

Seasonal Changes

The season of menopause is not a disease and therefore there is no cure. Granted, there are hormone therapies that mask it, but menopause is part of our design. They only way to fully avoid it would be to die early. For sure that is no solution and we are left to seek out healthy and positive strategies to navigate this normal transition.

Dealing with change is something that differs slightly from person to person. Some people are seemingly un-phased by even major changes. Others find their world turned upside down by even the slighted change. Since humans are holistic beings, when change begins to manifest in one area (physically for example), other areas (emotionally and spiritually for example) adjust themselves to the new norm.

My wife and I are a couple years away from our last teenager leaving the house. Teenagers vividly illustrate what I am describing....


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Filed Under: Menopause, July 2011, Slideshow, Spiritual Dimension of Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Managing Menopause Naturally

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

“I feel like I’m going crazy!” she said.  I’ll never forget that moment. My mother-in-law was 51 and completely menopausal.  She confessed to me through her tears, that she felt like she was literally losing her mind.  Her body was hot flashing, she could hardly sleep, and her mood was all over the map.  I could tell she was clearly not herself and my heart broke for her.

Her pain reminded me that even I would have to experience menopause someday.  It is completely unavoidable and a natural part of life’s transition.   It was then that I began my quest to find the best and most effective natural menopause solutions.  I not only wanted to help my mother-in-law feel normal again, but I wanted to be prepared for when my day arrived.

Perimenopause or Menopause??

Many of you aren’t sure if you’re in menopause or not.  You may think you are having severe PMS symptoms or that you’re too young to be in menopause. Shockingly, perimenopause can begin in women as young as 35 years old!  The whole process for peri- to post- menopause can last from approximately age 35 to age 60.  The average woman transitions from perimenopause to menopause around age 51.

The difference between perimenopause and menopause can be confusing to many people.  Perimenopause is the period of time when the body starts preparing itself to eventually stop menstruating. The word “peri” means “near” and perimenopausal symptoms can look very similar to both PMS symptoms and menopausal symptoms.  This period lasts around 10 years.  Hot flashes and night sweats are typically deemed as “menopausal” symptoms, but really begin in perimenopause. Once you have completely stopped having a menstrual cycle, you are considered to be in menopause.  If your menstruation cycles still occur, even if they are erratic and irregular, you are still in perimenopause.

The Beginnings of Transition

If you’re still not sure where you’re at in your life’s stages of transition, these symptoms serve as great indicators of perimenopause.   Of course, the most accurate way to find out is to get a hormone panel run by your doctor.

Some perimenopausal symptoms include:

  • Heart Palpitations
  • Insomnia
  • Night Sweats
  • Loss of Libido
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Fuzzy Thinking
  • Hot Flashes
  • Migraines
  • Blood sugar imbalance

This list truly goes on and on.  These are merely just a few of the many symptoms felt during perimenopause.  Reading this list may bring you relief to know that it’s your hormones causing these symptoms.  So many of you, just like my mother-in-law, feel like you’re going crazy or that maybe you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown.  The great new is that there are many ways to bring relief to your body that may seem to have a mind of it’s own.

Food for Hormone Balance

Your diet is essential for hormone balance.  There are foods that can literally help effect the production of our hormones.  Low fat and fat free diets have caused a major problem in our society.  Not only do these diets promote carbs and sugars, but they are starving our bodies of the very components it needs to manufacture hormones!  Most all the hormones in our bodies are created from fat and cholesterol.  If we don’t eat adequate amounts, than hormone production gets interrupted.

Available in our Amazon store!

It is important to highlight that not all fat is healthy.  Processed oils like canola, and soy oils are toxic to the system as are transfats like hydrogenated oils.  Some examples of healthy fats are:

  • Olive Oil
  • Coconut Oil
  • Avocado Oil
  • Ghee
  • Organic Butter

Eggs are also a great source of fat and cholesterol needed for healthy hormone production.

Carbohydrates, even complex ones, need to be very limited for hormone balance.  Carbs cause fluctuations in blood sugar, which in turn creates an insulin response.  Insulin is a hormone that promotes body fat.  But, body fat isn’t the only reason to avoid carbs.  These fluctuations in blood sugar also exasperate menopausal symptoms.

Dangerous HRT Drugs

The most common thing prescribed by doctors for menopausal symptoms are Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) drugs.  Premarin, the most commonly prescribed, is an estrogen extracted from pregnant horse urine.  This estrogen is not identical to human estrogen and has caused a dramatic increase in breast cancer.  It is also been shown to increase the risk of heart disease.

Provera is another drug used in HRT.  It is a synthetic form of progesterone and has shown to be even more dangerous than premarin.  Provera also increases the chance of breast cancer and can cause blood clots and strokes.

There are other HRT drugs on the market, as well, and they all have similar side effects.  HRT drugs should be avoided — at all costs.  The terrible side effects far outweigh the supposed benefits.  I personally know five women, all of which have had breast cancer, and all five used HRT drugs.

Coincidence?

Bio-Identical HRT

Bio-Identical hormone replacement therapy is gaining momentum and popularity.  Celebrity’s like Suzanne Somer’s are touting their miraculous results.  Bio-identical hormones are not drugs; rather, they are “bio-identical” to the very hormones in your body.  These bio-identicals cannot be patented since they are natural. Therefore, big drug companies can’t make a profit from them.  These natural hormones are much harder to find for that very reason. They still must be prescribed by a doctor or nurse practitioner and compounded at a pharmacy.

I have seen women’s lives change by using bio-identical HRT.  Finding a practioner in your area who specializes in bio-identicals could be a challenge.  If you can’t find a practioner through an internet search, calling a women’s clinic and checking with your local health food store can also be helpful.

Nature’s Hormone Balancers

Not everyone has access to bio-identical hormones, nor does everyone need them.  Many women find relief using natural supplements and herbs that are much more accessible, lower in price, and don’t require a prescription like bio-identicals.  I typically start by suggesting natural supplements.  If my client finds no relief from herbs and supplements, I will then suggest the use of bio-identical hormones.

Progesterone Cream

Flickr by shawncampbell

One of the most popular natural treatments is progesterone cream.  During perimenopause, a woman’s estrogen levels usually stay the same or even climb, but their progesterone levels drop.  This is why many women find relief using progesterone cream.  Progesterone cream is available at your local health food store or online.  Make sure the cream you purchase specifies that it is bio-identical.  The dosage is a little different for menstruating and non-menstruating women.

  • If you still have your menses, apply...


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Filed Under: Menopause, July 2011, Slideshow, The 7 Rungs of the Health & Wellness Ladder Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s Time to Learn the Difference

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

IT’S 2002 ALL OVER AGAIN, and women are being warned against taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) because of its link to breast cancer. Why is history repeating itself? Because we haven’t learned an important lesson. Synthetic progestins are not the same as progesterone, and reporting on them as if they confer the same risks and benefits is absurd.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine dated February 5, 2009, concluded that hormone therapy doubles the risk of breast cancer. Specifically, women past menopause who take both estrogen and progestin (such as in the form of Prempro) for five years or more have twice the risk of developing breast cancer. When these same women stopped their combination hormone formula, the number of breast cancer incidents dropped by about 28 percent within the first year.

This study is a follow-up to the landmark Women’s Health Initiative that studied more than 15,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 who were taking HRT. In 2002, the study was stopped when researchers concluded that Prempro caused higher incidents of heart problems and breast cancer. Interestingly, the number of breast cancer cases dropped significantly since 2003. Dr. Rowan Chlebowski, a medical oncologist at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, wanted to know why. So he assembled a team of researchers to determine if it was due to women halting their HRT or to more vigilant mammography practices.

It’s related to HRT use; getting regular mammograms didn’t affect the numbers at all. But it’s not related to all hormone therapy! The women who took only estrogen (usually in the form of Premarin) without the progestin were no more likely to develop breast cancer than women who took no hormones at all. (Progesterone lowers the risk of uterine cancer. Women without a uterus aren’t typically given a progestin.) This means the synthetic progestin is the likely culprit.

Flashback to 2002. Women around the world stopped HRT cold turkey, causing many to feel unhealthy. Why? Because many healthcare providers and researchers didn’t know or appreciate the difference between a synthetic progestin and progesterone, which is a bioidentical hormone. (For more information on bioidentical hormones, read “The ABCs of HRT” in the Women’s Wisdom Circle.) Progesterone matches a woman’s body exactly and has been shown to ease mood, sleep, and cycle-related issues. Progesterone supplementation has another unique advantage—it can be converted to other hormones, such as testosterone and DHEA, if needed. Synthetic progestin is an altogether different substance known to actually exacerbate perimenopausal and post-menopausal symptoms—in addition to increasing your risk of breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

It’s hard to believe that seven years have passed and yet the difference between synthetic progestins and progesterone is not widely understood. Dr. Northrup has been doing her best to educate women across the U.S. and the world and has recently appeared on TV, radio, and webcasts to share her knowledge. (To learn more click here.) She encourages all women to learn about all the options for hormone therapy available today, particularly those involving bioidentical hormones. Dr. Northrup also hopes that all women will look with a critical eye at mainstream news about HRT, especially the news that’s sensationalized. As is the case with the study described above, there’s more to the story than meets the eye.

 

Christiane Northrup, M.D. is a visionary pioneer and beloved authority in the field of women’s health and wellness. A board-certified OB/GYN physician, Dr. Northrup was also an assistant clinical professor for 20 years. Recognizing the unity of body, mind, and spirit, Dr. Northrup helps empower women to tune in to their innate inner wisdom to transform their health and truly flourish. Dr. Northrup is the author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, The Wisdom of Menopause and The Secret Pleasures of Menopause. She has also hosted six highly successfully public television specials. Her work has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, The View, the Rachael Ray Show, Good Morning America, and ABC’s 20/20.  Visit http://www.drnorthrup.com/ for more details.

 

 

Filed Under: Menopause, July 2011, Special Feature Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Dong Quai: Natural Menopause Treatment

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

How to Balance Low Female Hormone Levels during Menopause. Dong Quai is a Natural Herbal Remedy to Increase Estrogen and Progesterone.

 

Benefits of Dong Quai

Over its million years of existence Dong Quai root has had a variety of medicinal uses. Ancient Chinese civilization used to use it as a sedative, aphrodisiac, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antispasmodic and is often referred to as the “female ginseng.”

Dong Quai root contains phytoestrogens, which have been proven to have a biological structure, which is chemically similar to estrogen. This component of many phytoestrogenic plants is capable of regenerating diminished estrogen levels. Estrogen is a key part of the body and an imbalance can cause a number of painful or embarrassing menopause symptoms for women approaching middle age.

Chinese herbalists usually soak the root in wine or boil it in water, discard the root and drink the liquid as a tonic. Apart from being helpful in soothing menstrual issues, Dong Quai root is also used to combat high blood pressure and anemia.

Dong Quai Root is also known for being able to treat the following effectively:

  • Sleep disturbances
  • Relief from menstrual disorders such as irregular bleeding
  • The relaxing of peripheral blood vessels
  • Spasms
  • Relief from menopausal symptoms

Advantages of Dong Quai

  • Dong Quai root as a viable option to female hormone replacement therapy: Dong Quai is useful for treating hot flashes, night sweats and sleeplessness, the latter usually occurs as a result of night sweats and sometimes itching. For maximum effect Dong Quai should be taken with black cohosh.
  • Dong Quai root as treatment for other conditions: Dong Quai is also used for effectively treating PMS, arthritis, and lowering blood pressure.
  • Dong Quai root is an efficient treatment method for menopause symptoms: This herb aids in regulating the levels of estrogen in your body, which also assists in relieving menopause symptoms. Moreover, Dong Quai is a mild sedative that will help reduce mood swings and stress related to menopause.

Cautions

If you are taking an anticoagulant (blood-thinning) medication or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (such as ibuprofen), check with your doctor before trying Dong Quai as it will have additive blood thinning and anti-inflammatory properties. Dong Quai also contains substances called psoralens that can react to sunlight, especially in fair-skinned people. Dong Quai may have a mild laxative effect, and menstrual bleeding may increase when taking Dong Quai. Stop taking Dong Quai if a skin rash or photosensivity develops. Don’t take Dong Quai if you are pregnant or nursing. Dong Quai root has also been linked to aggravate the spread of breast cancer cells. As with all herbal and dietary supplements, you should always inform your physician about what you are taking in order to avoid potentially dangerous drug interactions.

The Natural Way

Traditional Chinese medicine refers to Dong Quai as the Queen of female herbs because of its beneficial effects on the female reproductive system in much the same way as ginseng is popular for increasing potency of men. In fact, Dong Quai ranks only next to licorice in frequency of use in Chinese herbal medicine. Its optimizing effect on female hormones, its healing properties for uterine disorders and its richness in nutritional supplements make it valuable as an aphrodisiac for women.

Dong Quai:

  • May be used as a general woman’s tonic for female reproductive health
  • Promotes hormonal balance
  • Helps maintain healthy estrogen and progesterone levels in menopause symptoms
  • Promotes emotional balance to address PMS “blues”
  • Provides long-term benefits for female health

Order Dong Quai HERE.

 

 

Filed Under: Menopause, July 2011, Recommendation Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Progesterone Cream Review

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Progesterone Cream Uses

Flickr by shawncampbell

Progesterone creams are used to supplement or replace naturally occurring progestin. Although the evidence is mixed, use of progesterone cream can help to minimize some of the symptoms associated with menopause:

  • Hot flashes
  • Cold chills
  • Insomnia
  • Night sweats
  • Fatigue
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability

A deficiency of progestin causes a number of other symptoms, including:

  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Back pain
  • Belly-centric weight gain
  • Mood swings
  • Low libido

Progesterone Cream Benefits

Progesterone can be absorbed to some extent through the skin, which is why it is sold as a cream. Using a progesterone cream in accordance with the product’s instructions or a practitioner’s directions provides many benefits. Within the first two to eight weeks of use, many women report improved sleep and reduced fatigue. This is because the cream corrects a deficiency that triggers insomnia and hinders the action of thyroid hormone, a key player in maintaining healthy energy levels.

Other benefits of restoring progesterone with the help of a cream include...


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Filed Under: Menopause, July 2011, Product Review & Recommendation, Review Tagged With: , , , , ,

Managing Heart Risk After Menopause

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Heart Risk Challenge to Women

Heart attacks are sometimes thought of as man’s disease. Nothing could be further from the truth. Women are equally at risk: heart attacks remain the leading cause of death among American women. Over 300,000 women will die of heart disease this year.

This is just the beginning of the challenge.

Most heart attacks are the result of cardiovascular diseases that affect the heath of the arteries. Diseased arteries are the cause of strokes — over 100,000 American women will die of stroke this year. It also is the cause of congestive heart failure, peripheral arteries disease and vascular dementia.   The restricted flow of blood also has been associated with weaker bones as we age.

So, why is heart disease still thought of as a man’s disease?

Menopause “Changes”

Perhaps it is because heart attacks strike more men earlier in life. The female hormone, in fact, protects the arteries delaying the onset of heart disease. After menopause, women find themselves at increasing risk for cardiovascular disease.  Moving through their sixties, women and men of the same age are about at equal risk for a heart attack or stroke.

Researchers are not sure as to how the female hormones protect the heart. One thing is clear: high-density lipoproteins, the good cholesterol, drop after menopause. Similarly, low-density lipoproteins – the artery damaging cholesterol – have been found to rise through menopause.

As the good cholesterol falls and the bad cholesterol rises, doctors will to seek to address the growing risk for heart disease. You may already know the recommendations – eat healthier, exercise more, loss some weight, stop smoking and if these measure fail to bring your blood cholesterol numbers to acceptable levels, you will likely be prescribed a cholesterol lowering medications.

But, should you be wait until your cholesterol level rises after menopause to act? Absolutely not!

New Cholesterol Equation for Success

While the risk of a heart attack or a stroke rises quickly after menopause, the underlying health of your arteries is partially defined earlier in life. Women who are concerned about their bone health know this story. After menopause, bone density drops. To prevent the weakening of the bone to the extent that it causes osteoporosis, younger women are encouraged to build bone density. Bone density is built throughout the teen years into their twenties. After that, women are encouraged to preserve this density through the right diet and the right types of exercise.

The same thinking should apply to arterial health. Cholesterol can start to do its damage in early adolescence and sometimes during childhood. By our fifties and sixties, we simply have given the process enough time to reach concerning levels.

Mayo-clinic trained cardiologist, Dr Richard Collins suggests that to prevent heart disease, your total cholesterol needs to be “100 plus your age.” Think about this. Dr Collins is suggesting a stricter standard for cholesterol when you are younger. Many doctors and most patients think differently. They are looking reduce target cholesterol levels as a woman ages.

“Cholesterol is a challenge associated not with growing old,” says Dr Collins, “It is a problem of living long with elevated levels. We need to be more mindful of bringing these levels into line earlier before we give them the time to do their damage.”

If you are already have gone through menopause, there is still much you can do.  Researchers like Dr. Collins, Dr. Dean Ornish of Preventive Medicine Research Institute and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn of the Cleveland Clinic have shown how a structured plant-based diet can reverse the damage done to the arteries.

Studies on the Mediterranean diet and Asian diets also have shown how delicious styles of eating can support significant and measurable improvements in not only cholesterol levels, but also in blood pressure, blood sugar and inflammatory levels, especially in menopausal women.

Start acting now. To learn more about delicious, heart healthy nutrition read Dr. Collins, latest book, The Kardea Gourmet: Smart & Delicious Eating for a Healthy Heart.

 

 

Filed Under: Menopause, July 2011, Special Feature Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Cybill Shepherd: Singing The Menopause Blues

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

“The Menopause Blues” is a catchy and hilarious song written and sung by Cybill Shepherd.  Cybill was one of the first to bring personal lamentations about menopause to the airwaves in her television sitcom “Cybill” during the mid 1990s.

To take women’s issues one step further, Cybill used music to come out loud and proud about menopause.

After Cybill began speaking publicly about menopause, floods of normal and herbal formulas packaged from all over the world became available to remedy symptoms of menopause.  Like for so many other women, doctor subscribed estrogen was not the only prescription for navigating menopause.  Cybill Shepherd started substituting with natural approach to help remedy hot flashes. The standardized red cover extract, a phytoestrogen-rich plant extract, helped her manage the mood swings, decreased libido and memory loss. Phytoestrogen content may 
even help support healthy bone density and circulation.

There are a lot of natural different approaches to forage your individual pathway through menopause.  Black cohosh, natural progesterone, calcium, vitamin E and D, and more from nature’s pharmacy can offer safer choices than your doctor ever could. Most self-care menopause treatments provide the best results due to education, knowledge and trial and error.

In the end, Cybill’s sense of humor and laughter – even in song – has gotten her through the tough times hormonal times. Today, with so many natural options available, the fifties, sixes and beyond can open up whole new passages leading to stages of life.

“It is not easy, but it is also 
another exciting stage. It can be explored. You can learn from it.”~ Cybill Shepherd

 

Filed Under: Celebrity Health Watch, Menopause, July 2011 Tagged With: , ,
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