Herbs & Homeopathic Remedies May Alleviate Menopausal Symptoms by
Nettie Mae
Does hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for your menopause make your blood
run cold? Many women are faced with the potential risks associated with
HRT. First, let's take a quick look at the three stages of menopause.
Menopause begins in your early 40s as your ovaries gradually produce
less and less of the hormone estrogen. Your periods become erratic sometimes
skipping a month or alternating between light and heavy.
The next period of time is the transitioning to actual menopause. During
this time you may continue to have erratic periods and the "fun stuff"
begins to settle in for a long visit. Yes, fun stuff like hot flashes,
vaginal dryness, mood swings and insomnia are some of the symptoms.
The final and actual onset of menopause usually occurs in your early
50s and is represented by the absence of your period for a full 12 months.
It's those in between years that can wreak havoc in your life.
Are there natural alternatives for chemical HRT? The good news is yes!
It's a sad fact that less than two percent of doctors even mention alternative
therapies and that most of them feel there is no benefit. Thousands of
women would disagree. Here are just a few of the many natural alternatives:
Try adjusting your diet to include vegetables and fish that are high
in Omega-3 as they contain nutrients that can help your body deal with
menopause naturally. Conversely, there are foods that can make your menopausal
symptoms worse. Caffeine, sugar, fatty dairy products, salt, alcohol and
saturated oils can aggravate the symptoms.
Be sure and take a daily multivitamin making certain that the vitamin
contains 100% of the daily allowance for nutrients. Just be aware that
vitamins are no substitute for following a healthy diet.
If menopause causes mood swings, it only makes sense that it's possible
to experience extreme responses for stress. Try using deep breathing techniques,
meditation or some other methods of relaxation that works for you and
practice the technique for 10 to 20 minutes per day. You will be left
feeling calmer, more able to cope and more in control.
Exercising regularly can also help alleviate menopausal symptoms. Scheduling
at least 30 minutes of exercise three times a week will relieve hot flashes.
You will be able to think more clearly and reduce your risk of osteoporosis
and heart disease.
Some women have found relief through yoga and acupressure. Both are mainstays
of practitioners of eastern medicine.
Last, but not least, we come to herbal treatments. Beans and certain
other plants have a mild estrogenic activity in their makeup thanks to
"phytoestrogens." These are compounds that include isoflavins,
lignans, phytoseterols and saponins. In additional to helping your body
through menopause, animal experiments show they are significantly effective
in preventing tumors of the breast tissue.
Without sending you off for a medical dictionary to understand the compounds
listed above, here are some of the foods and herbs that contain healthy
compounds: Soy, black cohosh, licorice, alfalfa, chasteberry, Chinese
angelica, red clover, strawberry, celery stalks, dates, elder, false unicorn
root, fennel, Honduran sarsaparilla, lady's slipper, liferoot, Mexican
wild yams, passion flower, pomegranates and sassafras.
The foods, of course, are available from your local grocery. Visit your
local health food store where you should be able to find the herbs and
methods to include them in your daily diet.
About the Author
Sick and tired of being Sick and Tired, Nettie Mae quit her 3rd shift
factory job. Fruta Vida contains many of the properties mentioned in this
article. To learn more, visit http://www.frutavida4u.com/nettiemae/.
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