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.