Can you answer aarjop’s question about Menopause?:

I would like to increase my Estrogen levels for a blood test. What would be the best thing to eat before the test?

Thanks!

Estrogen Replacement Therapy

Menopause is the time at which a woman stops ovulating and menstruation ceases, which indicates the end of fertility. Menopause is not a disease, but rather a natural progression in life, similar to puberty. Many years before a woman stops ovulating, her ovaries will begin to slow their production of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Estrogen and progesterone are often thought of as the reproductive hormones.

Although estrogen is essential in reproduction, it is also extremely important in other non-reproductive organs and systems in the body. Cells in the uterus, bladder, breasts, skin, bones, arteries, heart, liver, and brain all contain estrogen receptors. These organs need this hormone in order to stimulate these receptors for normal cell function. Estrogen is needed to keep the skin smooth and moist and the body’s internal thermostat working properly. Estrogen is also essential for proper bone formation. Even though estrogen levels drop sharply after menopause, they do not disappear entirely. Other organs take over for the ovaries, continuing to produce a less potent form of estrogen. These organs, known as endocrine glands, secrete some hormones from fatty tissue in order to maintain bodily functions.

Progesterone works along with estrogen, stimulating changes in the lining of the uterus to complete the preparation for a fertilized egg during the second half of the menstrual cycle. If no egg is fertilized, the uterine lining is broken down and expelled, allowing the cycle to being again. Progesterone also has effects beyond the reproductive system, as it calms the brain and also affects other aspects of nervous system function. Testosterone is most important for both men and women, with women producing about 80 percent less than men do. However, it is the driving force for maintaining a healthy life and proper functioning organs.

The period when a woman’s body is preparing for menopause is known as perimenopause. For the majority of women, hormone production beings to slow down then they reach their thirties, continuing to diminish with age. Many women will experience few if any symptoms at this time, but others may suffer from anxiety, dry skin, fatigue, feelings of bloating, headaches, heart palpitations, hot flashes, insomnia, irritability, decreased interest in their significant other, loss of concentration, mood swings, night sweats, reduced stamina, urinary incontinence, uterine dryness and itching, weight gain, cold hands and feet, joint pain, hair loss, and/or skin changes.

Menopause occurs when a woman stops menstruating altogether. At this point, most of the acute problems a woman may have experienced are actually over and a new balance between all hormones should be established. However, women become increasingly vulnerable to other, potentially serious health problems at this time. Over the long term, the diminished supply of estrogen increased the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and uterine atrophy. Osteoporosis especially is a major problem for women after menopause, with an estimated 80 percent of the hip fractures that occur in the United States every year being due to osteoporosis.

A proper diet, nutritional supplements, and exercise can help to minimize or eliminate most of the unpleasant side effects of menopause. The following nutrients are recommended for dealing with this stage of life: beta-1, cerasomal, coenzyme Q10, DHEA, essential fatty acids, lecithin granules, a multi-enzyme complex, soy protein, vitamin B complex, vitamin D3, vitamin E, boron, calcium, magnesium, quercetin, silica, zinc, l-arginine, multiglandular complex, a multivitamin and mineral complex, vitamin C, aloe vera gel, slippery elm, damiana, amaranth, chickweed, dandelion greens, nettle, seaweed, watercress, anise, black cohosh, fennel, licorice, raspberry, sage, unicorn root, wild yam root, hops, valerian root, gotu kola, red clover, dong quai, St. John’s wort, and Siberian ginseng.

All these above listed vitamins and herbs are available in capsule, tablet, or powder forms. When looking for natural alternatives to help replace estrogen naturally, look to your local or internet health food store for name brand products that can help restore an imbalance over time.



Thanks to Darrell Miller for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Menopause And Depression

Menopause is one of the worst times in a woman’s life. A woman’s body is going through so many hormonal changes such as the estrogen and progesterone levels are completely imbalanced. This can cause many symptoms for women if not treated properly. Some of the symptoms include:

? Painful cramps

? Hot flushes

? Achy and sore breasts

? Lower back and abdomen pain

? An extremely short fuse that causes you snap at anything that breathes

If you are suffering from one of the following or all of the following you are experiencing menopause symptoms. These need to be treated right away not only to relieve you of these symptoms but also to prevent massive bone loss. Most women lose up to 25% of their entire bone mass due to menopause. That is horrible and just not fair.

Luckily, there is a drug out there called natural progesterone and the effects of low progesterone doses work wonders on your body. This is an all NATURAL treatment that completely eliminates the effects of menopause and PMS symptoms while slowing down the progression of menopause. You will see a substantial difference in the loss of bone mass from someone taking natural progesterone and someone not taking it at all. The worst thing you can do is depriving yourself of such a wonderful all natural cure. The reason why it works is that when a woman goes through menopause there is a natural imbalance of progesterone and estrogen levels. When you take natural progesterone treatments you are eliminating this progesterone deficiency.

The effects of progesterone work wonders. There is good news of restoring balance and normality to your life, even if you have suffered from these symptoms for years. There is no other drug on the market that has these types of effects. There are no harmful side effects using progesterone due to the fact that it is all natural.

Where does progesterone come from?

Progesterone is derived from an all natural plant and than turned into progesterone cream for easy use. Most women apply this cream to their cheeks, anywhere on body, or buttocks. The cream works by going through your skin than directly into your bloodstream for immediate relief and effect. I started using progesterone cream at the first symptoms of menopause. Let me just tell you one thing, it was the best thing I could have ever done for myself! My cramps, insomnia, weight gain, etc. where gone the next day! It took about a week to see my weight going back to normal but my cramps and inability to sleep were gone! I was finally able to live a healthy life where menopause wasn’t the only thing I worried about. Most people do not know about the benefits of progesterone so by reading this article you can help spread the benefits to someone severely suffering from menopause symptoms. Again, I wish you the best of luck and please don’t let menopause control and ruin your life!



Thanks to Jean M. for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Making Money Online

Can you answer Mysonisnumber1’s question about Menopause?:

I am a male and would like to start boosting my bodys estrogen levels so I can naturally grow breasts. Is there any products at like GNC or types of food/beverage I could consume more? Also does prenatal pills have estrogen in them? Thanks for your imputs.

Have you claimed your Genesis site?

By: Sharon Bell

Are you a woman between 35 and 50 who has PMS, migraine headaches, sudden weight gain, fatigue, irritability, tender or lumpy breasts, memory loss, fibroids, or cold hands and feet? If so, you may be experiencing symptoms of perimenopause.

The term “premenopause” is usually misused to describe the years immediately before menopause where a woman experiences menopause symptoms. That stage is correctly called perimenopause.

Whether its perimenopause or premenopause, however, most women in their mid-thirties don’t want to hear those words.

The depression that accompanies perimenopause is made worse by a decrease in sexual interest, making the person feel very unattractive. During this time, she needs the support of her husband, children, and family to help her come to terms with herself and go through the tumultuous period she is passing through.

Almost all women will suffer perimenopause symptoms eventually. In fact, they can become so serious and disrupt your life. So you should stay informed about the ways to relieve these symptoms by controlling the main cause - a hormonal imbalance produced by declining estrogen levels.

The massive hormonal imbalance that occurs in the body during the pre-menopausal stage causes massive mood swings and bouts of depression at the most inopportune moments.

The psychological effects of the perimenopause period give rise to the worst possible symptoms. Depression is sudden, unpredictable, and violent. It can make one burst into tears over a broken glass or any other trivial happening, totally baffling the woman herself and those around her.

One of the reasons that perimenopausal women don’t want to talk about their condition is because they dread this period in their lives. This attitude is sad and contributes heavily to the emotional causes of these symptoms. This attitude is particularly true with many women who have postponed having children and who wonder if they’re ever going to have children before their biological alarm clock goes off.

It’s easy to believe that you’re immortal up to your mid-thirties or mid-forties until the aging process sets in. But if you take care of yourself now, you can delay this process and make things less debilitating for you.

Maintain physical, mental, and emotional balance through the mid-cycle of your life and aging will be more graceful and less painful. Making healthy lifestyle choices may help ease some of the symptoms of perimenopause. For more information, check out www.zalestra.com.



Thanks to Sharon Bell for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Post Menopausal Osteoporosis