HELTH IS WELTH

End Morning Sickness Symptoms Within 24hrs-Natural Remedy

2008-11-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

End Morning Sickness Symptoms Within 24hrs-Natural Remedy
by: Mary Freeman

Morning sickness is a term used to describe the symptoms of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. As many as 90% of all pregnant women experience some nausea while one-third of these women actually vomit due to this condition. It usually begins 4-6 weeks after conception and generally continues until the 14th or 16th week of pregnancy. Causes The bad news is that the exact cause of morning sickness is unknown, but most medical experts would agree that its triggered by hormonal changes in the body which especially increase the hCG (human chorionic gonadottrophin). The high levels of this particular hormone are though to stimulate the brain which controls the nausea and vomiting. Other conditions such as hyperactive thyroid, gallbladder disease, or carrying more than one baby may also cause morning sickness. There are other possible causes of this condition which include the actual physical symptoms of pregnancy. These include: 1.Enhanced sense of smell 2. Stretching of the uterine muscles 3. Displacement of the digestive organs 4. excess acid in the stomach 5. emotional stress 6. A high fat diet As the name suggests, most women experience morning sickness in the very early morning hours of the day, but it can occur at any hour. It will last all day for some. In addition to nausea and vomiting, it can also include dizziness and headaches as symptoms. Drugs There are currently no drugs approved by the FDA for this debilitating condition of pregnancy, however , the good news is that there are several dietary, lifestyle and very effective all-natural approaches that can help. Diet You will want to follow the following dietary recommendations which could help to reduce your symptoms of morning sickness: Eat a high protein and complex carbohydrate diet. Nuts, cheese, crackers, milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese are good starters. Other bland foods like ginger ale, broth, and gelatin are also recommended. Avoid eating fatty foods. Research suggests that a high fat diet contributes to morning sickness. Drink plenty of liquid. Keep hydrated throughout the day. Keep your blood sugar levels even Lifestyle Lifestyle changes may also help to alleviate symptoms of your morning sickness. You will want to stick to the following suggestions: Take vitamin supplements at night Keep morning activities slow and calm Avoid smoking cigarettes Get extra sleep All -Natural method of ending morning sickness symptoms: I have found that this is by far the most effect way to �end your morning sickness� symptoms, and it can eliminate your sickness in 24Hrs or less.This program will teach you to how to �cure your morning sickness� permanently using safe, natural techniques. There are no harmful side effects, no medication to take, and you can enjoy your food and have a happy pregnancy! If you are ready to end your morning sickness for good, �Click Here!� and start living again.

Healthy Pregnancy: Pilates Helps Expecting Mothers From Pregnancy Thru Post Partum

2008-11-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

Healthy Pregnancy: Pilates Helps Expecting Mothers From Pregnancy Thru Post Partum
by: Tracey Mallett

Most people think of Pilates as a new form of exercise because of its recent surge of popularity in the fitness and healthcare industry. In reality, Joseph Pilates invented about 80 years ago by.

Pilates was a sickly child with asthma. To help fight his illness and build his strength, he experimented with various mind-body disciplines and later became an accomplished skier, diver, gymnast, and boxer. While in internment during WWI in England, he taught fellow interns his concepts and exercises that he developed over 20 years of self-study and apprenticeship in yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek and Roman physical regimens. During this time, Pilates began devising the system of original floor exercises known today as â€œPilates matwork". Within a few years, he became a nurse to the many internees under care with wartime disease and physical injury. Here, he began devising exercise apparatuses to rehabilitate the patients by taking springs from the beds and rigging them to create spring resistance and "movement" for the bedridden. This â€œsystemâ€ formed the foundation for his style of body conditioning used today.

In many ways, Pilates equipment today is not much different than it was back then. The use of spring tension, straps, supports for back, neck and shoulders are the same uses for the equipment today. The nature of the equipment is to both challenge and support the body as it learns to move more efficiently.

With the determination to help others achieve better health, Pilates opened his first studio in New York in 1926 where he used his exercise apparatuses and more than 500 movement therapy exercises to help rehabilitate athletes and dancers. For over 60 years this form of exercise was a well kept secret - but dancers, athletes, physical therapy patients and fitness enthusiasts have relied on this Pilates method to attain and stay in top physical form.

The benefit of Pilatesâ€™ movement therapy exercises for women thru pregnancy and post-partum is mostly misunderstood. Simply put, Pilates is a safe and effective approach to exercise for pregnant women to assist with breathing, body alignment and to recover body shape and tone after birth.

Pilates focuses on breathing, which promotes relaxation and helps activate the transversus abdominus. The transversus abdominus is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and is responsible for supporting the lumbar spine and pelvic area at a time when ligaments are lax due to the natural hormone relaxin excreted by the body during the pregnancy and nursing stages. Lateral breathing also inherent in Pilates fitness, which improves rib cage mobility when the range of motion in the diaphragm is limited due to the high position of the baby in the third trimester.

Back pain is a common side effect of pregnancy. Unless the abdominal muscles, pelvis and spine are strengthened, problems with the back can occur. Strengthening the transversus abdominus (â€œabs) through guided Pilates movements will not only improve back pain and postural alignment, but will aid women during labor for a much quicker & safer delivery. Research has shown that activation of the transverses abdominus also activates the pelvic floor, keeping these muscles strong and supple for the birthing process. This can also help with any incontinence that you may experience during and after pregnancy.

The nature of movement in Pilates exercise is low impact and allows pregnant women to exercise effectively without experiencing any undue stress on the now lax joints, or an increased heart rate. Pilates also involves many stretching and toning exercises that helps to maintain hip flexibility and stamina, which is essential for well-being and preparation for childbirth. These exercises are aided and supported by Pilates apparatuses such as the reformer: a moving carriage on a bed; the wunda chair with springs to create resistance and the trapeze table to hang from. Pilates exercises also can be performed on a mat with small props such as pillows or cushions which supports the head, the magic circle, foam rollers and therabands for extra resistance.

Most exercise modifications happen during the second and third trimester due to the ever-increasing belly. All Pilates movements, at this point are best done seated up right or side lying. However, you can work supine as long as the head is elevated with pillows at 30 degrees above the heart for no longer than 5 minutes, turning to the side for a break. This ensures natural blood flow and oxygen to the A popular exercise among pregnant Pilates enthusiasts is legwork on the wunda chair. It involves sitting on a small stool with springs attached to a lever and pushing the lever down with your feet. This Pilates movement provides conditioning for the legs and activation of the abdominal muscles, which stabilize the pelvis.

Remember itâ€™s very important that your Pilates instructor is certified and has experience in working with pregnant women.

Tracey Mallet is a certified Master Pilates Instructor, certified personal trainer, fitness instructor and lifestyle / weight management counselor through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of American (AFAA). She is also a Level One certified GyrotonicÂ® Instructor with an award winning 3-in-1 Patented Pregnancy System that is only found at www.traceymallett.com

Herbal Allies for Pregnancy Problems

2008-11-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

Herbal Allies for Pregnancy Problems

by: Susun S Weed

Wise women believe that most of the problems of pregnancy can be prevented by attention to nutrition. Morning sickness and mood swings are connected to low blood sugar; backaches and severe labor pains often result from insufficient calcium; varicose veins, hemorrhoids, constipation, skin discoloration and anemia are evidence of lack of specific nutrients; pre-eclampsia, the most severe problem of pregnancy, is a form of acute malnutrition. Excellent nutrition includes pure water, controlled breath, abundant light, loving and respectful relationships, beauty and harmony in daily life, joyous thoughts and vital foodstuffs.

During pregnancy nutrients are required to create the cells needed to form two extra pounds of uterine muscle, the nerves, bones, organs, muscles, glands and skin of the fetus, several pounds of amniotic fluid, a placenta and a 50 percent increase in blood volume. In addition, extra kidney and liver cells are needed to process the waste of two beings instead of one.

Wild foods and organically grown produce, grains and herbs are the best source of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed during pregnancy. All the better if the expectant mother can get out and gather her own herbs: stretching, bending, breathing, moving, touching the earth, taking time to talk with the plants and to open herself to their spiritual world.

TONICS DURING PREGNANCY

Wise women have recommended herbal tonics for childbearing for thousands of years. These herbs are empirically safe and notably effective. Tonic herbs improve general health by balancing and sustaining energy flow and focus in the body.

Tonics allay annoyances and prevent major problems. They can boost the supply of vital minerals and vitamins, increase energy and improve uterine tone. Some uterine tonics are contraindicated during pregnancy or are restricted to the last few weeks of pregnancy.

The tonics indicated for pregnancy need to be used regularly; a tonic is to the cells much as exercise is to the muscles: not much use when done erratically. Of course even occasional use of tonics during pregnancy will be of benefit, since they do contain nourishing factors. Better benefit will come from using them 5 times a week or more.

Some simple suggestions to get into the habit of using tonics: pregnant women could replace the morning cup of coffee with a rich Nettle infusion. Or she could brew up some raspberry leaf tea and put it in the refrigerator to drink instead of soda, wine, or beer. Wild greens can be added to the diet. Women in many cultures have used the following herbs for centuries to have a healthier pregnancy.

RED RASPBERRY LEAVES (Rubus spp.)

Brewed as a tea or as an infusion, raspberry is the best known, most widely used, and safest of all uterine and pregnancy tonic herbs. It contains fragrine, an alkaloid that gives tone to the muscles of the pelvic region, including the uterus itself.

Most of the benefits ascribed to regular use of Raspberry tea through pregnancy are traced to the nourishing source of vitamins and minerals found in this plant and to the strengthening power of fragrine - an alkaloid which gives tone to the muscles of the pelvic region, including the uterus itself. Of special note are the rich concentration of vitamin C, the presence of vitamin E and the easily assimilated calcium and iron. Raspberry leaves also contain vitamins A and B complex and many minerals, including phosphorous and potassium.

The benefits of drinking a raspberry leaf brew before and throughout pregnancy include the following:

Increasing fertility in both men and women: Raspberry leaf is an excellent fertility herb when combined with Red Clover.

Preventing miscarriage and hemorrhage: Raspberry leaf tones the uterus and helps prevent miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage from a relaxed or atonic uterus.

Easing of morning sickness: Many attest to raspberry leaves' gentle relief of nausea and stomach distress throughout pregnancy.

Reducing pain during labor and after birth: By toning the muscles used during labor and delivery, Raspberry leaf eliminates many of the reasons for a painful delivery and prolonged recovery. It does not, however, counter the pain of pelvic dilation.

Assisting in the production of plentiful breast milk: The high mineral content of Raspberry leaf assists in milk production, but its astringency may counter that for some women.

Providing a safe and speedy parturition: Raspberry leaf works to encourage the uterus to let go and function without tension. It does not strengthen contractions, but does allow the contracting uterus to work more effectively and so may make the birth easier and faster.

NETTLE LEAVES (Urtica Diotca)

Less well known as a pregnancy tonic but deserving a kinder reputation and use, Urtica is one of the finest nourishing tonics known. It is reputed to have more chlorophyll than any other herb. The list of vitamins and minerals in this herb includes nearly every one known to be necessary for human health and growth.

Vitamins A, C, D and K, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, iron and sulphur are particularly abundant in nettles. The infusion is a dark green color approaching black. The taste is deep and rich. If you are blessed with a nettle patch near you, use the fresh plant as a pot herb in the spring.

Some pregnant women alternate weeks of nettle and raspberry brews; others drink raspberry until the last month and then switch to nettles to ensure large amounts of vitamin K in the blood before birth.

The benefits of drinking nettle infusion before and throughout pregnancy include the following:

Aiding the kidneys: Nettle infusions were instrumental in rebuilding the kidneys of a woman who was told she would have to be put on a dialysis machine. Since the kidneys must cleanse 150 percent of the normal blood supply for most of the pregnancy, nettle's ability to nourish and strengthen them is of major importance. Any accumulation of minerals in the kidneys, such as gravel or stones, is gently loosened, dissolved and eliminated by the consistent use of nettle infusions.

Increasing fertility in women and men.

Nourishing mother and fetus.

Easing leg cramps and other spasms.

Diminishing pain during and after birth: The high calcium content, which is readily assimilated, helps diminish muscle pains in the uterus, in the legs and elsewhere.

Preventing hemorrhage after birth: Nettle is a superb source of vitamin K, and increases available hemoglobin, both of which decrease the likelihood of postpartum hemorrhage. Fresh Nettle Juice, in teaspoon doses, slows postpartum bleeding.

Reducing hemorrhoids: Nettle's mild astringency and general nourishing action tightens and strengthens blood vessels, helps maintain arterial elasticity and improves venous resilience.

Increasing the richness and amount of breast milk.

CALCIUM

Of course calcium is a mineral, not an herbal tonic, but it is so important during pregnancy and throughout our woman lives that I consider it a tonic. Lack of adequate calcium during pregnancy is associated with muscle cramps, backache, high blood pressure, intense labor and afterbirth pains, osteoporosis, tooth problems, and pre-eclampsia.

Calcium assimilation is governed by exercise, stress, acidity during digestion, availability of Vitamin C, A and especially D, and availability of magnesium and phosphorous in the body and the diet. Getting 1000 to 2000 mg of calcium every day is not hard with the help of Wise Woman herbs:

The best food sources of calcium are fish, dairy products, but there is controversy about the assimilability of calcium from pasteurized, homogenized milk. My preferred food sources include goat milk and goat cheese, salmon, sardines, mackerel, seaweed (especially kelp), sesame salt (gomasio), tahini and dark leafy greens such as turnip tops, beet greens and kale.

There are roughly 2(X) grams of calcium in two ounces of nuts (excluding peanuts), one ounce of dried seaweed, two ounces of carob powder, one ounce of cheese, half a cup of cooked greens, (kale, collards and especially dandelion), half a cup of milk, three eggs, four ounces of fish, or one tablespoon of molasses.

Most wild greens are exceptionally rich in calcium and the factors needed for calcium absorption and use. Lambâ€™s quarters, mallow, galinsoga, shepherd's purse, knotweed, bidens, amaranth and dandelion leaves all supply more calcium per 100 grams than milk.

Bones soaked in apple cider vinegar release their calcium into the acidic vinegar. A tablespoon of this vinegar in a glass of water supplies needed calcium and relieves morning sickness too.

Many fruits are rich in calcium (though not as rich as the above foods). Dried dates, figs raisins, prunes, papaya and elderberries are the best source.

Raspberry leaf infusion contains calcium in its most assimilable form. Assimilation is further enhanced by the presence of phosphorous and vitamins A and C in the raspberry leaves.

Fresh parsley and watercress are available in most grocery stores year round. They are both good sources of many minerals and vitamins, including calcium, phosphorous, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Nettle Infusion supplies calcium and phosphorous, vitamin A and the vital vitamin D, in a readily assimilable form.

Foods that are thought to interfere with absorption of calcium should be avoided: spinach, chocolate, rhubarb and brewer's yeast.

Do not use bone meal or oyster shell tablets as sources of supplemental calcium. They have been found to be high in lead, mercury, cadmium and other toxic metals.

TONICS TO USE WITH CAUTION

Squaw Vine (Mitchella repens), Blue Cohosh (Caulophyflum thalicotroides), and Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) all should be avoided until the last 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. Even then, they should be used only when indicated, and under the supervision of someone experienced in their use. Some midwives report that the Cohoshes must be used together (not interchangeably). Others have reported premature labor when Blue Cohosh was taken in combination with Pennyroyal. False Unicorn Root (Helonias dioica), Dong Quai (Angelica spp.) and PN6 capsules are considered too strong for use during pregnancy.

I harvest the flowering stalks when they are fully formed; and I am careful to use the cultivated garden comfrey, which grows very tall and has purplish, pinkish, bluish flowers. I avoid wild comfrey, which stays rather small, even when flowering, and has cream-colored, white, or yellowish flowers.

Some people feel that comfrey is not safe to use during pregnancy. Some people feel comfrey is not safe to use internally at all. I disagree. The roots of comfrey do contain compounds that are best avoided during pregnancy (as do all parts of the wild plant). In fact, I rarely use comfrey root because of the possibility of liver congestion, and I strongly caution those who have had hepatitis, chemotherapy, or alcohol problems to strictly avoid comfrey root. Yet even these people can benefit from use of comfrey leaf infusions.

Another important herbal ally for women over forty who desire a child is chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castii). It has been used in Africa and parts of Europe for several thousand years to discourage the male libido. In women, the effects seem to be the opposite! It may also be a fertility enhancer. Most importantly, chaste tree is a strengthening tonic for the pituitary gland, the master control gland for the endocrine system. Daily use of the tincture of the berries (1 dropperful/1 ml 2-3 times daily) had been shown to increase progesterone - the hormone of pregnancy - and luteinizing hormone - which promotes conception. Because it can lower prolactin levels, chaste tree is best discontinued during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) is not recommended for women over forty. In general, this herb promotes blood flow to the uterus and surrounding tissues. This can promote the growth of fibroids and increase the risk of post-partum hemorrhage. Ginger is a better warming tonic; motherwort is better at relieving pain; and raspberry is better at preparing the uterus for birth.

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Herbal Allies for Pregnant Women

2008-11-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Herbal Allies for Pregnant Women

by: Susun S Weed

Pregnancy is a special time. One that brings joys and pains. Many minor, but distressing health complaints can accompany pregnancy, such as morning sickness, varicose veins, skin discoloration, hemorrhoids, constipation, folic acid anemia, iron deficiency anemia, muscle/leg cramps, backache, heartburn, fatigue and mood changes, bladder infections, and high blood pressure. What can the expectant mother use that is safe for her unborn child as well as herself?

Most women would agree that drugs are to be avoided during pregnancy. Many over the counter remedies, especially antihistamines, acne medicines, and laxatives, have been shown to cause birth defects in animals or humans. Antibiotics may cause fetal abnormalities and sulfur drugs can cause neo-natal jaundice. Tranquilizers and painkillers can cause birth defects and addict the fetus. Antacids can cause muscle problems in the baby and edema in the mother. (In addition, they mess up a woman's calcium metabolism; see discussion following.)

And it is well accepted that the drug-like actions of alcohol, tobacco, and coffee are best avoided both before conception, during pregnancy, and while lactating.

Few women, however, understand that vitamin/mineral supplements are more drug-like than food-like. Though they are widely recommended, even by orthodox MDs, supplements are problematic for pregnant women and ought to be avoided. A study of 23,000 pregnant women, reported in The New England Journal of Medicine (1995) found 4.8 times more birth defects among the children of women who consumed 10,000 IU or more of vitamin A in supplemental form. And if that isn't enough to make you hesitate before reaching for the pills, consider this: the amount of iron in four prenatal-formula tablets can kill a child under the age of three.

In addition to drugs and supplements, many common herbal remedies, including golden seal, and flax seed are best avoided during the weeks of gestation. See below for herbs that may be problematic during pregnancy.

Nevertheless, there are many simple, safe home and herbal remedies available to ease the discomforts of pregnancy. The remedies of wise women, or "old wives," have persisted for centuries, passed from woman to woman. They are not strict protocols designed to work with the greatest possible number of women. Rather, they are part of the ever-changing wisdom ways of women, meant to be applied to the unique individual in unique and ever-changing ways. Although they have not been subjected to double blind studies, they are not superstition and dumb custom, but the results of millions of careful observations over thousands of generations. These remedies are the gifts of our foremothers. They are gifts from women who were deeply intuitive, immersed in day-to-day practice, and in tune with women's needs - emotional and spiritual, as well as physical.

Wise women believe that most of the problems of pregnancy can be prevented by attention to nutrition. Morning sickness and mood swings are connected to low blood sugar; backaches and severe labor pains often result from insufficient calcium; and varicose veins, hemorrhoids, constipation, skin discolorations and anemias are also related to lack of specific nutrients.

Excellent nutrition for pregnant women includes not just vital foodstuffs and nourishing herbal infusions, but also pure water and air, abundant light, loving and respectful relationships, beauty and harmony in daily life, and joyous thoughts.

All nutrients are needed in abundance during pregnancy as the gestating woman forms two extra pounds of uterine muscle; the nerves, bones, organs, muscles, glands and skin of the baby; several pounds of amniotic fluid; the placenta; and a great increase in blood volume. In addition, extra kidney and liver cells are created to process the waste of two beings instead of one.

Wild and organically grown foods are the best source of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed during pregnancy. All the better if the expectant mother can get out and gather her own herbs: stretching, bending, breathing, moving, touching the earth, taking time to talk with the plants and to open herself to their spiritual world.

Red Raspberry (Rubus ideaus and other species)

For centuries herbalists have relied on the leaves of red raspberry to nourish pregnant women and relieve difficulties during pregnancy and birth. Scientific herbalists are baffled by these claims, as they find no chemical constituents in raspberry leaves that are capable of inducing these purported effects. Nonetheless, "if pregnant women believe that it provides relief from various unpleasant effects associated with their condition, no harm is done," says Varro Tyler in The Honest Herbal.

Most of the benefits associated with regular use of raspberry throughout pregnancy can be traced to its astringent, strengthening, and nourishing powers. Raspberry leaves contain tannins and fragrine, which give tone to the muscles of the pelvic region, including the uterus. They also contain nourishing vitamins and minerals. Of special note are the concentrations of vitamins A, C, E, and B, plus generous amounts of easily assimilated calcium, iron, phosphorous, and potassium salts.

A strong infusion of dried raspberry leaves increases fertility, tonifies the uterus, aids in easy birthing, helps prevent miscarriage, alleviates morning sickness, reduces muscle/leg cramps and backache, and counters fatigue.

To make it:

Put one ounce of the dried raspberry leaves in a quart jar; fill it to the top with boiling water, and cap tightly.

After steeping for at least four hours, strain the leaves out of the infusion.

Drink the liquid hot or cold, with honey, or anyway you like it.

Refrigerate left-overs.

Capsules, tinctures, and teas of raspberry are not as effective.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Some people dislike nettle because of its strong sting, but it is an herb with myriad benefits for the expectant mother. A strong infusion (prepared by brewing one ounce of dried nettle leaves in a quart of boiling water for at least four hours) helps prevent varicose veins and hemorrhoids, eases leg cramps and backache, reduces the incidence of hemorrhage after birth, and increases the richness of breast milk.

Every cup of nettle infusion supplies amazing amounts of energy as well as huge amounts of calcium, magnesium and vitamins A, D, C, B, and K. It prevents folic acid anemia and iron deficiency anemia, and is also a digestive aid, a strengthener to the lungs, an ally of the kidneys, and a restorative to the hair and skin.

Capsules, tinctures, and teas of nettle are not as effective.

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

As a keeper of dairy animals, I was introduced to this herb as an ally to keep my goats' fertility high and their milk production generous. It took only a little imagination for me to begin to use it for women, too. Red clover blossoms are best taken as a strong infusion (one ounce of dried blossoms brewed overnight in a quart of boiling water). The tincture is a sedative; pills and capsules have very little effect.

To date, I know of dozens of women who, unable to conceive, have found success after drinking up to a quart of red clover infusion every day for at least six weeks. The generous amounts of minerals, proteins, antioxidants, and phytoestrogens in red clover restore health to the entire reproductive system. It's great for men, too. Most notable are the amounts of vitamin E and the presence of selenium and zinc. Red clover has ten times more plant hormones than soy.

Don't stop drinking red clover infusion once you get pregnant though. The infusion prevents and eases the constipation so common during pregnancy. It also strengthens the liver and improves appetite, especially when morning sickness is a problem. And it relieves anxiety.

And keep on drinking red clover once your child is born. There is no more valuable herb to keep breast milk rich and the breasts healthy then red clover. In fact, it is the world's most respected anti-cancer herb, acting not only to eliminate cancer but to stop its occurrence as well.

Seaweeds (including kelp, nori, dulse, kombu, and wakame)

One of the best green allies for women in their fertile years is seaweed, both for its mineral richness, and for the special substances it contains which directly counter birth defects. Algin or alginic acid, found in many seaweeds, absorbs radioactive neucleotides and heavy metals. When eaten by the prospective mother and father, seaweed protects them from cancer and protects the fetus from faulty genes. Seaweeds also protect the fetus and parents from the harmful effects of chemicals and carcinogens.

Seaweed is one of the most nutritious plants known. Earl Mindell, in his book Vitamin Bible notes that kelp contains vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as choline, carotenes, and 23 minerals including calcium, selenium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. He recommends it especially for nourishing the brain, spinal cord, and nerves of the fetus. Eating seaweeds regularly improves the fertility and the health of the pregnant woman, too, strengthening her digestive system, increasing her overall energy, and helping to prevent constipation, muscle cramps, backaches, anemias, hemorrhoids, and depression. For healthy skin, hair, and bones, there is no better food or herb than seaweed.

Capsules, tablets, and powdered seaweeds are not as effective as eating seaweed as a vegetable several times a week. In addition to buying seaweed at your health food store, you can harvest it yourself. There are no poisonous seaweeds. For more information on harvesting and using seaweeds, consult the Lewallens' Sea Vegetable Gourmet Cookbook.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis)

This common weed of suburban lawns is one of the best liver tonics known. All parts of the dandelion are medicinal: the roots, leaves, and flowers are brewed into tinctures, medicinal vinegars, cordials, wines, and bitter infusions.

If you dig your own, use them to make a mineral-rich vinegar: Fill a jar with cut dandelion, then fill the jar to the top with pasteurized apple cider vinegar. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap held on with a rubber band. Label, with the date; it's ready to use in six weeks. Try it as a salad dressing, or a condiment for beans. Some women like to drink it first thing in the morning: 1-2 tablespoonsful in a glass of water.

Nourishing the liver is critical during pregnancy. Lack of strong liver functioning is implicated in morning sickness, hemorrhoids, constipation, heartburn, indigestion, lack of energy, headaches, and mood swings. If using the tincture, try a dose of 10-20 drops in a small glass of water just before meals.

Fennel Seed (Foeniculum vulgare)
Anise Seed (Pimpinella anisum)
Dill Seed (Anethum graveolens)
Caraway Seed (Carum carvi)
Coriander Seed (Coriandrum sativum)

The aromatic seeds are members of the "carrot family" of plants and are used around the world to ease indigestion, freshen breath, and increase milk supply. As the medicinal value is found in a volatile oil, the seeds are quickly and easily brewed: add a heaping tablespoonful to a mug and fill it with water just off the boil, letting it steep for 2-5 minutes. A spoonful of honey is a delightful addition.

For a somewhat more complicated brew, midwife Elizabeth Davis (in her book Heart and Hands) relates this old wives' remedy to increase milk supply: Boil 1/2 cup pearled barley in three cups water for 25 minutes. Strain and refrigerate. Heat (but do not boil) one cup of barley water and pour it over one teaspoon fennel seeds. Steep no longer than thirty minutes.

And how delightful that the ease imparted by the brew influences the infant through the breastmilk, relieving colic, turning fretfulness into slumber, and countering teething pain. For best results drink your brew, hot or cold, while nursing your baby. Herbalist Juliette de Bairacli Levy advises mothers of infants and young children to always carry some aromatic seeds in their pocket for the children to chew should they be car-sick or become argumentative.

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis)

When it comes to quelling nausea or morning sickness (motion sickness, too) there is no better herb than ginger root. Whether you use it fresh or dried, a little ginger goes a long way toward warming the belly and relieving queasy feelings. Some books mistakenly list ginger as an herb that can cause a miscarriage. This misinformation no doubt got started by a hopeful woman who had noticed that drinking ginger tea made her menses flow more easily. But midwives agree that ginger is safe, even in early pregnancy.

In addition to quelling morning sickness, ginger helps prevent constipation of pregnancy, keeps the pelvic muscles warmed and toned, relieves intestinal cramping and gas (in infants, too), increases digestive force by encouraging the secretion of digestive enzymes, lowers blood pressure, and restores vitality.

Calcium

Of course calcium is a mineral, not an herb, but it is so important during pregnancy that it deserves our attention. Lack of adequate calcium during pregnancy can cause muscle cramps, backache, high blood pressure, intense labor pains, severe afterbirth pains, loss of teeth, and pre-eclampsia. Lack of calcium also contributes to feeble fetal heart action, a difficult birth, and "cranky" babies with easily irritated nervous and digestive systems. For optimum health of mother and child, eat plenty of foods rich in calcium and other minerals.

The calcium found in foods and herbs is metabolized by the body far more effectively than the calcium in pills. Calcium in plants is found in the form of minerals salts, which are naturally chelated. In addition, the varied forms of these salts aids in assimilation. And, of course, no plant contains only one mineral. The multitude of mineral salts found in herbs and foods act synergistically with the calcium salts, improving utilization by all the body's tissues.

In general, to improve calcium assimilation, women are advised to consume it with acidic foods (antacids interfere with calcium absorption), plenty of vitamin D (which can be produced by sitting in the sun for 15-20 minutes), magnesium, and daily exercise. Stress, use of antacids, consumption of coffee, use of steroids, drinking fluoridated water, and too much phosphorous in the diet also interfere with calcium assimilation.

Getting 1500 to 2000 milligrams of nourishing calcium salts every day is not hard with the help of Wise Woman ways.

Many wild greens are exceptionally rich in calcium and other mineral salts. The leaves of lamb's quarters, mallow, galinsoga, shepherd's purse, knotweed, bidens, amaranth, or dandelion, when cooked until tender, supply more calcium per half-cup serving than a half-cup of milk.

Herbal teas and tinctures contain little or no calcium salts. For mineral richness, make herbal infusions by steeping one ounce of dried herb (such as raspberry, nettle, or red clover) overnight in a quart of boiling water. Or make mineral-rich vinegars by steeping fresh herbs in apple cider vinegar for six weeks. The long steeping of the water infusion releases minerals, the acid of the vinegar does it too. A cup of herbal infusion can have 150-300 milligrams of calcium salts. A tablespoon of medicinal herbal vinegar can contain 75-150 milligrams of calcium salts.

Cultivated greens are good sources of calcium, better if they are cooked thoroughly, and best if they are organic. Kale, collards, mustard greens, oriental greens, broccoli de rape, turnip greens, even cabbage supply 100-250 milligrams of calcium salts per half-cup serving.

Fresh dairy products are the best place to get mineral salts, especially calcium, but there is controversy about the assimilability of calcium from pasteurized milk. Fortunately, raw milk cheeses are now easily available; look for them as a reliable source of nutrients.

When milk is made into yogurt, it becomes superbly digestible and the calcium content increases by fifty percent (up to 450 milligrams of calcium in just one cup). A daily cup of plain yogurt not only prevents pregnancy problems, it also counteracts vaginal and bladder infections. Women who eat yogurt regularly are far less likely to be diagnosed with cancer as well. When buying yogurt, I look for plain yogurt that contains only milk and culture. I absolutely avoid dried milk powder, skim milk powder, pectin, and other thickeners.

Other great-tasting sources of calcium include goat milk and goat cheese, canned fish eaten with the bones such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel, and tahini (ground sesame seeds).

There are roughly 200 milligrams of calcium in two ounces of nuts (excluding peanuts), one ounce of dried seaweed, two ounces of carob powder, one ounce of cheese, half a cup of cooked greens, half a cup of milk, three eggs, four ounces of fish, or one tablespoon of molasses.

Many fruits are rich in calcium (though not as rich as the above foods). Dried dates, figs raisins, prunes, papaya and elderberries are the best.

Avoid foods high in oxalic acid such as spinach, swiss chard, beet greens, rhubarb, and brewer's yeast. They interfere with your ability to absorb calcium.

Do not use bone meal or oyster shell tablets as sources of supplemental calcium. They have been found to be high in lead, mercury, cadmium and other toxic metals, which can cause birth defects in your child.

HERBS WOMEN MAY WISH TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY AND WHILE LACTATING

Agave and Yucca (Agave species): contain large quantities of irritating saponins
Aloes (Aloe species): purging cathartic
Birthroot (Trillium species): contains oxytocin
Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa): may irritate the uterus
Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides): contains oxytocin
Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica, Rhamnus frangula): purging cathartic
Cascara sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana): purging cathartic
Castor oil (Ricinus communis): purging cathartic
Comfrey (Symphytum uplandica): alkaloids in roots are dangerous to the liver; leaves are safe to use
Cotton root bark (Gossypium harbaceum): contains oxytocin
Dong quai (Angelica sinensis): contains coumarins which may irritate uterus and liver
Ephedra (all species): increases blood pressure; may cause heart palpitations, insomnia, headaches
Evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis): used by midwives to initiate labor
Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium): may cause headaches, irritability, insomnia
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis): contains irritating alkaloids which stress liver and kidneys
Juniper berries (Juniperus communis): very harsh on the kidneys
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra): increases blood pressure; large doses can cause heart failure, headache, lethargy, water retention, and excessive excretion of potassium
Ma-huang (another name for ephedra)
Mistletoe (Viscum album): large doses can have detrimental effects on the heart
Mistletoe, American (Phoradendron flavescens): raises blood pressure, causes uterine contractions
Rue (Ruta graveolens): contains essential oils that can damage the kidneys and liver
Senna (Cassia senna): potent purging cathartic
Thuja (Thuja occidentalis): contains essential oils that can damage the kidneys and liver
Turkey rhubarb (Rheum palmatum): purgative; may cause uterine contractions
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium): essential oils can adversely affect brain

WOMEN WHO MISCARRY EASILY MAY ALSO WANT TO AVOID THESE HERBS

Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale): also known as saffron; large doses can cause miscarriage
Basil (Basilicum species): see mints
Bearberry (Berberis vulgaris): bark contains similar alkaloids to goldenseal; berries and leaves OK
Catnip (Nepeta cataria): see mints
Flax seeds (Linum usitatissimum): large doses may stimulate uterine contractions
Feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium): contains essential oils that can damage liver and kidneys
Ground ivy (Hedeoma hederacea): see mints
Mints - such as basil, catnip, rosemary, thyme, savory, peppermint, oregano, ground ivy, sage, and spearmint - contain essential oils that, used internally (or extracted into a tincture) may harm the kidneys and liver; the infusion, taken in large enough quantity, may stimulate uterine contractions
Mugwort/Cronewort (Artemisia vulgaris): used to help bring on labor
Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans): a large dose of this spice contains the essential oils that could adversely affect the brain, liver, and kidneys
Oregano (Oreganum species ): see mints
Osha (Ligusticum porterii): may irritate the uterus
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum): a well-known, and quite effective, abortifacient
Poke root (Phytolacca americana): large dose (more than 4 drops) may stress kidneys
Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium or Hedeoma pulegiodes): essential oil may harm kidneys and liver; also see mints
Peppermint (Mentha piperita): see mints
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): see mints
Sage (Salvia officinalis): see mints
Savory (Satureja hortensis): see mints
Southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum): essential oils, similar to those in wormwood, are easily extracted into tinctures and can adversely affect the brain
Spearmint (Mentha spicata): see mints
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare): essential oils in tincture may damage kidneys and liver
Thyme (Thymus species): see mints

For more information about herbs and pregnancy, including herbs to use during birth, to improve lactation, and to help the newborn infant, see: Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, by Ash Tree Publishing. To receive a free brochure of classes and correspondence courses available from Susun S Weed, contact her at:

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Important Information About First Trimester Pregnancy

2008-11-28T09:05:00.002-08:00

Important Information About First Trimester Pregnancy

Gibran Selman

You may have recently heard the words from your doctor, â€œCongratulations, you are pregnant!â€. Or perhaps you have seen positive results from your pregnancy test this morning. You are now ready to embark on your first trimester of pregnancy no matter how the results came to light. Since you will be seeing a host of changes in your body over the next few months you will probably have many questions and even more concerns.

What Can You Expect During First Trimester Pregnancy?

The advantage is the fact that there are many resources available to help educate yourself about what is coming. Because of the risk of complications and the uncomfortable symptoms you may experience the first trimester of a pregnancy can be the most difficult. However, you can take heart since the first trimester pregnancy only lasts about twelve weeks and the second trimester often has less symptoms. During these first weeks of adjusting to being pregnant it can be a good idea if possible to take it a little easier on yourself and your body.

Fatigue, nausea, light-headedness and breast tenderness are some of the symptoms that come with a first trimester pregnancy. If possible this is a good time to squeeze in a little extra sleep. Some extra rest right now will definitely benefit your body.

To help you throughout the pregnancy it is also a good time to start developing some good nutrition habits. You will probably start feeling better in a few short weeks even if nausea curbs your appetite right now and you can get through the rest of your nine months with a good diet.

You may only see your doctor every four weeks during the first trimester of your pregnancy.Using an Early Pregnancy Test You doctor will make sure the early development of your baby goes smoothly by screening you for potential risks and complications. You will probably be scheduled for many other routine tests to ensure that both you and your baby progress normally after the first trimester pregnancy. It will usually be early enough if problems are detected to alleviate the risk to mother and child.

There are things you can begin to do during the first trimester of your pregnancy to prepare for the birth of your baby even if nine months seems like a long time. You can begin by reading any of the many pregnancy books to inform yourself of what is coming. You can start window shopping for maternity clothes, plan a budget for a larger family and work on travel plans around your pregnancy.

This is the time to enjoy your life most of all. While symptoms and anxiety may fill the first trimester it is also a great time for anticipation and excitement Pregnancy Diary.

Gibran Selman is an expert on the Your Pregnancy Week by Week

Is a Healthy Pregnancy Possible After Gastric Bypass Surgery?

2008-11-28T09:05:00.001-08:00

Is a Healthy Pregnancy Possible After Gastric Bypass Surgery?

by: Kaye Bailey

When a woman in the child bearing years undergoes gastric bypass surgery to lose weight one of the first things she will hear from the nay-sayers is that after surgery she cannot have a healthy pregnancy because of presumed nutritional deficiencies. The contrary is true. Morbid obesity results in a high rate of complicated pregnancies and a high rate of miscarriage. Women who become pregnant after achieving weight loss with gastric bypass generally have lower risk pregnancies than morbidly obese women.

The United States Surgeon General lists several reproductive complications associated with pregnancy in women who are obese. Complications include an increased risk of death in both the baby and the mother and increases the risk of maternal high blood pressure by 10 times. In addition to many other complications, women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to have gestational diabetes and problems with labor and delivery.

The Surgeon General concludes that Infants born to women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to be high birth weight and, therefore, may face a higher rate of Cesarean section delivery and low blood sugar (which can be associated with brain damage and seizures). Obesity during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of birth defects, particularly neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.

In a study by Dr. Alan C. Wittgrove, past president of the American Society of Bariatric Surgery and pioneer of the laparoscopic technique, post-gastric bypass pregnancy indicates fewer risks than commonly reported by women who are obese during pregnancy. His study was conducted with nurse-practitioner Leslie Jester who had a low-risk pregnancy and delivered a healthy baby after gastric bypass surgery.

The Wittgrove Center has an active patient list of over 2000 people. The patients are informed to contact the Center when they become pregnant. In the study 41 women in the patient population became pregnant. Using personal interview, questionnaire, and review of perinatal records, pregnancy-related risks and complications were studied.

The study found less risk of gestational diabetes, macrosomia, and cesarean section than associated with obesity. There were no patients with clinically significant anemia.

Dr. Wittgrove concluded, â€œSince the patients had an operation that restricts their food intake, some basic precautions should be taken when they become pregnant. With this in mind, our patients have done well with their pregnancies. The post-surgical group had fewer pregnancy-related complications than did an internally controlled group that were morbidly obese during their previous pregnancies.â€

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com. Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often.

Methods for emergency contraception

2008-11-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

Methods for emergency contraception

by: Olivia Andrews

Many women today want to hold their pregnancy or they look for a planning and because of this they take help of birth control pills. A birth control pill is an effective means to avoid unwanted pregnancy each time after having an intercourse.

There are various forms of birth controls methods found such as condoms, contraceptive patches or contraceptive pills. Other methods include contraceptive sponge, vaginal ring, diaphragm or other fertility awareness methods.

Amongst these, oral contraceptive pills are found to be quite effective and much in used by women around the world. A contraceptive pill contains the hormones estrogen and progesterone that prevent pregnancy.

Broadly classified there are four types of pills known as combined pills that are normally used on a daily basis. An emergency control pill helps to avoid unwanted pregnancy when there has been an unprotected intercourse but this pill has to be taken within three days of the act. Other include are mini pill and phased regime pills that are not much common in use.

Emergency contraceptive or "morning after" pill can be also said to be a backup method to prevent pregnancy but it should not be used in routine. There are chances that while using a condom it broke or a woman fails to take the hormonal birth control pill on time then emergency control pill is very effective if taken within 72 hours of the intercourse.

While taking an emergency control pill some women can have their period earlier or later than the usual cycle. The main difference between a combination pill and an emergency pill is that it holds larger amount of levonorgestrel that works to avoid pregnancy. Emergency contraceptives such as plan b should be used within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse. The first dose should be taken as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, and the second dose is taken 12 hours later. The sooner it is used, the more effective it is.

For more information upon emergency contraception please visit our website http://www.benzer11.com/planb.html

Olivia Andrews, writing for http://www.benzer11.com/planb.html is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, gifts, crafts, travel, apparels and mobile phones.

Natural Remedies for Problems in Breastfeeding - Pt 1

2008-11-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

Natural Remedies for Problems in Breastfeeding - Pt 1

by: Susun S Weed

INCREASING AND MAINTAINING MILK FLOW

One of the easiest problems to remedy is lack of sufficient milk. First, it is important to see to it that nursing takes place in a safe, inviting space where both mom and babe can be relaxed. Second, try to include one or more of these herbs and foods that are well known galactagogues, that is, able to encourage abundant breast milk.

Nourishing herbs, such as raspberry leaves, stinging nettle, oatstraw, and red clover blossoms - prepared as strong infusions*, not taken in pills, capsules, tinctures, or teas - not only encourage a plentiful supply of breast milk, they support the overall health of mother and child. The minerals in these herbs are amazingly abundant, so they counter mineral loss from nursing, and help keep mom calm and alert during those first few weeks of round-the-clock infant care. I don't combine the herbs, but use them individually, to derive the unique benefit of each.

To make an infusion:

Â· Place one ounce, by weight, of dried herb in a quart canning jar.
Â· Fill to the top with boiling water.
Â· Lid tightly and let steep for at least four hours or overnight.
Â· Then strain.
Â· Drink liquid portion hot, cold, or in between.
Â· Refrigerate what you don't consume at once; use within 48 hours. (Water houseplants with old or excess infusion.)

Foods rich in carotenes, such as cooked apricots, asparagus, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peas, and all cooked leafy greens - including kale, collards, mustard greens, beet greens, parsley, watercress, and dandelion leaves - are considered critical for women wishing to increase or sustain lactation. Carotenes are most available when foods are well cooked: tomato sauce has over 2000 times more of them than a fresh tomato. And carotenes are more easily utilized in the body when consumed with plenty of fat. (Olive or butter are my favorite fats.)

Blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus) is famed for its ability to increase milk supply. As the tea is very bitter, this herb is best used as a tincture. A dose is 10 - 20 drops, two to four times daily. Blessed thistle is said to lift postpartum depression and relieve suicidal feelings, too.

Borage leaves (Borago officinalis) are highly respected for their ability to increase milk flow. But because they contain compounds that may have a harmful effect on an infant's liver, it is best to drink borage only as a weak tea, and to take it after, rather than before nursing. Half a cupful of borage leaf tea, made by steeping a spoonful of herb in a cup of water for a few minutes, taken two or three times a day will ensure an abundant supply of milk, act as a mild laxative, and soothe jangled nerves.

Comfrey roots (Symphytum uplandica x) contain the same liver-damaging compounds sometimes found in borage. But comfrey leaves do not. That's a relief, because comfrey leaf infusion is one of the most treasured of all remedies. Comfrey leaf infusion (*â€To make an infusionâ€ above) not only to increase the amount and richness of the breast milk, but also to build strong bones and teeth for mother and child, to improve digestion, to check allergies, and to repair ligaments, muscles, or other tissues traumatized during the birth. I love comfrey leaf infusion and drink it freely.

Fennel/barley water is a tried-and-true classic. Soak one half cup pearled (regular) barley in three cups cold water overnight, or boil the barley and water for 25 minutes. Strain out barley. (You may save it and add it to a soup.) Store barley water in refrigerator or cool place until needed. Then heat a cup or two to boiling and add fennel seeds - one teaspoon per cup of barley water. Steep for no longer than 30 minutes. This combination not only increases the breast milk, but eases afterpains and settles the digestion of mom and babe.

Hops (Humulus lupulus) is another old remedy. It is especially for mothers of twins who need lots more milk. Hops tea is a suitable accompaniment to nighttime feedings, as it brings sleep along with increased milk flow. Hops is also used in beer, which tastes better than the tea. No more than one high-quality, additive free beer, such as Guiness Stout, per day is fine. For those who wish to avoid alcohol, there are alcohol-free brews rich in hops and malt available.

Aromatic seeds, such as anise, cumin, fennel, caraway, coriander, and dill increase milk production and tone the digestive system. Their powers are carried through the breast milk, curtailing colic and indigestion. To brew, simply put a heaping spoonful of dried seeds in a cup and fill to the top with boiling water. Let steep for 5-10 minutes. Drink warm with honey. Up to two quarts a day can be consumed.

Triple Blessing Brew. Combine 1/2 ounce dried blessed thistle leaves with 1/2 ounce dried oatstraw or nettle. Place in a quart jar. Add boiling water until the jar is full. Cap tightly and let steep overnight or for at least four hours. Strain out herbs. Refrigerate liquid until needed. Before nursing, pour off one cupful of the brew and heat it nearly to a boil. Pour it over a teaspoon of anise, cumin, fennel, caraway, coriander, or dill seeds (not a spoonful of each). Let it brew for five minutes before drinking. Blessed thistle stimulates the milk flow and helps restore vitality to weary mothers. Both oatstraw and nettle are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, notably calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The aromatic seeds improve the quality and quantity of milk and ease digestion.

Susun Weed

PO Box 64

Woodstock, NY 12498

Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Natural Remedies for Problems in Breastfeeding - Pt 2

2008-11-28T09:01:00.000-08:00

Natural Remedies for Problems in Breastfeeding - Pt 2

by: Susun S Weed

With the resurgence of interest in breastfeeding, there is increasing demand for natural remedies for the minor problems that accompany nursing. These remedies, taken from my book Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, offer simple, safe ways for nursing women and their infants to counter problems and stay healthy. This information has been collected from wise women, old wives, and granny midwives. May you benefit from their wisdom.

PAINFUL BREASTS, ENGORGEMENT, SORE NIPPLES

Painful, sore breasts and nipples are one of the most common problems encountered during lactation. Virtually every nursing mom will need help on this account at least once. Sore breasts and nipples can prevent nursing, lead to a decrease in milk production, and interfere with the bonding between infant and mother.

There are three main causes of painful breasts.

1. Engorgement

An oversupply of milk engorges the breast tissues, causing tenderness and pain. There is no fever and the breasts are not lumpy. Engorgement may occur as a result of a decision not to nurse, when milk comes in very quickly, when mother and child are separated for an extended time, or during weaning.

A very strong tea of sage is a classic remedy for stopping the flow of milk. It is taken sip by sip, up to three cups a day.

2. A blocked milk tube or duct

This causes swelling of the breast and acute pain. The blocked duct may feel lumpy and bruised, and a red streak may radiate out from it. Cessation of nursing can increase the discomfort and endanger the milk supply. Nursing should be continued, but carefully, nursing and pumping just enough to empty the breast.

Right before nursing, use a warm compress for 5 - 10 minutes (see following). They all taste fine to baby, so no need to wash your breast before offering it.

3. Mastitis (infection in the breast)

Causes swelling and pain, accompanied by acute tenderness and redness of the breast. The infected breast may be hard, lumpy and swollen. There may be fever as well. This condition is the most dangerous of the three. If not treated promptly, the infection can cause scarring of the ducts and prevent nursing a later child.

REMEDIES FOR MASTITIS

Use hot compresses or soaks at least four times daily. Get plenty of bed rest. Breast infections are almost always a sign of too little rest. Regular naps or rest breaks are important too.

Nurse as often and as long as possible on the infected breast. A breast infection will not make the infant sick.

Propolis is collected and used by bees as glue. It has a history of use against infection in Russia and a strong following among midwives in North America. It is said to accelerate healing time by increasing the body's metabolism and general resistance to disease. A dose of the tincture is 10 to 15 drops twice a day.

Echinacea root tincture is an excellent ally for any woman with mastitis. I use one-half drop per pound of body weight as a single dose. (For a woman who weighs 130 pounds, the dose is 65 drops or two dropperfuls.) The dose is repeated as often as twelve times a day until symptoms remiss. I continue taking Echinacea for at least a week after all symptoms have cleared.

Poke root tincture (Phytolacca americana) stimulates lymph gland activity and clears mastitis quickly. Poke root is potent and potentially toxic; the effect is cumulative. Use no more than two drops of the tincture daily. I combine poke with Echinacea for acute and severe infections.

POULTICES AND SOAKS FOR SORE BREASTS

Poultices, compresses and soaks are the best first aid for painful breasts. A poultice consists of fresh or cooked herbs placed directly on the breasts. A compress is prepared by soaking a cloth and applying that. And a soak is just that: - a soak in hot water.

Hot water alone has beneficial effects for women dealing with sore breasts, no matter what the cause. Hot water stimulates circulation and eases the tension in taut, swollen, breast tissues. Herbs infused in the water used to compress or soak increase the effectiveness.

When applying these external remedies, remember that frequent, consistent, short applications work better than sporadic, lengthy treatments. That is, six or seven treatments of five minutes each spread over the day will be more effective than one treatment lasting for thirty minutes. If infection is present, discard any plant material and wash the poultice materials after each use so as to prevent the spread of the infection.

Soak the breasts in a sink full of warm water. Fill the sink, lean over, and immerse one or both breasts. You can massage the milk out while soaking to further relieve engorgement and ease pain.

Place a handful of fresh or dried parsley leaves in a clean cotton diaper and tie it closed with a rubber band. Put in a pan of water and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Apply the hot (fresh) parsley as a poultice or use the (dried) herb still tied in the diaper as a compress to ease swollen and painful breasts.

Prepare fresh or dried comfrey leaves the same way as parsley. A hot compress or poultice of comfrey leaves soothes sore nipples, softens engorged tissues, reduces the pain of swollen breasts, and helps unblock tubes and ducts. It is generally considered safe to use comfrey root preparations externally, but nursing mothers may be understandably leery to use them for fear of injuring her infant's liver.

A cold poultice of grated raw potato can draw out the heat of inflammation, localize infection and unblock clogged tubes. Grated raw potato is applied directly to the breasts, and covered with a clean cloth. When dry, it is removed and replaced with fresh grated potato.

Marshmallow roots make wonderful soaks that soothe tender tissues and sore nipples, open clogged ducts and tubes, powerfully draw out infection, and diminish the pain of engorged, inflamed breasts. Steep two ounces of dried marshmallow root overnight in half a gallon of water just off the boil. The texture of the finished brew should be slippery and slimy. Heat as needed, pouring the hot liquid into a sink or basin and soak your sore and aching breasts.

Infused herbal oils - such as those made from the flowers of calendula, elder, or dandelion, or from the roots of yellow dock - can ease the pain of tender breasts and sore nipples. Buy them ready-made. Or make them yourself: Gently warm a handful of dried or fresh blossoms in just enough olive oil to cover; keep warm for 20 minutes. Strain, cool, and rub into nipples and breasts whenever there is pain or sensitivity.

PREVENTING SORE NIPPLES

Sore nipples heal rapidly, often within a day or two, but it is still easier to prevent them than to heal them. Nipple sprays intended to prevent sore nipples have been shown to be ineffective, but the following Wise Woman remedies are safe and effective. Note: Persistently or suddenly sore nipples may indicate a thrush infection. Further symptoms of thrush include pink, flaky skin and itchy nipples.

Continue to nurse. Neither sore nipples nor thrush are helped by discontinuing nursing; in fact, they may be remedied by more frequent nursing.

Expose the nipples and breasts to the air as much as possible to discourage the growth of thrush. Avoid wearing a bra 24 hours a day. Wear nursing bras with the flaps down whenever possible.

Expose the nipples and breasts to sunlight for brief periods to strengthen tissues. Increase gradually from thirty seconds in the sun to a maximum of three minutes.

Olive oil, sweet almond oil, lanolin, or comfrey ointment rubbed into the nipples throughout the latter part of the pregnancy and the beginning weeks of nursing create healthy, flexible tissues very resistant to cracks, tears, and chapping.

Experiment with different nursing positions until you find those in which you are completely comfortable, with the entire areola (dark area) in the baby's mouth, nipple centered.

Offer your breast often. Reducing the number of feedings can make the baby so hungry that it tears at the breast.

Avoid soap, cologne, deodorant and powder on your nipples or breasts. Do not wash nipples with soap. Soap predisposes the nipples to chapping and cracking.

REMEDIES FOR SORE NIPPLES

Crushed ice wrapped in a wet cloth, or a frozen gauze pad, applied to the nipples immediately before nursing is a good local pain killer. This cold treatment also helps bring out soft or small nipples and helps baby feed more easily when the breasts are very full.

Comfrey ointment softens and strengthens nipples at the same time. It is exceptionally soothing to sensitive nipples and rapidly heals any fissures or bruises.

Yarrow leaf poultices - or yarrow infused oil - provide almost instantaneous pain relief and heal cracked nipples rapidly.

Any of the poultices described for painful breasts may be used advantageously. Comfrey and marshmallow are especially effective. Many brief poultices work better than one or two lengthy sessions.

The gel from a fresh aloe vera leaf will soothe and heal sore and cracked nipples. Rub some honey on your nipples afterwards, or before the baby nurses to dilute the bitter taste of the aloe.

Calendula ointment is an old favorite to heal and strengthen nipples. CAUTION: Ointments containing antibiotics, steroids and anesthetic (painkilling) drugs are potentially harmful to both mother and infant.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

The Complete Book of Breastfeeding, Sally Olds and Marvin Eiger; 1972 Bantam Books
Nursing Your Baby, Karen Pryor; 1973, Simon and Schuster
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, La Leche League, 1963.
Breastfeeding Basics, Cecelia Worth; 1983 McGraw Hill
La Leche League, 9616 Minneapolis Ave., Franklin Park, IL 60131
Aftercare: Sharon Hamilton; Babies Grow on Milk and Kisses; Arny Galblum Booklets available from Emma Goldman Clinic for Women, 715 Dodge Street, Iowa Cily, IA 52240
The Way of Herbs, Michael Tierra; Unity Press

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Visit Susun Weed at: http://www.susunweed.com and http://www.ashtreepublishing.com

For permission to reprint this article, contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com

Visit Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com;and www.ashtreepublishing.com

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

Ovulation And Conception

2008-11-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

Ovulation And Conception

by: Elizabeth Morgan

Conception and Ovulation are two sides of same coin and a crucial stage in the delicate balance of hormonal system, sperm production and pregnancy. A man produces sperm every day, while women ovulate only once during an ovulation cycle. In this short time period of 7 to 21 days, the egg is fertilized or destroyed, and conception takes place.

During Conception several eggs are released by both ovaries. Ovulation is triggered by the body releasing luteinizing hormone, or LH. If sperm is successful in fertilizing the egg, it results in a series of cell divisions increasing in number every 14 to 18 hours. The embryo, containing about 50 to 100 cells, reaches the uterus about five days after ovulation. It then expands and hatches through the accompanying eggshell to implant and replicate.

Timing the cycle from Ovulation to Conception is important, in that women sometimes are too stressed out or physically unfit to go through with the process. A womanï¿½s emotional and physical health plays a major role in her productivity quotient. To test this quotient, instruments such as Fertility Monitors, Ferning Microscopes or basal body thermometers are useful. Sometimes these tests or instruments prove ineffective if women are going through menopause symptoms, impaired liver or kidney function or polycystic ovarian syndrome. Certain antibiotics, like tetracyclines, affect a woman's cycle of hormonal contraception, fertility treatments or hormone replacement therapy. Equally important is the timing of birth control pills. Traveling, change of jobs, illness, weight loss or vigorous exercising can affect Ovulation.

On occasions, such as sex during fertile time, some women do not conceive immediately, or the egg does not implant even with Ovulation. The problem is the timing of intercourse, since Conception takes place with Ovulation and it is spoiled by hard work, stress or problems. So plan sex on the day of ovulation or, at most, two days before it, taking into account that men need up to two days to regenerate their sperm reserves. Strategize Conception and Ovulation by maintaining an Ovulation calendar to predict fertile dates, end of menstrual cycle and possible due dates.

Ovulation and Conception are major issues in a womanï¿½s life, Conception is more likely to be successful if a woman maintains a calm attitude through activities and diet that enhance fertility.

Ovulation After Miscarriage provides detailed information on ovulation, ovulation after miscarriage, ovulation and conception, ovulation bleeding and more. Ovulation After Miscarriage is affiliated with How To Get Pregnant.

PMS Pregnancy

2008-11-28T08:57:00.002-08:00

PMS Pregnancy

by: Elizabeth Morgan

Many women experience PMS-like symptoms during pregnancy, particularly during the early weeks of pregnancy. Fatigue is extremely common during early pregnancy, and energy levels may remain low until the second trimester. Pregnant women often feel bloated and may have mild pelvic cramps. Headaches are also common. Breast tenderness or pain may also be experienced as hormones act on the breasts to prepare them for milk production and secretion. Some women also develop acne during pregnancy. PMS-like symptoms that are probably the most difficult for pregnant women to deal with are depression, anxiety, irritability, and mood swings.

The majority of medications to relieve these PMS-like symptoms are not advised during pregnancy. This can make it difficult for a woman who is experiencing moderate to severe symptoms in addition to the other changes she is dealing with. Getting adequate rest, including about 10 hours of sleep each night, is important for pregnant women and can help relieve fatigue. Wearing loose-fitting clothes and getting adequate exercise can minimize a bloated feeling and improve oneï¿½s overall sense of well-being. For headaches, a gentle head and neck massage or a cool cloth placed on the forehead may help. A nutritious and balanced diet and nutritional supplements are essential to maintain the health of both the mother and the growing baby. Avoiding caffeine, smoking, and foods rich in refined sugar can also help reduce the severity of symptoms. Smaller, more frequent meals can also help maintain blood-sugar levels. Low blood-sugar levels can result in fatigue, headaches, and irritability.

Between 10 and 20 percent of all pregnant women suffer from depression. Pregnant women, particularly those who have had a previous complicated pregnancy or miscarriage, may also suffer from anxiety. The support of family and friends can be critical for such women, and some women respond well to psychotherapy. If symptoms are very severe, anti-depressant drugs are available that are safe to take during pregnancy.

PMS provides detailed information on PMS, PMS remedy, PMS symptoms, PMS treatment and more. PMS is affliated with Vaginal Yeast Infections.

Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases

2008-11-28T08:57:00.001-08:00

Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
by: Olivia Andrews

The hike in the rate of sexually transmitted diseases among pregnant women has raised a situation whereby there is no protection against sexually transmitted diseases making the situation of pregnant women worst as compared to women who are not pregnant.

This is a vital fact that STDs contracted during pregnancy is quite life threatening. Most of the women are not even aware of the potential consequences of such diseases even before they get pregnant so they need to know how to protect themselves and their upcoming children from these threats.

The consequences of such sexually transmitted diseases for pregnant women can be same as for non pregnant women but these may lead to devastating effects too such as cervical cancer, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and other complications.

Very often there are no symptoms among women who are infected with these sexually transmitted diseases and even the women may not be aware that she is infected as such until she is already pregnant.

Many other complications that occur due to sexually transmitted diseases during pregnancy may include early onset of labor or premature rupture of the uterine membranes surrounding the baby and can even cause uterine infection after delivery.

It is quite common that sexually transmitted diseases are being transmitted from pregnant women to her fetus, newborn or any infant before, during or after birth. Certain STDâ€™s such as syphilis even cross the placenta and infect the fetus that affects the fetal development. Many other sexually transmitted diseases include gonorrhea, Chlamydia, hepatitis B and genital herpes that could be transmitted from the pregnant mother to her infant through vaginal delivery. HIV positive women can transmit the virus causing AIDS to the fetus through the placenta while pregnancy or any sort of infection that could occur during the process of birth. Unique to the HIV this is a fact that transmission can occur in infants through breastfeeding by an infected mother.

Olivia Andrews, writing for Womens Reproductive Health is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, gifts, crafts, travel, apparels and mobile phones.

Seasonale Birth control Pill that is same but Different

2008-11-28T08:56:00.001-08:00

Seasonale Birth control Pill that is same but Different

Olivia Andrews

Seasonale birth control pill has been approved by FDA. A new choice in oral contraceptive for woman for preventing of pregnancy. Seasonale s an extended- regimen birth control pill which means it is designed to extend the time between your expected menstrual periods so you get them once every 3 months instead of every month. Seasonale is 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy when taken as directed by your doctor.

Although Seasonale's users have fewer scheduled menstrual cycles, the data from clinical trials show that many women, especially in the first few cycles of use, had more unplanned bleeding and spotting between, the expected menstrual period than women taking a conventional 28-days cycle oral contraceptive.

Seasonale too have some common side effects as that of other oral contraceptive pills such as:

1. Nausea
2. Vaginal bleeding in between menstrual cycles
3. Breast tenderness

uncommon side effects of Seasonale are:
1. Blood clots in the legs or lungs
2. Blockage of the blood vessels in the brain
3. Blocked blood vessels in other parts of the body
4. High blood pressure
5. Liver troubles of each month.

Precaution should be followed before taking oral contraceptive:

1) In case if you have any kind of allergic to estrogen progestin, or any other medications then tell you doctor and pharmacist.
2) Inform your doctor about what prescription and non-prescription medications, vitamins and nutritional supplement you are taking.
3) Tell you doctor if any herbal treatment you are taking.
4) Before you start with Seasonale pill consult your doctor if have ever had breast lumps, high blood pressure, fats, heart attack , asthma, kidney disease or any other major health problem.
5) Do not take oral contraceptive if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant or breast-feeding.
6) If you found yourself pregnant while taking contraceptive, immediately inform your doctor.
Woman should discuss contraceptive use and the precautions and warning for use of the drugs with their doctor before they start taking any oral contraceptive.

For more information on Ortho Seasonale, log on to http://www.benzer11.com/seasonale.html

Olivia Andrews, writing http://www.benzer11.com/seasonale.html is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, gifts, crafts, travel, apparels, and mobile phones.

Stretch Marks and Pregnancy

2008-11-28T08:55:00.000-08:00

Stretch Marks and Pregnancy

by: Max Bellamy

Pregnancy brings some unavoidable problems with it ï¿½ backache, fatigue, queasiness, and, almost invariably, stretch marks. As the term of childbearing progresses (usually during the 6th or 7th month) something like 80% of all women can expect to find red striations to appear on the skin of the abdomen. Depending on the degree of change in weight gain, stretch marks can also develop on the upper thighs and waist.

Some dermatologists attribute the susceptibility to stretch marks in pregnancy to heredity, so some women may be at greater risk than others. Whatever the case, this need not be cosmetic Armageddon. Since the pregnancy/stretch arks connection has been discovered, a lot of research has gone into tackling the problem.

Pregnancy-related stretch marks can definitely be prevented and almost certainly minimized with the right precautions. For instance, pregnancy need not and should not equal indefinite and uncontrolled weight gain ï¿½ which is the main reason for stretch marks in pregnant women.

In other words, it is important that the mother-to-be maintains a strict nutritional regimen (read no compulsive consumption of dill pickles, no matter how strong the craving). At any stage of the pregnancy, weight gain should stay within 20 to 30 pounds. A proper diet should also be supplemented with regular exercise like walking and stretching. With these precautions, weight gain will follow its naturally appointed course and the skin will not be subjected to abrupt stresses which it cannot accommodate.

Maintaining proper body hydration by means of adequate water consumption will ensure that the skin stays moist and supple, thereby maintaining its elasticity and eliminating a major cause for stretch marks. In most Eastern countries, expectant mothers also receive daily oil massages with vitamin E and C-rich massage media to reduce the possibility of stretch marks ï¿½ we in the West would do well to take a leaf out of that book.

Stretch Marks provides detailed information on Stretch Marks, Home Remedies For Stretch Marks, Laser Stretch Marks Removal, Prevent Stretch Marks and more. Stretch Marks is affliated with Skin Rashes.

The Secrets to the Weight Loss After Pregnancy

2008-11-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

The Secrets to the Weight Loss After Pregnancy

Nishanth Reddy

Sarah is a pregnant mother of three who continues to breast-feed her 18-month-old. After each of her pregnancies, she has had difficulty losing weight. With all of her responsibilities, weight loss isnâ€™t a priority. Still, she wishes that, once this pregnancy is over, she will be able to return to her pre-marriage weight.
The average woman gains more than 25 pounds during her pregnancy. The procedure of childbirth may result in a weight loss of up to 14 pounds, which means that new moms still have considerable weight to lose once they leave the hospital. However, some women simply assume that this â€œbaby fatâ€ will never go away. Yet, it is entirely possible to lose weight during the post-partum period.
A number of medical experts recommend easing into a weight loss program after the birth of your baby. This means that you will not start dieting until about three months following birth. You should combine a low-fat diet with moderate exercise in order to achieve weight loss.
Donâ€™t expect instant results. It will take you a good nine months to get back to your weight prior to pregnancy. A go-slow approach is best because you need to give your body time to recover after childbirth. Certainly, you might be able to lose weight faster, but you might be sacrificing valuable nutrients as a result.
Interestingly enough, breastfeeding actually enhances weight loss. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has found that breastfeeding leads to the release of hormones which enable your uterus to return to its normal size. However, breastfeeding alone wonâ€™t bring down your weight. You need to combine it with a sensible diet and a moderate exercise program. Keep in mind that you need to have at least 1800 calories a day while breastfeeding in order to keep yourself and your baby healthy. Still, stay clear of junk food during this period. You should rely on food with high nutritional value to maintain the proper level of calories each day.
There are many good reasons to exercise during the post-partum period. In addition to helping to accelerate weight reduction, exercise can help alleviate post-partum depression, improve your mood, and boost your confidence. Exercise can also â€œclear your headâ€ so that youâ€™re better able to meet the demands of motherhood. You might consider joining a â€œMommy and Meâ€ exercise class so that your baby can exercise right along with you. Another helpful hint is to enlist the help of a friend or relative to act as your exercise buddy so that youâ€™ll have some emotional support while exercising. An added bonus of exercise is that it should boost your energy level, which is quite important when battling the fatigue which comes from caring for a newborn.
Your diet should generally be low-fat but not fat-free; vitamin rich; and high-fiber. Under no circumstances should you go on a fad diet. Such a diet could be quite harmful to your health and could actually slow your recovery from childbirth. Itâ€™s a good idea to set weight-loss goals, but donâ€™t go overboard. Recognize that thereâ€™s a limit to the amount of weight you can lose during a given period of time.
You may see a number of actress-moms gracing the covers of magazines shortly after the birth of their children. They appear svelte and elegant, totally devoid of baby fat. In the accompanying article, they may even talk about exercising right after childbirth. Such articles send new mothers a dangerous message: that you must do all you can to become thin as quickly as possible after your baby is born. Such a philosophy is not only ridiculous, itâ€™s also unhealthy. As a result, youâ€™ll need to â€œtune outâ€ such messages from the media and stay the course with your own gradual weight loss plan.
The time right after the birth of a child can be quite challenging, taxing both your physical and emotional strength. While it is certainly a good idea to eat healthy, youâ€™ll need to pace yourself as far as weight loss is concerned. Over time, you should be able to lose the weight you gained during your pregnancy. In fact, you might find that youâ€™re actually healthier after your baby is born.

Nishanth Reddy is an Author and Publisher of various health related websites. For more articles on Loosing Weight visit http://www.weightloss-diettips.com. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your eZine, Blog, Auto responder or on your website as long as the links, and resource box are not altered in any way.

The Whole Nine Months: Low Carb Diets and Pregnancy

2008-11-28T08:53:00.002-08:00

The Whole Nine Months: Low Carb Diets and Pregnancy

by: Philip Nicosia

Itâ€™s very important to watch what you eat. You are eating for twoâ€”which doesnâ€™t mean that you eat more (so say goodbye to that second slice of cake), but that you eat smart. You are your babyâ€™s only source of nutrients, and you need the proper balance of proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber and carbohydrates.

That being said, most prenatal dieticians strongly advise against adhering to a strict no-carb diet. Without sufficient carbs, your body will produce a by-product called ketones during your blood stream, which can put your baby at risk for brain damage.

But what about low carb diets? Aside from the risk of mental retardation, there are some aspects of low carb diets that can worsen the discomforts of pregnancy. For example, low carb diets tend to have low levels of dietary fiber, which exacerbate the constipation that many pregnant moms suffer because of the required iron supplements. Also, most prenatal dieticians recommend taking a lot of fruit because of its rich vitamin content, but most of the items youâ€™ll find in a typical shake are banned by Atkins and South Beach because of the sugars.

But some doctors may recommend taking modified low-carb diets, especially if you are obese, suffer from gestational diabetes or low blood sugar. All three conditions have been proven to have adverse affects on the baby (including prematurity, birth defects, and early rupture of the membranes) so losing weight or controlling intake may actually be the best thing for your baby.

If you are asked to go on a low-carb diet during pregnancy, you will probably be told to go on the maintenance phase of the Atkins Diet, or the second phase of the South Beach Diet. Here, you are allowed a controlled number of carbohydrates, usually from whole grains and fruits, while minimizing white bread, white rice, and pasta. That is fine, as you are still giving your baby the adequate nutrients, while removing processed foods.

If you are not allowed to go low-carb, but still need to control your weight, there are some options open to you. First of all, eat small but frequent meals. If you want a snack, instead of taking junk food or processed meats (which have a lot of calories, but significantly less nutrients), take salads, fruits, nuts and crackers. Choose lean cuts of meat, and minimize salt and rich sauces during cooking. And while you do need carbohydrates, take in moderation. One plate of pasta is good, three servings of it smothered in white sauce is not.

But the most important thing to remember is that before you go on any diet during pregnancy consult your obstetrician-gynaecologist. She or he can properly determine the best course of action given your particular medical history and the condition of your baby. Do not go on any weight management program without the advice and the approval of your doctor. Whether itâ€™s low carb or Zone or the Mediterranean Diet, the point is that there is a proven link between prenatal nutrition and the babyâ€™s health. Complications can include low birth weight, birth defects, and early delivery.

Lowcarbdiets.eu.com is a website providing information on low carb diets, low carb food and low carb books to help you on your way to losing weight.

Why Child Bearing Is Healthy

2008-11-28T08:53:00.001-08:00

Why Child Bearing Is Healthy

by: Dr. Randy Wysong

From a purely biological perspective, bearing children can be considered the most important reason for a womanâ€™s existence. For that matter, the same could be said about men, since both sexes are, in effect, disposable packages of genetic material. We die, but our genes continue on immortally.

With increasing population pressure and modern independent lifestyles (unlike the family farm where children were almost a necessity), procreation has become an option that is increasingly declined or at least significantly restricted. But with these choices women take themselves out of a natural biological role. Additionally, treating the breast as an ornament rather than a feeding organ â€“ by opting for synthetic formulas â€“ also removes women from a natural biological function.

When these choices are coupled with the use of contraceptive hormones, hormone replacement therapy, an increasing load of estrogenic pollutants in the environment and food, and a diet that has veered significantly from its natural design, the formula for hormonal pandemonium, metabolic dysfunction, and disease is in place. The result is early menses in children, infertility, abnormal and erratic menstrual cycles, cervical dysplasia, fibroids, endometrial cancer, breast cancer, premenstrual syndrome, dramatic mood swings and depression, osteoporosis, and other symptoms of abnormal menopause: hot flashes, psychological problems, decreased libido, and thinning of the vaginal wall.

This is a difficult problem with no easy solution. If women would have as many children as they are capable of, nurse them for years as they are designed to, eat natural foods, and live in a more pristine environment, most of these modern health problems would disappear.

If money flowed out of our tap we would not have economic problems either, right?

The desire to limit families may soon not even be an option. We either curtail population growth or we will saw through the branch we all sit on. Population is the engine that ultimately drives all environmental woes. We live on a finite planet with finite resources, but we have an infinite ability to breed. We either live within the limits of Earthâ€™s sustainable resources or we will destroy ourselves. Having children may be a natural and healthy process, but can be a deadly game for sustainable life on Earth.

So we have a conundrum. Women need to fulfill their biological reproductive role to achieve metabolic balance and health, but if they do so unlimited, the health of life on Earth is jeopardized.

In an attempt to solve this dilemma, women have turned to the quick fix of pharmaceutical synthetic hormones. Hormones that control conception, hormones that control abnormal menstrual cycles, and hormones that fix menopause. It is an overly simplistic solution to a complex problem.

The saying, â€œDonâ€™t mess with Mother Natureâ€ is particularly applicable when dosing the body with hormones. Since the 1940â€™s when estrogen therapy became popular, hundreds of thousands of women have succumbed to cancer. For example, a woman is nearly 13 times more likely to get endometrial cancer, and at nearly a 30% increased risk of breast cancer when she takes estrogen. Recently, researchers have identified the two top preventable breast cancer risks: oral birth control pills and estrogen replacement therapy.

For those who justify the use of estrogen for the benefits of decreased risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, consider that proper exercise, diet and lifestyle choices can have the same beneficial effect without the potential consequence of cancer.

How have women specifically put themselves outside of their natural context to make themselves more susceptible to cancers?

The average mom gives birth to about two infants. Although this is an intelligent number from the standpoint of population control, it is unnatural in that by not continuing to have pregnancies and to nurse (which stops ovulations) she will ovulate an incredible 438 times during her lifetime.

On the other hand, a woman in the primitive natural setting who may not even know what causes pregnancy or how to prevent it even if they wanted to, would have started menstruating and ovulating at age twelve and would have delivered nine babies and breast-fed them over the course of her reproductive career. Breast-feeding can continue for children in a totally natural setting for up to five or more years of age. The combination of pregnancy along with breast-feeding in the premodern setting would have decreased the number of ovulations that a primitive mother would have had to about nine.

This means that today women cycle through their menstrual periods an abnormal number of times, subjecting their bodies to surges of estrogen 50 times greater than our primitive ancestors living in a natural setting.

Many cancers of women are sensitive to high levels of female hormones.

For example, breast cancer is sensitive to estrogen. In dogs, simply removing the ovaries can often prevent or halt the progress of mammary cancer. Tamoxifen in humans is used to block estrogen activity within the mammary glands and thus is believed to exert its protective effect in this way. (This pharmaceutical agent can, however, increase the risk of uterine cancer to about the same degree that the risk of breast cancer is reduced!)

The resting periods of lower estrogen levels that women experienced in the premodern setting served a protective effect to spare organs and tissues from cancer. Women who nurse for a total period of time of even as little as two years are known to have a decreased incidence of mammary cancer.

This excess ovulation hypothesis is the likely explanation for the tragic phenomenon of modern female cancers. When humans decide to flout and repudiate nature by interfering with natural biological design, disease will always be the consequence.

If the problem is a departure from nature, then the solution is a return to it. Here are some options:

1. Refer to the Wysong Optimal Health Program for guidelines on life choices that can enhance overall health and thus hormonal health (http://www.wysong.net/PDFs/ohp.pdf).

2. Emphasize fresh raw foods in the diet and avoid processed foods as much as possible. 3. Eliminate hydrogenated oils and refined sugars. Hydrogenated oils displace healthful dietary fats and have been shown to be carcinogenic, and sugars can stimulate a rise in estrogens.

4. Try to use organic foods as much as possible and avoid synthetic materials in cosmetics, at home and in the workplace to help reduce exposure to environmental estrogens.

5. Do not attempt â€œlow fatâ€ or â€œlow cholesterolâ€ fad diets that often create dependence upon processed carbohydrates and seriously reduce important natural dietary fats and essential fatty acids.

6. Increase the consumption of natural vegetable foods containing phytoestrogens which tend to counteract estrogens.

7. Avoid hormone medications if at all possible.

8. Explore natural birth control measures.

9. Nurse your babies for as long as you can.

Modern life presents many choices, freedoms and rights. Tinkering with child bearing, however, is a choice that is not without consequences. Women need to be aware and take the steps necessary to make sure the choices they make do not also bring with them the increased risk of serious modern diseases.

Reference:
Zeneca Pharaceuticals. Tamoxifen Patient Insert. Zeneca, Inc. Wilmington, DE. 1998.

Dr. Wysong is a former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. He is author of The Creation-Evolution Controversy now in its eleventh printing, a new two volume set on philosophy for living entitled Thinking Matters: 1-Living Life... As If Thinking Matters; 2-The Big Questions...As If Thinking Matters, several books on nutrition, prevention and health for people and animals and over 18 years of monthly health newsletters. He may be contacted at Wysong@Wysong.net and a free subscription to his e-Health Letter is available at http://www.wysong.net. Also check out http://www.cerealwysong.com

Why Use a Home Pregnancy Test

2008-11-28T08:52:00.000-08:00

Why Use a Home Pregnancy Test

Gibran Selman

The first place a woman will go if they suspect they are pregnant is a home pregnancy test to get a confirmation. Before making an appointment with the doctor this is a much more private and convenient way to obtain results. Almost all home pregnancy tests work on the same principle even though they come in a variety of packages and price ranges.

Human chorionic gonadotropin or more commonly known as HCG is the key to the home pregnancy test. At the time that an embryo implants into the uterine wall HCG will make an appearance. Anywhere from six to twelve days after ovulation takes place this process occurs. HCG levels will multiply in a womanâ€™s body at a rapid rate during the first few days and weeks of pregnancy. It is easier for the home pregnancy test to detect the hormone in a womanâ€™s urine when it is at higher levels in a womanâ€™s system Pregnancy Diary.

It is usually recommended that a woman waits to take a home pregnancy test until the time that her menstrual period would normally be due since the time frame involved before HCG becomes easy to read. This is the best way to ensure the most accurate reading of the home pregnancy test.

Some home pregnancy tests can be performed earlier because they are developed to be even more sensitive to detecting HCG. As early as seven days after ovulation some tests will advertise a detection of HCG. The earlier in the pregnancy that the test is performed you should keep in mind that the results are less accurate.

How to Use a Home Pregnancy Test

Manufacturers will recommend following the package instructions very carefully in order to ensure the most effective testing process. Some tests will work best if the stick is held under the urine stream while other advise a woman to get better results by hold the stick in a cup of urine for a few minutes.

Since HCG levels are higher in the morning, many tests advise women to perform the tests first thing in the morning. As quickly as two minutes after the test is done a woman using a home pregnancy test can have results. The user will know the test has been completed properly by a test window on most sticks.

A woman should confirm the results with her doctor once a positive result is read on a home pregnancy test. This no only allows a woman to ensure the accuracy, but a woman is also able to start prenatal care as soon as possible Free Pregnancy Test

Benefits of Oral Contraceptives

2008-11-28T08:51:00.000-08:00

Benefits of Oral Contraceptives

by: Olivia Andrews

Birth control pill has been an effective method for women to plan their family thereby preventing unnecessary risks of pregnancy. However, it is important to remember that oral contraceptives do not protect a woman from sexually transmitted diseases.

How does birth control pill works?
There are various hormonal methods for birth control, which work by changing the chemistry of a womanâ€™s body. It is a fact that male sperm cannot fertilize if there is no egg released. This concept is widely agreed as a proven mechanism to prevent pregnancy. Oral contraceptive makes it difficult for sperm to reach the egg to prevent fertilization. Women naturally produce two types of hormones namely, estrogen and progestin. All the contraceptives that are based on hormones contain artificial estrogen and progestin as their ingredient.

Advantages of oral contraceptives
Benefits of taking a birth control pill is that these help in gaining lighter and shorter menstruation periods. Helps in decreasing menstrual cramps, reduced ovarian cysts, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and most importantly, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer.

Side Effects of birth control pills
There are certain side effects associated with an oral contraception such as:
1. Blurred vision
2. Severe headache
3. Uncommon leg or thigh pain
4. Severe chest pain or coughing
5. Abdominal pain

Types of birth control pills
There are four types of oral contraceptives broadly diversified:
1. Combined pills that contains both estrogen and progestin and is the most common type of pills used.
2. Emergency contraceptive pills used to avoid pregnancy in those cases in which the females can become pregnant because of unprotected sexual intercourse. This has to be taken within 3 days of the sexual intercourse.
3. Minipill that is used by women who are unable to take estrogen for some reason because these pills does not contain estrogen.
4. Phased regimen pill are rarely used now a days but mostly by women who are over the age of 35 years.
Plan B is one of emergency oral contraceptive pills that help to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

Please visit our website http://www.benzer11.com/planb.html for more information about medicines.

Birth

2008-11-28T08:48:00.002-08:00

Birth

by: Elizabeth Morgan

The birth of an infant is a wonderful process. The process takes place in stages as described below.

By nature, the male organ ejects sperms and the female organ produces eggs. Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovaries. Normally, in women who havenï¿½t reached menopause, ovaries release an egg once a month. This is known as ovulation. This egg travels through the fallopian tube toward the uterus. When the male sperm reaches the egg in the fallopian tube, fertilization occurs. The fertilized egg continues its movement towards the uterus, implants itself in the uterine wall and begins to develop into an embryo. Embryo is the earliest manifestation of all humans. The woman becomes pregnant, and it takes nearly 9 months, that is, three trimesters of 12 weeks, for the infant to be born.

Pregnancy causes a number of changes in a womanï¿½s body in the first trimester (0 to 12 weeks). The very first change is the absence of menstruation. Other symptoms include fatigue, nausea and vomiting and enlarging breasts. However, a woman having these symptoms isnï¿½t necessarily pregnant. The surest way to confirm pregnancy is a pregnancy test.

In the second (weeks 13 to 24) and third trimesters (weeks 25 to delivery), a woman may experience additional symptoms including an expanding abdomen, leg cramps, heartburn and hemorrhoids. These symptoms and changes are due to pregnancy hormones and the fetal growth. Although pregnancy involves a number of symptoms and changes in a woman, there is no way to predict which symptoms a woman will experience. Each pregnancy is different, even in the same woman.

By the end of the first trimester, the fetus is about three inches long and weighs about half an ounce. By the end of the third trimester, the fetus is about 20 inches long and weighs about seven pounds.

PMS Medication

2008-11-28T08:48:00.001-08:00

PMS Medication

by: Elizabeth Morgan

Mild PMS symptoms can usually be managed with lifestyle changes and simple home remedies. Regular exercise and a diet low in salt and sugar can help reduce pain, cramps, and bloating. Calcium supplements have a beneficial effect on the endocrine system that controls hormone production. However, if PMS symptoms are more severe, medication may be required.

Pain is among the most commonly reported of PMS symptoms. Increased pain sensitivity often occurs during the premenstrual phase; breast tenderness, headaches, back pain and abdominal cramps are frequently reported. To relieve these symptoms, pain relievers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS, can be taken. Many of these drugs are available over the counter and act by blocking the effect of pain-producing substances called prostaglandins in the body. Women with peptic ulcers or blood-clotting disorders should not take NSAIDs, and women who are breastfeeding should only take them under medical supervision and if absolutely necessary.

A physician may prescribe diuretic medications if symptoms like breast tenderness and bloating are severe. While hormonal contraceptive pills are sometimes prescribed to reduce the severity of PMS symptoms and are often helpful, they may also aggravate certain symptoms or cause serious side effects in some women.

Other PMS symptoms that may require medication are depression, aggression, anxiety, irritability, and mood swings. Drugs may be prescribed to enhance the action of a chemical called serotonin in the brain. Serotonin plays an important role in stabilizing oneï¿½s mood and in creating a sense of calm. When drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, enhance the action of serotonin, oneï¿½s mood is elevated and symptoms such as depression and aggression are reduced. Some widely prescribed SSRIs are Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil. For anxiety, drugs such as alprazolam (Xanaxï¿½) may be prescribed. All mood-stabilizing and anti-anxiety drugs should be taken under close clinical supervision and for the duration recommended by oneï¿½s physician.

PMS provides detailed information on PMS, PMS remedy, PMS symptoms, PMS treatment and more. PMS is affliated with Vaginal Yeast Infections.

PMS Remedy

2008-11-28T08:47:00.001-08:00

PMS Remedy

by: Elizabeth Morgan

The first step in dealing with PMS is to understand oneï¿½s monthly cycle better and to know when to expect ovulation and premenstrual changes to take place. Women with regular menstrual cycles can note symptoms that occur in the days leading up to their periods and also note the days on which their periods begin. This information is used to calculate the approximate ovulation date and to help prepare mentally and emotionally for the onset of PMS.

There are some lifestyle changes that help reduce PMS symptoms and reduce the risk for these symptoms in women who arenï¿½t currently suffering from PMS. Regular exercise helps fight PMS symptoms in several ways. Exercise releases endorphins, which help elevate the mood and reduce pain sensitivity. Exercise also has many other beneficial health effects on the body. Daily calcium supplements, alone or combined with vitamin B6 supplements, can also help reduce PMS symptoms. Cutting down on caffeine, chocolate, salty foods, alcohol and smoking also brings relief to many women.

Knowing what to expect and being prepared can go a long way in reducing the discomfort of PMS. If bloating or breast tenderness is a problem, wearing loose-fitting clothes or a more supportive bra can help. Relaxation techniques, such as yoga and massages, can help reduce stress and create a sense of well-being. Recent research suggests that sleep deprivation for one night in the premenstrual phase and exposure to fluorescent light in the mornings and evenings may improve PMS symptoms in some women.

While simple lifestyle changes and home remedies can help alleviate many of the symptoms of PMS, medication may be necessary to deal with more severe symptoms. A physician should be consulted if severe pain is experienced, if symptoms are severe enough to interfere with daily activities, or if psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety are pronounced.

PMS Treatment provides detailed information on PMS, PMS remedy, PMS symptoms, PMS treatment and more. PMS Treatment is affiliated with Vaginal Yeast Infections.

PMS Symptoms

2008-11-28T08:46:00.002-08:00

PMS Symptoms
by: Elizabeth Morgan

The majority of women experience premenstrual syndrome or PMS at some point during their lives. PMS is an umbrella term used to describe a large number of symptoms women may experience during the premenstrual part of their monthly cycles. While all women undergo monthly hormonal changes that can cause various premenstrual symptoms, some women do not experience these symptoms. In women who experience symptoms, they can range from mild to severe enough to interfere with normal daily activities. Many women may have PMS symptoms that vary greatly in intensity and duration from one month to the next. Stress worsens PMS symptoms in many women.

A woman with PMS may undergo mood swings or become anxious or depressed. Irritability or decreased concentration may also occur. Sometimes, these symptoms may become severe enough to need medical attention and medication. Emotional symptoms also contribute to certain behaviors, such as aggression or withdrawal from normal social interaction with people one is close to.

Physical symptoms can also occur and may vary greatly in severity. Breast tenderness, bloating, and weight gain are common. Increased pain sensitivity and specific hormonal changes may lead to breast tenderness, abdominal cramps, backaches, headaches, migraines, and joint or muscle pain. There may be changes in sleep and bowel patterns. Fatigue and decreased sexual desire may also be reported. Certain food cravings may lead to overeating.

An extreme form of PMS is called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. A woman may feel like she has lost control over her life or suffer from a sense of hopelessness or guilt. These negative feelings may lead to a complete withdrawal from friends and family and may even result in an inability to cope with oneï¿½s work routine. Women with PMDD should seek medical attention to alleviate their symptoms.

PMS provides detailed information on PMS, PMS remedy, PMS symptoms, PMS treatment and more. PMS is affliated with Vaginal Yeast Infections.

PMS Treatment

2008-11-28T08:46:00.001-08:00

PMS Treatment

by: Elizabeth Morgan

Depending on its symptoms and severity, PMS or premenstrual syndrome can be treated in several ways. Lifestyle changes are an important starting point for most women. Regular exercise, at least four to five days a week for 30 minutes or more, can help maintain weight, improve energy levels, enhance oneï¿½s sense of well-being, and reduce pain sensitivity. Exercise can also help reduce food cravings. A balanced diet, rich in complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, can also help maintain weight and reduce food cravings. Reducing caffeine and stopping smoking can also help ease PMS symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, and insomnia.

Other lifestyle changes and relaxation methods, such as yoga, meditation, and massage, can help reduce stress and anxiety. Adequate sleep can reduce tiredness and irritability. Wearing loose-fitting clothes can reduce discomfort if bloating is present; a supportive bra can relieve some breast tenderness and discomfort. Some research suggests that exposure to bright light in the mornings and evenings and temporary sleep deprivation may improve PMS symptoms.

A number of over-the-counter supplements and medications are available to ease PMS symptoms. Calcium supplements and possibly vitamin B6 supplements offer relief by acting on the endocrine system that regulates hormone production. Breast pain, pelvic cramps, back pain, joint aches and pains, and headaches are very common in women suffering from PMS. These can usually be treated with over-the counter pain relievers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. While a number of alternative treatments, such as St. Johnï¿½s wort and yam extract, have been tried to alleviate PMS symptoms, these have not been scientifically proven to be effective.

For more severe symptoms that cannot be managed by lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medications, a physician may recommend certain prescription medications. Bloating can be treated a diuretic such as spironolactone. Women with emotional symptoms such as depression may benefit from antidepressant medication, such as Zoloft or Paxil. Medication to reduce anxiety is also available.

PMS provides detailed information on PMS, PMS remedy, PMS symptoms, PMS treatment and more. PMS is affliated with Vaginal Yeast Infections.

PMS Weight Gain

2008-11-28T08:45:00.002-08:00

PMS Weight Gain

by: Elizabeth Morgan

Many women experience weight gain during the premenstrual phase or the two weeks immediately before their periods. Some of this weight gain is temporary and is caused by fluid retention in the body resulting from hormonal changes. Sometimes, certain food cravings during the premenstrual phase may result in binge-eating that eventually causes weight gain. If a woman has bad period pain, headaches, or mood changes, she may be less likely to adhere to her regular exercise routine. Limited exercise, combined with increased eating, work together to increase weight. Certain antidepressant medications may also cause weight gain as a side effect.

There are several ways to reduce weight gain during the premenstrual phase. A regular exercise routine and a balanced, nutritious diet are the most important lifestyle factors. Foods high in refined sugars should be replaced with those that are high in complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. Food cravings can be managed by getting adequate sleep, eating smaller and more frequent meals, limiting caffeine intake, staying well hydrated, and doing at least some exercise. Reducing salt intake in the last few days before oneï¿½s period can help minimize bloating and fluid retention. If fluid retention and bloating are pronounced, a diuretic such as spironolactone can be used to remove excess fluid from the body. Calcium supplements may also help reduce bloating and other PMS symptoms.

If a woman is on antidepressant medication, she can discuss with her physician the possibility of switching to a drug that does not cause weight gain. If this is not possible, weight loss strategies, such as increased exercise and a diet that restricts the total number of calories consumed, can help. Discontinuing antidepressant medication may result in worsening depression and should not be considered as a weight loss option.

PMS provides detailed information on PMS, PMS remedy, PMS symptoms, PMS treatment and more. PMS is affliated with Vaginal Yeast Infections.

PMS Blues

2008-11-28T08:45:00.001-08:00

PMS Blues

by: Elizabeth Morgan

Many women experience emotional changes that make them feel low during the days before their periods. In some women, these changes may be mild and transient, disappearing with the onset of a period. In other women, emotional symptoms may be severe enough to interfere with normal activities. Common symptoms are depression, anxiety, irritability and aggression, resulting in what is sometimes called the ï¿½PMS bluesï¿½.

When emotional or physical symptoms of PMS are severe, this condition is called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. PMDD occurs in two to ten percent of all women of reproductive age in the United States. Women with PMDD may have feelings of hopelessness and guilt and a sense of being overwhelmed. Many women with PMDD report feeling very tense and become suddenly sad or are overly sensitive to other people. These symptoms may cause them to withdraw from normal social interaction and can seriously interfere with normal activities and relationships at home and at work.

Many of the emotional symptoms of PMS experienced by women are thought to stem from the brainï¿½s reduced ability to utilize a chemical called serotonin during the premenstrual phase. Serotonin has a mood-enhancing effect. Therefore, the mainstay of treating more severe emotional symptoms is a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. These drugs act by improving the brainï¿½s ability to utilize serotonin, thereby stabilizing a womanï¿½s mood.

Some emotional symptoms are worsened by the effect of physical symptoms of PMS. A woman may experience pain and tiredness and not feel up to sticking to her normal exercise routine. Exercise releases natural mood-elevating and pain-relieving compounds called endorphins; less exercise means lower endorphin levels. Weight gain, bloating, and insomnia may worsen anxiety during PMS. Therefore, management of these physical symptoms through exercise, diet, and medication can help reduce emotional symptoms.

PMS provides detailed information on PMS, PMS remedy, PMS symptoms, PMS treatment and more. PMS is affliated with Vaginal Yeast Infections.

PMS And Back Pain

2008-11-28T08:44:00.001-08:00

PMS And Back Pain

by: Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS

It's no secret that many women suffer through their monthly periods, experiencing cramps, bloating, and lower back pain, to name just a few. But a large number of them�estimated at anywhere from 30 to 90 percent�also endure the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Most women feel some discomfort before their periods. But if you have PMS, you may feel so anxious, depressed, or uncomfortable that you can't cope at home or at work.

What causes PMS?

No one know for sure what causes PMS or why some months are worse than others, but PMS is often linked to the changes in hormone levels that happen during a woman's menstrual cycle. PMS is not caused by stress or psychological problems, though these may make the symptoms worse.

"We probably don't get nearly enough magnesium from out diet," says Dr. Carolyn Dean, who specializes in managing and healing commonly misdiagnosed and chronic conditions such as hormone imbalance, and mood swings. "The Recommended Daily Allowance for magnesium is 350-400 milligrams (mg) per day, but for optimal health you may need twice as much."

Dean, who serves on the medical advisory board of the Healthy Back Institute, suggests taking magnesium supplements to prevent or ease PMS symptoms, including back pain due to water retention. She recommends magnesium citrate and taurate, as well as spraying on magnesium oil that is absorbed through your skin.

Some researchers have found that calcium levels are lower in women with PMS and that calcium supplementation may reduce the severity of symptoms. One study, for instance, reported that 300 mg of calcium carbonate four times a day significantly reduced bloating, depression, pain, and mood swings.

How is PMS diagnosed?

There is no single test to diagnose PMS, but because thyroid disease is common in women of childbearing age, and because some of the symptoms of PMS�such as weight gain�are similar to symptoms of thyroid disease, your doctor may do a thyroid test. This can help rule out a thyroid problem as the cause of your symptoms. Often, a doctor will suggest that you keep a diary to track your symptoms for a few months.

How is PMS usually treated?

Medicines that are commonly prescribed include diuretics to help the body rid itself of extra sodium and fluid, which can ease bloating, weight gain, breast pain, abdominal pain, and back pain. Antidepressants can help with the severe irritability, depression, and anxiety that some women have with PMS. Doctors often prescribe birth control pills to help reduce some PMS symptoms by evening out hormone levels during your cycle.

Experts also suggest making some simple diet and lifestyle changes. These include eating more complex carbohydrates (such as whole grain breads, pasta and cereals), more fiber and protein, and more foods rich in potassium (such as fish, beans, and broccoli). Other things you can do: cut back on sugar and fat; avoid iodine salt (to reduce bloating and fluid retention) try sea salts, eliminate or cut back on caffeine and alcohol, get at least eight hours of sleep each night, and get regular aerobic exercise�even a short walk every day can help. In fact, research has shown that frequency�rather than intensity�of exercise can decrease PMS symptoms.

Are there alternative treatments?

According to a 2004 study in Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a drugless intervention that may provide relief from PMS is something called "external qigong." First, a little background: Human qi comes from two primary sources: one, your parents; and, two, essential substances in nature such as air, water, and food. Both of these qi sources�inherited and acquired vital energies�are refined and transformed by our organs.

By eating a healthy diet and breathing fresh air, the theory goes, the body extracts their most valuable essences and uses them to help form the vital energy. Following these simple principles are the first steps towards creating a healthy balance in the body.

In external qigong, a trained practitioner directs his or her own qi outward, with the intention of helping patients' clear blockages, remove negative qi, and balance the flow of qi in the body, thus relieving pain and helping the body to rid itself of certain diseases. Scientists in South Korea report that qigong can improve many of the symptoms associated with PMS, and that it may work as well as more traditional methods of relief.

Other techniques�such as breathing exercises, meditation, aromatherapy, and yoga�focus on reducing stress and promoting relaxation. It this regard, it is also advisable (where practical) to schedule events you expect will be stressful�that big family reunion, for example�for the week after your period. And because many women seem to be more sensitive in the weeks before their menstrual period, relaxation experts suggest setting aside personal time to unwind, let out pent-up emotions, and focus on things that will nourish your spirit.

You may also want to try evening primrose oil, a plant oil that contains gamma-linolenic acid, which is an omega-6 essential fatty acid. Gamma-linolenic acid is involved in the metabolism of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins that regulate pain and inflammation in the body. Other natural remedies commonly used for PMS: ginkgo, vitamin E, royal jelly, dandelion, wild yam, oligomeric proanthocyanidins(OPCs), uva ursi, St. John's wort, progesterone cream as well as Proteolytic Systemic Enzymes.

If you enjoyed this article, and would like more information in alternative back pain treatments sign up for our Back Pain Advisory and you will join the nearly 1 million people that have received this life changing information. Please visit our new web site at http://losethebackpain.com/ for more free informative articles, videos and open forums.

PMS

2008-11-28T08:43:00.002-08:00

PMS
by: Elizabeth Morgan

PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, is experienced by an estimated 85 percent of all women at some point during their lives. PMS is an umbrella term used to describe a number of physical and emotional changes that women undergo in the days between ovulation and the onset of the monthly period. These changes are attributed to changing hormone levels in the body.

Increased levels of certain hormones may result in specific PMS symptoms. The secretion of too much prolactin from the pituitary gland causes breast tenderness. Excessive prolactin secretion can also interfere with ovulation and may result in irregular periods. Another hormone, aldosterone, is secreted by the adrenal glands. Aldosterone levels normally increase after ovulation. This hormone acts by causing fluid retention, which in turn leads to bloating, headaches and breast swelling in some women. The brain does not utilize the mood-stabilizing neurotransmitter serotonin efficiently in some women, resulting in depression or anxiety. Endorphins, which are natural mood enhancers, may be secreted in reduced amounts by the pituitary gland, contributing to depression and to increased pain sensitivity. Increased sensitivity to insulin may result in episodes of low blood sugar, which in turn may increase irritability.

It is not fully understood why some women experience PMS, and others donï¿½t. Women with a close blood relative who also has PMS are more likely to suffer from PMS themselves. The types and severity of symptoms vary from one woman to the next. A more severe form of PMS is called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD.

In general, PMS tends to become worse the closer a woman gets to menopause. PMS-like symptoms can also be triggered when a woman undergoes major hormonal changes (such as those that occur during pregnancy), when on hormonal contraceptives or after a miscarriage or childbirth.

PMS Treatment provides detailed information on PMS, PMS remedy, PMS symptoms, PMS treatment and more. PMS Treatment is affiliated with Vaginal Yeast Infections.

Ten Tips for Women with PMS

2008-11-28T08:43:00.001-08:00

Ten Tips for Women with PMS

by: Susun Weed

Water retention, mood swings, sore breasts, and indigestion are problems experienced by many women in the week preceding menstruation. Here are a few tips from Susun Weed's best-selling book, NEW Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way (Alternatives for Women 30-90) to help ease these discomforts.

TO RELIEVE WATER RETENTION

10-20 drops of dandelion root tincture in a cup of water with meals and before bed.

A strong infusion (one ounce of dried herb in a quart of boiling water, brewed overnight) of the common weed, stinging nettle, not only relieves, but also helps prevent further episodes of water retention. Weed says she drinks a cup or more of this infusion daily whenever she wants to nourish her kidneys and adrenals.

TO MODERATE MOOD SWINGS

Tincture of the flowering tops of fresh motherwort is a favorite calmative of herbalist Weed. She uses 5-10 drops in a small amount of water as a dose, which she repeats as needed, sometimes as frequently as 3-4 times an hour, until the desired effect is achieved. "I never feel drugged or groggy or out-of-it when I use motherwort to help me calm down," she says.

For women who consistently feel premenstrual rage, use 20-30 drops of motherwort tincture twice a day for a month to help stabilize mood swings. Make it a priority to take a moon day - one day right before or at the start of the menstrual flow which is set aside for you and you alone.

One or more cups of an infusion of the herb oatstraw (the grass of the plant that gives us oatmeal) helps the nerves calm down and provides a rich source of minerals known to soothe frazzled emotions.

TO RELIEVE CONGESTION AND TENDERNESS IN THE BREASTS

20-30 drops of the tincture of cleavers, another common weed, works wonders. This plant, also called "goose grass", was used as a black tea substitute by the colonists. The dose may be repeated every hour or up to 6 times a day.

Women who get a lot of calcium and magnesium from their diet (leafy greens, yogurt, and many herbs are rich in these minerals) have less breast tenderness. Increase the minerals in your diet with a cup or more of red clover/mint infusion daily.

Large cabbage leaves, steamed whole until soft, and applied as warm as tolerable, can be used as a soothing compress on breasts which are sore and swollen.

TO RELIEVE DIGESTIVE DISTRESS

A daily dose of 1 teaspoonful/5ml yellow dock root vinegar.

A cup of yogurt in the morning (buy it plain and add fruit at home) replaces gut flora and ensures easy digestion all day long.

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Menopause and Cancer

2008-11-28T08:42:00.001-08:00

Menopause and Cancer

by: Anonymous

AFTER the menopause, a woman may experience changes that may or may not be related to decreased hormone levels. These include serious conditions like cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and cancer. Early measures taken may prevent or detect these conditions early.
There is no increased risk of cancer with the menopause. Cancer is not as common as heart attacks or strokes. There are different types of cancer that affect women. All women, especially senior women, must be aware of the common cancers that affect them.

Breast cancer is the commonest cancer. It is feared most by women and is frequently the focus of the media so much so that many women think it is a very common condition.

In fact, its incidence is much less than cardiovascular disease or osteoporosis. When detected and treated early, it is very amenable to treatment.

Death rates have declined in recent years. The five-year survival rate for localised cancer is more than 90%. The factors that increase the risk of breast cancer include:

â€¢ Age. The risk increases with age reaching about 10% by 80 years of age.
â€¢ Heredity. A woman's risk is increased if her mother or sister had the condition, especially if before the menopause.
â€¢ Early age of first period.
â€¢ Never been pregnant.
â€¢ Obesity
â€¢ Alcohol consumption.
â€¢ Sedentary lifestyle.
â€¢ Long term ( ie.more than five years) hormone therapy (HT) has been reported to be associated with a slightly increased risk of breast cancer.
â€¢ Radiotherapy for other cancers.

Cervical cancer is very treatable if detected early with five-year survival rates of more than 90%.

It is thought to be caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which is acquired through sexual intercourse. Most HPV infections do not result in cervical cancer. The risk of HPV increases with early sexual intercourse, multiple partners, smoking and HIV infection. Neither the menopause nor the use of hormone therapy increases the risk of cervical cancer.

Endometrial (uterine) cancer is very treatable if detected early with five-year survival rates of 95%.

The risk factors of endometrial cancer include:

â€¢ Early age of first period.
â€¢ Late menopause.
â€¢ Never been pregnant.
â€¢ Obesity.
â€¢ Diabetes.
â€¢ Hypertension.
â€¢ Use of oestrogen without progestogen.
â€¢ Use of tamoxifen.

Previous pregnancy and the use of the birth control Pill appear to provide some protection against endometrial cancer.

Ovarian cancer is not common yet it causes more deaths than any other cancer of the reproductive organs, mainly because it usually presents at an advanced and less curable stage. One of the main reasons for its late detection is the absence of symptoms in the early stages. If detected and treated early, five-year survival rates can exceed 90%.

The risk of ovarian cancer increases with age, especially in women who have never been pregnant or those with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. The risk is lower in those who have been pregnant, used birth control Pills or had tubal ligation. Neither the menopause nor the use of hormone therapy increases the risk of ovarian cancer.

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women in many developed countries. The increase parallels the increasing number of women who smoke cigarettes. As such, it can be expected to pose a problem for Malaysian women in future.
Colorectal cancer is not associated with the menopause but with increasing age, a family history of the cancer, colorectal polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, physical inactivity and smoking.

Most cancers can be successfully treated today. The most important factor in treatment success is early detection. Regular check ups and the early seeking of medical attention is advisable for not only menopausal women but all seniors.

Menopause Relief

2008-11-28T08:40:00.002-08:00

Menopause Relief

by: Kevin Stith

Menopause can be a difficult time for many women. Reductions in circulating estrogen hormone levels result in a number of physical and physiological changes, which in turn may lead to mental and emotional stress. While short-term hormone replacement therapy helps many women, most symptoms of menopause can be relieved with simple lifestyle changes.

Weight gain during menopause can be distressing. Shifting to a low-fat, high-fiber diet and controlling overall dietary intake can help control weight gain. Diets rich in phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens, may offer additional relief. Soy products, such as tofu, soy milk and soy powders are rich in phytoestrogens, and help lower cholesterol. Linseed products are also a good source of phytoestrogens. Regular exercise, for approximately 30 minutes several times a week, can also help control weight gain. Added benefits of regular exercise are conversion of fat into lean muscle mass, which helps burn off excess calories even while resting. Furthermore, exercise may help improve conditions such as low energy levels, mood swings, sleeplessness, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Many women suffer from irritability, mood swings, and depression during the onset of menopause. While some of this may be attributable to the stress of undergoing a major life change, any such symptoms should be carefully evaluated by a physician and appropriately managed. Depending on the severity of symptoms, lifestyle or drug treatments may be prescribed. While there is no scientific proof of its efficacy, some women claim the herb St. Johnï¿½s Wort offers relief in depression. Any attempts at self-medication should be discussed with a physician.

Dry and wrinkled skin is a common complaint among menopausal women. Estrogen skin creams may help; these can be prescribed by consulting a dermatologist. Stopping smoking helps maintain healthy skin and has numerous other health benefits. Avoiding excessive exposure to direct sunlight, and using UV-ray blocking skin creams, can also offer relief.

With a healthy diet and exercise, menopausal women can improve distressing symptoms such as weight gain and mood swings. For more serious depression, drugs may be prescribed, and for wrinkles, estrogen cream and avoiding the sun can help.

Early Menopause provides detailed information on menopause, early menopause, male menopause, menopause and osteoporosis and more. Early Menopause is affiliated with Endometriorsis And Infertility.

Menopause Symptoms

2008-11-28T08:40:00.001-08:00

Menopause Symptoms

by: Kevin Stith

The symptoms that menopausal women report vary widely. All women experience irregular or shorter periods during the year or so before their periods stop altogether. The majority of women going through menopause also experience hot flashes. These typically begin with a feeling of mild to intense warmth in the upper part of the body, spreading to the face. Hot flashes may last for several minutes, and be accompanied by sweating and blushing. Their severity varies from mild to causing extreme discomfort. In some women, hot flashes may occur while asleep, causing them to wake up, resulting in insomnia or sleeplessness. Headaches and a racing heartbeat may also be experienced during menopause, sometimes coinciding with hot flashes and adding to overall discomfort.

Women going through menopause may experience a number of emotional symptoms. These include irritability, depression, anxiety, fatigue, lowered motivation and tension. While these emotional symptoms are a normal part of menopause, they may also be found in a variety of other conditions. It is best to consult a doctor if emotions are getting in the way of normal daily activities.

Many women have joint and muscle aches during menopause. Some of these women may be developing osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become weak. Hormonal changes during menopause, and a lack of sufficient physical activity, aggravate the development of osteoporosis. A doctor should properly evaluate any joint or muscle pain.

A distressing symptom some women experience during menopause is some loss of bladder control. Decreased estrogen levels cause this; estrogen helps keep the pelvic muscles that control the bladder strong.

Women going through menopause typically experience reduced sex drive. Some of this is attributable to vaginal dryness that develops during menopausal hormonal changes. Insomnia, depression, anxiety and other symptoms experienced during menopause may also contribute to decreased libido.

Menopausal women suffer a range of symptoms in varying severity: loss of periods, hot flashes, emotional disturbance, joint and muscle aches, bladder weakness and loss of libido. Fortunately, much is known about their origins, and there are many treatments available to improve them.

Early Menopause provides detailed information on menopause, early menopause, male menopause, menopause and osteoporosis and more. Early Menopause is affiliated with Endometriorsis And Infertility.

Menopause Treatment

2008-11-28T08:39:00.002-08:00

Menopause Treatment

by: Kevin Stith

Menopause is a normal part of a womanï¿½s life, and as such requires no treatment. However, the symptoms a menopausal woman suffers may range from mild to debilitating. These symptoms may require some form of treatment.

Up until recently, hormone replacement therapy, in particular estrogen replacement therapy, was the cornerstone of menopause treatment. Estrogen reduces symptoms such as hot flashes, helps maintain bone strength to delay the onset of osteoporosis, and can reduce urinary incontinence. Sufficient estrogen levels in the body are also needed to keep cholesterol levels lower. However, despite these beneficial effects, recent research has shown that long-term hormone replacement therapy may actually be harmful, increasing the chance of serious complications such as heart attacks, strokes, certain types of breast cancer, dementia and gallstones.

Revised US Food and Drug Administration guidelines recommend that most women receive only short-term hormone replacement therapy. This short-term therapy is usually beneficial in reducing symptoms, without the attendant health risks long-term therapy poses. Only women who are considered to be at high risk for osteoporosis, a disease in which the bones become progressively weaker, may benefit from long-term hormone replacement therapy. Before starting any hormone replacement therapy, a woman should have a breast examination, and if thought necessary by her physician, a mammogram to rule out breast cancer.

Women with osteoporosis may be prescribed drugs such as biphosphonates to reduce bone loss. There are also a number of lifestyle changes a woman can make that may greatly improve her symptoms. These include stopping smoking, controlling alcohol intake, getting regular exercise, and eating a healthy diet, which become especially important as a woman gets older. These changes help maintain weight and reduce the risk of heart disease. Soy products are rich in plant estrogens, and are reported to reduce the intensity of hot flashes. Menopausal women have tried various forms of meditation with varying levels of success.

Although hormone replacement therapy is effective against distressing symptoms of menopause, recent research shows that it has serious side-effects. Therefore, alternative menopausal therapies are being developed, including new drugs to fight osteoporosis, changes in diet and lifestyle, and meditation.

Menopause provides detailed information on menopause, early menopause, male menopause, menopause and osteoporosis and more. Menopause is affliated with Endometriorsis And Infertility.

Menopause Weight Gain

2008-11-28T08:39:00.001-08:00

Menopause Weight Gain

by: Kevin Stith

Weight gain in menopausal women, particularly in the abdominal area, is associated with decreased levels of the hormone estrogen. Fat accumulates around the stomach area, not around the hips and thighs as it does at a younger age. The exact mechanism of this weight gain is not fully understood. Also, with increasing age, there is more conversion of muscle tissue into fat and a tendency to gain weight. Women going through menopause may become less physically active, or change eating habits. Metabolism also slows down with increasing age. All these factors contribute to cause weight gain in women soon after menopause. Contrary to popular belief, hormone replacement therapy has not been shown to cause weight gain; it may actually have a protective effect.

Weight gain in the abdominal area should be kept in check, as it is associated with an increased chance of developing heart disease. This is accentuated by higher cholesterol levels in post-menopausal women. Weight gain may also lead to reduced physical activity, which in turn can result in further loss of muscle mass and weakening of the bones. Other conditions associated with weight gain are high blood pressure and diabetes. It is therefore important to prevent excess weight gain after menopause.

Steps women can take to limit weight gain are moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes each day and eating low-fat and high-fiber foods such as fruit and vegetables. It is important to avoid crash and fad diets as such diets result in more muscle loss and slow down the bodyï¿½s metabolism. Foods rich in fats, such as chocolate and fast food, should be sparingly consumed or avoided. Regular contact with a physician, dietician or other health care provider can improve chances of successful weight maintenance or weight loss.

Early Menopause provides detailed information on menopause, early menopause, male menopause, menopause and osteoporosis and more. Early Menopause is affiliated with Endometriorsis And Infertility.

The Yoga of Menopause: Alternatives to Hormone Therapy

2008-11-28T08:38:00.000-08:00

The Yoga of Menopause: Alternatives to Hormone Therapy

by: Susun Weed

Itâ€™s big news when a favored medical treatment â€“ HRT for menopausal women â€“ is found to be harmful. But itâ€™s no news to readers of Susun Weed. Sheâ€™s been blowing the whistle on both scientific and alternative treatments of menopause for nearly two decades. As recently quoted in Newsweek Magazine, Susun maintains: â€œMenopause is not a â€˜pathologyâ€™, but a passage to power. Like puberty, menopause is a natural â€“ and healthy â€“ change. Wise women the world over herald menopause as a health-promoting event. They see hot flashes as â€˜power surgesâ€™ and menopause as an intense spiritual journey. Most treatments â€“ including ERT, HRT, isoflavone, and progesterone creams â€“ disrupt this process and can do severe damage to a womanâ€™s health.â€

Susun Weed, wise woman, herbalist, author, and mother, has been at the forefront of the natural menopause revolution for the past fifteen years. She plays with the fairies and her goats at her 55-acre homestead in New Yorkâ€™s Catskill mountains, where she coordinates events at the Wise Woman Center, including monthly moonlodge gatherings and a variety of healing workshops. She has dedicated her life to the reweaving of the cloak of the Ancients and to making the Wise Woman available to all women.

MENOPAUSE IS ENLIGHTENMENT

The energy aspects of menopause are of special interest to me.

As a long-time student of yoga, I was struck by the many similarities between menopausal symptoms and the well-known esoteric goal of "awakening of the kundalini." Though the ideas presented in this section may seem strange or difficult to comprehend, they contain powerful messages about menopause, which lie at the heart of the Wise Woman approach.

Kundalini [is] the root [of] all spiritual experiences ... Kundalini is a special kind of energy known in many cultures, including Tibetan, Indian, Sumerian, Chinese, Irish, Aztec, and Greek. Kundalini is said to be hot, fast, powerful, and large. It exists within the earth, within all life, and within each person. Psychoanalyst Carl G. Jung called kundalini anima. Kundalini is usually represented as a serpent coiled at the base of the spine, but women's mystery stories locate it in the uterus - or the area where the uterus was, if a hysterectomy has occurred. During both puberty and menopause, a woman's kundalini is difficult to control and may cause a great number of symptoms.

East Indian yogis spend lifetimes learning to activate, or wake up, their kundalini. This is also called "achieving enlightenment". When they succeed, a surge of super-heated energy goes up the spine, throughout the nerves, dilating blood vessels, and fueling itself with hormones. As kundalini continues to travel up the spine, it changes the functioning of the endocrine, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Not just in yogis, but in any woman who allows herself to become aware of it. Menopause is a kind of enlightenment. Hot flashes are kundalini training sessions.

TAKING HORMONES? THESE HERBS ARE FOR YOU

More and more American women are using herbal remedies to help them with menopausal problems. Those who do take ERT (estrogen replacement) or HRT (hormone replacement) may be surprised to discover that herbal medicine has a lot to offer them as well.

Herbs for women on ERT/HRT include those that alleviate side-effects as well as those that counter problems caused by the hormones.

Herbal Helpers Counter Side-Effects

Water retention is the symptom most often cited for dissatisfaction with hormone replacement. Herbal tinctures and tea, such as dandelion or cleavers, and ordinary foods can not only relieve the distress, they will go to the root of the problem and help prevent recurrences.

Dandelion root tincture (Taraxacum officinale) strengthens the liver and helps it process out the excess hormones you are taking. When the liver works well, the kidneys work better, and tissues no longer bloat. A dose is 10-20 drops in several ounces of water or juice 2-3 three times a day. If you have any digestion problems, take your dandelion before meals; otherwise, anytime is fine. You can safely take dandelion daily for months or years if you need or want to.

Cleavers herb tincture (Galium molluga) tells the lymphatic tissues to get moving. Relief from edema is usually rapid when 20-30 drops are taken in several ounces of water or juice. Repeat up to six times at hourly intervals if needed. Cleavers is especially helpful for easing swollen, sore breasts.

Foods that relieve water retention include (in order of effectiveness): asparagus, nettles, corn (and corn silk tea), grapes, cucumbers, watermelon (and watermelon seed tea), parsley, celery, black tea, and green tea.

Headaches are the second most common side-effect of hormone use. Unfortunately, they are common among menopausal women not taking hormones, too. Herbs that help relieve headache without a drug-like action - such as dandelion, yellow dock, milk thistle, burdock, garden sage, skullcap, and St. John's/Joan's wort - are generally considered safe to take with hormones.

Chinese herbalists say headaches are caused by liver stress. My favorite liver-strengthening herbs are dandelion, yellow dock, milk thistle seed, and burdock. I use one at a time, a 15-25 drops of the tincture several times a day, for two weeks. If symptoms continue, I switch to a different herb.

A strong tea of garden sage leaves (Salvia officinalis) offers immediate relief from headaches and helps prevent future ones. It also reduces night sweats. Tinctures of skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) and St. Joan's/John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) ease pain and relieve muscle spasms. Use 5-20 drops of skullcap and a dropperful of St.J's at the very first sign - no, the very first thought - of a headache. Repeat the doses every five minutes until pain free. Skullcap can be quite sedative, especially in large doses.

Herbal Allies to Prevent Problems Caused by Taking Hormones

Breast cancer risk is increased 20% in women who use ERT for five or more years. Use of HRT for five or more years increases breast cancer risk by 40%. Each five years of continued use increases the risk. In addition, women who take ERT are far more likely to get uterine or endometrial cancers. All women on hormones increase their risks of lung and ovarian cancer, too. Nourishing herbs such as red clover, and foods such as beans and yogurt, offer easy ways to stay cancer-free.

Red clover blossoms (Trifolium pratense), when dried and brewed into a strong infusion (one ounce herb steeped an a quart of boiling water for at least four hours) prevent cancer by providing phytoestrogens that counter the cancer-promoting effects of oral hormones. Usual dose is 2-4 cups a day. The infusion tastes like black tea and can be flavored with mint if you like.

Since uncooked beans and unfermented soy contain anti-nutritional factors that may promote bone loss and dementia, soy "milk" and tofu are not recommended. Miso and tamari definitely help to prevent breast cancer but soy isoflavones may promote it.

Yogurt helps build powerful immunity. Women who eat a quart of yogurt a week have 700% less cancer than women who eat no yogurt.

Dry eyes afflict more than 9% of women using ERT and over 7% of those on HRT. Risk increases by 70% for every year of continued use. And the longer a woman uses hormones, the greater her risk. Herbs such as oatstraw, chamomile, and chickweed can help relieve and prevent this problem.

Oatstraw infusion (Avena sativa) cools and moistens your eyes from the inside out, builds strong bones too. Use one ounce of dried herb in a quart jar; fill to the top with boiling water and cap tightly. Let steep four or more hours. Dose is 2-4 cups a day. Refrigerate after straining.

Cucumber slices ease dry eyes; so do chamomile tea bags.

The ultimate ally for women with dry eyes is fresh chickweed (Stellaria media), applied as a poultice to the closed eyes. Leave on for five minutes, or until the plant material feels warm (it will heat up). Repeat as needed.

Stroke and heart attack are actually increased by use of ERT/HRT, though modern medicine has long proclaimed the opposite. Every major double-blind study done to date has created a larger and larger gap between ERT/HRT's supposed ability to help cardiovascular health and its actual results. Protect your heart with nourishing and tonifying herbs and foods such as motherwort, hawthorn, and cherries.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) tincture helps the heart. The Japanese claim it is their secret of longevity. A dose is 5-15 drops, twice a day. Motherwort also relieves hot flashes, calms tachycardiia, and eases anxiety. It's an all-in-one remedy for menopausal women.

Hawthorn (Crataegus oxycantha) flowers, leaves, and fruits are all used to maintain heart health and control fluid build-up in heart tissues. A dose is 20- 30 drops of tincture 2-4 times a day, or a cup of tea with meals. This widespread shrub is considered one of the finest heart tonics in the world.

Cherries are even better than apples at keeping the doctor away. Dried cherries and cherry juice, even tincture of cherries.

More than three-quarters of the women in America over the age of fifty have refused ERT/HRT. If you want to join them, taper off your dosage slowly, while continuing to use nourishing and tonifying herbs such as dandelion, motherwort, red clover, oatstraw, and seaweed.

THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF ESTROGENS

Women make estrogens.

Plants make estrogens and estrogen-like compounds.

Chemicals, especially organochlorines, act like estrogens (xenoestrogens).

Pharmaceutical companies make estrogens from substances such as horse urine, wild yam roots, and petrochemicals. Tamoxifen, used to treat and prevent breast cancer, is a type of pharmaceutical estrogen.

Women make at least thirty types of estrogen, including estradiol, estrone, and estrace. Estradiol is the strongest; it is turned on at puberty and turned off at menopause. Estradiol is positively linked with breast cancer; other human estrogens are not. Anything that reduces the amount of estradiol a woman produces (such as pregnancy, lactation, early menopause, and late puberty) also decreases her risk of a breast cancer diagnosis.

Phytoestrogens counter the detrimental effects of estradiol by competing for the same receptor sites.

Estradiol is a strong estrogen and is metabolized by the long path. The other estrogens our bodies make are weak estrogens and are metabolized by the short path. Alcohol turns off the short path. Phytoestrogens are weak hormones and hormonal precursors. Phytoestrogens in foods are metabolized by the short path. Phytoestrogens appear to protect tissues from the cancer-causing effects of estradiol, xenoestrogens and pharmaceutical hormones. Phytoestrogens in foods prevent cancer and promote health; phytoestrogen supplements and processed soy fake-foods may do the opposite. Breast cancer occurs four times more often in women whose urinary output of phytoestrogen by-products is low compared to women whose urinary output is high.

Phytoestrogens are common in food. They are concentrated in seeds (grains, beans, nuts, berries) and roots. The exceptions to the rule that plants don't contain human hormones: French beans, rice, apple seeds, licorice, and pomegranate seeds contain the "weak" estrogen estrone.

To get the greatest benefit from phytoestrogenic foods and herbs remember:

Isolated phytoestrogens are not as safe as those "in matrix."

To make use of plant hormones, you need active, healthy gut flora.

Herbs and foods rich in phytoestrogens need to be used in different ways.

Phytoestrogens may have different effects on women who do not have their ovaries.

1. Plants contain many types of phytoestrogens; additionally, they contain minerals and other constituents which help our bodies modify the phytoestrogens and so we can use them safely. Red clover is mineral-rich and contains all four of the major types of phytoestrogens: lignans, coumestans, isoflavones, and resorcylic acid lactones. It is the world's best-known anti-cancer herb. In general, foods and herbs rich in phytoestrogens, with the possible exception of licorice, show anti-cancer abilities. Isoflavone, however, when isolated (usually from soy) has the opposite effect: in the lab it encourages the growth of breast cancer cells.

2. Plant hormones, including most phytoestrogens, can't be used by humans. But we can convert them into ones we can use - with the help of our gut bacteria. When women take antibiotics, their excretion of phytoestrogens plummets. Get your gut flora going by eating more yogurt, miso, unpasteurized sauerkraut, homemade beers and wines, picked-by-your-own-hands-and-unwashed fruits and salads, sourdough bread, and whey-fermented vegetables. (See Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon for whey-fermented vegetable recipes.)

3. Plants which are exceptionally rich in phytoestrogens are regarded as powerful herbal medicines. Plants which are good sources of phytoestrogens are regarded as foods. While food can certainly be our medicine - a practice I advocate - it is also true that medicines are more dangerous than foods. Foods rich in phytoestrogens are different than medicinal herbs rich in phytoestrogens. They have different places in my life.

I eat phytoestrogenic foods daily in quantity.

I use phytoestrogenic food-like herbs regularly (not daily), in moderate quantity.

I take phytoestrogenic herbs rarely, in small amounts, for a limited time.

Phytoestrogenic foods are the basis for a healthy diet and a long life. The first food listed is the highest in phytoestrogens. The best diet contains not just one but many choices from each list:

Whole grains (rye, oats, barley, millet, rice, wheat, corn)

Edible seeds (buckwheat, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, amaranth, quinoa)

Beans (yellow split peas, black turtle beans, baby limas, Anasazi beans, red kidney beans, red lentils, soy beans)

Leafy greens and seaweed (parsley, nettle, kelp, cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards, lamb's quarter)

Fruits (olives, cherries, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, plums, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, salmon berries, apricots, crab apples, quinces, rosehips, blueberries)

Olive oil and seed oils. Garlic, onions and their relatives leeks, chives, scallions, ramps, shallot

Phytoestrogenic food-like herbs are generally considered longevity tonics. For optimum effect, use only one from the list below and to stick with it for at least three months.

Citrus peel, dandelion leaves and/or roots, fenugreek seeds, flax seeds, green tea, hops, red clover, red wine.

Phytoestrogenic herbs are usually too powerful for long- term use. From the list below (which is in alphabetical order), it is safest to use only one herb at a time, and use it only when needed, although that may mean daily use for several months. More information about these herbs, including specific dosages and cautions, is in New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way.

Agave root, black cohosh root, black currant, black haw, chasteberries, cramp bark, dong quai root, devil's club root, false unicorn root, ginseng root, groundsel herb, licorice, liferoot herb, motherwort herb, peony root, raspberry leaves, rose family plants (most parts), sage leaves, sarsaparilla root, saw palmetto berried, wild yam root, yarrow blossoms.

4. Most of the warnings about phytoestrogenic herbs center on their proven ability to thicken the uterine wall in animals who have had their ovaries removed. This could encourage cancer, just as taking ERT encourages cancer of the uterus by stimulating cell growth. Women without ovaries are probably safe eating phytoestrogenic foods, but may want to use phytoestrogenic herbs - especially ginseng, dong quai, licorice, red clover, and wild yam - in small amounts and only for short periods.

NEWS NOTES ON PHYTOESTROGENIC PLANTS

Recent studies indicate black cohosh does not suppress luteinizing hormone, has no estrogenic effect, and contains no compounds related to estrogen. Red clover flower heads contain many hormone-like flavonoids, including isoflavone, daidzein, genistein, formononetin, biochanin, sitosterol, and coumestrol, a particularly strong phytoestrogen (six times more active than the one in soy). Red clover contains all four major estrogenic isoflavones; soy has only two of them. A cup of red clover infusion (not tea) contains ten times more phytoestrogens than a cup of soy beverage, is richer in calcium, has less calories, and contains no added sugars.

Researchers in Australia report a million lambs a year are aborted after sheep eat clover on pasture. Yet red clover is renowned as a fertility enhancer. What's up? Stephen Buhner, author of The Secret Language of Plants, says clover plants make blood-thinning compounds (which cause abortion) when overgrazed, but don't otherwise. Plants, it turns out, can fight back.

When unfermented soy takes the place of animal protein (meat and milk), its anti-nutritional factors can create brittle bones, thyroid problems, memory loss, vision impairment, irregular heartbeat, depression, and vulnerability to infections. Unfermented soy is high in hemoglutin, which causes clumping of red blood cells and may increase risk of stroke. It is also impressively rich in aluminum (up to 100 times more than is found in the same amount of real milk). Eating tofu more than once a week doubled the risk of Alzheimer's in a small group of Japanese men studied for thirty years.

Human gut bacteria can cleave a sugar molecule from wild yam's steroidal saponin, producing diosgenin. Labs make progesterone from diosgenin, but our bodies can't. Diosgenin itself has a weak estrogenic effect. According to Australian herbalist Ruth Trickey: "A more probable explanation [for the observed effects of wild yam] ... is that [diosgenin] interacts with hypothalamic and pituitary hormones and ... initiates ovulation."

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Visit Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com and www.ashtreepublishing.com

Visit Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com;and www.ashtreepublishing.com

Menopause And Osteoporosis

2008-11-28T08:37:00.001-08:00

Menopause And Osteoporosis

by: Kevin Stith

Estrogen is an important hormone that is required to maintain bone strength. During menopause, the ovaries stop producing estrogen. Over the next several years, bones become progressively weaker. A woman may lose up to ten percent of her total bone mass in the first five years after menopause. If this weakening of the bones continues unchecked, it may progress to osteoporosis and to fractures. Osteoporosis is diagnosed by using a specialized x-ray technique, DEXA, which measures the extent of bone loss that has occurred.

It is estimated that as many as half of all women over the age of 60 have at least one bone fracture due to osteoporosis. Sometimes, such fractures may cause prolonged periods of immobilization or require surgical treatment, both of which are associated with an increased risk of further health complications.

There are several ways a woman can act to reduce the bone loss that follows menopause. It is recommended that women take at least 1 gram of calcium every day, either in the form of calcium supplements, or increased servings of dairy products. Calcium is absorbed more efficiently in the presence of sufficient vitamin D; up to 30 minutes of exposure to sunlight each day can ensure that the skin will produce vitamin D.

Bones remain stronger for longer if the muscles attached to them are exercised regularly. Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking or dancing, is recommended at least several times a week. High-impact activities should be avoided.

There are several treatments, including hormone replacement therapy, which can be taken to limit bone loss. However, hormone replacement therapy may not suit everyone and has side effects. There is no residual protection against future bone loss once such therapy is discontinued. Several other treatments are currently being evaluated to treat menopausal symptoms and to slow down bone loss.

Menopause and natural alternatives

2008-11-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

Menopause and natural alternatives

Lac Tran

Most women experience the menopause at around fifty years old. At this time a woman stops ovulating and ceases to have a monthly menstrual cycle. The menopause may occur overnight or can be more of a gradual process. The period of time leading up to menopause is often described as the perimenopause. For every woman, this is the time when the production of estrogen decreases and hormonal changes occur which can affect her physically, mentally and emotionally.
When the estrogen production slows down, the adrenal glands may become overworked, resulting in smaller amounts of hormonal production. The blood vessels dilate, and this can often result in hot flushes. Other common symptoms are restlessness, anxiety, strange food cravings, achy joints and emotional instability. There could also be changes in sexual desire, excessive sweating, palpitation, frequent urination, insomnia, night sweats and headaches. It is important to consider all these different symptoms in the treatment of the menopause.
Through the centuries, ancient medicine has recommended natural remedies for the treatment of the menopause. The traditional Chinese remedy for menopausal symptoms is Dong Quai. This well-researched natural remedy has phytoestrogenic properties and has proved effective in inducing progesterone receptor activity, which balances the progesterone/estrogen ratios. Another remedy is Goji, which is also said to restore hormonal balance. Today, Black Cohosh is also fast gaining popularity as an herbal cure for menopausal symptoms. This thoroughly researched herb contains phytoestrogens which balance the systemic estrogen production and suppress the high levels of the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) which is responsible for hot flashes. Other remedies that have proved helpful in the treatment of the menopause are flaxseed oil and Evening Primrose oil, both of which alleviate the symptoms of menopause. Though the results on the use of soy in the treatment of the menopause are inconclusive, many women swear by it and say that they have felt much better after including soy in their diet. Red clover which is full of isoflavones is also being widely used instead of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
The menopause is certainly a time for women to look after their general health. Healthy eating and exercise are particularly important. Many women gain weight during the menopause so it is important to keep an eye on your diet. Limit high fat and high sugar foods; include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean sources of protein and complex carbohydrates. It is very important to ensure adequate calcium intake at this time, as the protective effect of estrogen on the bones will be diminishing. From Around 50 years of age a womenâ€™s requirements for calcium increases from 1000 to 1200mg per day. This can be met through diet through ensuring 3-5 portions of calcium containing food per day. A portion is equivalent to glass of milk or calcium-fortified soy milk, a small pot of yogurt, an ounce of cheese, a large helping of green leafy vegetables, or a few ounces of tofu.
It is also essential to ensure adequate vitamin and mineral intake at this time to assist with the treatment of the menopause. Vitamin C is essential to keep the immune system in good shape. Vitamin B6 increases progesterone levels and helps to raise serotonin production which can calm a person down. Folic acid helps in cellular metabolism, assists in repairing damaged cells and neutralizes toxins. Zinc helps the immune system and assist with building strong bones.
Besides what one takes, what one does is very important too and thereâ€™s nothing to beat a bit of exercise in the treatment of the menopause. One study had 55% of women experiencing a reduction in the severity of hot flushes with aerobic exercise. Walking is a great form of exercise and it is weight-bearing which is important in keeping your bones healthy. In a study conducted at Tufts University, postmenopausal women who lifted weights twice a week for a year gained 1% in bone density. Yoga and acupuncture have also proved beneficial in studies. All in all, placing a little more emphasis on staying fit and healthy and putting you first seem to be key in overcoming problems associated with menopause.

Author Bio:

Mitamins team

bd@mitamins.net

Mitamins' aim is to custom-made the best natural remedies to complement the treatment of your concerns. Our unique process allows you to combine multiple formulas into a single formula, in a single bottle, and avoid overdose and interactions.

2008-11-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

Menopause - the Wise Woman Way

by: Susun Weed

WHAT IS MENOPAUSE?

To the MD, menopause is the last drop of blood a woman sheds. A woman can be peri-menopausal (around menopause) or post-menopausal (after menopause) but she can never be menopausal, according to this definition.

To most women, however, the years between the first suspicion of change and the final menses constitute the menopausal years, and we are menopausal throughout that time. This decade of transition is compared by some to non-stop PMS, by others to an extended pregnancy. I see it as a second puberty.

Menopause is puberty prime, and the change from a familiar, known self to new and unknown self is the same: amazing, difficult, rewarding, exasperating, and momentous.

"Do not become alarmed when you experience yourself in totally new ways," sighs Grandmother Growth tenderly. "You are changing, getting ready to be initiated into the third stage of your life. Are you ready for the ride of your life?"
Susun Weed, Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, Woodstock: Ash Tree, 2002

THE STORY OF MENOPAUSE

The onerous physical/emotional changes that accompany puberty and menopause are strongly influenced - both positively and negatively - by cultural, familial, and personal beliefs.

If we expect our new self to be more powerful, more exciting, more interesting than our old self, we willingly undergo discomfort, pain, sleeplessness, emotional variability, and a host of annoyances and distresses. In America today, this is may be the case when we experience puberty, pregnancy, birth, and lactation.

If we expect our new self to be a weaker, less interesting, grayed-out version of our older self, we will naturally resist changing and find the normal abnormalities of change intolerable. This is often the case when American women encounter menopause.

The purpose of this article is not to examine why this is so, or how it came to be so, but to offer a different view of menopause. I want to share with you the teachings I have received from the Ancient Ones, the ancient grandmothers who tell the women's mystery stories. That your journey may be made richer.

"The joy of menopause is the world's best-kept secret. Like venturing through the gateway to enter an ancient temple, in order to claim that joy a woman must be willing to pass beyond the monsters who guard its gate. As you stand at the brink of it, it can appear that only darkness, danger and decay lie beyond. [But] ... as thousands of women from all cultures throughout history have whispered to each other, it is the most exciting passage a woman ever makes."
Leslie Kenton, Passage to Power. London: Ebury Press; 1995

GREEN BLESSINGS

And let's take some simple herbal helpers with us on our menopausal journey. Their abilities are subtle and far-reaching. They can help us ease symptoms, provide us with optimum nourishment, help us create healthy hearts and healthy bones, and open us to the uplifting power of Nature.

Nourishing herbal infusions provide an abundance of minerals, vitamins, proteins, and phytoestrogens (plant hormones that are similar to estrogen) at low cost and with little effort.

To make a nourishing herbal infusion:

Place one ounce by weight (about a cup by volume) of dried herb (do not use fresh) in a quart jar and fill to the top with boiling water.

Cover tightly and allow to steep for at least four hours. Overnight is fine.

Strain and refrigerate.

Drink 2-4 cups a day, hot or cold, mixed with other liquids (water, juice, rum, coffee for example) or taken neat.

I rotate through four nourishing herbs: oatstraw, stinging nettle, red clover, and comfrey leaf. Each herb has special benefits for menopausal women. These four herbs, taken one at a time, and infused in water, are completely safe to use. (They may not be safe if taken in tinctures or encapsulated). I have drunk nourishing herbal infusions on a daily basis for more than twenty years.

But before we go further, let's talk about the purpose of menopause.

"She [the postmenopausal woman] is not a sentiment, she is a requirement."
Kristen Hawkes, 1997

THE PURPOSE OF MENOPAUSE

Menopause may be a prime factor in women's greater longevity.(1)

Dr. Kristen Hawkes of the University of Utah reports that Hadza women in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond gather more food than men or women of other ages and they are as important to the survival of their grandchildren as the childrenâ€™s mothers are.(2)

The postmenopausal woman is the one who has the stored wisdom to help her community survive. She is the Wise Woman, the one who gives us all a survival edge. Dr. Jared Diamond of the University of California at Los Angeles Medical School maintains that menopause is "among the biological traits essential for making us human."(3)

Dr. Hawkes believes that not only did prehistoric women survive past the age of menopause, but that they were instrumental in freeing our ancestors to exploit new habitats, explore new places, and ultimately to spread across the entire planet.(4)

â€œKundalini [is] the root [of] all spiritual experiences ....â€
RE Svoboda, Kundalini Aghora II. Albuquerque, NM. 1993

MENOPAUSE AS ENLIGHTENMENT

As a long-time student of yoga, I am struck by the many similarities between menopausal symptoms and the well-known esoteric goal of â€œawakening of the Kundalini.â€

Kundalini is a special kind of energy known in many cultures, including Tibetan, Indian, Sumerian, Chinese, Irish, Aztec, and Greek. Kundalini is said to be hot, fast, powerful, and large. It exists within the earth, within all life, and within each person.

Kundalini is usually represented as a serpent coiled at the base of the spine, but womenâ€™s mystery stories locate it in the uterus - or the area where the uterus was, if a hysterectomy has occurred.

Yogis spend lifetimes learning how to wake up their Kundalini so they may experience enlightenment. Success causes a surge of super-heated energy to travel through the body, firing the nerves, dilating blood vessels, and altering the nature of reality. Sounds like a hot flash to me.

If Kundalini is released over and over, as it is during menopause, it causes changes in the functioning of the endocrine, cardiovascular, and nervous systems.

Wise women use nourishing herbal infusions, especially nervous-system strengthening oatstraw, fermented foods, such as yogurt, and seaweed (as a food, not a supplement), to help ensure that these changes add to their vitality and longevity, creating what Margaret Mead called "postmenopausal zest".

MAIDEN, MOTHER, CRONE

When we are children, we exist within Kundalini; it is primarily outside the body. At puberty, a two-valved energy â€œgateâ€ opens, and Kundalini circulates up from the earth and into the root chakra. The maiden becomes the mother. Kundalini builds up in the uterus and pelvic tissues, ready to create a new life. This stored Kundalini can intensify emotions and sensations, expose powerful feelings, trigger creative outpourings, and generate house-cleaning frenzies. If pregnancy occurs, the Kundalini continues to build for the duration of the pregnancy and is used in the act of birth. If no egg is fertilized, the Kundalini flows out with the menstrual blood, returning to the earth.

At menopause, one â€œvalveâ€ of the root chakra closes. The mother becomes the crone. The open valve allows Kundalini to enter; the closed one prevents it from leaving. When Kundalini collects in the uterus without an outlet, it causes problems including incontinence, broken hips, loss of libido, and excessively dry vaginal tissues.

STINGING NETTLE

But if the Kundalini is guided (by thought or by hot flashes, for instance) up the spine, then it confers enlightenment not incontinence, flexibility not fractures, vitality not debility, and abundance not withering. Stinging nettle infusion replaces the nutrients and proteins that Kundalini uses up. By strengthening the adrenals and kidneys, and increasing stamina, nettle helps us surf the waves and ski the slopes of our hot flashes.

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a wonderful ally for the woman who is awakened by night sweats, whose hair is falling out or becoming brittle, whose energy is flagging (or gone!), whose vagina is dry, who wants to avoid adult-onset diabetes, for the woman who wants to increase her metabolic rate, improve the flexibility of her blood vessels, strengthen her immune system, and find ease for sore joints.

Loaded with folic acid, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, carotenes, zinc, boron, and iron, nettle is a nutritional powerhouse. One cup of infusion supplies 500mg of calcium plus vitamin D, vitamin K, protein, and special lipids, which contribute to magnificent bone health.

SEVEN ENERGY CENTERS

The root energy center is one of seven main energy centers, each of which corresponds to endocrine glands. In even the healthiest of women, disruption of some sort, in one or more of the energy centers (chakras), will occur for at least a short while during the menopausal years.

It is important to remember that the vast majority of uncomfortable symptoms caused by menopause and the movement of Kundalini will be short-lived (less than a year).

Healthy women who have had one or no children generally seem to have the strongest symptoms as Kundalini arises. Women with low vitality, including women who have given birth to six or more children, may have few or no symptoms at all.

Menopausal symptoms at the root center include menstrual pain, growth of fibroid tumors, flooding, urinary problems, cervical/uterine/endometrial growths/cancers, brittle hips, constipation, diarrhea, vaginal infections and irritations, and hemorrhoids.

Get help from:

Motherwort tincture (Leonurus cardiaca). A dose of 10-15 drops counters cramps as it eases hot flashes.

Red clover (Trifolium pratense), the world's best-known, best-regarded anti-cancer herb, also improves fertility and helps normalize the bowels. If that weren't enough, red clover infusion (not tincture, not capsules) contains ten times more phytoestrogens than soy.

Whole grains and lentils, beets and burdock are also allies of the root chakra.

Menopausal symptoms at the navel (or belly) center include bloat, gas, urinary infections, exhaustion, panic attacks, paranoia, and episodes of inexplicable sorrow.

Get help from:

Stinging nettle. It is the specific helper for this chakra.

Additionally, orange foods (especially baked winter squash and sweet potatoes) bring ease and health, improving energy and mood.

Menopausal symptoms at the solar plexus include indigestion, disturbed liver function, gall stones, a sense of dissatisfaction with one's self, blood sugar and mood swings, adult onset diabetes, anxiety, phobias, and pathological shyness.

Get help from:

Herbs such as dandelion, burdock, or yellow dock roots, or milk thistle seeds, used as tinctures. They strengthen the solar plexus, improve digestion, moderate blood sugar and mood swings, help the liver clear excess hormones, and put you on the sunny side of life.

Menopausal symptoms at the heart chakra include palpitations, breast changes, excess fat deposits on the back and upper arms, lessening of compassion, increase in blood pressure, unwarranted feelings of guilt, and lung problems.

Get help from:

Motherwort tincture (not capsules). A dropperful stops palpitations in minutes. Regular use helps stabilize the heart, decreases blood pressure, improves blood flow, and eases emotional distress.

Comfrey leaf (not root) infusion (not capsules) is a renowned lung strengthener. Popularly known as knitbone, comfrey leaf supplies lots of bone-healthy nutrients.

Menopausal symptoms at the throat chakra include thyroid problems, excessive weight gain, incoherent rages, nausea, cough, and sore throat. Menopausal women who have swallowed too much "no" during their lives may find themselves making dramatic and amazing statements.

Get help from:

Seaweeds, the specific ally of the throat chakra. Soak kombu or wakame with beans and cook, add hijiki or alaria to soups, snack on dulse and kelp. I don't use tablets or powdered products, finding them inferior.

Menopausal symptoms at the third eye center include headaches, eye problems, near-sightedness, sinus infections, depression, thoughts of suicide, obsessions, insomnia, and mental instability (visions and hallucinations).

Get help from:

The mint family. Skullcap tincture strengthens the nerves, eases headaches, and brings deep sleep. Sage infusion makes the mind coherent and clear. Rosemary oil aids the memory and improves concentration. Lavender blossom tea lifts the mood and unkinks wound-up nerves.

Menopausal symptoms at the crown chakra include hair loss, dizziness, hearing problems, memory problems, dementia, nervous tics, shingles, and unexplained pain anywhere in the body.

Get help from:

Comfrey leaf (not root) infusion (not capsules); it's brain food.

Nettle infusion (not capsules) restores hair and counters compulsions.

Hypericum perforatum (St. Joan's/John's Wort) tincture (not capsules), used freely (a dropperful every 2-4 hours) can relieve the pain of shingles within a day and often cure it within three. Eases sore muscles anywhere; helps prevent muscle aches too.

SHE-WHO-HOLDS-HER-WISE-BLOOD-WITHIN

As we leave our fertile years behind, so we leave behind our identity as "mother" (irrespective of whether we have physically had children or not). Ready or not, we are introduced to ourselves as old women. Yes, we are yet baby crones, not yet prepared to wield the Kundalini that now flows through us toe to tip. Yet we are crones, women of wisdom, women of power.

When menopausal symptoms are understood as energy movement (or lack of it), we can feel more at ease, not so afraid of being out of control. Instead of feeling victimized by our bodies, we can nourish our wholeness. We can view our symptoms as suggestions for improvement, instead of damning evidence of our mortality. We can focus in on areas that need special attention, extra nourishment.

Quiet time alone in nature, or sitting in a comfortable chair listening to soothing music allows thoughts and feelings to arise and opens the way for the flow of Kundalini. Specific exercises, such as those in Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and yoga can also be used to help ease into the increased energy flow. Green allies such as oatstraw, nettles, red clover, comfrey leaf, and motherwort strengthen us for the increased power. Because we know the outcome is worth it, the day-to-day annoyances are easier to take.

After years of practice, Kundalini moves freely up the spine and out the crown. Our symptoms subside, our overall energy is stronger, better. We hold our wise blood inside. We are the wise women. We are the crones.

(This article is taken in part from New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, Alternative Approaches for Women 30-90, available from http://www.ashtreepublishing.com)

Susun Weed is a contributor to the Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women's Studies and the author of four highly acclaimed herbal medicine handbooks. She has been at the forefront of the herbal renaissance for 35 years.

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Footnotes: 1. Perls T MD, Fretts R MD. â€œWhy Women Live Longer Than Menâ€. Scientific American, 1998 August: 102.
2. Angier N. â€œIs Menopause a Key to Survival? The Grandmother Hypothesisâ€. New York Times, 1997: August 18.
3. Ibid
4. Ibid

Menopause - Change Of Life

2008-11-28T08:34:00.002-08:00

Menopause - Change Of Life

Nutrovitasub

Menopause is not a disease that needs to be cured, but a natural life-stage transition. Menopause is an irreversible process and inseparable of the aging in a woman's reproductive system, after which she can no longer menstruate. Menopause is defined as the cessation of menstruation as a result of the normal decline in ovarian function. Technically, you enter menopause following 12 consecutive months without a period. Menopause has become increasingly medicalized, which means it is viewed as something that requires intervention and treatment rather than as a natural life transition that may benefit from support. Menopause signals the end of fertility and the beginning of a new and potentially rewarding time in a woman's life.

Menopause is also known as 'the change of life' and scientifically referred to as Climacteric. The term Menopause means the cessation of menstruation (“last menstruation”). However, it is commonly used to refer to the period in a woman's life when she passes out of her reproductive years. Menopause usually begins between the ages of 45 and 50 as the ovaries gradually cease to function. The number of follicles in the ovaries decreases. Production of the female sex hormones diminishes. The phase of fertility ends with the last menstruation which usually occurs around the age of 52. The symptoms can be attributed by the facts that some women just stop having periods. Others go through several years of symptoms. The most common symptom of Menopause is hot flashes. Other physical symptoms might be aching joints and muscles, fatigue, weight gain or skin changes. Blood tests can confirm menopausal status.

STAGES OF MENOPAUSE Menopause typically occurs in three stages. These three stages can span a time period of up to 15 years:

Perimenopause Beginning 8 to 10 years before menopause and affecting women in their forties and occasionally, women in their thirties, perimenopause lasts up until menopause. Perimenopause typically lasts about four years and ends the first year after Menopause. The ovaries gradually produce less estrogen with the decrease in estrogen accelerating in the final one or two years before menopause. Irregular periods are common during perimenopause, although other conditions such as hormonal imbalances, birth control pills, pregnancy, fibroids, and cancer can cause abnormalities in menstrual bleeding.

Menopause Menopause is the point at which a woman has her last menstrual period. Menopause is diagnosed when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. At this stage, ovaries no longer produce eggs as hormone production stops, and common changes become noticeable - including vaginal dryness and loss of sex drive.

Post-menopause Post-menopause refers to the years after menopause. During post-menopause, most women experience a decrease in their menopausal symptoms, although health risks linked to decreased estrogen for e.g. heart disease, osteoporosis, breast cancer, ovarian cancer increase as a woman ages. A woman is said to be post-menopausal when she has not had a menstrual period for an entire year; the possibility of pregnancy disappears.

SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE About 75% of women report some troublesome symptoms during menopause, but the severity and frequency of symptoms varies from woman to woman. Similarly the duration and severity of symptoms is variable. The major symptoms of menopause are

Hot flashes or flush The most common and easy to recognize symptom of menopause is hot flashes. Hot flashes or flush is an uncomfortable warm feeling, particularly in the upper body. Hot flashes are commonly triggered by stress, being too hot, or consumption of spicy foods, hot drinks or alcohol.

Night sweats For many women, hot flashes occur during the day; for others, they come primarily at night, causing a woman to awaken feeling hot and drenched with perspiration. These are called night sweats. Because night sweats often interfere with sleep, women who experience night sweats may become tired and irritable.

Vaginal changes The vagina may become dry and thin, and sex and vaginal exams may be painful. You also might get more vaginal infections.

Mood changes Even though moodiness, irritability, and tearfulness are commonly attributed to menopause, studies are underway to determine which of these symptoms are actually due to Menopause versus other conditions such as medical depression.

Other symptons includes urinary problems, Headaches, Breast tenderness, Insomnia, Weight gain, Depression or irritability etc. These symptoms are apparently part of the Western ageing process for both men and women, so it's important not to blame every symptom that you experience on the Menopause.

Medical treatments for menopausal symptoms have been developed. Most notably, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), has been used to reduce the weakening of bones (known as osteoporosis). However, some women have resisted the implication that Menopause is a disorder, seeing it as a natural stage of life; freeing them from birth control and menstrual periods and leaves them feeling more empowered and energized than in their younger years.

You have to manage your diets and exercise levels reasonable for expecting better and better results. Significant supplementation with vitamin E has been known for some time to stave off heart disease in both men and women. Another wonderful reason for taking vitamin E is that it can end hot flashes in women going through menopause. There is also a wide range of natural products of menopause available, that may helps you to go through menopause more naturally & comfortably.

Menopause

2008-11-28T08:34:00.001-08:00

Menopause

by: Kevin Stith

Menopause is the point in a womanï¿½s life when no more eggs are released from her ovaries and her period or menstrual cycle stops. The medical definition of menopause is no period for at least 12 months that is not due to any underlying medical condition. It is a normal part of the changes a womanï¿½s body goes through as she gets older, and is caused in part by decreasing levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones. Menopause is usually a gradual process that takes place sometime after the age of 40. If it happens before 40, it is called premature menopause. The process typically starts with periods becoming shorter and more irregular, gradually leading to a complete cessation of monthly bleeding.

Womenï¿½s experiences during menopause vary greatly. Some women experience minimal symptoms, while others may experience many changes. These may include hot flashes, depression or irritability, reduced sexual desire, difficulty controlling the bladder, a racing heart, and difficulty sleeping. Changing hormone levels may cause or speed up the development of osteoporosis, weight gain and vaginal changes. Some women may go through menopause with minimal symptoms, while others make a difficult transition.

While a doctor can usually tell that a woman is going through menopause by the nature of her complaints, menopause can also be diagnosed by a vaginal smear that shows the vagina is thinning and drying. Blood levels of follicle stimulating hormone are highly elevated during menopause and also help to make a diagnosis. Since this is also the age during which breast and uterine cancers are more likely, a doctor may screen women for these cancers.

There are a number of treatments that are available to ease the effects of menopause, including lifestyle modification and hormone replacement therapy. The treatments a doctor recommends will depend on a womanï¿½s symptoms and other conditions that may develop after menopause.

Early Menopause provides detailed information on menopause, early menopause, male menopause, menopause and osteoporosis and more. Early Menopause is affiliated with Endometriorsis And Infertility.

Menopausal Years - This is Menopause ... Journey into Change

2008-11-28T08:33:00.003-08:00

Menopausal Years - This is Menopause ... Journey into Change

by: Susun Weed

â€œPay attention now,â€ Grandmother Growth says, taking your hand and holding your gaze. â€œThe Change known as menopause deserves your full attention.â€

â€œPay attention now, and relax. Focus, allow, observe, surrender. Your egg basket empties; your memory basket grows heavier.â€

â€œMemories are sweeping through you, great granddaughter, like lightning flashes, leaving you shaken and trembling, sweating and panting. Memories too gossamer to catch with words are weaving themselves into your nights and shattering the patterns of your days. Fragments of melodies, half-seen gestures, sketches, muted drifts of color emerge from your memory. All the wild passions of the Maiden are restored to you. All those Maiden things you left behind or pushed aside when you became Mother-woman, return to you now, enriched.

â€œDo those memories crowd painfully into your head? Do they send your heart racing? So they make you weep? Sweep you off your feet? Leave you wondering what it would feel like to jump off a high bridge? Take my hand, dear one. Let us walk and talk.â€

There is no doubt in your mind. Your menstrual cycles are coming to an end. You are in the midst of your menopausal climax years.

During the year or so before the very last period (and the year or so afterward) many women experience some type of menopausal Change, such as hot flashes, heart palpitations, sleep disturbances, emotional uproar, anxiety, and/or headaches.

Menopause, like puberty, requires that we give in to Change and accept that it is beyond our control. If we arrive at mid-life feeling more in control of our lives than ever before, giving in to menopausal Change can be incredibly difficult. The desire to use anything, drugs or herbs or whatever, to avoid disruption of our normal life pattern is strong; it comes from within and is reinforced by society. Why resist?

The Wise Woman Way offers us a new/old story: where hot flashes and wild heartbeats are honored, where menopause is considered womanâ€™s greatest transformation - her crowning as Crone - and where old women are vital, flexible, hale-hearted, strong-boned and clear-minded.

The Wise Woman Way offers us womenâ€™s mystery stories and a host of helpful herbal allies that aid the process of menopause instead of attempting to stop it or fix it.

Wise Woman stories say that menopause is an initiation and that initiation begins with a period of isolation. The grandmothers tell me that, as a menopausal woman, I need to draw inward, move away from outside responsibilities, and into myself. From this view, hot flashes, fatigue, headaches, irritability, sleeplessness, and emotional outbursts are understood as allies of wholeness, not problems; they urge me to be alone, to focus on myself and my Change.

Without knowledge of the womenâ€™s mystery stories, without the help of herbal allies and the reassurance of other women, a woman may feel alone and unsupported in her disturbing and â€œpointlessâ€ changes. She may think the Change is only for the worse, or that something is wrong with her. And when she seeks information, she is told (erroneously) that her Change will cause heart attacks and crumbling bones, wrinkles and grey hair, and loss of sex appeal and libido.

Where is Grandmother Growth to guide her through this immense, frightening metamorphosis, to show her the green gifts of nature that strengthen her heart and bones, soften her skin and sex? Science defines menopause as lack of estrogen and prescribes the remedy (take estrogen) and tells us that we donâ€™t have to mature, or become wise women. We can remain bound to our (and societyâ€™s) ideas of who we ought to be, instead of exploring who we really are.

If I take hormones will I be able to make room for transformation? Take time for solitude? Give myself uninterrupted stretches of focused self-loving? Encounter, nourish, and sanctify myself as a wise and silly grandmother, a wrinkled wild woman, a lawless fierce crone? My menopausal metamorphosis deserves as much attention as I can give it. And I am not that rare woman who gives herself these gifts without the daily urgings of her body and feelings.

I donâ€™t use hormone pills, or patches, or creams. I let the â€œproblemsâ€ of my menopause give me the opportunity to claim all parts of myself, even those that are awkward, ugly, old, out of control, and afraid of death. By passing consciously through menopause, by embracing this Change in my life, by nourishing myself with green allies, I renew myself. The grandmothers say I make myself complete - reclaiming myself as maiden, redefining myself as mother, and knowing myself as crone. It is so.

â€œTake my hand, dear one. I will soothe your head, calm your heart, stabilize your grounding, and then teach you to fly. Take my hand, now. You are in the midst of Change.â€

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Hair loss at menopausal age

2008-11-28T08:33:00.001-08:00

Hair loss at menopausal age

by: Anonymous

Question : I HAVE been experiencing hair-thinning the past few months. Could this problem be caused by hormonal changes as I have reached menopausal age?
Answer : Yes, hair-thinning is very much related to the hormonal changes in the body, especially at menopause. Supplementing your diet with evening primrose oil will help to regulate hormonal balance and improve your thin and fine hair problems. Evening primrose oil is also useful in the control of water permeability of the skin.
There are other factors that may cause hair thinning and hair loss such as stress, poor nutrition, medication and the hereditary factor. Stress will also cause hair follicles to shrink. Thus, stress management is just as important.
Antioxidant nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamins C and E and selenium are vital in promoting blood circulation to the scalp. Zinc may help prevent hair loss and strengthen the roots of the hair.
Avoid excessive perming, straightening, hair colouring and the use of hot hair dryers. Also never brush your hair when it is still wet as this action can weaken and break it. You may use mild shampoo, rinse with cool water and gently towel dry.

Fluid retention from menopause

2008-11-28T08:32:00.001-08:00

Fluid retention from menopause

by: Anonymous

Question : I'M going through menopause now and my body weight has increased due to fluid retention. What can I do to reduce fluid retention?

Answer : FLUID retention or edema is a symptom of a disease and not a disease by itself, so specific treatment will depend on the underlying cause. One of the commonly encountered forms of edema is that related to the menstrual cycle. Other common causes of edema include allergies, excessive salt in food, vitamin B deficiency, constipation, kidney disease and heart failure.

The hormone fluctuation and persistent low levels of hormones may be responsible for the fluid retention. Thus, supplementing your diet with evening primrose oil may help to regulate the sensitivity of target organs to hormonal changes. Studies have shown that regular intake of evening primrose oil can help ease problems relating to women's menstrual cycle.
Increasing your vitamins B, especially vitamin B6 intake, may help to reduce fluid retention too. Vitamin B6 is a natural diuretic and vitamin B6 deficiency may cause edema. It is recommended for treating edema related to the menstrual cycle.

Vitamin C with bioflavonoids are also essential for adrenal function and production of adrenal hormones, which are vital for proper fluid balance and control of edema. Incorporating herbs like dandelion in your diet may help to reduce fluid retention in your body. Dandelion is a natural diuretic that helps to get rid of accumulated fluids.

Diet may also play an important role in fluid retention. High consumption of salt-containing foods such as dried meats, pickles and canned food can upset the body's fluid equilibrium, thus causing the fluid retention. Eat foods that are rich in potassium such as banana. Increase raw vegetables intake may be beneficial. You may want to avoid dairy products.

You may also consider going to a sauna to increase perspiration if it is not contraindicated for the specific underlying cause. You should slowly increase your physical activities too.

Early Menopause

2008-11-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

Early Menopause

by: Kevin Stith

Early or premature menopause is defined as menopause before the age of 40. Premature ovarian failure, surgery, and chemotherapy may all result in early menopause. About one in a hundred women may experience early menopause; some may be teenagers or in their twenties. Symptoms of early menopause tend to be very similar to those of normal menopause. Changes in the timing and duration of menstrual periods and hot flashes are common.

In some women, early menopause may be due to failure of the ovaries and is called premature ovarian failure. It is thought that such failure is due to hormonal, autoimmune or genetic processes, which result in a depletion in the number of viable eggs in a womanï¿½s ovaries. This depletion may be complete, or, in approximately ten percent of women who have premature ovarian failure, partial. These women have a reduced but possible chance of becoming pregnant. Recent research has shown that female twins may be up to four times more times more likely than other women to undergo spontaneous early menopause. Either or both twins may be affected.

Surgery is another cause of early menopause. When the ovaries are removed or damaged during surgery, there is a rapid reduction in estrogen and progesterone levels and the immediate onset of menopause. Because the hormonal changes are so abrupt, menopausal symptoms tend to be more intense.

Women who undergo chemotherapy for cancer treatment may have premature menopause. Cancer-killing drugs may damage other tissues too, including ovarian tissue. Tamoxifen, a drug prescribed in certain types of breast cancer, has an anti-estrogen effect and can also trigger early menopause. Sometimes, chemotherapy-induced menopause may be temporary.

Early menopause can be extremely distressing, particularly when it occurs in younger women who may not yet have had children or completed their families. Besides treatment of menopause symptoms, some women benefit from counseling to address emotional issues.

Yoga of Menopause

2008-11-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

Yoga of Menopause

by: Susun Weed

MENOPAUSE IS ENLIGHTENMENT

The energy aspects of menopause are of special interest to me.

TAKING HORMONES? THESE HERBS ARE FOR YOU

Herbs for women on ERT/HRT include those that alleviate side-effects as well as those that counter problems caused by the hormones.

Herbal Helpers Counter Side-Effects

Herbal Allies to Prevent Problems Caused by Taking Hormones

Breast cancer risk is increased 20% in women who use ERT for five or more years. Use of HRT for five or more years increases breast cancer risk by 40%. Each five years of continued use increases the risk. In addition, women who take ERT are far more likely to get uterine or endometrial cancers. All women on hormones increase their risks of lung and ovarian cancer, too. Nourishing herbs such as red clover, and foods such as beans and yogurt, offer easy ways to stay cancer-free.

Yogurt helps build powerful immunity. Women who eat a quart of yogurt a week have 700% less cancer than women who eat no yogurt.

Cucumber slices ease dry eyes; so do chamomile tea bags.

Cherries are even better than apples at keeping the doctor away. Dried cherries and cherry juice, even tincture of cherries.

THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF ESTROGENS

Women make estrogens.

Plants make estrogens and estrogen-like compounds.

Chemicals, especially organochlorines, act like estrogens (xenoestrogens).

Phytoestrogens counter the detrimental effects of estradiol by competing for the same receptor sites.

To get the greatest benefit from phytoestrogenic foods and herbs remember:

1. Isolated phytoestrogens are not as safe as those "in matrix."
2. To make use of plant hormones, you need active, healthy gut flora.
3. Herbs and foods rich in phytoestrogens need to be used in different ways.
4. Phytoestrogens may have different effects on women who do not have their ovaries.

2. Plant hormones, including most phytoestrogens, can't be used by humans. But we can convert them into ones we can use - with the help of our gut bacteria. When women take antibiotics, their excretion of phytoestrogens plummets. Get your gut flora going by eating more yogurt, miso, unpasteurized sauerkraut, homemade beers and wines, picked-by-your-own-hands-and-unwashed fruits and salads, sourdough bread, and whey-fermented vegetables. (See Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon for whey-fermented vegetable recipes.)

I eat phytoestrogenic foods daily in quantity.

I use phytoestrogenic food-like herbs regularly (not daily), in moderate quantity.

I take phytoestrogenic herbs rarely, in small amounts, for a limited time.

Phytoestrogenic foods are the basis for a healthy diet and a long life. The first food listed is the highest in phytoestrogens. The best diet contains not just one but many choices from each list:

Whole grains (rye, oats, barley, millet, rice, wheat, corn)

Edible seeds (buckwheat, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, amaranth, quinoa)

Beans (yellow split peas, black turtle beans, baby limas, Anasazi beans, red kidney beans, red lentils, soy beans)

Leafy greens and seaweed (parsley, nettle, kelp, cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards, lamb's quarter)

Fruits (olives, cherries, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, plums, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, salmon berries, apricots, crab apples, quinces, rosehips, blueberries)

Olive oil and seed oils. Garlic, onions and their relatives leeks, chives, scallions, ramps, shallot

Phytoestrogenic food-like herbs are generally considered longevity tonics. For optimum effect, use only one from the list below and to stick with it for at least three months.

Citrus peel, dandelion leaves and/or roots, fenugreek seeds, flax seeds, green tea, hops, red clover, red wine.

NEWS NOTES ON PHYTOESTROGENIC PLANTS (UPDATED JUNE 2002)

Researchers in Australia report a million lambs a year are aborted after sheep eat clover on pasture. Yet red clover is renowned as a fertility enhancer. What's up? Stephen Buhner, author of The Secret Language of Plants, says clover plants make blood-thinning compounds (which cause abortion) when overgrazed, but don't otherwise. Plants, it turns out, can fight back.

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Menopause and Cancer

2008-11-28T08:25:00.000-08:00

Menopause and Cancer

by: Anonymous

Large Breasts And Back Pain

2008-11-28T08:24:00.002-08:00

Large Breasts And Back Pain

by: Steven Hefferon

For some guys, it may be difficult to see a downside to women with large breasts. But for 1 million women who are�let us say "generously endowed"�it can be a source of considerable pain. Some women, in fact, suffer with severe pain, deteriorating posture, and are at risk for spinal deformity and other repetitive stress injuries to the shoulders and upper extremities due to their proportionately large breasts.

These problems result from changes in the normal anatomical structure caused by the excess weight on the chest and weak muscular support. Another fact related to this condition is that some women even feel ashamed and actually try to hide them buy altering their posture by allowing their shoulders to roll forward. This abnormal posture will possibly put pressure on an area of the upper body near the shoulder called the "thoracic outlet". When this occurs, a bundle of nerves and blood vessels can become compressed and cause pain and discomfort down the upper extremities.

Very large breasts not only can cause a reduction in the normal curve of the upper and mid-back region but will potentially also cause severe low back pain. When the upper vertebrae of the spine are altered, the lower vertebrae then assume more stress. The challenge for these women is to maintain an efficient posture through proper strengthening and "CORE" stabilization exercises.

Workouts may make it worse

Active women with large breasts are especially prone to back pain. Constant breast movement from high-impact exercise can cause acute pain due to muscular oxygen deprivation and fatigue. The muscles in the back bear a significant burden trying to support very large breasts during vigorous exercise

Physical therapy, posture exercises, and even pain medication are often a woman's first line of defense. Many doctors recommend purchasing customized bras or sports bras that can better distribute the substantial weight of large breasts across a larger area, thereby reducing muscle strain and improving overall breast positioning. This is especially important for women with a small frame, since their breasts place stress on a more concentrated area, it may be necessary to incorporate all of the strategies to get relief.

Let me explain

Before any women begins any exercise program that is intended to help with their back pain, they need to have to have a full physical assessment performed making sure that any postural dysfunctions are accounted for and their associated muscle imbalances are corrected. Muscle imbalances can be described as one muscle group being overly strong and tight and the opposing muscle groups weaker and overly stretched out.

Postural Dysfunctions can be described as abnormal position of the pelvis or abnormal position of the upper neck, head and shoulders. As we mentioned earlier, a woman can hold her shoulders in a rounded position, thus adding the weight of the breast and you now have the shoulders internally rotated, depressed and adducted, which will pull the head forward of the shoulder which in turn will cause the neck to be pulled forward and down.

There are many other adapted responses that happen including counter balancing the weight of the body in the upper spine as well as the position of the pelvis. It is the pelvis than usually accommodates the most while also having the greatest influence on the curvature on the spine.

What you can do before the last resort

What I have just described is a process that is repeated every day and no single piece of high tech diagnostic equipment available to the medical community can systematically piece it all together. There are many chain reactions that occur to cause low back pain which is why the physical assessments are so critical.

In this case, the assessments need to take into account the postural dysfunction of the upper neck back and shoulder as well as the position of the pelvis. Which muscles are tight and overly strong and which muscles are weak and not able to support the body adequately. There needs to be a comprehensive plan to accomplish a new resting tension or elimination of the muscle imbalances. Essentially a woman will be asked to do a very unbalanced workout to get back to a more balanced state and to a point that her body can support the extra stress, throughout the rest of her life.

A last resort

Failure to address the postural issues may result in a more drastic solution. There is a steady increasing number of women are choosing is breast-reduction surgery. Make sure to use this option as a last resort, since there are many risks and negative side effects from this operation.

In addition to the external scars, scarring inside the breast may also occur. Until recently, doctors were concerned that this might interfere with the accuracy of a mammogram�and in doing so increase the risk of breast cancer.

But it turns out that for some women, breast examination and mammography may actually be easier to perform after a breast reduction. "From the standpoint of the physical exam, it may be more difficult to pick up a very small lesion [lump] in a woman with very large breasts," says Charles Finder, M.D., a radiologist in the Food and Drug Administration's Mammography Quality and Radiation Program.

Other drawbacks to breast-reduction surgery may include a lack of sensitivity in the nipple and a decrease in sexual response. Many doctors also caution that there can be a significant reduction in milk supply after surgery. Some women find they can't breast feed at all.

On top of that, the average cost of breast-reduction surgery in the U.S. is close to $6,000 and can run much higher depending on where you live. As a result, many insurance companies have written breast-reduction surgery out of their coverage completely.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to surgery that can bring relief to women who suffer from back pain caused by overly large breasts. Muscle balance therapy is a safe and effective way to restore some stability to the pelvis and spine, in order to help the body tolerate the stress of everyday life for the women with larger breasts.

If you enjoyed this article, and would like more information in alternative back pain treatments sign up for our Back Pain Advisory and you will join the nearly 1 million people that have received this life changing information. Please visit our new web site at http://losethebackpain.com/ for more free informative articles, videos and open forums.

Painful Breasts?

2008-11-28T08:24:00.001-08:00

Painful Breasts?

by: Amy, RN

Fibrocystic Breast Pain

Painful Breasts? You might have fibrocystic breast pain. One third of all women will be diagnosed with fibrocystic breasts at some point in their lives. Fibrocystic breasts is a benign condition which should not be confused with breast cancer. Here are some tips to relieve painful breasts. You can reduce fibrocystic breast pain naturally.

First:

1. Eliminate all forms of caffeine containing foods from your diet. This includes foods such as coffee and tea, chocolate, and soda that contains caffeine, like Coke. See "Caffeine 2" for a list of caffeine content to popular beverages.

2. Decrease sources of estrogen from your diet such as commercially raised meats . These animals are often feed estrogen, especially chicken. Most poultry contain excessive amounts of hormones that are used to help them grow. Also, avoid prescription sources of estrogen such as birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy.

3. Vitamin E, in doses ranging from 200 IU to 400 IU per day, may reduce symptoms associated with fibrocystic breast changes. Other vitamin suggestions include a B complex, and magnesium. There is now some concern that too much Vitamin E may become dangerous, so do not exceed the 400 IUs per day or consult your health care provider for their opinion.

4. Some people benefit from reducing their daily amount of sugar intake.

5. Eat about 5 almonds a day. Almond oil may also help fibrocysic breasts, they are rich in heart-healthy vitamin E and fiber.

ALSO:

1. See your gynecologist if these tips don't reduce your symptoms, or if you have any questions or concerns about fibrocystic breasts.

2. If you use natural progesterone, once you have achieved relief of symptoms gradually taper your dose until you find your lowest effective dose.

3. Wearing a good support bra during painful times is helpful for many women. Visit a local department store with a bra-fitting specialist for a proper fit. Wearing no bra will only make the pain worse.

Fibrocystic breast disease

2008-11-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

Fibrocystic breast disease

Wong Hon Long

Question : I HAVE been suffering from fibrocystic breast disease since last November. Can you advise me on what to do to reduce the discomfort? Can you give me an overview of this disease?
Answer : FIBROCYSTIC breast disease involves common, benign changes to the tissues of the breast.
The cause is not completely understood but the changes are believed to be associated with ovarian hormones since the condition usually subsides with menopause, and may vary in consistency during the menstrual cycle.
The symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease are:
â€¢ A dense, irregular and bumpy "cobblestone" consistency in breast tissue
â€¢ Breast discomfort that is persistent, or that occurs off and on (intermittent)
â€¢ Breast(s) feel full
â€¢ Dull, heavy pain and tenderness
â€¢ Premenstrual tenderness and swelling
â€¢ Breast discomfort improves after each menstrual period
â€¢ Nipple sensation changes, itching
Restrict your consumption of dietary fat to about 25 per cent of the total daily calorie intake.
Your diet should include plenty of fruits, vegetables and grains.
One of the most important dietary changes you can make is eliminating all forms of caffeine-containing foods from your diet.
This includes foods such as chocolate, sodas, and coffee and tea. Reducing sugar and salt may also help reduce overall symptoms.
Decrease sources of oestrogen from your diet such as meats as they can worsen your symptoms.
You may try taking evening primrose oil. Scientific studies show that regular intake of evening primrose oil can help ease problems relating to women's menstrual cycle as well as skin problems.
You may also supplement your diet with vitamins B. It may help to decrease the severity of your symptoms. Other nutrients that may be beneficial include magnesium and vitamin E.

Exercise When At Lymphedema Risk After Breast Cancer

2008-11-28T08:19:00.001-08:00

Exercise When At Lymphedema Risk After Breast Cancer

by: Naomi Aaronson MA OTR/L CHT

Add HTML EXERCISE: WHEN AT LYMPHEDEMA RISK AFTER BREAST CANCER
Naomi Aaronson MA OTR/L CHT

This article is not intended to substitute for medical advice. Please see your doctor before engaging in any exercise program.

Are you in a quandary over exercise? How many of you were warned not to lift more than 5-10 lbs. after breast cancer surgery and treatment? Or advised not to take up favored leisure pursuits such as golf and tennis that you once enjoyed? My guess is that many of you live in fear of developing lymphedema and were warned about the risks. Lymphedema is a real concern! That is why it is so important to â€œ arm â€œ yourself with the power of knowledge. There is good news!! A recent update from the National Lymphedema Network has revised itâ€™s guidelines for exercise. In addition, new research is finding that exercise can benefit those of you at risk of developing lymphedema.
You are considered to be at risk for lymphedema if you do not exhibit any signs and symptoms of the condition but have a disruption in your lymphatic system. Axillary lymph node removal and/or radiation are considered risk factors because they cause a break down in lymphatic flow. Other known risk factors include infection, obesity, and overuse .The main concern regarding exercise is that exercise increases blood flow. This can result in an increase in lymphatic load possibly leading to lymphedema. It is difficult to predict who will develop this chronic incurable condition. However, the benefits of exercise are profound to the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems ( heart, lungs, muscles, and bones). Avoiding it entirely, can be damaging to both mind and body. That is why it is so important to be cautious and to educate yourself thoroughly.
Here are some key points to know:
1) Be sure to obtain medical clearance before beginning any exercise program
2) Use deep breathing techniques to minimize any pain and facilitate lymphatic flow
3) Wear a compression garment that fits well for the limb at risk when exercising or performing necessary repetitive work such as vacuumning or painting. However, this garment is not required when swimming as the water provides some compression!!
4) Start with a gradual program of flexibility exercises to stretch the pectoralis major/minor (where breast tissue is removed) and axillary region (where lymph nodes are removed) .These areas may become tight due to scar tissue and radiation and can block lymphatic flow. Yoga postures such as childâ€™s pose, and bow can help to stretch the area once you have regained some flexibility. These stretches should be performed daily once your physician gives you clearance, and on a regular basis for the rest of your life. That may seem to be an awesome task, but will help you in the long run by preventing problems due to disuse and lack of range of motion.
5) Strength training should be undertaken in a gradual manner to the effected arm. Muscular contractions can help to promote lymphatic flow. However, too much too soon , without proper attention to form is not safe.. It is important to wear a sleeve especially for this type of exercise. One should begin with light weights (1lb) or light bands approximately 6 weeks after surgery. Do not wrap the band around your arm or hand. It is best to start slowly with 8-12 repetitions to each arm. You should alternate arms or take breaks between each set of 8-12 repetitions. Be sure to improve strength in your rotator cuff and back for injury prevention. Do not increase the weights the same time you increase the number of repetitions. For more information visit www.susanlovemd.org/strong.html) Lift the weights slowly and carefully and exhale on the effort. You may not feel any soreness if your arm is numb, therefore it is important to monitor your arm for any sign of swelling. If unsure of how to use weights, ask your physician for a prescription for occupational therapy to ensure that you are doing it properly.
6) Learn how to take circumferential measurements (the width around your arm) at your wrist, elbow, and knuckles minimally. Ask an occupational therapist to show you how to do this accurately . Take baseline measurements before you begin to exercise and on a regular basis. Know what the signs and symptoms of lymphedema are.
7) Aerobic exercise is exercise performed continuously for at least 20 minutes using the large muscles in the legs and arms which raises the heart rate. This in turn improves cardiovascular fitness, but may increase the lymphatic flow as blood flow increases. By improving this system, ones overall health is maximized. Swimming is especially beneficial, as there is no jolt as one moves in the water making it easier on the joints . In addition, the coolness and hydrostatic pressure of the water facilitates lymphatic flow. Swimming, bicycling, jogging, step aerobics, and walking are all considered to be aerobic. A sleeve should be worn for all activities except for swimming. Start slowly and gradually increase the duration (length of time you exercise) and frequency (number of sessions per week that you exercise).
8) If exercising outdoors, exercise when it is cooler and be sure to wear sunscreen.

Taking a careful approach to exercise can get you back into the swing of things!! Hopefully, you will be able to take part in the activities that you once enjoyed and even learn some new ones!!

Getting Strong with Exercise After Breast Cancer

2008-11-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

Getting Strong with Exercise After Breast Cancer

by: Naomi Aaronson MA OTR/L CHT

Add html Getting Strong With Exercise After Breast Cancer By Naomi Aaronson MA, OTR/L, CHT We are bombarded daily with conflicting messages regarding exercise and diet. If you have had breast cancer, it is even more confusing. Should you exercise after surgery? When should exercise begin? What kind of exercises should you do? Should you use weights if you are at risk for developing lymphedema? What if you feel pain when you exercise? The information that follows can help you to begin an exercise program to increase flexibility and strength in the affected arm and develop better posture after undergoing breast cancer surgery. This information can help to facilitate your recovery and reduce lymphedema risk. It is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, and a physicianâ€™s clearance should be obtained before you begin this or any exercise program. Exercise After Surgery Most women are able to begin light exercise to the shoulder, arm, back, and hand after the surgical drains are removed. Before you begin, you should talk with your doctor about the exercises that you intend to do. It is important to strengthen your arm after surgery. This will help you to perform daily activities, such as lifting children or groceries, more easily. Strengthening the arm also will help to prevent musculoskeletal problems due to muscle imbalances and weakness. Young women who are put into premature menopause early due to chemotherapy and women who use an aromatase inhibitor as their hormonal therapy are at increased risk of osteoporosis. For these women, exercises that strengthen the back, hips, and wrists are a necessity to reduce the risk of fractures. Lymphedema Lymphedema is a chronic condition characterized by the swelling of a body part. It occurs when lymphatic fluid builds up because it cannot drain properly due to malfunctioning of the lymphatic system. Lymphedema is estimated to effect up to 40 percent of women whose breast cancer treatment included lymph node dissection and/ or radiation. If you are at risk of developing lymphedema, you must proceed slowly with an exercise program. Before you begin any of these exercises, you should consult an occupational therapist or physical therapist who can teach you what exercises to do and can help you learn the right way to do them. Your physical therapist or occupational therapist will probably suggest that you perform exercises that will strengthen the muscles around the shoulder and shoulder girdle, as this can facilitate alternative lymphatic pathways and help reduce the risk of developing lymphedema. Exercises that can strengthen this area work on the anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, triceps, and rotator cuff. Exercises that strengthen the lower back and abdominals are important as well. It is necessary that you learn how to do these strengthening exercises properly. Doing the exercises the wrong way may lead to injury and wonâ€™t build the muscles that you are trying to focus on. Your physical therapist or occupational therapist may recommend that you wear a sleeve on the affected arm. A sleeve is a type of compression garment. Sleeves provide gentle pressure that helps to return lymphatic fluid back to the heart, they also support the muscle as it contracts. You may need to wear the sleeve while you go about your daily activities as well as when you exercise. Check Your Posture It is important to have good posture while you are exercising. It is quite common to find postural changes after surgery. As you are exercising check and see: Is your head forward? Are your shoulders slumped forward? Is your back hunched? Look into a mirror and try to correct yourself by planting your feet under you shoulders and keeping your knees unlocked. The chest should be lifted with the shoulder blades back. Line up your ears over your shoulders. There should be a gentle curve in your neck and lower back. Warm Up: Neck and Shoulder Rolls Neck rolls and shoulder rolls are a good warm-up that can be done right before you start a formal exercise program or begin your daily activities. Use a deep breathing technique that can assist with pain management and the return of lymphatic fluid to the heart. As you inhale, feel your abdominals and chest expand; as you exhale feel them flatten. Take 5 counts to inhale and 5 counts to exhale. It is natural to feel some pain, as you just went through major surgery. But you should not feel a lot of pain. Keep going if you have some discomfort. If you have a lot of pain, stop. Slowly and gradually, while using the deep breathing technique, try to do more rolls each time you exercise. If you find that you need assistance performing the exercises described below ( such as the shoulder lift) or that you are experiencing a lot of pain, ask your physician for a referral to an occupational therapist or physical therapist who is skilled in this area. Increase Range of Motion: Stretching One of your goals should be to improve your range of motion. Performing stretching exercises that focus on the armpit and the chest area can do this. These should be done daily for up to two years after surgery to promote flexibility. These exercises can help stretch scar tissue, which can severely limit range of motion, and which continues to form for up to two years after surgery. It is better to do several repetitions of a few exercises over the course of the day rather than perform all of your stretching exercises at once. When you begin, you should do each stretch five times. Your goal is to hold each stretch at the furthest point you can achieve for ten seconds. Gradually increase the time allotted to 15-20 seconds. Then gradually increase the number of repetitions until you are doing each stretch 10 times. If you are at risk for developing lymphedema, you will want to speak with your physical therapist or occupational therapist about how to monitor your arm. This is typically done by using a tape measure to measure the circumference of your arm in five different places. You should measure before you begin any exercise program. These measurements will be your baseline. Future measurements will be compared against these initial measurements, to allow you to see if any changes have occurred. Balls, towels, and ropes are tools you can use while stretching to help you regain your range of motion. All these tools allow you to use your strong arm to support the arm affected by the surgery. You may want to begin with the shoulder lift. To perform this exercise, you position yourself on your back with both knees bent. Hold the ball with both hands and slowly raise it to your face and as far overhead as you can. Keep both elbows straight. Work on gradually stretching the affected arm as high as the other. Exhale as you slowly lift the ball overhead. Gravity will assist you in getting it higher each time. Work for slow gradual changes. Variations include lifting the ball to both the right and left sides (once you are able to get it further overhead) or kneeling and stretching the ball from side to side. Another good stretch as you get stronger is the triceps stretch which stretches the axillary (armpit) region where lymph nodes were removed. Although it is tempting to avoid using the arm, try to do your daily activities, such as making the bed, folding laundry, or drying the dishes. This will increase your range of motion and strength. Keeping your arm elevated, with the elbow above the heart with pillows, especially at night, can also help to reduce swelling and promote lymphatic flow back to the heart. Strength Training Strength training to the affected arm should only begin after full mobility has been achieved in the arm. While waiting for this to occur, you can still do strength-training exercises for the back, legs, hips, and unaffected arm, unless you have received reconstructive surgery. In that case, you must wait until you have your doctorâ€™s approval to begin an exercise program. You should warm-up, check your posture, and stretch, before you begin your strength-training exercises. When you begin, you should start with light weights that are no more than 1 lb. for the affected arm. (Even if you used to work out a lot and lift heavy weights, you still need to start with 1 lb. Going back to lifting heavy weights right away may increase your risk of developing lymphedema.) For strength training to be beneficial, it should be performed two to three times per week to each muscle group. You can gradually increase the weight once you see how your arm and body responds. Perform one set (12 repetitions is one set) for each muscle group. Rest after each set or change arms. Stay at the same weight for three weeks and then gradually increase the number of sets. You will slowly increase both weight and sets, but you should not increase both at the same time. Be sure to breathe deeply and to exhale as you lift the weight and inhale as you lower it. 1 set=12 repetitions Example: Deltoid Raises Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 1 lb., 1 sets 1 lb., 2 sets 1lbs., 3sets increase weight to 2 lbs., 2 sets Monitor your arm for swelling. If swelling increases, the weight or number of sets was too much and you need to go back to what you were doing previously. Be alert to the signs and symptoms of lymphedema. This includes a feeling of heaviness or fullness in the arm, aching in the limb, rings that donâ€™t fit, or a pins and needle sensation in the limb. If any of these problems develop consult your physician immediately. If your breast cancer treatment did not include lymph node dissection and/ or radiation, you are not at risk for lymphedema and can proceed more quickly. In this instance, you can increase the weight once you see how your arm and body responds. Below is a guide for how to increase weights and repetitions. This is just a guide. Different muscles get stronger faster so, for example, it is often possible to increase weight for leg exercises sooner than you can for shoulder exercises. 1 set=12 repetitions Example: Deltoid Raises Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 1 lb., 2 sets 1 lb., 3 sets 2lbs., 3sets 2 lbs., 3 sets Aerobic Conditioning Aerobic conditioning can help improve cardiovascular endurance. This is your ability to sustain heart-pumping activity for increasing periods of time. Aerobic activities are those that use the large muscles in the legs, along with the arms, to bring the heart rate up for a continuous period of time. Dancing, swimming, running, and walking are all examples of aerobic activities. While you are undergoing treatment, you will want to do an activity that is easy and safe, such as walking or riding a stationary bicycle. Start with five minutes of walking and then gradually increase the duration of time you walk or bike to 20-30 minutes. Try to do an aerobic exercise three to five times per week. Once treatment is over and you are less fatigued and less prone to infections or treatment-related side effects, you can increase the intensity of the exercise (how hard you work) as well as the duration (the amount of time you exercise). You can also add more variety to your workout regimen by taking part in other types of aerobic activities. By following a slow, gradual approach to exercise you will have the best chance of optimizing your participation in the leisure and daily activities that you enjoy. You may even find that, before long, you are even stronger than you were before. Naomi Aaronson is an occupational therapist and fitness professional who specializes in breast cancer recovery. Naomi believes that exercise after surgery is instrumental in healing mind and body. She is the author of the Breast Cancer Recovery Exercise Manual, which is used to educate fitness instructors on breast cancer rehabilitation. You can visit Naomiâ€™s web site at http://www.recovercisesforwellness.com/ The pictures in this article are from Naomiâ€™s CD Recovercises: Exercise For Breast Cancer Survivors, which can be purchased through her web site. You can contact Naomi at recovercises@aol.com. References: Burt, J White, B Lymphedema (1999) Hunter House Publications Courneya ,K Mackey, J and Mckenzie, D Exercise for Breast Cancer Survivors Research Evidence and Clinical Guidelines The Physician and Sports Medicine Vol. 30 # 8 August 2002 Harris, S Hugi,M Olivotto, I and Levine,M Clinical Practice Guidelines for the care and treatment of breast cancer : 11. Lymphedema Canadian Medical Association Journal January 23,2001; 164 Lasinski, Bonnie B. Exercise, Lymphedema, and The Limb at Risk www.lymphedema-therapy.com/Exercise.htm Miller, L Exercise in Breast Cancer Related Lymphedemaâ€ Innovations in Cancer Care 3 (4) 101-106 September 1998 Stumm, D Recovery from Breast Surgery (1995) Hunter House Publications back to top <<

Mammograms - Who Needs Them?

2008-11-28T08:17:00.002-08:00

Mammograms - Who Needs Them?

by: Susun Weed

Perhaps no aspect of breast cancer is more widely publicized than screening mammography. Ads on television, in magazines, and in the daily paper urge women to deal with fear about breast cancer by having a yearly mammogram. Weâ€™re even told that doing this is a way to â€œreally care for yourself.â€

But screening mammograms donâ€™t prevent breast cancer. A mammogram is an x-ray and x-rays cause cancer. The ads promoting regular screening mammography are paid for by those who stand to profit from their widespread acceptance and use - the manufacturers of the equipment and x-ray film. Whose health does this technology really benefit? Womenâ€™s health? Or corporate health?

If You Decide to Have a Mammogram

Get the best, even if it means a long journey.

Go where they specialize, preferably where they do at least 20 mammograms a day.

Be sure the facility is accredited by the American College of Radiology.

Insist on personnel who specialize in mammograms. (Taking and reading mammograms are skills that require intensive training and a lot of practice.)

Ask how old the equipment is. Newer equipment exposes the breasts to less radiation. A dedicated unit (one specifically for mammograms) is best.

Ask how they ensure quality control. When was their unit calibrated?

Load your blood with carotenes by eating a cup of cooked sweet potato, winter squash, or carrots every day for a week before the mammogram to prevent radiation damage to your DNA.

Expect to be cold and uncomfortable during the mammogram, but do say something if youâ€™re being hurt.

The more compressed the breast tissue, the clearer the mammogram. (But pressure may spread cancer cells if they are present.)

If your breasts are tender, reschedule. During your fertile years, schedule mammograms for 7â€“10 days after your menstrual flow begins.

Donâ€™t wear antiperspirant containing aluminum; it can interfere with the imaging process. (Those clear stones do contain aluminum, as do most commercial antiperspirants.)

If you want another opinion, youâ€™ll need the original mammographic films, not copies. (X ray facilities only keep films for 7 years.)

Get your doctor to agree, in writing, before the procedure, to give you a copy of your mammogram. The U.S. Public Health Service advises women to ask for written results from a mammogram.

Given the high percentage of â€œfalse normalâ€ mammograms, if you think you have cancer, trust your intuition.

Remove radioactive isotopes from your body with burdock root, seaweed or miso.

Remember: Mammograms donâ€™t promote breast health. Breast self-massage, breast self-exam, and lifestyle changes do.

Breast Meditation

Sit comfortably in front of a large mirror in a warm, private space. Bare your breasts. Look in the mirror. Tell your breasts something like: â€œI love you. You are just the way you are supposed to be. I see your perfection. I know your beauty. I honor your power.â€ Use your own words. Repeat as many times as you like. When you are done, close your eyes. Slowly bring your hands up and cup them under your breasts. Say: â€œMy breasts are healthy. My breasts are powerful.â€ Open your eyes and look at yourself in the mirror, saying, â€œMy breasts are my strength. My strength nourishes me and others.â€ Close your eyes and let your hands return to your lap. Sit quietly and breathe as you visualize glowing pink clouds within your breasts spiraling in toward your nipples for a minute. Continuing to breathe; let this sparkling pink energy spiral out for a minute. As you breathe, imagine the energy doing figure eights from breast to breast for a minute. Finally, imagine that you are plunging your hands into vibrant pink energy. Feel it flowing up your arms, through your armpits and out of your nipples. Open your eyes, smile at yourself in the mirror, and come out of the meditation.

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

New Treatment Options For Breast Cancer

2008-11-28T08:17:00.001-08:00

New Treatment Options For Breast Cancer

Nishanth Reddy

Although surgery is the most effective (and hence, the most widely used) breast cancer treatment method, there are several other ways of dealing with the disease, some are more powerful than the others. These include radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy, each of them with their own assets and downsides.

Most of them however are used in combination with surgery for best effects, either prior to it, in order to reduce the size of the tumor or after the operation, in order to remove any remaining cancerous cells. For a better understanding of these alternative treatment methods for breast cancer, weâ€™ll take a closer look at each, explaining how they work and in what cases they might prove useful.

Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses powerful gamma rays (x-rays) which target the specific area that needs to be treated with high precision. Usually, radiation therapy is performed after surgery, to destroy any cancer cells that have not been removed or the ones that formed up where the tumor was removed. Although it canâ€™t be used as, a treatment on its own, radiation therapy is one of the most accepted post-surgery methods of breast conserving therapy (BCT) and has a high chance of stopping the cancer from recurring.

As with all treatments involving x-rays, there are some downsides to radiation therapy. First, in order to wipe out the cancerous cells that might have formed (or remained) in the area where the tumor was removed from, the x-rays will eventually damage some of the healthy tissue too. Although the process is highly precise, the rays cannot make a difference between cancerous and normal cells, so they â€œburnâ€ them together.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves the administration of drugs that kill the cancer cells or stop them from growing. Most chemotherapy medications are given through an intravenous line, although some are administered in pill form. Chemotherapy is a harsh regime, which often makes people feel more ill than the illness they are suffering from; however, it has been proved very effective.

Chemotherapy is a great treatment method to use both prior and after surgery. With the help of this method, you can virtually contract the cancerous tumor before the actual surgery, making it easier and less complex to remove. In addition, chemotherapy is used in the same sense as radiation therapy after the surgical intervention, to stop the diseased cells to recur.

Chemotherapy is administered usually in cycles where each cycle consists of a period of intensive treatment that lasts for a few days or weeks followed by a week of recovery. Most patients with breast cancer have two to four cycles of chemotherapy to start with before tests are performed to see what effects it has had on the cancer.

Chemotherapy is different to radiation as it can treat the whole body with the potential of finding other tumor cells that have migrated from the breast and surrounding area. Many people are familiar with chemotherapyâ€™s side effects although the side effects do depend upon drugs to treat the patient.

The most common side effects are loss of hair, loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting and low blood cell count making the patient more susceptible to infections, feeling sick or tired. Many notice that they bleed more than usual, especially from gums, sores and small scrapes etc.

There are three different chemotherapy strategies are used in breast cancer:

Adjuvant chemotherapy â€“ this is given to patients who have undergone curative treatment for breast cancer such as radiation or surgery. In order to decrease the possibility of the breast cancer recurrence, this treatment is given.

Pre-surgical chemotherapy â€“ this is given to shrink a large tumor and/or to kill any stray cancerous cells. This will also increase the chance that the surgery will kill the cancer completely.

Regular chemotherapy â€“ this is given routinely to people who have breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast or the surrounding local area.

Hormonal therapy may also be given, as many breast cancers such as those that have ample estrogens or progesterone receptors are sensitive to changes in hormones.

Tamoxifen Breast Cancer Treatment
Those women who are genetically at high risk of developing breast cancer may benefit from tamoxifen as it has previously been seen to decrease the incidence of the disease occurring. Raloxifene, which is used to treat osteoporosis, is now being studied for treating breast cancer.

In some breast cancer cases, a womanâ€™s natural hormones are suppressed with drugs whereas other patients find benefits by adding hormones. Tamoxifen for instance is currently the most commonly prescribed effective hormone treatment. It can be used for treating breast cancer and in the prevention of breast cancer. Tamoxifen has few side effects and can considerably improve the life span of those women who have advanced cases of breast cancer.

Fulvestrant Breast Cancer Treatment
A further treatment, Fulvestrant has recently been approved in the USA. It is planned to be used for treating hormone receptor positive metastastic breast cancer in women who have been through the menopause. It is given following antiestrogen therapy.

Monoclonal Breast Cancer Treatment
Another treatment known as monoclonal is antibodies that are antagonistic against the proteins, which are in or around cancer cells. They recognise an invader such as a cancer cell and attack it. This antibody therapy is currently being investigated holds out a lot of hope for breast cancer sufferers.

Excessive alcohol intake and obesity following menopause can increase the risk of developing breast cancer although this increase is slight. Those physically active women have a lower risk.

Preventative or Prophylactic Mastectomies
More and more women who are at a high risk of developing breast cancer are having preventative or prophylactic mastectomies to avoid them developing breast cancer.

The main risk factors for women to develop breast are age, sex and genetics. Women can do nothing about some risks so preventing death caused due to breast cancer is recommended with regular screening.

Women should undertake regular screening including self-examination, mammography and clinical breast examinations.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. That's how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

Nishanth Reddy is an author and publisher of many health related websites. To learn more about Breast cancer symptoms, causes, stages and different treatment options available to cure Breast cancer, visit his website at Breast Cancer Information

To find other free health content see e-healtharticles.com

Passive Smokers Can Get Breast Cancer

2008-11-28T08:16:00.001-08:00

Passive Smokers Can Get Breast Cancer

by: Jasdeep Singh

US scientists have claimed that secondhand smokers are at higher risk of Breast Cancer. Earlier, their research also led to them to the conclusion that young women smokers are more likely to get addicted to smoking than young men.

Breast Cancer is the number one cancer among women and the count of its victim are rising very rapidly. This is for the first time that passive smoking has been directly linked with some sort of cancer. World Health Organization links smoking with 25 Cancers: Some of these cancers are : uterine, kidneys, cervix, pancreas, head and neck... The study firmly proves that smoking is not only injurious to your health but also to the company you are with. Wake Up!

Smoking doesn't stop here with its side-effects. For women, smoking also increases the risk of strokes and heart diseases. And to add fuel to the fire, chances for heart related diseases gets ten-fold if they are taking birth-control pills side by side.

Besides this, smoking is also responsible for :

. Bad breath and stained teeth

. Risk of stomach ulcers and acid reflux.

. Charm on the face vanishes. Wrinkles develop soon.

. Setting up wrong examples for your children.

To learn more about ill-effects of smoking and to get tips and motivation to quit smoking, visit our website below.

About the Author Jasdeep: for http://weightloss-health.com/ your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health. Also get a chance to go through other informative articles targetting various health issues at http://weightloss-health.com/Articles.htm If you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and LIVE link to our website.

Celebrating Life after Breast Cancer - "The Diary"

2008-11-28T08:15:00.000-08:00

Celebrating Life after Breast Cancer - "The Diary"
by: Joan Marshall

THE DIARY OF A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR

Symptoms of Breast Cancer
â€œThe most common finding is a painless lump, although occasionally painful lumps are cancerous. A thickening of the breast or a change in density should also be checked out. Occasionally breast cancer can show up as a lump under the arm, redness of the skin over the breast, eczema of the nipple, or dimpling of the skin. Finally, the most common finding these days is an abnormality seen on a mammogram with no physical findings at all. â€ â€“ an excerpt from the Breast Book by Dr. Susan Love.

Breast Self-Examination (BSE)
I strongly urge every woman to do breast self-examination. You can do it any time you choose â€“ whether when youâ€™re getting dressed or when you are taking a shower. Raise one arm up above your head and use your fingers to press down firmly on the chest area around the breast, the armpit area and above and under the breast. When youâ€™re done with one, examine the other breast.

It is by self-examination that I was first able to discover my lump. We should all get to know our breasts during the different times (especially when weâ€™re menstruating and when weâ€™re not). If we do that, thereâ€™s a good chance we will notice when a lump shows up.

Friday, November 17, 1995
I am 34Â½ years old and today I discovered a lump in my right breast. I was just straightening my bra strap at work, and then ran my hand across my breast. It was a natural thing for me to do. It was just like a greeting â€“ â€œHowâ€™re you doing, breast?â€ Itâ€™s the kind of action a woman does unconsciously, and as long as things are as expected, she doesnâ€™t give that action a second thought.

But today the greeting I got in return wasnâ€™t what I expected. A lump! A hard, non-moveable lump! Now this lump wasnâ€™t a normal part of my breast tissue. I was concerned and scared, and called a co-worker to confirm what I felt. I didnâ€™t want to keep this a secret. I also called my husband, Fred, and told him my discovery.

Now, I have been a very healthy person, no medical problems, and no surgeries. I have been in the hospital twice for full-term pregnancies. I felt no pain in my body and now this lump!

Victorious

2008-11-28T08:14:00.001-08:00

Victorious

by: Doreene Clement

â€œThere it is again.â€ I muttered to myself, frustrated as I washed my arm.

Every morning for five or six days in the fall of 2003, I noticed rust-colored sticky stuff appearing on my left forearm and thigh. Finally, to my shock and horror, I discovered that the rust-colored sticky stuff was easily dripping from my left nipple. In disbelief, I collapsed into my bedroom chair, swirling with a mix of grief and fear. I stared at the blank white wall, feeling vacant, distant, disconnected from what IÂ´d just seen. I called my doctor and was told this was not an emergency, but did need immediate attention. It could be cancer.

After an exam, the breast cancer specialist made an appointment for a mammogram and ultrasound. They took two sets of two x-rays on each breast and a third x-ray of a specific area of my right breast. In the ultrasound I could see the area of my right breast where theyâ€™d done the extra mammogram. There was a dark mass. After the biopsy on my right breast, I was diagnosed with infiltrating ductile carcinoma, a rare, aggressive, deadly cancer that metastasize to the bones and lungs. Next is death. I had symptoms of both bone and lung cancer.

The ultrasound of my left breast showed a trail of little beads, masses from my underarm to my nipple. â€œThis couldnâ€™t be good,â€ I thought. These masses rubbed against the ducts, causing bleeding and discharge. That was the rust-colored sticky stuff. My left breast was diagnosed with a rare duct disease. My oncologist felt that I also had cancer in this breast. She was deeply concerned, and wanted to immediately remove the mass in my right breast and cut off 1/3 or more of my left breast.

Even before these diagnoses, I had already decided that I didnâ€™t want surgery. In my heart, I really didnâ€™t believe I would live through a surgery. I preferred an alternative approach. I wanted a fix, not just a partial solution. I chose Mye-Cell treatments in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and worked with Dr. Melenie Dunn, NMD in Scottsdale, AZ. I am now cancer-free.

I have the confirmed belief that each of lifeâ€™s moments hold a purpose and a gift. I donâ€™t always remember to live by these beliefs, but I do always come back to them. I knew that this particular experience with cancer was about trust. It was about my ability to trust in myself and in God. The lesson was about realizing, knowing with every breath and every beat of my heart, that I Am Blessed. We All Are.

Carcinoma Of The Breast (Breast Cancer)

2008-11-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

by: Wong Lai Teng

Currently, there are more than 180,000 new cases of breast cancer every year in the United States and 46,000 deaths, and it has been estimated that one of every eight American women living to age 95 years will develop breast carcinoma. Until 1983, breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths among females; despite an increase in the incidence of breast carcinoma, it is now second to lung cancer because of the larger increase in the number of women developing lung cancer.

Breast carcinoma is rare before 25 years of age and uncommon before 30 years; the incidence increases sharply after 40 years, with a mean and median age of 60 years. Statistically, the risk of breast cancer is increased in nulliparous women (nuns have a high incidence), in women who have early menarche and the late menopause, and in those who have their first pregnancy after age 30. Breast feeding appears to have protective effect for the mother. Evidence linking oral contraceptives to breast cancer is scant; a few studies suggest a very slightly increased incidence in women who use oral contraceptives.

A familial history (limited to first-degree relatives, i.e. mother, sister, daughter) of breast carcinoma increases the risk fivefold. The first-degree relatives of woman who develops bilateral breast cancer before menopause are at greatly increased risk. The increased risks resulting from atypical hyperplasia and family history are additive.

The etiology of breast carcinoma is unknown but is probably multifactorial. Genetic factors are suggested by the strong familial tendency. There is no inheritance pattern, suggested that the familial incidence is due either to the action of multiple genes or to similar environmental factors acting on members of the same family. Mutation of the BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 is believed to cause breast cancer. Hormones are also widely believed to play a role in the etiology of breast cancer. Estrogen has been the most extensively studied hormone because of the epidemiological evidence that prolonged estrogen exposure (early menarche, late menopause, nulliparity, and delayed pregnancy) increases the risk of breast cancer. Viruses are also suspected of causing breast cancer (e.g., the Bittner milk factor is a virus that causes breast carcinoma in mice).

Carcinoma of the male breast is extremely rare. It presents with a painless breast mass. Histological features are identical to those of infiltrating ductal carcinomas in the female. In spite of the small bulk of the breast in men, the diagnosis of male breast carcinoma is usually delayed; 50 % of patients have axillary lymph node metastases at the time of diagnosis. As a result, male breast cancer has a worse overall prognosis than female breast cancer.

Nulliparousâ€”a woman who has never borne a viable child.

Hyperplasiaâ€”abnormal increase in the number of normal cells in normal arrangement in an organ or tissue, which increases in volume.

www.medical-explorer.com

Cancer and Exercise

2008-11-28T08:06:00.001-08:00

Cancer and Exercise

CT Fox, Certified Cancer Exercise Specialist

EXERCISE AND CANCER by CT Fox, Certified Cancer Exercise Specialist

â€œYou have cancer.â€ These words rip through your entire being with the horrendous force of an atomic blast. Suddenly, everything is inside-out, upside-down. Your mind tries to wrap itself around this new and frightening reality. The somber-faced doctor looking at you from across his desk surely must have you mistaken for somebody else. How can this be? Are you kidding me? Will I die? Once having worked through the myriad of denials, when the acceptance of the news finally settles in, it does so with gut-wrenching agony.

You have entered a new and foreign world. Life is now no longer just about getting the kids ready for school, walking the dog, dropping off the laundry, planning dinner for the family, cleaning the house, meeting deadlines, spending time with friends, or the minutia of daily living. Life is now also about survival.

The speed at which things begin to happen can be terrifying. You quickly have to make some decisions regarding treatment that will move your life in a direction you never anticipated. Your life may seem like it is spinning completely out of control. â€œOverwhelmedâ€ is an inadequate word for the experience.

There is nothing that can totally remove the fear and the shock of discovering that you have cancer. You can, however, do something significant that will help you regain the feeling of being in control of your life, your body, and your destiny EXERCISE!

You might be tired, depressed, frustrated, drained, worn-out, and have limited strength and functional capacity. Activities of daily living might become an unimaginable challenge. Good news; moderate physical exercise has been proven to help fight the possible physical and emotional side effects of cancer and associated treatment. It can be part of your personal recipe
for living stronger.

EXERCISE, your weapon, can help you make significant improvement in the following areas; stamina, functional capacity, strength, range of motion and flexibility, treatment tolerance, self-esteem, self-confidence, increased ability to perform activities of daily living.. Exercise can also help decrease pain, decrease depression and total mood disturbances, reduce sleep problems, anxiety, nausea, and cancer related fatigue. Quite simply, it can help you get your life back.

It has long been thought that staying active can lower the risk of getting cancer, but new findings
show that it can also be a valuable prescription for recovery.

A recent study, released March 2004, done by Brigham and Womenâ€™s Hospital in Boston,
found that women who exercised after breast cancer reduced their chance of dying from the disease by one-quarter to one-half, depending on their level of activity.

Although there are many expert theories, it is biologically unclear as to how exercise
accomplishes this feat. Researchers do agree that moderate activity is an unquestionably
safe recommendation and that it can have a myriad of benefits.

For breast cancer survivors, getting back normal range of motion in the affected arm can be challenging, at best. The surgical arm can feel extremely tight. Simple tasks, such as reaching
a high kitchen cabinet can prove to be difficult.
Presumably, after surgery for breast cancer, the surgeon will refer the patient to a Cancer Exercise Specialist (or a physical therapist trained to work with breast cancer patients) for initial
assessment of range of motion, lymphedema precaution instructions, and exercise education.
If the surgeon has not offered that as a viable option to you, ask about it.

A Cancer Exercise Specialist can put together an exercise program that is tailored to your individual needs and limitations. A regimen of progressive milestones will undoubtedly provide you with a sense of accomplishment and confidence, as well as bolster your self-esteem.

The goals of your exercise program should include; increasing your energy levels; improve your posture by stretching tight muscles and strengthening muscles that are weak; increase your range of motion through stretching and movement exercises that emphasize your upper body, and
improving your quality of life by enhancing your physical and mental condition.

When you begin an exercise program, do not be discouraged if you find that you tire easily. Fighting and surviving cancer, takes emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental energy.
You might also find that certain movements cause you discomfort. Working through slight
discomfort is acceptable, but you should never try and work through any kind of pain.

Being consistent with your program will assist you in getting past these issues. It will also provide you with benefits you may not have even imagined possible when you were first diagnosed with cancer.

â€œKeeping up with a regular exercise program is great for my mental health.â€ It gives me something to look forward to, breaks up the monotony of my house-bound days, and gives me more energy. It helps me maintain a better self-image to see the positive changes in my body.
I feel strong and in control.

I believe that keeping physically active and keeping myself strong are going to help me fight and beat this not unconquerable enemy. Somebody has to beat the odds. There is absolutely no reason why it wonâ€™t be me.â€

CJB â€“ Stage IV uterine cancer

Hold close to your heart the fact that while cancer may have invaded your body, it does not have to invade your spirit.

Breast Cancer Causes and Treatment

2008-11-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

Breast Cancer Causes and Treatment

by: Michal

About Breast Cancer:
Breast cancer is a type of uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that can develop in one of several areas of the breast, including the ducts that carry milk to the nipple, the small sacs that produce milk (lobules) and the nonglandular tissue.Breast Cancer is estimated that 192,200 women and 1,500 men in the United States will be diagnosed with Breast cancer in 2001. Though rare in men, Breast cancer accounts for 31% of all cancer diagnosed in women. Breast cancer is a disease in which cancer cells are found in Breast tissue. There are numerous types of Breast cancer. For example, ductile cancer, found in the cells of the ducts, is the most common type of Breast cancer. Cancer that begins in the lobes or lobules is called lobular cancer. Treatment will depend on the type of Breast cancer and stage of the disease. There are also many non-cancerous (benign) Breast diseases as well.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer:
1.A lump or thickening in the breast or under the arm.
2.A clear or bloody discharge from the nipple.
3.Crusting or scaling of the nipple.
4.Nipples that don't stick out (inverted).
5.Redness or swelling of the breast.
6.Dimpling on the breast skin resembling the texture of an orange.
7.A change in the contours of the breast, such as one being higher than the other.
8.A sore or ulcer on the skin of the breast that does not heal.
Causes of Breast Cancer:
The exact cause of cancer remains a mystery. Over twenty percent of those who have cancer never know why. The primary parts that are involved are the natural parts of food, tobacco, occupational hazards, genetic composition and food additives. Other agents that have been linked with cancer are ionizing radiation, chemicals in the air and diet, vitamin deficiency, high-fat diet, stress and environmental conditions.
Diagnosis:
Biopsy: Used to diagnose tumors, a biopsy tests cells removed surgically or through aspiration for microscopic examination.
Cytology test: A test that shows the shedding of abnormal cells. A good example of a cytology test is pap smear.
Imaging techniques: low dose x-rays such as those used in a mammogram can detect early Breast cancer. Ultrasound scanners can also produce images of organs.
Chemical testing: Detect the presence of blood in the feces or elevated levels of enzyme acid phosphates in the blood.
Ultrasound: A new ultrasound technique used after a mammogram can help reduce uncertainty about whether a Breast mass is cancerous or not.
Home Care Suggestions:
-Avoid tobacco in all forms, synthetic hormones, particularly estrogen, excessive alcohol, caffeine.
-To minimize hair loss apply cold packs to the scalp while taking radiation or therapy.
-Engage in mild exercise such as walking and make it part of your daily ritual.
-If you ever receive a serious diagnosis of any kind, one of the most important things you can do is to free your mind of daily concerns.

2008-11-28T06:57:00.001-08:00

Questions for Your Doctor:
Better communication can lead to better health
Imagine you are at the doctor’s office. After your exam, your doctor says you have “diabetic neuropathy,” “hypertension” or “coronary disease.” Do you know what that means?
If your health care visits leave you with more questions than answers, you are not alone.
Nearly one out of every two adults in the U.S. has trouble understanding health information. The ability to read, understand and act upon health information is called health literacy. Health literacy is not just about reading skills, and it can be a problem for anyone regardless of their education or economic level.
In Harlingen, Valley Baptist Health Plan has joined forces with the Partnership for Clear Health Communication to help improve the community’s health literacy skills through a new program called “Ask Me 3.”
The Ask Me 3 program does not cost you anything and is easy to follow. "Ask Me 3" is a simple set of questions that you should ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist at every visit.
The three questions are:
• What is my main problem?
• What do I need to do?
• Why is it important for me to do this?
Low health literacy stands in the way of the mission of Valley Baptist Health Plan, which is to improve the health of the community. Health literacy is vital to good patient care and positive health outcomes. You can take steps to help you get the answers you need:
1. Don’t be shy—ask questions.
Make a list of questions to bring with you to your doctor so you do not forget to ask them. If you think of more questions after your visit, write them down. Call the doctor’s office when you return to your home or job to get answers to your questions.
2. Bring a family member or friend.
This person may be able to help you take notes and hear the provider’s instructions — in case you miss something.
3. Speak up.
Tell your health care provider if you do not understand the information he or she has given you. Ask him or her to repeat the instructions until you know what you need to do.
4. Repeat instructions. After the health care provider gives you instructions, repeat them back to him or her. Make sure you’ve got them right.
5. Ask for more information.
If your provider says you have a health problem, ask for extra information — such as a hotline number or brochure. It may help you figure out what is happening to you and how to treat it. Work closely with your health care providers. They can advise you on ways to lead a healthy, active life. Try to understand all your medical information. This way you can be a more active partner in decisions about your health and your family’s health.

2008-11-28T06:55:00.000-08:00

Diabetic Recipes
Portion Control: A Guide to Maintaining Health
American waistlines are ever growing due to inactivity and increased food consumption which is leading to a number of health issues, such as Type 2 Diabetes. Part of this increasing problem is "portion distortion" -- many Americans don’t know what a standard serving size is.
Yolanda Gonzalez, RN, CDE, a nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator with the Diabetes Education Center at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, says eating healthy isn’t enough … taking control of the portions of food you consume is key in managing a healthy lifestyle and keeping diabetes under control.
When cooking, it is important to measure your food but often there are times we do not have access to a scale or measuring utensils. Gonzalez says there are a number of tips to “recognize” normal serving sizes, such as a serving of poultry, meat or fish is 3 ounces or about the size of a small deck of cards or the palm of your hand … whereas, a serving of leafy-green vegetables like spinach is 1 cup or about the size of a tennis ball.
Diabetic Cooking, a cookbook designed for those with diabetes, offers a number of easy-to-serve recipes that will allow you to stay on track and maintain a healthy life.
Greek Lemon Chicken Yields: 4 servings (1 breast per serving)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 ounces each) 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1 lemon, cut in wedgesBaby spinach leaves
Place chicken breasts in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag and add all ingredients except lemon wedges and spinach. Seal bag and shake to coat chicken completely. Refrigerate chicken at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes. Turn chicken and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 7 minutes or until no longer pink in center.
Remove from heat and serve with lemon wedges and spinach.
Nutritional Information per Serving:Calories: 132 Total Fat: 2 grams (g) Calories from Fat: 11% Saturated Fat: >1 g Carbohydrate: 3 g Fiber: 1g Protein: 27 g Cholesterol: 66 milligrams (mg) Sodium: 74 mg

2008-11-28T06:54:00.000-08:00

Diabetic Recipes
Tuna Melt A Good Choice for Diabetics and Others
If you’re looking for a change of pace when it comes to fish, you want to try a “Tuna Melt” recipe which has received rave reviews from diabetes educators.
Maria D. Gonzales, RN, BSN, CDE, a nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator with the Diabetes Education Center at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, took home the tuna melt recipe after finding it in the Diabetic Cooking magazine that she gives her patients.
“This tuna melt is surprisingly tasty,” Maria said. “And best of all it makes a healthy choice for a diabetic patient or anyone who wants to be health-conscious when it comes to their meals.”
From a distance, the tuna melt may resemble some kind of open-faced cheeseburger – but of course without the beef and with just a small portion of reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Here’s the recipe:
Tuna Melt Makes 4 servings (2 melts per serving)
1 can (12 ounces) chunk white tuna packed in water, drained 1 ½ cups coleslaw mix 3 tablespoons sliced green onions 3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 4 English muffins, split and lightly toasted 1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
Preheat broiler. Combine tuna, coleslaw mix and green onions in a medium bowl. Combine mayonnaise, mustard and dill weed in a small bowl. Stir mayonnaise mixture into tuna mixture. Spread tuna mixture onto muffin halves. Place on broiler pan.
Broil 4 inches from heat 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 1 to 2 minutes more or until cheese melts.
Nutrition Facts (2 melts per serving):2 starch3 lean meat
Calories 313 Calories from Fat 23% Total Fat 3 g Saturated Fat 2 g Carbohydrates 30 g Protein 30 g Cholesterol 43 mg Sodium 882 mg Fiber 2 g
For more information on diabetes -- including information on diabetes self-management, nutrition education, medication management, free blood sugar and blood pressure screenings, and free support groups -- call the Diabetes Education Center at Valley Baptist-Harlingen, (956) 389-1119 or Valley Baptist-Brownsville (956) 698-5512.

2008-11-28T06:53:00.000-08:00

Breast Cancer More Lethal Among Young Black Women
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A recent study released in Chicago in early-August this year said that young black women with cancer were far more likely to get a more lethal and aggressive form of cancer compared to white women. The study covered a total of 496 women below the age of 55 who had been diagnosed with breast cancer from 1993 to 1996.The study suggested that biology could provide some answers as to why black women were afflicted with deadlier forms of cancer than their white counterparts. Previous studies said the difference may have been due to inadequate screening rates. Official government figures indicate that a greater percentage of black women die from health problem than men. Since 1990, breast cancer has caused 15.4 deaths among black women for every 100,000 population compared to 9.3 deaths for white women for every 100,000 population.Medical doctors have said that, traditionally, more white women have contracted cancer compared to African American women, but that when the latter suffer from breast cancer, it is usually a more aggressive type of cancer that is exceedingly more difficult to treat.Medical researchers identified a quick-spreading, basal-like subtype of cancer that has afflicted a high level of black women, about 39 percent of black women who are pre-menopausal. Among older black women, this basal-like subtype also accounts for 14 percent of breast cancer cases. Overall, it was prevalent in only 16 percent of non-black women of any age.The study said that this type of genetic profiling of cancer suffered has led drug manufacturers to product a new generation of best cancer drugs that are targeted at specific race groups. Reports indicate that these new generation drugs have met with startling success. However, with regard to the basal-like subtype, there are no such targeted therapies that have been developed and the conventional chemotherapy is still the best medical approach.Doctors said the next step is further research that can provide a deeper understanding of what causes the more lethal subtype of breast cancer and why it tends to afflict a greater percentage of black women. At the moment, it is uncertain whether this subtype has anything to do with any inherited predisposition or with the fact that black women are exposed to something in the environment that other women are not. Doctors did state, however, that one reason for the higher mortality rate among black women is in prevailing disparities in access to treatment.

2008-11-28T06:51:00.000-08:00

Diabetic Recipes
Good Eating Helps with Diabetes
Diabetes is perhaps the most tragic disabler of Valley residents -- but it doesn’t have to get that bad. Learning to eat right can help keep diabetes under control -- and even help prevent diabetes from developing in the first place.
Luisa Acosta, RN, BSN, CDE, a Certified Diabetes Educator with the Diabetes Education Center at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, says the key is to eat healthy foods (such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans), and keep your weight down through an exercise program approved by your doctor.
As a diabetes educator, Acosta loves sharing tasty -- but healthy -- recipes with her patients, and one of her favorites is the following recipe for chicken and brown rice. This recipe was listed among the “Best of the Best” recipes by Diabetes Health Monitor, a free publication which Acosta shares with her patients.
Chicken and Brown Rice Yield: 6 Servings
1 cup uncooked brown rice 6 skinless chicken breasts 1 cup chopped onion 3/4 cup chopped bell pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon Canola oil 2 teaspoons curry powder 1 teaspoon dried thyme 3/4 teaspoon salt One 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons dried raisins 2 tablespoons chopped almonds
Add the rice to 3 cups boiling water in a saucepan; cover and simmer 50 to 60 minutes.
Lightly oil a shallow baking pan. In a preheated oven (425 degrees F), bake the chicken uncovered in the lightly oiled pan for 20 minutes.
While the rice and chicken cook, sauté the onion, pepper, and garlic in the canola oil in a skillet until tender. Add the curry powder, thyme, and salt. Stir. Add the tomatoes with their liquid and the parsley. Heat to a simmer.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with raisins. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for another 25 minutes.
In another pan, toast the almonds about 15 minutes. Serve a chicken breast and rice on individual plates. Divide the sauce over the rice. Sprinkle the almonds over the chicken.
Nutritional Facts (per serving): Starch exchange 1-1/2 Very lean meat exchange 4 Monounsaturated fat exchange 1/2 Vegetable Exchange 1
Calories 304 Carbohydrate 28 grams (g) Fiber 3 g Protein 30 g Total fat 8 g Cholesterol 73 milligrams (mg) Sodium 469 mg.
For more information on diabetes -- including information on diabetes self-management, nutrition education, medication management, free blood sugar and blood pressure screenings, and free support groups -- call the Diabetes Education Center at Valley Baptist-Harlingen, (956) 389-1119 or Valley Baptist-Brownsville (956) 698-5512.

2008-11-28T06:46:00.000-08:00

Asthma:
New Xolair Treatment Helps Those with Severe Asthma Caused by Allergies
A new treatment is making a dramatic difference in the lives of some Valley asthma patients whose asthma is caused primarily by allergies.
The new medication, Xolair, is in a completely new class of asthma and allergy treatment – it stops the allergic reaction before it even starts. All previous medications have worked on alleviating different processes in a chain reaction which is set off in the respiratory system when an asthma patient is exposed to allergic substances. Xolair is the first to stop the reaction from happening in the first place.
In the Valley, the medication is helping some patients to feel better than they ever dreamed possible. However, Xolair is not for everyone – patients must undergo allergy and blood tests to be pre-certified for insurance coverage of the medication. Some insurers have been reluctant to cover or slow to pay for the treatment. And without insurance coverage, the treatment is prohibitively expensive for most people. In addition, the medication is currently approved by the FDA only for adults and adolescents, ages 12 and older.
Despite these obstacles, some Valley asthma and allergy patients have described Xolair as an almost miraculous treatment. For example, one 12-year-old Harlingen boy who had severe asthma and skin allergies has been receiving Xolair injections for a year. Now, the boy has no symptoms – and, with his physician’s approval, has been able to gradually stop taking his other asthma medications. (No asthma patient should reduce or stop other medications, even if they are doing well on Xolair, unless instructed to do so by their doctor.)
“The average improvement we have seen is moderate to remarkable, with at least one ‘miracle case,’ in those who have been on Xolair for four months or more,” said William McKenna, M.D., an Allergist-Immunologist who is on the Medical Staff of Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen.
Dr. McKenna, who is the first physician in the Valley to use the Xolair treatments, said his patients receive one to two Xolair injections once or twice a month, depending on the severity of their asthma and allergies.
“For those who have moderate to severe asthma, and who have not received the relief they would like in their usual asthma medications such as inhaled corticosteroids, this is a major new category of medicine that has the potential of significantly changing the effect that asthma has on their lives,” Dr. McKenna added.
One of Dr. McKenna’s patients who has moderate to severe asthma, a 45-year-old Harlingen resident, said he felt like “a new man” after his first Xolair shot. “I have never breathed this well in my life, except maybe after six days of taking Prednisone,” the patient said. Prednisone is an oral steroid administered to patients suffering severe asthma attacks – and is used as a last resort because of significant side effects. Doctors hope Xolair will help keep such patients off oral steroids – and out of the hospital and emergency room.
However, Xolair isn’t an emergency treatment, and patients are advised to keep “rescue medications” such as albutorol inhalers close at hand, in case they do start having trouble breathing or develop other asthma symptoms.
“Xolair provides something that gets to the basic level of what is a major trigger of asthma – allergy,” Dr. McKenna said. “If a person is helped by Xolair it means that their their asthma is caused by allergies, and those patients potentially can also be helped by allergy shots.”
Dr. McKenna noted that while Xolair stops the allergic reaction from starting, it doesn’t immunize the person against their allergies. As soon as a patient stops Xolair, they will soon be back to the same level they were before. But if the patient combines the Xolair treatment with allergy shots to boost their immunity, they may be able to eventually reduce and discontinue the Xolair treatments, while maintaining the benefit.
“Our patients who are receiving both Xolair and allergy shots have done even better than those who are receiving Xolair alone,” Dr. McKenna said. “And some of our patients have benefited from a new ‘rush immunotherapy’ allergy injection treatment that dramatically shortens the time it takes to build up their immunity.”
Asthma is a breathing disease that affects an estimated 17 million Americans. Under current guidelines, only a small percentage of the overall number of asthma patients might be considered good candidates for the new treatment. For more information on asthma and allergies, please consult your physician

Men health

2008-11-24T03:51:00.000-08:00

Although some guys aren't opposed to smoking some weed, most wouldn't think of eating one. It's a shame, really, since a succulent weed named purslane is not only delicious but also among the world's healthiest foods.

Of course, there are many superfoods that never see the inside of a shopping cart. Some you've never heard of, and others you've simply forgotten about. That's why we've rounded up the best of the bunch. Make a place for them on your table and you'll instantly upgrade your health -- without a prescription.

Beets

These grungy-looking roots are naturally sweeter than any other vegetable, which means they pack tons of flavor under-neath their rugged exterior.

Why they're healthy: Think of beets as red spinach. Just like Popeye's powerfood, this crimson vegetable is one of the best sources of both folate and betaine. These two nutrients work together to lower your blood levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Plus, the natural pigments -- called betacyanins -- that give beets their color have been proved to be potent cancer fighters in laboratory mice.

How to eat them: Fresh and raw, not from a jar. Heating beets actually decreases their antioxidant power. For a simple single-serving salad, wash and peel one beet, and then grate it on the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.

You can eat the leaves and stems, which are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Simply cut off the stems just below the point where the leaves start, and wash thoroughly. They're now ready to be used in a salad. Or, for a side dish, sauté the leaves, along with a minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Cabbage

Absent from most American kitchens, this cruciferous vegetable is a major player in European and Asian diets.

Why it's healthy: One cup of chopped cabbage has just 22 calories, and it's loaded with valuable nutrients. At the top of the list is sulforaphane, a chemical that increases your body's production of enzymes that disarm cell-damaging free radicals and reduce your risk of cancer. In fact, Stanford University scientists determined that sulforaphane boosts your levels of these cancer-fighting enzymes higher than any other plant chemical.

How to eat it: Put cabbage on your burgers to add a satisfying crunch. Or, for an even better sandwich topping or side salad, try an Asian-style slaw. Here's what you'll need.

4 Tbsp peanut or canola oil

Juice of two limes

1 Tbsp sriracha, an Asian chili sauce you can find in the international section of your grocery store

1 head napa cabbage, finely chopped or shredded

1/4 cup toasted peanuts

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Whisk together the oil, lime juice, and sriracha. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss with the dressing to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving. The slaw will keep in your fridge for 2 days.