Women’s Health Series…

Women’s Health Series… Workshop #1 The Basics of Female Hormone Health… PMS Fatigue Peri-menopause

The Basics… In this Workshop, we will look at the basics of female hormone health… We’ll take a closer look at some of the possible causes of endocrine imbalances and more importantly, how to naturally help regain balance through dietary changes, nutritional and herbal approaches and lifestyle/activity.

Areas we’ll cover today… PMS and common menstrual conditions… Fatigue… Peri-menopause… We’ll discuss menopause and approaches in more detail in Workshop #2… We’ll discuss endometriosis, poly-cystic ovary disease, uterine fibroids, and other hormone-related health concerns in Workshop #3, while Workshop #4 focuses on reducing the risk of breast cancer…

PMS… Many times, PMS is caused by an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone, also known as “estrogen dominance”, although other hormonal imbalances can exist… Estrogen is usually normal or slightly elevated, while progesterone is slightly below normal or low…

PMS… Pre-menstrual syndrome happens in the latter ½ of the menstrual cycle, usually within 7 – 12 days of menses… Symptoms are varied, and can include… Mood swings, anxiety, depression, breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, cramps, the list goes on…

PMS… How do I know if I’m estrogen-dominant ? ? ? Most women with PMS tend to be estrogen-dominant… There are natural approaches for this and can help gently set the balance back to a more favorable E/P ratio… There are also simple salivary lab tests that can plot your menstrual cycle and adrenal health, allowing for a more accurate assessment of your hormone health…

PMS… Should I have a Lab Test done ? ? ? Lab testing is not always necessary to achieve good results with natural approaches to PMS… In fact, most of the time, based on symptoms, you can experience relief with simple, yet very effective natural treatments…

PMS… What is a good general approach for PMS ? I recommend starting with the herb Chaste tree… Chaste tree works very well to help re-balance estrogen/progesterone to a more favorable balance. Sometimes, this herb alone can correct many PMS-related symptoms ! However, it’s more important to improve over-all health to gain the best, long-lasting results with PMS, or ANY illness for that matter !

PMS… But… There’s more to it than just an herb… Many times, there will be sluggishness in the liver/gallbladder, and GI tract which will not allow toxins and hormones to be properly removed from the body once they’re used… Improving liver/gallbladder function is an important part of hormone balance and over-all health… Cleansing the liver/gallbladder and GI tract can also help long-term with improved health…

PMS… But… There’s more to it than just an herb… Diet and lifestyle also play an important part in endocrine health and over-all health and well-being…

PMS… Important Note !… If you have imbalances in the liver/gallbladder or Digestion/GI tract, you will have marginal results with hormone balancing and your health in general !

PMS… Determining the need for cleansing the liver/gallbladder and GI tract… There are several ways to determine if the liver/gallbladder and GI tract are not working up to par… Symptoms are part of the picture… Also, there are questionnaires that can point to areas needing attention…

PMS… Determining the need for cleansing the liver/gallbladder and GI tract… Toxicity Questionnaire : 1-page quick assessment of over-all toxicity by organ/body systems… Symptom Survey Questionnaire: Thorough assessment of general health by organ/body system…

PMS… OK… Now what do I do ? ? ? Good News !… You can start on the path to getting healthier as you improve your PMS symptoms… Your healthcare practitioner can assess your specific needs and recommend approaches using herbs, supplements along with dietary/lifestyle changes… Some simple approaches are listed as we proceed…

PMS… Approaches for PMS Symptoms… Note that it may take 2 cycles for full effect… General Approach : Chaste Tree 1 – 2 tablets AM throughout the cycle... Also will help with mastalgia… Symplex F 1 tablet 3X/day throughout the cycle… With depression/anxiety add in Nevaton 2 tablets 2X daily… With cramping add in Cramplex 3 – 6/day during cramping time…

PMS… Approaches for PMS Symptoms… Note that it may take 2 cycles for full effect… For heavy bleeding… There may be a tendency to have fragile capillaries that tear easily and bleed profusely. Also, there may be a history of sub-clinical anemia. Usually, if a person bruises easily, they may have capillary fragility. Both conditions can be helped with nutrition…

PMS… Approaches for PMS Symptoms… Note that it may take 2 cycles for full effect… Cyruta Plus 3 tablets 2X/day for 30 days, then lower dose to 2 tablets 2X/day on-going. This will help over time to strengthen capillaries and help reduce bruising and lighten bleeding… Ferrofood 1 capsule 2X/day for 30 days, then 1 capsule/day for 60 – 90 days. Folic Acid/B12 1 tablet 2X/day ongoing. These two products can help improve anemic conditions over time.

PMS… Approaches for PMS Symptoms… Note that it may take 2 cycles for full effect… For digestive, GI, constipation, and liver/gallbladder sluggishness work with your healthcare practitioner for specifics based on your symptoms and present health…

PMS… Role of chronic stress and hormone imbalances… Chronic stress places the body in a catabolic (breaking-down) state. When under stress, the body doesn’t take the time to heal and the whole body suffers, including the immune and endocrine system… Coupled with poor dietary choices, this leads to a depletion of energy reserves and a wide variety of symptoms…

PMS… Lifestyle and dietary recommendations to improve over-all health… Reducing stress is key to long-term health. While many of the daily stresses we face cannot be eliminated, we can do things to better cope with the stress. Regular exercise and hobbies can help reduce stress. Tai Chi, brisk walking, low-impact aerobics, meditation, reading, really anything that you enjoy as a hobby can help reduce the effects of stress on your body…

PMS… Lifestyle and dietary recommendations to improve over-all health… Diet can have a profound effect on your over-all health and vitality… Diets containing high simple carbs put stress on the endocrine system, especially the pancreas and adrenal glands. This not only contributes to hormone imbalances, it also affects weight-gain, mood, energy/fatigue, and over-all resistance to disease…

PMS… Lifestyle and dietary recommendations to improve over-all health… Eliminating the simple carbs… Breads, white rice, pasta, cereals, potatoes and other starchy vegetables are a big step in lowering simple carbs. Eating fresh, raw or partially cooked vegetables and salads along with healthy protein foods are the best way to improve health through diet… They will also contribute to better weight management !

PMS… For more information on improving diet, weight management, and whole-body cleansing, attend the Purification and Weight-loss Workshop.

PMS… Final PMS Notes… If within 2 cycles you are not feeling appreciably better, or if you experience fatigue along with your PMS symptoms, you may need attention to your adrenals, digestion/GI tract or liver/gallbladder.

Fatigue… Our definition of fatigue is more of a persistent lack of energy or inability to perform daily tasks without undue effort… It is not an occasional over-tired feeling from lack of sleep… Our definition stems from consistent physical, mental or emotional stresses and other factors preventing recovery and health…

Fatigue… Lifestyle and diet are major contributors to fatigue. Many of us are faced with the stresses of work, traffic, school, family, and and a host of demands others or we place on ourselves on a consistent basis… Poor dietary choices add to this stress and don’t provide the basic healing nutrients needed to allow rest and recovery… These choices actually add physical stress to the emotional stresses and wear us down. We keep running on “empty”.

Fatigue… Most Americans would say that they deal with stress daily… You’re not alone… Most Americans, including our children, deal with stresses on a daily basis. Proper sleep, at least 3 healthy meals per day and key nutritional supplementation can reduce the negative effects of stress…

Fatigue… How do dietary choices play a role ? ? ? Skipping Breakfast is one habit many of us have. Right when your body needs nourishment to get the day started, we grab a cup of coffee, maybe some HIGH carb junk food and hit the road. Our bodies need protein and whole-foods that can provide energy and nutrition we need for the day… Not getting this in the AM already sets our day up for failure ! This is why we seem to run out of gas late in the morning, or have food cravings before lunch time…

Fatigue… How do dietary choices play a role ? ? ? The foods we consume have a lot to do with energy and fatigue… When our diets consist of a lot of simple carbs, sugars and starches, these provide nearly instant energy, since they cause a rapid rise in blood sugar… However, the body tries to keep blood sugar in balance, by increasing insulin production to force the sugar into the tissues. We can’t use up all the sugar, so much of it is converted to fat and stored. Blood sugar goes down rapidly and we are tired and hungry again… A vicious cycle !

Fatigue… How do dietary choices play a role ? ? ? So what happens ? ? ? Well, cortisol, our stress hormone also stimulates increasing our blood sugar and with a high simple carb diet, insulin and cortisol chase each other around our metabolism… We end up feeling stressed and fatigued. We have little energy reserves and our ability to recover and replenish diminishes… We’re fatigued most of the time… If we continue on this path of catabolism or constant breakdown, we can’t heal…

Fatigue… So, now what can I do ? ? ? There are three things that should be done to get back on the path to recovering energy and health. 1. Reduce stress or find ways to properly deal with it… 2. Improve diet, and lifestyle choices… 3. Use targeted nutritional supplements to help replenish organ/gland reserves and energy…

Fatigue… What are some smart dietary choices ? ? ? Increase the amount of fresh vegetable intake daily. While fruit is great, eat 4 – 5 pieces of vegetables to every piece of fruit to keep simple sugar intake down. Make sure you’re getting enough protein with each meal… Don’t skip Breakfast ! For snack food, use nuts instead of chips or candies. Keep “white” foods (pastas, breads, rice, potatoes, corn, cereals, etc…) to a MINIMUM or eliminate entirely !

Fatigue… What are some smart dietary choices ? ? ? When grocery shopping, keep to the outer perimeter of the store… Stay away from going inside aisles for food items ! Frozen foods are a distant 2nd choice over fresh, and canned foods are basically void of nutrients…

Fatigue… What lifestyle choices should I consider ? ? ? Proper food choices are part of lifestyle choices that can affect health to a great degree ! Getting the whole family to change their diet over time will result in everyone being healthier ! Regular activity/exercise is an important part of getting healthy. As you begin to heal and regain energy, exercise will help build stamina, improve metabolism, and build endurance reserves. It will also help deal with stress. Walking is a great way to start an exercise regimen.

Fatigue… What lifestyle choices should I consider ? ? ? Find ways that work for you to relieve stress… Hobbies…Exercise…Meditation…Reading… There are countless things you can do to help relieve stress… If work-related stresses really take a toll on you on a daily basis, then you may want to consider changing your job or company ! Nothing is more important to you and your family than your health and well being !

Fatigue… What lifestyle choices should I consider ? ? ? What exercises are good ? ? ? Any activity/exercise that you enjoy, that doesn’t cause physical pain/harm and that you will do on a consistent basis is good… Remember to take it slowly at first if you have health conditions or haven’t exercised in a while. If you’re over 40 or have a health condition, seek the advice of your doctor before entering into an exercise program…

Fatigue… What nutritional supplements can help ? ? ? There are a number of nutritional supplements and herbs that can help regain energy, organ and gland reserve, and improve stamina and endurance. The Symptom Survey Questionnaire and your present health conditions will help your healthcare practitioner determine the best supplements and/or herbs to help improve your health…

Fatigue… What nutritional supplements can help ? ? ? Drenamin is a supplement that works well for nearly everyone with fatigue. 3 tablets 2X/day 60 days Licorice High Grade 2.5ml. in the AM Caution : do not use if hypertensive or on hypertension medications ! Withania Complex1 tablet AM and 1 tablet at noon Use same caution as above with Licorice…

Fatigue… What nutritional supplements can help ? ? ? Rehmannia Complex 1 – 3 tablets daily for those who are hypertensive… Cataplex B or G 2 tablets 2 X/day with meals. These products provide B-complex in whole-food form. B-vitamins are important in energy production. Your healthcare practitioner will determine which of the two is best for you.

Fatigue… Final Notes on Fatigue… While everyone is different, you should begin to feel the effects of improved energy within a 2-week period… Some folks take longer. One important thing to remember is that just because you’re feeling more energetic, that doesn’t mean that you can discontinue the supplements. It takes months to recover organ/gland reserves…

Peri-menopause… What is Peri-menopause ? ? ? Peri-menopause is the timeframe prior to menopause, where fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone lead to menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes…etc… Fatigue, stress, adrenal reserves, and a host of other health-related conditions can increase or decrease the severity of peri-menopausal symptoms…

Peri-menopause… What causes these symptoms ? ? ? Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone cause these symptoms. Estrogen for example keeps vascular tone, and when estrogen levels fluctuate, vascular tone also fluctuates causing the small peripheral capillaries to spasm… Blood rushes in and then the “hot flash”…

Peri-menopause… How Adrenal health, Stress and Fatigue affect Peri-menopausal symptoms… Since a normal, healthy woman produces about 20% of her circulating estrogens via the adrenal glands, any stress, fatigue and weakened adrenals may lower normal estrogen levels in some women. When ovarian estrogens fluctuate, in some of these women, this causes undue peri-menopausal symptoms !

Peri-menopause… What steps can I take to reduce these peri-menopausal symptoms ? If you remember back in our Fatigue section, we discussed how reducing stress, improving diet/lifestyle and using targeted supplements can improve adrenal health and reduce fatigue. This process indirectly helps to improve hormone health and can help reduce peri-menopausal symptoms. That’s why it’s important to treat these symptoms as not only normal “change of life” but as possible lack of adrenal/organ reserves…

Peri-menopause… What can I do now to help with these symptoms while I get healthier ? ? ? The natural approach to peri-menopausal symptoms is two-fold… Use targeted nutritional and herbal formulas that may help reduce symptoms now… Work diet, lifestyle, and supplementation to help improve over-all health and strengthen adrenal/organ reserve.

Peri-menopause… Targeted nutritional and herbal supplements for peri-menopause… Wild Yam Complex 2 tablets AM and 2 tablets PM for 30 days or until symptoms diminish. Then lower the dose until symptoms begin to worsen… Tribulus 1 tablet 3X/day in addition to the Wild Yam Complex for those who are not experiencing relief. Then lower dosage as needed.

Peri-menopause… Targeted nutritional and herbal supplements for peri-menopause… Ovex 1 tablet 3X/day with meals. This helps the ovaries to continue to produce adequate hormone levels. Symplex F 1 tablet 3X/day with meals. This helps the ovaries and other organs/glands improve function.

Peri-menopause… What about Hormone Replacement Therapy for these symptoms ? ? ? HRT is normally recommended as the first choice for menopause. Unfortunately, this doesn’t take into consideration improving over-all health, especially the health of the Adrenal Glands, which play a major role in hormone health. This is especially true in peri and post menopause…

Peri-menopause… Why the natural approach instead of HRT ? Helping the body heal and allow it to do it’s job should be the first and foremost position to take. The use of HRT should be the last resort, not the first step… This includes the use of Progesterone creams (HRT) ! ! ! In essence, it’s much better to improve over-all health than to force symptom reduction through the use of drugs if at all possible… The long-term outcome is so much better !

Thank You for your time ! Questions ? ? ? Comments ? ? ?

Women’s Health Series…