Global Warming Caused By Menopausal Women!

The video below is attributing Global Warming to menopausal women - it's a hoot!

Is Black Cohosh Safe?

There was a time when Black Cohosh was being touted as having no side effects.
Well, they are now saying that it is very toxic to the liver and can cause liver damage. This however, apparently, is reversible once you stop black cohosh.
Having said that, they're not sure whether it's the black cohosh itself that's the problem or whether the toxicity is due to something in the manufacturing process and may just be limited extracts of black cohosh.
Whatever the cause use with caution  if you have or have ever had hepatitis or liver problems.
Consult your doctor if you want to use Black Cohosh and use a reputable source.

Short Term Memory Loss During The Menopause

Women sometimes temporarily experience short term memory loss during the menopause.
Menopause is a stressful time for the body which is trying to adjust to new levels of the various hormones in the body.
This stress can trigger a bout of short term memory loss, so stress management is a very important factor to improve short term memory loss during the menopause.
Stress causes the body to release a hormone called cortisol which blocks the memories from being registered.
Since it is a known fact that most women going through the menopause are stressed, it is essential to stay positive and stay stress free. Easier said than done, I know :) Try the EFT I mentioned in my penultimate post.
I find that l-theanine which is extracted from tea, is a wonderful gentle supplement that really helps with anxiety and stress...

Vitamin D Is Essential During The Menopause

Vitamin D is essential during the menopause as with calcium and magnesium, it prevents osteoporosis and controls weight gain. The best and most enjoyable way to get vitamin D is by spending some time in the sun. For most of us in the northern hemisphere, that is not a practical option in the winter.

I was talking to a pathologist the other day, and he said that of all the tests he did, the vitamin D test was almost always deficient in most people and he couldn't understand why it was not prescribed more often by doctors.

It's quite difficult to get vitamin D from the diet - oily fish is almost the only real(significant) dietary source.An easy and efficient way to supplement is to use in spray form. It's amazing how much this underrated vitamin helps to regulate hormones, build bones, protect from diabetes, lift mood, improve skin and a whole host of other things...

Menopause And Libido

Menopause is often a time when your libido goes down. Often, after a surge in libido just before the menopause hits!

Damiana is often used to pep up a woman's sex life and I have read that my favourite herb aka Rhodiola Rosea helps too.

Here's more on increasing libido for women

Don't Let The Menopause Depress You - Redefine Yourself!

Menopause is often a time when depression sets in. But is it due to the menopause, or is it, maybe,due to the changes that occur at the age menopause occurs.

It's often a time when children are leaving or have left home, leaving you to reassess your life and redefine yourself, and that, can be scarey!

Before reaching for the bottle of Prozac, it's worth trying to face your fears, anger, sadness, regrets etc. Of growing older, letting the kids go, not acheiving what you had hoped from life, not reaching your potential.....the list goes on.

A really good way to do this is to use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), and once you are proficient in this, an offshoot of the technique, which I find easier, TAT, which I use all the time.

If you do need that extra help,remedies which are useful are St John's Wort (check with doctor or pharmacist if taking other medication), Rhodiola Rosea and L-theanine.
Also have a look at 5-HTP which is a metabolite of Trytophan which increases Serotonin and posssibly Melatonin levels in the brain and so helps with depression and insomnia. 5-HTP doesn't agree with everyone, so if you get any undesirable effects with it, stop taking it.

Take this time as an opportunity to chase away those demons, once and for all!

Menopause And Insomnia

Insomnia can be a real plague during the menopause, because this is precisely when you need the healing and uplifting power of sleep the most.

There are many remedies that can be of help in helping you sleep, including Valerian, Melatonin and even Homeopathy.

Try the different options and see what suits you best. Valerian is the most popular one and works very well on most.

If you must take prescription medication (on the advice of your doctor of course), make it short term.
Whatever you do, try not to get into the habit of taking prescription sedatives!

Menopause Is A Time Of Freedom

You feel a wave of heat creep up your whole body. Suddenly you're really hot and want to take all your clothes off. Then you realize, it's a hot flash and you're about to enter the menopause.

Menopause brings a whole different set of challenges to deal with, but the key is, not to get despondent or disheartened, but to to relax and open yourself up to the possibility that it is just one other transformation in life that will bring its own benefits and self growth, remote as that may seem right now!

Try and see the menopause as a time of freedom!!
Freedom from the pain of periods, the risk of getting pregnant and freedom from being a mum to small children.

Hot Flashes During The Menopause

Hot flashes and night sweats can be precipitated by falling estrogen (oestrogen) levels and can be accompanied by feelings of anxiety.

The first thing to try for regular hot flashes is Sage, either as a tincture or tea. This helps rebalance the sweat regulating mechanism in the brain. This non hormonal method works well for many women. You can take this throughout the day, or once in the day and then experiment with increasing doses at night, if night sweats are your worst problem.

If this doesn't work, you can try Black Cohosh which mimics estrogen in the body ie it's a phytoestrogen. It cannot be taken with HRT though.

Vitamin E also helps. Take 200iu to 400iu daily.

Increase the amount of phytoestrogens in your diet. One way to do this is to eat the menopause cake (yes it does exist!).

Take some milk thistle after meals. Milk thistle is an excellent remedy for the liver and this can help your liver which is probably stressed at this time of life.

Also check that the hot flash is related to the menopause. Other illnesses also cause hot flushes as do some allergic reactions.

Menopause Does Not Cause A Woman To Gain Weight

A report published in the peer-reviewed journal Climacteric, by the International Menopause Society, found that the menopause does not cause a woman to gain weight, however, it does affect the way fat was deposited in the body.
Regardless of whether a woman put on weight or not, the menopause did cause a shift of body fat from the hips to the abdomen.
The review group of the International Menopause Society considered the evidence on why women gain weight around the menopause and concluded that the weight gain seen around the menopause is more due to ageing and environmental factors and is not hormonal.

Abdominal fat is a problem as it increases the risk of future problems such as diabetes, heart disease, sexual function and quality of life in postmenopausal women.

Their advice to women is to take early steps to ensure they don't gain excess weight after the menopause and to stay in shape by being active and exercising.
Some women may also benefit from estrogen therapy, but the pros and cons must be assessed with the doctor first.

Menopausal Night Sweats and Hot Flashes Helped By Sage

Night Sweats and Hot Flashes Helped By Sage.
Sage is a wonderful all round herb that is used for cooking but has many medicinal uses. It helps to rebalance the sweat-regulating mechanism in the brain. This helps night sweats and hot flashes and can in fact help all types of sweating, even if not caused by hormones, including heavy perspiring and sweaty palms.

A German study found that people suffering from excessive perspiration reduced their sweating by as much as 50% by taking Sage.
This makes it very useful in the treatment of night sweats.

Sage also has numerous other benefits such as being able to help with stomach problems such as indigestion, bloating and heartburn as well as mouth problems such as a sore throat, painful gums and mouth ulcers (by gargling with it).

What's great about Sage is that it works very fast.
More info on Sage here and here.

Sage Tea 24 tea bags, Alvita Tea

Epsom Salts To Relieve Anxiety and Tension

Epsom Salts To Relieve Anxiety and Tension.
Magnesium Sulphate or Epsom salts as it is more commonly known is something I have been using for a long time but have never thought to write about.

Epsom salts is used for joint and muscle pain and as a detoxifier.
As magnesium is absorbed through the skin, it also provides the body with the magnesium it needs, which helps with osteoporosis and muscle and nerve relaxation.

I personally use Epsom salts as a source of magnesium as I can't tolerate magnesium orally. I also use it when I am feeling tense or anxious.

The way I use it is to put a quarter to a half cup of Epsom salts in a footbath with warm water and soak my feet in it for about half an hour whilst watching TV or reading etc.
You can also put 2 cups in your bath for muscle and joint pain, especially after sports or a workout.

More info on magnesium here and here.