Early Menopause

According to a study that appeared online December 2, 2010 in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society states that many doctors are still prescribing high doses of conventional hormone replacement therapy for menopause hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia, even though the risks have been thoroughly proven and documented, and even though lower dose hormones are effective in alleviating these menopause symptoms.

I find this news so upsetting, considering how dangerous convention hormone replacement therapy has been proven to be--greatly increasing the risk of diseases like breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, to name just a few.

If you are one of those women still taking conventional hormone replacement to find menopause relief, please talk to your doctor about cutting back or stopping altogether. You can find many, many safe, suitable natural therapies for your  menopause symptoms throughout my blog.

And for more information on female hormones and natural menopause relief, please visit my Web site.

Curcumin, the therapeutic agent in the culinary herb turmeric, has long been known to have amazing health benefits, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. And recently, researchers identified a powerful phytoestrogen in curcumin called diarylheptanoid. Studies show that it interacts with estrogen receptors and has estrogen-like benefits that help to reverse, among other symptoms, the perimenopause symptom of vaginal dryness. 

One very easy way you can increase your curcumin intake is to start using turmeric as a culinary spice in your cooking. For example, whisk a teaspoon into a pint of homemade salad dressing, or stir a teaspoon into a pan of risotto or into any savory sauce or gravy. In addition to its earthy flavor and health benefits, turmeric adds a bright yellow color to your food.

However, for consistent therapeutic results, I recommend supplementing with 1,000 mg of curcumin daily, taken with food.

For other tips of how to reduce the bothersome effects of menopause, visit my Web site.

Did you know that certain medications are notorious for promoting urinary incontinence--an effect of menopause that effects millions of women?

Talk to your physician or pharmacist to find out if any of your medications may be contributing to this troublesome menopause symptom. If so, find out whether there are alternatives.

A few incontinence-promoting drugs include antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and venlafaxine (Effexor); antihistamines such as Benadryl; antipsychotics such as haloperidol (Haldol); and calcium channel blockers such as verapamil (Calan) and nifedipine (Procardia).

You can find a much more complete list in a book called 20 Common Problems in Women’s Health Care by Mindy Smith, M.D. and Leslie A. Shimp, Pharm. D.

• Lie down and press the small of your back into the floor. This allows you to use your abdominal muscles without straining your lower back.
• Keep your back flat on the floor and let the rest of your body remain relaxed.
• Slowly raise your right leg while breathing in. Make a conscious effort to move slowly. Imagine your leg is being pulled up smoothly by a spring.
• Hold for a few breaths; exhale as you lower your leg.
• Repeat this exercise on your left side.
• Repeat entire sequence, alternating legs, 5–10 times.

Believe it or not, September has been named National Menopause Awareness Month!

While I can appreciate that medical professionals and national health organizations are addressing the very real effects of menopause that so many women deal with every day, the fact remains that menopause is not a disease. It is a very natural progression that occurs in every woman's life.  Yes, menopause symptoms can be difficult--and for some women, even unbearable--to live with. This is why I devote my practice, my supplement line, my newsletter and books, and even this blog to helping women find safe, effective, all-natural menopause relief every day. I hope I'm able to help you live the most vibrant life possible, and thanks for reading and supporting my efforts!

To learn more about menopause symptom relief, visit my Web site.

• Hatha—the basis for most other forms of yoga. It is usually slower and geared toward those new to the practice.
• Iyengar—uses props, such as straps, blocks, blankets, etc.
• Ashtanga—involves synchronizing breath with movement. It is usually a pretty quick-paced practice.
• Anusara—built on impeccable alignment, which in turn helps develop the flexibility and muscle tone to support flawless body mechanics.
• Bikram, or hot, yoga—the teacher turns up the heat up in the room during the practice.
• Power yoga—more of a gym workout than a discipline. It's usually a combination of Ashtanga and Bikram yogas.

Did you know that taking conventional hormone replacement therapy increases your risk for stroke?  In fact, preliminary studies show that in younger females, estrogen actually protects brain tissue traumatized by stroke, but after menopause estrogen becomes neurotoxic: It takes the area of the brain damaged by stroke and actually enlarges it.

It is important to remember that conventional hormone replacement therapy does not cure menopause symptoms, it only postpones them. For the majority of women, menopause symptoms come back when they discontinue hormone therapy, whether they quit cold-turkey or gradually wean off. But alternative therapies, such as supplements and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, actually target the causative hormonal imbalance, rather than the symptoms.

Review all my menopause-related entries in this blog, and my Web site, for more information about natural solutions for menopause relief.
 

Vaginal dryness and loss of tone in the vagina are some effects of menopause that many women don't like to take about. In fact, a reader of my newsletter recently wrote in asking for my opinions on vaginal rejuvenation, which is a procedure that surgically tightens up the vaginal muscles to enhance sexual pleasure.

It is true that vaginal muscles can become stretched after birthing babies, and also due to age and fluctuating estrogen levels. However, libido and sexual pleasure are influenced by many factors, not just the "tightness" of the vagina. If you feel you need to enhance your sexual pleasure, I suggest trying natural methods first before resorting to risky surgeries like vaginal rejuvenation.

Some of the best nutrients to try include Mucuna pruriens, a concentrated natural form of L-dopa (300 mg per day in capsule form, standardized to 60 mg L-dopa; L-arginine (500 mg one to three times daily); and maca (2 to 10 grams per day). 

To learn more about how to achieve menopause relief naturally, visit my Web site.

• It does not reduce a woman's risk of heart disease. While it can improve HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, these improvements are not associated with fewer heart attacks or other heart problems.
• It increases a woman’s risk of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots.
• It does not reverse pre-existing heart disease.
• It raises levels of C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation that is a strong predictor of a future heart attack.
• It increases the risk of invasive breast cancer.
• It increases the likelihood of an abnormal mammogram after just one year of use.
• It increases risk of gallbladder disease by 40 percent.