Menopause Hot Flashes

Eating on the Road

Friday, November 6, 2009 by Kimberly Day

With the holiday season right around the corner, that likely means a trip or two to the airport or on the road. And with all the tempting treats that seem to abound, it can be very difficult to maintain a healthy weight, let alone eat right for your hormone type.

When traveling, always keep your eye out for fresh, local fruits or vegetables. However, if you have menopause problems, you’ll want to avoid highly acidic fruits like oranges and grapefruit. Instead, stock up on high-enzyme foods like sprouts, carrots, celery, or papaya to snack on.

If you are eating in a restaurant, aim for salads, steamed vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, and poultry, especially if you suffer from hot flashes or night sweats. Be sure to order the less acidic, more alkaline fruits such as melons and papayas.

Conversely, if you have estrogen dominance, you should load up on spinach salads with vinegar- or lemon juice-based dressings, entrees with tomato sauce, spicy entrees, or healthy meat-based dishes.

If you are flying and your trip is an hour or more, try brown bagging it. That way, instead of raiding the frig or mini-bar, you can reach into your own store of energy-rich foods that you brought from home. These can include raw, fresh vegetables with a flavorful dressing or dip, whole-grain crackers with almond butter, and a piece of fruit.

Progesterone--The "Forgotten" Female Hormone

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 by Susan Lark

I just saw a press release this week announcing the release of a natural progesterone cream by a nutraceutical company, and it got me thinking that, with all the focus on estrogen, progesterone is often a forgotten female hormone. So, I'd like to refresh your memory about the many important jobs of progesterone in your body.

Estrogen and progesterone balance each other out, which is why it is often used as part of a hormone replacement therapy regimen. For example, estrogen elevates your mood, while progesterone has a sedative effect on mood. And one of the major jobs of progesterone is to prevent menstrual bleeding from become too heavy or long-lasting (which often happens as a result of estrogen dominance). It also prevents the uterine lining from becoming too thick, which can lead to uterine cancer.

How do you know if your body is making enough progesterone? I've provided a checklist in the past, which I encourage you to review. If you and your doctor determine that you are a candidate for progesterone replacement to relieve your menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, I recommend that you look into natural progesterone replacement.

Wyeth's Disturbing Marketing Tactics

Thursday, October 22, 2009 by Susan Lark

My editor picked up the latest edition of Philadelphia Magazine this weekend while waiting for a flight at the Philadelphia airport. She tells me what drew her attention to the magazine was an article titled "Did Wyeth Give This Woman Cancer?" She passed the article on to me and, in turn, I want to pass it on to you because the author delves into the tactics Wyeth used over the past couple of decades to sell its blockbuster hormone replacement therapy drug, Prempro--despite early concerns that it could greatly increase a woman's risk of breast cancer. (This risk was confirmed in 2002's Women's Health Initiative study.)

While certainly disturbing and unscrupulous, I suppose I'm not too surprised by the tactics used by Wyeth to market Prempro, preying on women's desperation to find menopause relief and help for hot flashes. But this article adds to my resolve in helping women find safe, natural alternatives to reduce menopause hot flashes and night sweats. I've spoken many times about the dangers of conventional hormone replacement therapy and why bioidentical hormone replacement and herbs such as black cohosh are healthier, more effective options. I strongly encourage you to consider these natural treatments over Prempro and Wyeth's newest hormone replacement therapy drug, Aprela.

One Woman's Story of Menopause Hot Flashes

Thursday, October 15, 2009 by Susan Lark

My editor, who lives in Tampa, forwarded me a column that appeared in her local newspaper about one woman's account dealing with menopause hot flashes. While this woman's story was obviously meant to be rather light-hearted and humorous (at least to the reader!), I also have a great deal of empathy for her. I have worked with countless patients who have suffered from menopause hot flashes and night sweats that were not just annoying, but downright debilitating--just like this writer's.

Fortunately, in about half of menopausal women, hot flashes disappear within a year. If you suffer from menopause hot flashes, remember, there are effective natural solutions--including supplements and even acupressure--that can provide real relief. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is also an excellent option for some women--but be sure to talk to your doctor about this, since you'll need a prescription for it.

I encourage you to try these therapies out and find a an effective combination that works for you.

Menopause Hot Flash and Heart Disease Link

Thursday, October 8, 2009 by Susan Lark

Last week, the North American Menopause Society met in San Diego, and I have been reading about some interesting data and research that have come out of that meeting. One piece of research in particular that caught my eye stated that menopause hot flashes may signal an increased risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Researchers followed more than 400 women and found that those with menopause hot flashes were more likely to have a thickening in their carotid arteries, which increased their risk of heart issues.

As I've discussed before in my newsletter, Women's Wellness Today, we know that the risk of heart disease increases after menopause. During a woman's reproductive years, the whole system is generally healthier and risk factors for heart disease and other conditions are a lot lower. In my own patients, those who are producing healthy amounts of female hormones have healthier cholesterol and arterial flexibility...but unfortunately, that often changes as an effect of menopause. This new research provides even more evidence, added to what we already know from previous studies, that menopause and cardiovascular disease are linked.

Honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Friday, October 2, 2009 by Susan Lark

As you are probably well aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Prevention and early detection are key to beating this awful disease, and fortunately, many of the therapies and recommendations I provide to help reduce menopause symptoms like night sweats and hot flashes also apply to breast health. Some of these recommendations include:

Exercise. As I mentioned in my last post , exercise can provide significant menopause relief, especially from night sweats and hot flashes. It's also well established that regular exercise is a powerful way to reduce breast cancer risk. In one study of women aged 50 and older published in the July 2001 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, regularly engaging in high recreational physical activity dropped the odds of breast cancer by a whopping 66 percent!
Avoid conventional hormone replacement therapy. In 2002, scientists reported an up to 79 percent increased risk of breast cancer in women taking conventional hormone replacement therapy. But the latest research not only confirms those findings, it magnifies them. Taking conventional hormone replacement therapy causes the risk of breast cancer to increase quickly--within just a couple of years after starting the hormones. So, don't assume that it is safe to take these synthetic hormones for a short period of time to reduce menopause symptoms and ease the transition into menopause! Fortunately, if you already take conventional hormone replacement therapy, the good news is that the elevated risk goes back down within just a year or two after stopping. If you absolutely need menopause relief and want to consider hormonal therapy, I urge you to talk to your doctor about bioidentical hormone replacement.
Melatonin is a powerful breast cancer preventative that also doubles as a sleep enhancer. In one study published in the November 2006 issue of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, two groups of rats were put on intense exercise programs. At the same time, one group also received supplemental melatonin. The group that received the melatonin had no increase in tumor growth, while the tumors of the rats that were not given melatonin were significantly larger. In my own practice, I have seen melatonin work wonders for breast cancer prevention, and as a sleep aid for those women who suffer from insomnia due to horrible night sweats. I recommend taking 1–1.5 mg of melatonin each evening before bed, although for sleep, excellent results may be achieved with as little as 300 mcg per day.

And, of course, it goes without saying that you should be diligent about conducting your monthly self-breast exams and getting screened regularly!

Menopausal Weight Gain Worsens Hot Flashes

Friday, September 25, 2009 by Susan Lark

I just read an article this morning about a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology that states that women who gain weight as they approach menopause have a harder time with menopause hot flashes. According to the article, it used to be believed that excess weight helped protect against this common effect of menopause because fat contains hormones that are converted into estrogen. But this research confirms that the opposite is true, and that higher body fat and body mass index make hot flashes more pronounced.

Similarly, I wrote recently in my newsletter, Women's Wellness Today, that researchers used to think that exercise worsened menopause hot flashes. But what they determined was that the key was the strenuousness of the workouts. Menopausal women don't need to be working out at an extremely strenuous level, but rather on a moderate level for 35 to 45 minutes at least four days a week to get relief from this menopause symptom.

So what is the take home message from all of this? Simply put, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight throughout life--and especially once you hit menopause--can make the transition into this phase of life much easier. If you are overweight and suffering from menopause hot flashes, your natural weight loss plan should include exercises like yoga and moderately-paced walking or biking.

As far as supplements go, I've given you many recommendations for night sweat and hot flash relief in this blog, but here are some of the newest that I discussed recently in my newsletter, all of which you can find at health food stores and vitamin retailers:

Genistein is a phytoestrogen that provides significant help for menopause hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopause symptoms. If your hot flashes occur four or more times per day, taking geinstein in divided doses should help.
Hops is best known as a flavoring agent in beer, but it also contains a potent phytoestrogen known as 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN). Studies show that 8-PN brings significant relief from hot flashes and other menopause symptoms within just six weeks of taking 100 mcg per day.
Kudzu is a prolific vine that contains the phytoestrogen puerarin. It has been used extensively in Traditional Chinese Medicine to relieve menopause symptoms.

Celebrating Menopause Awareness Month

Friday, September 11, 2009 by Lauren Kent

Did you know September is Menopause Awareness Month in the United States? Evidently 5 years ago the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) worked to declare this month "Menopause Awareness" month, stating that they wanted women to be informed about new and emerging safety information about menopausal hormone treatment (i.e. hormone replacement therapy or HRT).

It's interesting that the FDA says that they want women to be informed about treatments for menopause symptoms, but at the same time they take efforts to limit women's access to solutions, such as bioidentical hormones, that have been proven to help ease hot flashes, night sweats, and the other unpleasant menopause symptoms. In addition, they continue to allow synthetic hormone replacement therapy to be distributed to women despite the known risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and more. It's time the FDA got with the program.

Dr. Lark knew the risks of synthetic hormone replacement therapy long before the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) studies were released and has successfully used alternative therapies to help ease both menopause and perimenopause symptoms. She often discusses natural solutions for hot flashes, night sweats and other hormone-related issues in her monthly newsletter, Women's Wellness Today.

So, in celebration of Menopause Awareness Month, I encourage you to learn more about the safer, natural therapies for menopause symptoms by reading these blogs and visiting Dr. Lark's site here.

Study: A Seizure Medication Provides Better Sleep in Women with Menopause Hot Flashes

Thursday, September 10, 2009 by Susan Lark

Today, I read an article in the Los Angeles Times about a new study published in the Journal of Women's Health that stated that gabapentin (a drug originally used to treat seizures and psychiatric disorders) is useful in helping women who have menopause hot flashes get better sleep. You can see the abstract here: http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jwh.2008.1257.

Poor quality sleep is one of the most common effects of menopause, thanks to sleep-disturbing night sweats. However, I can't support the use of a medication such as gabapentin to help women with insomnia, especially when there are safer, more natural ways to promote better sleep. Side effects of gabapentin include drowsiness, headache, uncontrollable shaking, vision problems, anxiety, memory problems, nausea/vomiting, and strange or unusual thoughts--just to name a few!!

If you are experiencing menopause problems such as night sweats or hot flashes that are disturbing your sleep, I encourage you to try any one of these safe, effective, natural therapies:

· Stress reduction. Stress of any kind can interfere with sleep. I recommend Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which is a graceful combination of meditation and yoga originally conceived by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. (Learn more at www.mindfullivingprograms.com.) MBSR is now widely recognized as an effective stress reducer and sleep enhancer. Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s online referral service (at www.umassmed.edu/cfm/mbsr) can help you locate MBSR near you.

· 5-HTP. Serotonin, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that relaxes and calms you down, is produced within the brain from 5-HTP. I suggest taking 50–100 mg one or two times per day. Be sure to take 5-HTP with a carbohydrate snack, such as a piece of fruit, to facilitate its uptake into the brain. In addition, take 50–100 mg of vitamin B6, to ensure 5-HTP’s timely conversion to serotonin.

· Melatonin is produced in the body from serotonin and is crucial in regulating your sleep/wake cycle. In an analysis published in the February 2005 issue of Sleep Medicine Reviews, researchers reviewed and analyzed 15 studies involving healthy adults with insomnia who supplemented with melatonin. They concluded that melatonin was, in fact, very effective in increasing total sleep and sleep efficiency, among other factors. Melatonin is naturally found in bananas, tomatoes, beets, and cucumbers. If you choose to supplement with melatonin, I recommend taking 1–1.5 mg in the evening.

GABA is another major inhibitory neurotransmitter that promotes messages of calm and relaxation. I recommend taking 1,000 mg of GABA twice a day if you suffer from sleep deprivation.

Alleviating a Troublesome Effect of Menopause: Vaginal Dryness

Friday, September 4, 2009 by Susan Lark

When you think about menopause symptoms, probably the first ones that come to mind are menopausal hot flashes and night sweats because they are the most common complaints. But vaginal dryness is just as troublesome...and fortunately, very treatable.

With menopause, estrogen levels decline and the vaginal lining thins and loses some of its lubrication-producing mucus glands. The reason is simple: After menopause, the vagina no longer needs to be tough enough for childbirth. However, while the fluctuating hormones that occur during early menopause can create excessive vaginal dryness, the good news is that it’s temporary. Here is what you can do to alleviate this menopause symptom naturally:

Exercise at least four times a week, if not every day. Regular exercise improves blood supply to the entire body (including the vagina), not just by pumping more blood to the tissues, but also by stimulating new capillary growth.
Avoid anything that can irritate the delicate vaginal tissues, including douches, perfumed soaps, hygiene products, and chlorinated pools or hot tubs.
Include plenty of foods in your diet that are rich in naturally lubricating essential fatty acids, such as wild-caught salmon and mackerel, raw sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, raw nuts, and flax. Flax is particularly helpful because it’s a phytoestrogen—meaning it’s chemically and functionally similar to estradiol, a woman’s most prominent natural estrogen. Therefore, phytoestrogens have estrogenic and estrogen-balancing effects. I suggest 4–6 tablespoons of ground flaxseed once or twice a day.
Black cohosh is another supplement that many of my patients have found can help naturally boost vaginal moisture—and also relieve menopause hot flashes and night sweats, as well. I suggest taking 40–80 mg of a standardized extract of black cohosh twice a day. This dose should contain 2–4 mg of the active component triterpenes, calculated as 27-deoxyacteine.
Consider natural hormones, like prescription estriol cream. Extensive research has shown that, when used vaginally, this bioidentical estrogen remains almost totally localized to the vaginal tissues. Most women notice a difference within a month, but continued improvement often builds for several months. Estriol is made to order at compounding pharmacies.

Dealing With Female Hormones - A Follow-up

Thursday, September 3, 2009 by Lauren Kent

Last month I wrote about how hormonal imbalances really go beyond the hot flashes and night sweats, and can affect women of all ages. I shared my personal story of dealing with horrible headaches and fatigue on the first day of menstruation.

My goal this month was to eliminate my symptoms by following Dr. Lark's recommendations in her PMS Self Help Book. I was to eliminate alcohol, tropical fruits, chocolate, and sugar. How well did I do?

Tropical fruits - check!
Alcohol - check!
Chocolate & sugar - not so great. It's kind of hard to avoid these things when your husband brings home a large chocolate cake for your birthday. But, I did do my best to avoid chocolate & sugar once the cake was gone.

The outcome? I felt pretty good this month. I did have a dull headache, but nothing like the killer ones I've experienced in the past. I was a little tired, but that could have been do to the fact that my 1-year-old was up a couple times the night before.

This month I'll try to curb the chocolate & sugar more and see how I feel. With no birthday to celebrate it should be a lot easier.

To read my earlier post "Dealing with Female Hormones-Not Just a Menopause Thing" click here.

Is Reduced Immunity an Effect of Menopause?

Tuesday, September 1, 2009 by Susan Lark

It seems like you can't turn on the news these days without hearing about the H1N1 flu--otherwise known as "swine flu." As I wrote in this month's issue of my newsletter, it is possible to boost your immunity so that you can protect yourself from this virus, as well as other illnesses.

Interestingly, with age, the human immune system undergoes something called immunosenescence—a decline in the number and function of immune cells in the bone marrow, blood, and tissues; and a decline in the ability of immune cells to communicate with each other and find the infection, and fight effectively once they get there.

Before menopause, when your female hormones are abundant, your immune system is stronger than a man’s at any age because estrogen is a natural immunostimulant. But as hormonal imbalances and premenopause/menopause occur, another change occurs in your body--your defenses take a hit that’s harder than an older man’s body ever has to deal with. So, along with menopause symptoms like night sweats and menopause hot flashes, another effect of menopause is your immune system's weakening.

These are just a few tips to help oost your immunity and protect yourself against illness this year:

Take zinc. Zinc levels, which are a critical competent for immune response, commonly decline with age, which accelerates immunosenescence. Take10–25 mg of zinc daily, plus 2 mg of copper (because zinc depletes copper).

Take Propolis, a sticky compound bees produce to seal and protect honey-filled compartments, is rich in immune-modulating polyphenolic compounds. I recommend green Brazilian propolis from Uniflora Health Foods (http://store.uniflora.us).

Vitamin D3, (the “sunshine” vitamin) is also critically important for immunity. It is critical for healthy mucosal barriers lining your respiratory tract, reproductive tract, eyes, and digestive system. Those barriers are your immune system’s first line of defense, keeping pathogens from getting past their guard. Take at least 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily.

Wishing you the best of health this fall and winter!

Am I Experiencing Early Menopause?

Monday, August 24, 2009 by Lauren Kent

"Am I going through early menopause"? That was the question I was asking myself one year ago today (which also happens to be my birthday). I had delivered my 2nd child, Alexis, a few weeks earlier, and had started experiencing horrible night sweats nearly every night. Luckily, the menopause symptoms were solely at night. I wasn't having hot flashes during the day. Since I never experienced night sweats after my first child was born, I had started to wonder if I might be going into menopause... at the age of 36.

I consulted a dear mommy friend of mine who was actually surprised that I didn't get night sweats after my first pregnancy. Evidently, post-partum sweating, especially at night, is quite common. Sweating is one of the ways your body gets rid of the extra water retained during pregnancy. It's also possible that the drop in estrogen that occurs right after delivery contributes to the night sweats. Who knew?

So, here I am, one year later, no longer having the night sweats, but knowing that menopause will come one day. Luckily, for all of us, there are now natural solutions for menopause relief. We do not need to suffer like our mothers once did. And, we certainly don't need to put ourselves at risk with hormone replacement therapy.

Soy for Menopause Relief

Friday, August 21, 2009 by Kimberly Day

As I indicated in my last blog, I believe that soy should be consumed only a couple of times a week by anyone with estrogen dominance, premenopause, or other conditions where estrogen levels are out of balance with progesterone levels. Additionally, I believe that women who are in menopause but who are taking tamoxifen for breast cancer or those who have a thyroid concern should also limit their soy intake.

That being said, I do feel it is okay for a woman who is experiencing menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopause problems to consume soy. The key to soy for menopause relief is the natural isoflavones in soy. Therefore, the key is to eat the right amounts of soy foods in the right forms to help you ease the negative side effects of menopause.

I still maintain that you should limit your consumption of soy no more than one serving a day in a “pure” form such as edamame, tofu, or tempeh. On the isoflavone front, Dr. Lark recommends having 50-100 mg of soy isoflavones a day to effectively treat menopause symptoms. In relation to soy foods, this breaks down to one cup of tofu (70 mg isoflavones), 1 cup of tempeh (70 mg isoflavones), or ¼ cup edamame (75 mg isoflavomes) a day.

Not All Black Cohosh is Created Equal When It Comes to Menopause Relief

Monday, August 17, 2009 by Lauren Kent

Last week it was reported that researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Chicago had found that black cohosh and red clover do not relieve menopause symptoms such as hot flashes.

Am I surprised by this news? Not really. But I do take issue with labeling all black cohosh as being ineffective in providing menopause relief. That's because all black cohosh isn't created equal.

Dr. Lark has mentioned in the past that while some women found relief from menopause symptoms with black cohosh, others did not. That's why the form of black cohosh we use in Daily Balance's Harmony Hormone Balance for Women isn't your run-of-the-mill variety. It's a patented, studied form of black cohosh called BNO1055. No other black cohosh product is similar to BNO1055. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, BNO1055 was shown to provide up to an 80 percent reduction in "heating episodes" (i.e. hot flashes and night sweats).

This is not the generic form of black cohosh that you can pick-up in any store, and certainly not the form used in the study.

To read Dr. Lark's own response to the study click here.

My Response to a New Study on Black Cohosh and Red Clover for Menopause Relief

Monday, August 17, 2009 by Susan Lark

I was upset to see news of a recent study conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University that concluded that placebo is better than black cohosh and red clover at reducing menopause symptoms like hot flashes. While I acknowledge that red clover has not been studied enough to conclude that it helps relieve certain effects of menopause, I completely disagree with their black cohosh findings. In fact, I have been recommending black cohosh for many years and my patients have experienced great relief from hot flashes, night sweats, and other effecs of menopause.

Black cohosh, native to North America, is derived from the dried rootstock and roots of Cimicifuga racemosa. Traditionally it was used to treat rheumatism, general malaise, kidney ailments, and malaria as well as to provide pain relief during menstruation and childbirth. Native Americans have used the herb throughout history to treat a wide variety of gynecological conditions.

Clinical studies have shown that black cohosh extract not only relieves menopause hot flashes, but also depression and vaginal atrophy. This research has prompted well-publicized studies on the standardized extract of black cohosh and its ability to treat menopause symptoms.

In one of the largest studies on black cohosh, women with menopause symptoms received forty drops of liquid black cohosh extract twice a day for six to eight weeks. Within four weeks of treatment, a distinct improvement was seen in nearly 80 percent of the women. After six to eight weeks, all symptoms had completely disappeared in half of the women.

Another study found similar results. Scientists gave women with menopause symptoms either high- or low-dose black cohosh for a twelve week period. At the conclusion of the study, approximately 80 percent of both patients and physicians rated the treatment as "good to very good." The investigators reported no differences in either effectiveness or adverse reactions between the two groups.

The only good news that came from this newest study from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University is that black cohosh won't hurt you and is considered safe. Well, this is GREAT news indeed, considering the only FDA-approved treatment for menopause symptoms--hormone replacement therapy--is dreadfully dangerous and increases your risk of heart disease, cancer (particularly breast cancer), stroke, and other serious problems. So if you have menopause hot flashes, night sweats, or other menopause symptoms, why not try a natural treatment that has been proven safe? I suggest taking 40 to 80 mg of a standardized extract of black cohosh twice a day. This dose should contain 2 to 4 mg of the active components (triterpenes, calculated as 27-deoxyacteine).

Sensational Summer Smoothies

Friday, August 7, 2009 by Kimberly Day

Every morning, I make up a smoothie for breakfast, so I often make the assumption that everyone has a favorite smoothie recipe up their sleeve. And you know what they say about assumptions!

To avoid being that proverbial, er, assumer, here are two fantastic smoothie recipes, each designed for your particular hormone type.

Women With Excess Estrogen Levels

This recipe is great for women with estrogen dominance, as well as those who are in premenopause or early menopause. Not only will it help to reduce estrogen levels, but it can also promote healthy weight loss by increasing fiber!

Berry Heavenly
Serves 1

1 cup almond milk
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
½ cup frozen strawberries
½ cup frozen blueberries

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
2. Serve chilled.

Women with Decreased Estrogen Levels

This recipe is a delicious way to cool the fires of menopause symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes. Plus, the soy can help to ease other menopause problems like dry skin and other cosmetic signs of menopause.

Mango Banana Smoothie
Serves 2

1½ cups soy milk
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
¾ cup aloe vera juice
¾ cup frozen mangos
1 banana

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
2. Serve chilled.

Dealing Female Hormones - Not Just a Menopause Thing

Friday, August 7, 2009 by Lauren Kent

So many women think about female hormones and only relate them to menopause--the hot flashes, night sweats, etc. But this is an issue that many women deal with of all ages, myself included.

Each month, on the day I'm starting menstruation, I get an awful headache, feel exhausted, and just want to lie down and go to bed. I've always assumed that my symptoms were related to my estrogen levels, and that something was out of balance. (That or my body was simply punishing me for not getting pregnant, since I absolutely love being pregnant.)

This week, after suffering through an awful day of PMS, I consulted Dr. Lark's PMS Self Help Book. And there it was confirmed what I had already suspected. On the first day of menstruation, estrogen and progesterone levels are extremely low. I even learned that what I was experiencing was known as "Type C" PMS (the "c" is for carbohydrates or cravings). Women suffering from Type C PMS often experience sugar cravings, fatigue, and headaches.

For the Type C PMS sufferer Dr. Lark recommends eliminating sugar, chocolate, alcohol, and tropical fruits from the diet. No problem on the alcohol and tropical fruits. But sugar and chocolate? I'm just going to have to take that one day by day. She also recommends a strong vitamin and mineral multinutrient.

I'm going to start incorporating some Dr. Lark's recommendations this month. And hopefully, my days of headaches and exhaustion will be a thing of the past. Stay tuned!

New Study Finds Link Between Ovarian Cancer and Synthetic Hormone Replacement Therapy

Friday, July 24, 2009 by Lauren Kent

This week it was reported that a recent study found that post-menopausal women who underwent synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had a sharply increased risk of ovarian cancer. The study included 900,000 Danish women between the ages of 50 to 79 and resulted with scientists determining that 140 cases of ovarian cancer within an eight-year period could be linked to synthetic hormones.

Is anyone surprised?

For years, Dr. Lark has been reporting on the negative risk factors and side effects associated with conventional HRT. Previous studies have shown that this therapy increases a woman's risk of heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, and breast cancer, and it can intensify pre-existing conditions such as heavy bleeding from fibroids, migraine headaches, and blood clotting problems. Plus, some women experience terrible side effects, such as depression, anxiety, breast tenderness, weight gain, and fluid retention.

There are numerous non-hormonal solutions to treat menopause symptoms. Just a couple months ago, Dr. Lark discussed this very topic in her newsletter, Women's Wellness Today. Among her recommendations were:

* Black Cohosh: In conventional review studies, black cohosh is the one therapy that is universally named as the most effective for hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. There's a specific formulation of black cohosh that Dr. Lark recommends that's known among researchers as “CR BNO 1055". This form has shown a reduction in "heating episodes" (i.e. hot flashes) of up to 80%.

* Omega-3 Fatty Acids: In a 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of women suffering from five or more troublesome hot flashes per day, supplemental omega-3 fatty acids brought highly significant and increasing relief of hot flashes. Dr. Lark recommends taking 1,200–2,000 mg of omega-3s in the form of fish oil.

* Melatonin: A good night’s sleep is a necessity for all women, but night sweats can seriously interfere with that. Inadequate sleep also interferes with your ability to get your natural nightly dose of melatonin—the hormone your pineal gland secretes when you’re in a deep sleep during the darkest part of the night. Taking supplemental melatonin can help you sleep better, even if your sleep disturbance is due to night sweats. Dr. Lark recommends taking 3 mcg–3 mg of melatonin every night, about 30 minutes before you go to bed. Start with the lower dosage and increase, if needed, until you get the desired effect.

Dr. Lark has dedicated herself to providing women with natural, safer alternatives for menopause symptoms. You can find many more of her solutions on her blog and web site.

To learn more about the recent study, click here.

Truvia is True to Its Word

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 by Kimberly Day

Twice a year, I hold week-long SkyLab boot camps with Jackie Warner, star of Bravo TV’s Workout. The most recent boot camp we held was in early June this year.

At the boot camp, Jackie was raving about a new sweetener called Truvia. Because I have seen the ads on TV and in magazines, I was immediately suspicious. Usually, when a “natural” sweetener takes up this type of ad space, it is not very natural. Think Splenda.

As it turns out, my concerns were unnecessary. Truvia is made from rebiana, erythritol, and natural flavors. While I’d like to know a bit more about these “natural flavors,” the other ingredients are fine.

Rebiana comes from the stevia plant, and as you know from my June 26, 2009 posting, I am a huge fan of stevia. Erythritol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that is nearly calorie-free. Like other sugar alcohols, erythritol doesn’t spike glucose or insulin levels; however, unlike most sugar alcohols, it doesn’t cause the “laxative” response that come people get with xylitol or maltitol.

All of this makes Truvia a great, sweet option for women suffering from menopause symptoms such as night sweats or hot flashes, as Truvia won’t alter hormone levels. More specifically, it won’t increase estrogen levels, which is a huge plus for women with estrogen dominance.

And, if weight loss is a priority for you this summer, Truvia may be your new best friend. Make it a part of your natural weight loss plan by adding it to oatmeal, green tea, or anything that you want to make just a little bit sweeter.

Hmmm…maybe I can add it to my husband!