Wrinkle Free Skin Care

Women with estrogen dominance as well as those who suffer from menopause problems whose diets are high in saturated fats, such as butter and dairy products (especially cheese and ice cream), often stimulate the growth of unhealthy, anaerobic bacteria in their intestinal tract. These bacteria chemically change the breakdown products of estrogen into forms that can be reabsorbed back into the body.

These bacteria split estrogen from the binding substances that inactivate it in your liver. This splitting process causes free estrogen to be reformed within your intestinal tract. As this free estrogen is reabsorbed into the circulation, it increases free estrogen levels within the blood.

To suppress the growth of these unhealthy bacteria, you should not only reduce your intake of saturated fat (which can lead to the problem in the first place), you need to increase your intake of probiotic-rich, fermented foods so you can recolonize your intestinal tract with healthy bacteria. These include yogurt (preferably goat- or coconut-based), kim chee, pickles, and sauerkraut.

If you tend to eat out frequently, then you know that it is tough enough to make healthy choices, let alone having those choices reflect your particular hormonal makeup. To help you out, Dr. Lark and I created several tools in Hormone Revolution to make your food selections much easier when you are dining out.

Whether you tend to be overall acidic woman dealing with menopause problems or a more alkaline, woman with estrogen dominance or someone with low estrogen levels but excess yin, eating out can prove to be tricky since you are not the one preparing the food.

Traditionally, people have chosen mostly highly acidic dishes and entrées when eating in restaurants. Luckily, all-American, overly acidic fare such as the 16-ounce porterhouse steak, French fries, and rich, sugary deserts, and French cuisine with its heavy butter- and cream-based sauces have been replaced or supplemented in many restaurants by lighter, healthier, and less acidic, more alkaline dishes. This is true both in American restaurants and in those serving ethnic cuisines. The important thing is to know which dishes on the menu represent the less acidic, more alkaline options and to select a variety of these types of dishes when dining out.

International Cuisine

The following list can help you make healthy choices, particularly if you are working hard to balance your female hormones. In general, you will want to order salads, non-dairy soups, vegetable or bean appetizers and side dishes, and vegetarian or fish entrées. Remember, most restaurants are willing to make up vegetarian entrées and platters at your request, even if they are not on the menu.

• American cuisine: salad or salad bars, bean or vegetable soups, baked potatoes, rice, vegetable side dishes or platters, fish or shellfish entrées.
• Italian cuisine: escarole soup, bean or minestrone soup, white bean salad, Caesar salad, risotto, polenta (cornmeal) with a mushroom sauce, grilled eggplant entrée, fish or shellfish entrées.
• French cuisine: vegetable or seafood salads, nondairy soups, vegetable side dishes, stewed beans, fish or shellfish entrées.
• Indian cuisine: lentils, rice pilafs, cucumber salad, curried vegetable or shellfish dishes.
• Chinese cuisine: stir-fried vegetables, sizzling rice soup, tofu or bean curd dishes, steamed rice, shrimp and mixed vegetable entrées.
• Japanese cuisine: Japanese salads, miso soup, sticky rice, sushi, side dishes and soups made with vegetables and tofu.
• Mexican cuisine: mixed vegetable salads, tostada salad, bean and rice side dishes, bean or shrimp burritos, chicken or shrimp fajitas, bean or seafood tacos (skip the cheese and sour cream).

Now that you understand why you should be wheat-free, how can you actually do it? After all, wheat seems to be in everything!

I know exactly how you feel. That was my first thought when I started on this process. Thankfully, it isn’t nearly as complicated as you may think. Remember, wheat is an ingredient…not an entire food category. That means you can still have bread, pasta, pizza, baked goods, etc.—just choose ones made without wheat.

The most common wheat substitutes include oat, soy, corn, rice, millet, quinoa, and buckwheat breads, crackers, pizza crusts, bagels, and pasta. Great brands include Pamela’s, Gluten-Free Pantry, Namaste Foods, Foods by George, Glutino, and Bionaturae.

Below are the specific products from these brands that I like. If you cannot find these items in your local grocery store, Whole Foods Market, or specialty store, I’ve included a Web site for you so you can buy them online. You can also visit Miss Roben’s for many wheat-free (and sugar-free) products all in one place.

Breakfast

Lifestream Buckwheat or Flax Plus waffles
Glutino plain or sesame bagels (www.glutino.com)
Barbara’s Puffin cereals
Pamela’s pancake and baking mix (www.pamelasproducts.com)

Lunch/Dinner

Bionaturae pasta

I’m sure you don’t have to think too hard to name someone you know that has (or had) cancer. It simply seems to be a sad fact of life nowadays. And you can likely narrow that list down by type of cancer. For the next couple of weeks, I’d like to focus on one form of female cancer that has touched my family: ovarian cancer.

One of my mother’s closest friends is Connie. I grew up listening to them giggle and plot throughout my entire childhood. I ate dinners at Connie's house and had sleepovers with her daughters. In fact, I’m friends with them on Facebook to this day.

Several years ago, my mother called me with very distressing news—Connie had ovarian cancer. What a shot that was. This is one of the wittiest, life-loving, fun people I knew. How could this happen to her?

While I don’t know the exact reason in Connie’s particular case, I do know that estrogen dominance is a major risk factor for ovarian cancer. To fully understand why this is case, you have to look at what happens during a normal menstrual cycle and how that changes as you get older.

When you are in your teens, 20s, and even 30s, your normal reproductive cycle begins with signals from the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. These glands secrete a hormone (called FSH), which stimulates the follicle surrounding each egg in your ovaries and causes an egg to mature. During this process, your ovaries produce a powerful form of estrogen called estradiol, while your adrenal glands produce a lower-octane form of estrogen called estrone.

At mid-cycle, a second hormone called the luteinizing hormone (LH) is produced by the pituitary gland. LH triggers the egg to be released from the ovarian follicle. It also increases the synthesis of prostaglandins, short-lived hormones needed for ovulation. Once ovulation has occurred, the egg leaves the ovary and travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus.

Both estrogen and progesterone are produced during this second half of the cycle. If the released egg isn’t fertilized, both estrogen and progesterone production decline rapidly, triggering menstruation at the end of the monthly cycle. Thus, estrogen is produced during the entire menstrual cycle, while progesterone is only produced during the second half of the cycle.

As you approach menopause, this process is even more exaggerated. Although your ovaries and adrenal glands continue to produce a lower potency estrogen (estrone), and some estriol (a weaker form of estrogen) is produced by your liver, the amounts don’t support your systems the way your premenopause hormone production does. During this process, four things happen simultaneously:

• your ovaries age and shrink;
• they are less responsive to the hypothalmic-pituitary signals;
• you have fewer eggs to mature; and
• the eggs you have left are older and less healthy.

In an effort to bring your cycle back into balance, your brain’s triggering signals increase as much as ten-fold, trying to stimulate ovulation. During the early stages of menopause, this becomes more and more difficult to achieve. While estrogen production declines significantly, your progesterone levels decrease much more significantly, with production almost ceasing completely. This can lead to estrogen dominance, and consequently, put the health of all of your tissues—especially your reproductive organs—in jeopardy.

That’s because research has shown that unopposed estrogen levels may be carcinogenic to estrogen-sensitive tissues such as the ovaries, and may be a key cause of most female cancers.

If future blogs, I’ll discuss the nutritional and emotional steps you can take to keep estrogen levels in balance and reduce your risk for both estrogen dominance and ovarian cancer.

In the meantime, you can try using natural progesterone to balance your hormone levels. A typical dosage of natural progesterone cream is 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon applied to any clean area of the skin once or twice a day.

If your menstrual periods are regular, Dr. Lark recommends using progesterone cream about 10 days before the expected start of your period. However, if you suffer from heavy or irregular menstrual periods, apply progesterone cream from day 12 to day 26 of your cycle.

If you are experiencing menopause symptoms and using some sort of estrogenic support, natural or otherwise, Dr. Lark suggesst using natural progesterone three weeks a month, with one week off.

Did you know that, in Europe, there are more than 400 chemicals that are not allowed to be included in beauty products? However, the United States allows many of these ingredients to be included in cosmetics. That is outrageous!

While there are at least 10 cosmetic ingredients that I personally avoid, five are particularly problematic. They include parabens, petrolatum, propylene glycol, and synthetic colors and fragrances.

Parabens are synthetic preservatives that include four classes—methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl. Many different sources list parabens as “highly toxic,” and even more disturbing is the suggestion that parabens are xenoestrogens, meaning they have an estrogenic effect on your body.

Also known as petroleum and paraffin jelly, petrolatum is a type of mineral oil that is often used to seal in moisture. This is ironic, because petrolatum actually interferes with your skin’s own moisturizing ability. Skin care products that contain petrolatum are often waxy. So, instead of your skin absorbing the product, it just sits on top of your skin clogging your pores, leading to blackheads and whiteheads, and eventually enlarged pores. This is the exactly the opposite of what you are trying to achieve if wrinkle-free skin is your goal.

Propylene glycol is usually a mix of synthetic petrochemicals. In fact, it is found in brake and hydraulic fluid, and is the active ingredient in antifreeze! Manufacturers often include it in makeup to hold in moisture. This is terrifying when you consider that the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) warns users to “avoid contact with eyes, skin, and clothing” and to “avoid prolonged or repeated exposure.” The reason? Propylene glycol has been known to cause allergic and reactions, and has also been found to break down protein and the structure of your cells.

Synthetic colors are listed as FD&C or D&C colors, such as FD&C Red 6 or D&C Yellow 8. In the case of FD&C colors, the FDA has certified them safe for drugs and cosmetics as well as food, but D&C colors can only be used in drugs and cosmetics. Strange, isn’t it? As if the chemicals in a D&C color that bar it from being used in food aren’t also entering your bloodstream and affecting your body. Interestingly, even the FDA itself recommends that most FD&C and D&C colors not be used in any cosmetic eye products, including eye creams, mascara, eye shadow, eye liners, and foundations.

Fragrance can be a tricky ingredient. For example, the label may not even say synthetic fragrance. In fact, it is more likely to simply say fragrance, perfume, or parfum. And the label “fragrance” does not mean just one ingredient; it can contain as many as 200 ingredients that will likely not be listed!

Natural Beauty Care Products

The key to avoiding these skin saboteurs and striving for chemical-free, wrinkle-free skin is to choose the best natural beauty care products available. Avoid the chemicals and look for natural skin care ingredients such as squalane, jojoba oil, and other natural oils, as well as antioxidants like green tea and vitamin C.

My personal natural anti-aging skin care system includes Ocean Actives Squalane eye cream and Arcona tea tree soap and exfoliator in the morning, John Masters rose water hydrating spray throughout the day, and Trilane anti-aging moisturizer at night. Not only do these natural beauty care products keeps my skin soft and smooth, but I don't have to worry that I am sacrificing beauty for health. And that knowledge alone is enough to keep wrinkles and worry lines at bay!

When I think of addiction, I go right to alcohol or drugs. But one of the most common (and most dangerous) addictions is sugar addiction.

Like most narcotics, eating a diet high in sugar gives you a “high,” and can help to mask negative feelings like loneliness, depression, resentment, or fear. In fact, sugar has opioid or narcotic properties, meaning it acts like an endorphin in your body. But, like any drug, this lift is short-lived, and soon you need more and more sugar to achieve the same effect.

There is also physical withdrawal from sugar. During the SkyLab bootcamps that I run, we break sugar addictions from the onset. And within four to five days, many of the participants experience sugar withdrawal. This can take the form of shaking, anxiety, low energy, and extreme cravings as they come off sugar. And research has shown this detox to be very real.

In a study published in the June 2002 issue of Obesity Research, scientists deprived rats of food for 12 hours, then fed them a glucose solution for the next 12 hours. Withdrawal was then induced using either 24 hours of food deprivation or the withdrawal drug naloxone. In both cases, the rats showed signs of withdrawal, including teeth chattering, shaking, and tremors. Researchers concluded that withdrawal from repeated, excessive sugar intake created symptoms that were similar to those of withdrawal from morphine and nicotine.

Sugar Wreaks Havoc on Female Hormones

Sugar depletes your body of important nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This leaching actually leads to cravings and binges as your body desperately seeks to replenish the nutrients that have been taken away.

It also increases estrogen levels, which can exacerbate estrogen dominance and worsen menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopause problems.

Sugar Sabotages Weight Loss

If you have a few extra pounds you have been fighting to lose, then sugar may be the culprit. Sugar is a born enemy of natural weight loss. Sugar contributes to false fat, increases inflammation, and can worsen digestive problems. It also provides empty calories, meaning you tend to overeat sugary, starchy foods without ever really feeling full and satisfied.

So, if you are looking to lose weight, reduce the appearance of cellulite, and regain appetite control, cut the sugar…today!

Sugar Damages Your Skin

Sugary foods overstimulate your sebaceous glands and can trigger excess oil production. They can also contribute to blood sugar imbalances, which can worsen symptoms of anxiety and stress, both of which can lead to breakouts. Who needs acne at our age!

Sugar also has a vasoconstrictive effect, which translates to decreased circulation to the skin. This can lead to wrinkles and sallow-looking skin. So wrinkle-free skin is your goal, then losing the sugar is the best natural skin care program you can find.

Overcoming Sugar Addiction

Beating any addiction can be difficult, and sugar is no different. I have found that the best way to break your sugar addiction is to go cold-turkey. This means no candy, bakery items, sugary coffee drinks, etc. Nada. Nothing.

This will take about five days to completely break. In that time, lean on fruits when you need a sweet treat, and drink lots and lots of water and herbal tea to help flush the sugar out of your system.

You can also try using to of the nutrients Dr. Lark recommends for controlling your appetite and reducing cravings. These include 5-HTP and chromium.

5-HTP is the precursor to serotonin, a critical neurotransmitter in your brain that influences mood and diminishes hunger. Take 50 mg of 5-HTP twice per day. Take it with half of an apple and 50–100 mg of vitamin B6 to facilitate uptake into the brain.  

Chromium is an essential trace mineral that is necessary for controlling blood sugar and helping to reduce food cravings. Aim for 100–200 mcg of chromium picolinate once or twice per day.

As I indicated in my earlier blog on false fat, foods that “injure” your digestive system can cause your digestive organs to swell and bloat, giving the appearance of “fat” in your abdominal area. To prevent this unwanted false fat, you will need to limit—or better yet eliminate—the most common culprits of false fat: wheat, dairy products, and sugar.

Now I know your immediate reaction is WHAT???? Are you kidding me? That was mine to. Let’s face it, the vast majority of foods contain at least one of these ingredients. But that’s all they are…ingredients. I’m not saying to give up bread or milk…just wheat-based bread and cow’s milk. But more on that later. Let’s first discuss why these four food groups are so bad for your health and your waistline.

Wheat Products

Wheat contains gluten, a protein that is difficult for your body to break down, absorb, and assimilate. Wheat intolerance can cause bloating, intestinal gas, and bowel changes, as well as fatigue, depression, post-nasal drip, nasal congestion, frequent colds, and even middle ear infections.

Great wheat-free substitutions include Glutino’s Flaxseed bread, Bionaturae’s pastas, Mary’s Gone Crackers crackers, and snack bars from Larabar (peanut butter is my favorite!!!) and Zoe’s (again, I have to go with the peanut butter).

Dairy Products

Dairy products are the main dietary sources of arachidonic acid, the fat your body uses to make inflammatory series-2 prostaglandin hormones. Dairy allergies or intolerance can manifest as bloating, intestinal gas, and bowel changes, as well as fatigue, depression, nasal congestion, and frequent colds. Dr. Lark has found that people can also have a delayed reaction to dairy, which shows up as anxiety, irritability, depression or mood swings, insomnia, fatigue, dizziness, confusion and disorientation, headaches, joint pain, and worsened PMS symptoms. Plus, even if you are not allergic to dairy products, the artificial hormones and pesticides used in livestock feed make cow’s milk an unhealthy choice.

Great dairy-free options include almond or rice milk, goat’s cheese (on occasion) and coconut milk-based yogurts. You can also choose sorbets or rice-based ice creams for a yummy treat.

Sugar

In addition to being highly inflammatory, sugar is also highly addictive and puts incredible stress on your adrenal glands. Plus, sugar depletes your body of important nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This leaching actually leads to cravings and binges as your body desperately seeks to replenish the nutrients that have been taken away.

In fact, sugar has been found to have opioid or narcotic properties—meaning they act like endorphins in your body. However, this fulfillment is short-lived. Just as with real drugs, sugar withdrawal causes physiological symptoms, including shaking, anxiety, low energy, and extreme cravings.

To this point, a study published in the June 2002 issue of Obesity Research found that withdrawal from repeated, excessive sugar intake created symptoms that were similar to those of withdrawal from morphine and nicotine.

Making the Change

I know that eliminating these food groups/ingredients can seem imitating, but it is not nearly as difficult as it appears at first glance. The best thing to do is to wean them in. Pick one (wheat for example) and make the substitutions for a week. Then add another (maybe dairy) the second week. By week three you can add the final one. Next thing you know, an entire month will go by and you’ll be off all three.

You can also approach it like a true foodie and explorer rolled into one. Look for gluten-, dairy-, and sugar-free options at your local grocery and health food stores. Check out Web sites and magazines that focus on allergen-free foods. You can also visit my Web site for great alternatives and recipes.

As the temperature starts to rise, I am often inundated with requests for my ice cream and sorbet recipes. And this year is no different.

One of my favorite recipes is a blueberry-pomegranate sorbet that is not only packed with amazing antioxidants, but also helps cool hot flashes, tames night sweats, and eases other menopause symptoms. Enjoy!

Blueberry Pomegranate Sorbet

Serves 6 

¾ cup xylitol

½ cup filtered water

2 cups pure pomegranate juice

1 cup fresh, puréed blueberries

Extra blueberries and mint leaves (optional)

1. Combine xylitol and water in saucepan and stir over medium heat until xylitol dissolves.
2. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
3. Cool completely.
4. Whisk in pomegranate juice and puréed blueberries.
5. Place in ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, place in freezer-safe container, and freeze.
6. Serve with extra blueberries and mint leaves.
   

Nutritional Info (per serving): Calories 196, Total fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 18 mg, Carbs 67 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 1 g

Yesterday on Oprah, Robin McGraw (Dr. Phil’s wife) and Dr. Christiane Northrup discussed menopause and the effect it had on a woman’s life. In the course of the conversation, they talked about the pluses and minuses of bioidentical hormone therapy.

I was not able to watch the show, but I pulled video and some text off Oprah’s Web site to see if I could get the gist of the story. Two particular conversations were especially poignant to me. The first was Robin McGraw’s statement that her mother never discussed her experiences with menopause with her.

It is amazing to me that, as women, we can discuss everything from our favorite books and recipes to the best hair salon or ob/gyn. But when it comes to really discussing how we feel, both physically and emotionally, we tend to hold back. Why is that? What’s wrong with saying that you have unbearable hot flashes, bed-soaking night sweats, or excruciating menstrual cramps? Even more difficult is admitting that we are sad, disappointed, irritable, or, God forbid, angry.

What are we afraid of? That someone will judge us as less than? Ladies, we need to be gentler with ourselves and our gender in general. These are tough times we are all living through and no one has the magic answer in how to cope with them. The best we can do is to be compassionate, share our feelings and experiences, and be there for each other.

The second thing that struck me was when Robin discussed changes in her overall attitude, sharing that she was normally a happy person and always smiling and that she felt as if she was losing that. Wow did that hit home personally!

It seems like, lately, I have been completely out of sorts. It wasn’t until I read Robin’s quote that it occurred to me that I might need to adjust my hormone protocol. I had a really solid program that has been incredibly beneficial for me for the past five to six years. But in the last six months, I have undergone IVF treatments (two). Of course it makes sense that my hormones may have been affected for longer than simply the weeks I was taking the hormone medications.

As Dr. Northrup indicated on the show, an imbalance in any other the key sex hormones (estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone) can lead to a whole host of physical and emotional side effects. For me, irritability was the one that was the most notable (to others beside myself, I’m sure!). And, sure enough, too little progesterone can lead to irritability.

You’d think I’d know better! After all, in Hormone Revolution, Dr. Lark and I talk at length about the signs and symptoms of hormone imbalance. Looks like a classic case of the shoemaker’s kids going without shoes!

And while both Dr. Lark and Dr. Northrup are big advocates of bioidentical hormone therapy (and for good reason!), I think I’ll just readjust a few of my supplements and try a progesterone cream for now. Hopefully my hormones—and my mood—will come back into balance soon.

Progesterone's job in your body is to balance the effects of estrogen. Where estrogen is growth stimulating, progesterone is growth limiting. Estrogen is mood elevating; progesterone has a sedative effect on mood. One of progesterone's tasks is to prevent menstrual bleeding from becoming too profuse or long lasting (a symptom common with estrogen dominance). Often, progesterone is often combined with estrogen replacement therapy to control perimenopause symptoms and to provide menopause relief.

If you’re in early menopause (or premenopause), here's a checklist to help you find out if your body produces enough progesterone. If two of these symptoms apply to you, you may benefit from natural progesterone replacement.

o My sleep quality is poor.
o I am often unable to concentrate.
o I'm unable to remain calm under stress.
o I suffer from PMS.
o I'm over 50.
o I'm in perimenopause or early menopause.
o I have a decreased interest in sex.
o I have heavy, irregular bleeding.
o I have premenstrual bloating or swollen breasts.

Most of my patients tend to prefer natural progesterone cream, which is available without a prescription. A typical dosage of natural progesterone cream is 20 mg a day or one-quarter to one-half teaspoon amounts applied to any clean area of the skin twice a day. Look for a product that contains 400 – 600 mg of progesterone per ounce like Pro-Gest or Fem-Gest.

As I wrote in my blog back in early November, there are several spices that are particularly beneficial for women in early menopause or premenopause. These spices—namely ginger and cinnamon—can help to ease perimenopause symptoms. Not to mention, they taste fabulous!

The best way I know to stay in delicious hormonal balance is to incorporate these spices into your life. And what could be a tastier way to enjoy these spices than gingerbread!

Nothing says "Happy Holidays" to me quite like the smell of gingerbread baking. So, my gift to you this season, is a healthy version of my mother’s amazing gingerbread.

You can find this recipe and others like it (including several for women suffering from menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats) in Hormone Revolution.

Gingerbread
Serves 9

½ cup canola oil
½ cup erythritol
1 egg
½ cup light molasses
1 ½ cups Pamela’s wheat-free baking mix
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Cream oil and erythritol for 30-45 seconds.
3. Add egg and molasses and beat thoroughly.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together baking mix, salt, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon.
5. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture, alternating with boil water, until well blended.
6. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 8x8 pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until toothpick, comes out clean.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I thought I had seen it all until I opened one of my monthly health magazines and there it was…an ad touting the “safety” of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). In a health magazine! Then, about three weeks later, I started seeing ads on TV also claiming that HFCS as “as safe as sugar.”

Are you kidding me? I’ve seen lobbies do and say some pretty remarkable things, but this takes the proverbial, HFCS-laden cake. And, to top it off, the Corn Refiners Association has launched a Web site called www.hfcsfacts.com. (Facts is their word, not mine.) Considering the fact that HFCS constitutes about 55 percent of the sweetener market, the Corn Refiners have a financial interest in keeping their product on the market. Even if doing so is dangerous to your health.

On their site, they claim that HFCS is nutritionally the same as honey. To say this is false is a gross understatement. Honey has many immune-boosting properties. HFCS, on the other hand, depresses immune response. The same site also claims that HFCS is equal in sweetness to table sugar. Also not true. HFCS is ranges from 120–160 on the relative sweetness scale. Table sugar (sucrose) measures in at 100. Even the name itself—HIGH fructose corn syrup tips you off that it will be sweeter than even fructose (which measures in at 140), let alone table sugar.

But this is just the beginning. Studies have shown that HFCS isn’t even metabolized like regular, naturally occurring sugars. HFCS is metabolized in the liver. From there, it is converted into triglycerides, those nasty fats that circulate through the blood. And elevated triglycerides are connected to a whole host of diseases, including heart disease and decreasing “good” HDL cholesterol.

Plus, chronic consumption of HFCS (and other sugars, including table sugar and fructose) kicks off a chain of hormonal imbalances, leading to weight gain and increased risk for diabetes. There is also research to indicate that HFCS may be a root cause of metabolic syndrome, leading a group of Canadian researchers to issue an “urgent need” for more stringent efforts to curb the addition of HCFS to foods and beverages.

On the hormone side, HFCS (and all refined sugars) plays absolute havoc with your system. With chronic use, it can overtax your adrenals, thereby either shutting down hormone production or causing your hormones to go haywire. Plus, a whole host of menopause symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, are worsened by excess sugar.

Even premenopause, early menopause, and perimenopause symptoms are severely affected by HFCS and other refined sugar. It worsens these estrogen-dominance conditions and their resultant issues like fibroids, endometriosis, and ovarian cysts. It also worsens PCOS and has been shown to be linked to fertility issues.

The long and short of it is this: Ignore the lobbyists' spin. Avoid HFCS like the plague. This means reading labels on all pre-packaged foods. One safe bet is choosing organic package foods (including ketchup!), as I have never seen HFCS in an organic product.

If you are craving something sweet to drink, try one of Sweet Leaf’s flavored liquid stevias. They have delicious flavors like root beer, orange, apricot, and vanilla cream. I just add a dropperful to a glass of natural mineral water and presto, natural soda! Best of all, I know that I am keeping my taste buds happy while keeping my body healthy.

Estrogen dominance is often the cause of the perimenopause symptoms many women experience. Estrogen dominance is when your hormones are imbalanced and your body produces too much estrogen and not enough progesterone. My perimenopause program corrects estrogen dominance by reducing estrogen levels and promoting progesterone production. In this post, I will give you my diet recommendations to reduce your perimenopause symptoms, including estrogen dominance:
 

• Eat soy foods, buckwheat, citrus fruit rind and pulp (not the juice), and ground flax meal in shakes and cereals. They help to reduce estrogen production and prevent the hormone from binding to tissue receptors.
  
   
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, sugar, soft drinks, fruit juices, fried or fatty foods, and salt—all of which hamper the process that metabolizes estrogens and eliminates them from your body.
  
   
• Eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet to help your intestines eliminate estrogens so they are not reabsorbed into your body. Include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (beans, peas).
  
   
• Reduce or eliminate red meats. They not only elevate estrogen levels but they also contain the type of fats that cause menstrual cramps and worsen the inflammation of endometriosis. Instead, eat fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, and tuna which are high in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids that reduce the pain of menstrual cramps and endometriosis.  Range-fed chicken or poultry are also good dietary options. In addition, instead of hamburgers and hotdogs, buy vegetarian Gardenburgers or Boca Burgers to prepare at home.
  
   
• Avoid dairy products since they have a negative effect on reproductive health similar to that of red meat. Use soy or rice substitutes, including soy and rice milk, cream cheese, sour cream and soy yogurt.