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.

Milk Thistle For Menopausal Sypmtoms

Milk Thistle has been used for centuries as a tonic and is a potent detoxifier and liver cleanser. It is an antioxidant that stimulates the liver and protects and repairs it.
The active ingredient Sylimarin is found in the seeds of milk thistle and is said to:

- repair liver damage
- lower cholesterol
- treat gallbladder disorders
- reduce insulin resistance in diabetic pateints  with cirrhosis of the liver
- improves liver function in hepatic patients
- reduces cancer cell growth in certain cancers
- treats diabetic nephropathy ( a type of kidney disease in diabetics)

It helps the body clear any toxins and the surges of hormones that often accompany the menopause and are hindering its functioning and in doing so, may alleviate hot flashes and other menopausal sypmtoms, such as  anxiety and feelings of depression.
More on Milk thistle here.

Gelatin Helps With Menopausal Sagging Skin

Gelatin Helps With Menopausal Dry and Sagging Skin

A couple of months ago I was having problems with a very painful arthritic knee and as I had heard so much about the benefits of gelatin for joint pain, decided to do do a bit more research into it.

There are numerous benefits attributed to Gelatin and some of them are associated with the menopause:

- regulates fat metabolism
- soothes the stomach
- detoxifies the liver
- reduces cellulite
- helps spare progesterone and opposes estrogen and hence regulates hormones
- regulates immune system
- improves skin, nails and hair
- helps absorb calcium
- relieves joint pain and stiffness

After two months of taking the gelatin, I have found my joint stiffness and pain substantially reduced (although I am taking sea cucumber too).

The main thing I have noticed and that really excites me, is the fact that my skin is really improving. My skin that I have noticed since the menopause has begun to sag, is tightening up and the dry skin on my calves and heels is getting much better.
My frown lines are getting softer and my nail cuticles stronger. I'm hoping that my nails will become stronger too (as they have a tendency to split) and my hair thicker, as gelatin is also supposed to help this.
I'm already looking younger and can't wait to see how much better my skin will be after a few more months!!

I have been taking one tablespoon of powdered Gelatin every morning on an empty stomach and not eating for half an hour after that.
I dissolve the powder in a tiny amount of cold water and wait for a minute, before adding coffee, sugar and hot water and stirring well (I have it black without any addition of milk). I find it easy to take it this way. You can add a bit of hot water to dissolve and then add cold orange juice or any other beverage to it.

Sea Cucumber For Menopausal Arthritis

Could Sea Cucumber help menopausal arthritis?
I have been suffering from osteoarthritis of the left knee and have started taking gelatin for joint pain. However it takes a bit of time before results can be felt and seen, about 6 to 9 weeks.

In the meanwhile, whilst waiting for the results to kick in, I decided to try Sea Cucumber capsules as well. I started by taking 1 capsule 4 times a day (to be reduced to 1 capsule twice a day after a month or so).

I felt an almost immediate reduction in pain and stiffness, which I was really surprised about. I'm wasn't sure whether it was a coincidence and the effects of the the gelatin were beginning to kick in or whether it was the sea cucumber.
I stopped the sea cucumber and the pain increased but was not as bad as before.

Apparently, sea cucumber contains chondroitin which helps joints, but it also relieves pain and inflammation, so maybe the pain relief part was what gave immediate results.
To read more about the medicinal uses of sea cucumber click here and here.

Anti depressant could be 'Female Viagra'

'Anti depressant could be female viagra' so claim Sprout Pharmaceuticals, a bioscience company based in North Carolina, which has completed several clinical trials involving pre and post-menopausal women.

They were investigating a drug called Flibanserin which is a novel serotonin agonist and 5-HT2A antagonist, and has been shown to increase sexual desire and reduce distress in women with a reduced sex drive.

A German company called Boehringer Ingelheim originally developed Flibanserin as an anti depressant. However, whilst it didn't help depression, many study participants reported increased sexual interest while taking the drug.

Boehringer Ingelheim failed to win approval from the FDA two years ago for the use of the drug in the treatment of low sex drive in women.

The Risks of Osteoporosis, Fracture and even mortality greater if you have an Early Menopause.

The Risks of Osteoporosis, Fracture and even mortal is greater if you have an Early Menopause.
More bad news for those of us who have been through an early menopause as this was the conclusion of a Swedish study that looked at the long-term effects of early menopause on mortality, risk of fragility fracture and osteoporosis and which was published in 'An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.'
They suggest that women who go through the menopause early are nearly twice as likely to suffer from osteoporosis in later life were also found to have a higher risk of fragility fracture and of mortality ie death.
However, these results found in women with an early menopause need to be explored further as many other factors could affect this such as medication, nutrition, smoking and alcohol consumption.
The good news is that now that we are aware of this, we can do all that we can to prevent osteoporosis as early as we can.
To read more about this study...

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Reduces Hot Flashes

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT is a safe and effective therapy for hot flashes and night sweats, the most common symptoms of the menopause and an alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
This is according to two new studies published this month. Both studies were led by Professor Myra Hunter of the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London.

Almost a quarter of women going through the menopause commonly suffer from hot flushes and night sweats which leads to them experiencing sleep disturbances, embarrassment and discomfort.

The first study followed women who had hot flashes and night sweats after breast cancer treatment and the second followed healthy menopausal women and was published in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society.

In the second study, 140 healthy menopausal women were followed in a Randomized Controlled Trial over 26 weeks and were divided into two groups. One had group cognitive behavior therapy and the other self-help CBT. It was found that both group and guided self-help forms of CBT led to significant improvements in how women coped with the menopause symptoms.
In addition, mood, quality of life and sleep improved.
What's more, these improvements following brief interventions of CBT were still effective 6 months later.

Source: King's College, London

Early Menopause Caused By Hysterectomy

A Study by Duke University researchers published in the Obstetrics & Gynecology journal, found that having a hysterectomy increases the risk of an earlier menopause among younger women.
It confirms what many women, obstetricians and gynecologists have suspected for a long time now.
The researchers led by Patricia G. Moorman, PhD, MSPH, report that younger women who undergo hysterectomies face a nearly two-fold increase in the risk for developing menopause early.
The study is the largest analysis to track over time the actual hormonal impact of woman who had hysterectomies and compare them to women whose uteruses remained intact.
Nearly 900 women ages 30 to 47 were enrolled at two hospitals in Durham, N.C. (Duke University Hospital and Durham Regional Hospital) and followed up with blood tests and questionnaires over five years. 465 women (approx half the group), were healthy controls who had no surgery, whilst the remaining 406 women went through hysterectomies that spared at least one ovary.
The researchers found that 14.8 percent of women in the study who had hysterectomies experienced menopause over the course of the duration of the study, compared with only 8 percent in the group of women who had not had surgery.
The analysis carried out by the Duke’s researchers estimated that menopause occurred approximately two years earlier in the women who underwent hysterectomy.
Professor Moorman concluded that this could potentially change practice because women who are considering hysterectomy for fibroids or other problems may want to explore other treatment options for their condition if they know they may go through menopause earlier.
This just confirms my opinion that hysterectomies should really be the last resort when there are no other options left.

Does Menopause Make You More Susceptible To Diabetes?

No it does not. Menopause has little to no impact on whether women become more susceptible to diabetes, according to a unique study.
This is according to study lead author Catherine Kim, M.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of internal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan Health System, who conducted a national clinical trial of 1,237 women at high risk for diabetes, ages 40 to 65, menopause had no additional effect on risk for diabetes.

Postmenopausal women had no higher risk for diabetes whether they experienced natural menopause or had their ovaries removed.
The research is considered the only menopause study that specifically analyzed the impact of diabetes on women who had natural menopause and those who had their ovaries removed. Most other studies mixed them together or excluded one group.

Dr Kim says"Menopause is one of many small steps in aging and it doesn't mean women's health will be worse after going through this transition."
She says that menopause does not mean that menopausal women have a higher risk of diabetes and that lifestyle changes can be very effective in keeping them healthy.