Weekly
Healthy Advice From VÄXA
Non-Prescription
Choices For Women With Hormone Imbalance
Not so long ago, menopause
was a word you did not say out loud in public, and you had
to go to a medical library to find a book on the subject.
Today, every Barnes and Nobles, Borders, and other book stores
carry literally dozens of titles on the subject of hormone
imbalance or menopause.
With 40 million menopausal women in America and some 20 million
baby boomer women on the brink of menopause, it is no wonder
this is such a major topic of discussion today. Many women
are educating themselves and "doing their homework", not readily
accepting the "gold standard" so quickly suggested by their
doctors of taking synthetic hormones like Premarin (from pregnant
mares' urine) to assist them through this normal transition
of life.
After all, menopause is not a disease but only a transition
between one's childbearing years and the large segment of
life that follows, when one no longer need be concerned with
monthly cycles and the responsibility of pregnancy. Menopause
is by design and not a mistake of mother nature... Today there
are many natural alternatives that have proven to be beneficial
in helping women to balance their hormones without the risky
side effects of the synthetic hormones. I encourage you to
take personal responsibility for your own health, and consider
getting started on natural hormones today!
Summer Is Almost Over? Tell That To My Hot Flashes!
Summer may be coming to an end, but for many menopausal women
across the country, the discomfort of hot flashes and night
sweats will remain. Hot flashes, night sweats, moodiness and
irritability are just some of the symptoms women are likely
to experience during menopause. These symptoms are caused
by a natural depletion of estrogen levels, causing many women
to turn to Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT) in order to
alleviate their symptoms. While this form of treatment can
be effective, widely publicized potential health risks such
as increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease
have motivated women to seek alternative forms of treatment.
Approximately 80-90% of women in the United States are thought
to experience the aforementioned symptoms during menopause,
whereas only an estimated 30% of women in Asia experience
the same symptoms. Why? The answer is soy. Menopausal symptom
relief is just one of the many benefits associated with the
regular consumption of soy. The typical Asian diet ensures
that adequate amounts of soy are consumed on a regular basis,
resulting in an all-natural method of reducing menopausal
symptoms before they even surface. Soy isoflavones not only
alleviate hot flashes and night sweats, a recent study published
in the journal Fertility and Sterility indicated that soy
isoflavones can also reduce emotional instability and may
improve cognitive function in women with menopause. The use
of soy as an all-natural, non-intrusive and risk-free alternative
to traditional ERT methods is becoming more common across
the nation.
In addition to adding dietary supplements containing soy to
your daily health regime, the following ingredients will provide
you with the adequate amounts of soy isoflavones:
- Soybeans
- Fortified soymilk
- Tofu and tempeh
- Soy flour
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