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HEALTH
NEWS
by Lynne Gully |
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February 2007 |
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My Story I thought I would start this month’s
newsletter by telling you why I originally turned to natural health. I spent
many years drinking too much alcohol, smoking cigarettes and eating a poor
diet. I became a vegetarian at 21 but my diet consisted of ready meals, lots
of cheese, bread, pasta and black coffee. For many years I suffered with
daily headaches and felt angry most of the time. At 42 I started to suffer
with heavy menstrual bleeding, fibroids and ovarian cysts. The consultant
recommended a full hysterectomy when my ovaries were also removed resulting
in an immediate clinical menopause. Very soon I started having the most awful
hot flushes and mood swings and generally felt extremely unwell. I had read
of the dangers of synthetic HRT (hormone replacement therapy) so I refused to
take the hormone therapy, much to the disgust of my consultant. At that time
I discovered the company, Nature’s Sunshine, and started taking the products
designed to alleviate the symptoms of the menopause. I took the herbal
combination of Black Cohosh & Licorice together with Wild Yam, Vitamin E
and Nutri Calm. Within two days I was feeling so much better. The hot flushes
had virtually gone and I was no longer feeling depressed. I then looked at my diet as I had read that
fibroids and ovarian cysts were caused by hormone imbalances and a toxic
body. I decided to do a 30-day detox cutting out wheat, dairy and caffeine.
The detox diet also requires you to cut out meat but I was already a
vegetarian. The caffeine withdrawal resulted in a four-day headache but then
the next day my energy levels surged and I started feeling so good. I have
never looked back. My diet is now 90% good with the occasional naughty treat.
I am very glad that I made that choice and I still feel extremely well taking
only natural products. ‘The rate of new breast cancer cases in the USA has
suddenly dropped dramatically, and scientists reckon it’s because fewer women
are taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Millions of women stopped
taking HRT for menopausal symptoms following a series of studies that linked
it to a range of serious diseases, including breast cancer’. Hysterectomy:
It’s a radical procedure that most women don’t need to have. If
you suffer from heavy menstrual bleeding – and it’s something that affects
one in four women sometime in their life – your doctor will probably
recommend a hysterectomy. A
hysterectomy – in which a woman’s womb is removed – is one of the more
traumatic surgical operations, and yet it is one of the most common. One-third
of American women and one-fifth of British women will have had their womb
removed by the time they reach the age of 60, and most have the procedure in
order to stop heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). Despite
its frequency, the advice is just plain wrong; the National Institute for
Health and Clinical Evidence (NICE) has announced this week. Too many doctors
still believe that a hysterectomy is the only way to stop HMB, and yet there
are many other therapies that are far less radical that could be just as
effective. So, instead, NICE is asking women to find out for
themselves all their options. In most cases, a hysterectomy is unnecessary,
and pointless. Menstrual bleeding is as likely to be caused by hormonal
imbalances, thyroid problems, or fibroids, and so can be treated with
supplements or minor surgery. (Source: The Times, 24 January 2007) ‘Natural
Woman’ Stock No: 5877 This ‘Natural Woman’ pack of five individual
products is a unique 30-day programme designed specifically for women
approaching or experiencing symptoms of menopause. Presented in a Pink
Organza Gift Bag, the ‘Natural Woman’ pack comes complete with a handy
capsule holder. This has replaced the former ‘Natural Changes Pack’. Contents of pack: - ·
Black Cohosh &
Licorice, Wild
Yam and Chaste
Tree, which help to balance the hormones and alleviate hot flushes. ·
Nutri Calm, which is a combination of all the B vitamins together with
calming herbs - valerian, hops flowers and passion flowers.
These help to reduce stress and strengthen the nervous system. ·
Skeletal Strength is a combination of calcium, magnesium, boron,
potassium, zinc, horsetail herb and many other nutrients all designed to
strengthen the bones. ·
Flax Seed Oil protects the heart, helps to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure
and lowers the risk of strokes. Also helps to break down saturated fats and
aids in weight loss. |
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Contact Lynne at lynne.gully@optimumhealth.co.uk
or tel: 0030 28920 42356 |
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Recognising Pain
Pain is the body’s way of
telling you that something is wrong. You could resort to taking painkillers
but all these do is to suppress the pain. You need to ask yourself why you
are in pain and tackle the cause of the pain, rather than numbing it
constantly. For example, if you have
tender joints, you can reduce the inflammation with anti-inflammatories such
as Omega–3 fish oils (Stock No: 1609), Flax Seed Oil (Stock No:
1770) or a combination of Alfalfa & Yucca (Stock No: 792). Uña de Gato (Stock No: 175) is another
anti-inflammatory and has been used by natives of the Peruvian rainforests
for centuries. The Ashanika Indians use it to cleanse and strengthen the
immune, intestinal and structural systems of the body. Nature’s Sunshine uses
only the finest Uncaria tomentosa, harvested according to Peruvian
government guidelines. The Uña de Gato or cat’s claw is tested to
ensure it is of the finest quality, containing the highest grade of active
constituents. Uña de Gato liquid contains only the purest cat’s claw extract
in an alcohol-free, vegetable glycerin base. In May of 1994, the Townsend Letter For Doctors published an
article noting cat’s claw’s effectiveness in treating candidiasis, colitis,
Crohn’s, diverticulitis, fistulas, gastritis, haemorrhoids, intestinal flora
imbalances, leaky bowel syndrome, parasites, and ulcers, as well as
allergies, arthritis, bursitis, cancer, environmental poisoning, HIV,
menstrual problems, PMS syndrome, and rheumatism. According to cancer
researchers, cat’s claw helps to counteract
the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, and may play a role in cancer
treatment. If you get headaches
regularly, you should look into the possible causes: are you drinking enough
water? Are you stressed and addicted to stimulants like coffee? Or maybe
you’re sensitive to something you are eating. If you have any ailments
that just won’t go away it is time to wake up and make changes to your
daily food and lifestyle. Listen to the messages put out by your body because
if you ignore them nothing will change and things will only get worse. If you
have high blood pressure. Ask yourself why? Are there any lifestyle changes I
could make? Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) When the lens of the eye projects light onto the
retina at the back of the eye, several layers of highly specialised cells and
photoreceptors convert the light into neural signals that are transmitted to
the brain. But when the centre of the retina – the macula – becomes
corrupted, the brain receives incomplete signals and vision becomes impaired.
This is what happens in AMD, the leading cause of blindness in people over
the age of 50. Certain vitamins and minerals were tested in a study and were
shown to help protect against AMD. Also fish oil was shown to keep the retina
healthy. A combination of antioxidants and omega-3 fish oil
were used in the study along with a placebo group. After six years,
researchers found that subjects in the antioxidant and fish oil group had cut
their risk of AMD by 25 percent. Nature’s Sunshine has a product that contains all
the antioxidants used in the study on AMD. Antioxidant Arsenal (500 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin E, 25 mg
selenium, 15 mg beta carotene, 25 mg zinc, 30 mg grapine – grape seed and
pine bark). (Stock No: 4033). |
STATINS: Too many
people are taking them and they’re doing far less good than you think
Cholesterol-lowering statins have
become one of the most popular ‘just in case’ drugs on the market. They’re
handed out to anyone who may be at risk from developing heart disease –
which, in the eyes of the doctor, will be pretty much everyone over the age
of 50 or so. So it’s not surprising to learn
that 36m Americans take a statin every day, generating annual sales of
$15.5bn for the manufacturers, and making two statins - Lipitor and Zocor -
the top two best-selling drugs in the USA. Statin use has been increasing by
an average of 12 per cent a year, and it’s a trend that is likely to continue
while medicine sees almost all of us as being at risk from raised cholesterol
levels. A new Harvard study has discovered
that just 8 per cent of people taking a statin had a heart condition – the
rest were merely considered to be at risk, a judgment that was entirely
subjective, and based on very little evidence. The Harvard researchers looked at
the results of eight trials, and discovered that the statins didn’t reduce
the number of deaths, even among those with a known heart condition. The
drugs had a marginally positive effect on men, although it works out that 67
people would need to take the drug for five years in order to prevent one
heart attack. It had no benefit whatsoever among 10,990 women who took it. All of this suggests that far too
many people are taking a statin, and with no positive outcome. Instead of
being the universal ‘just-in-case’ drug, its use should be restricted to
people who have been diagnosed with a heart condition, the researchers
conclude. Their findings follow on from last
week’s discovery that statins may cause Parkinson’s disease and from earlier
studies that suggest the drugs may be causing the heart conditions
they’re supposed to be preventing. (Source: The Lancet, 2007; 369: 268-9). How to Lower
Cholesterol There
are two different kinds of cholesterol – low-density lipoproteins (LDL),
which increase the risk of heart attack, and high-density lipoproteins (HDL),
which reduce the risk. All
plant fibres can lower cholesterol. That means eating a diet that includes
lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Taking a fibre supplement such as
LOCLO or Psyllium Hulls will help to lower your cholesterol. Nature’s
Sunshine has a product called Cholester-Reg II and in an 8-week study it
helped clinically control blood cholesterol levels in 52% of the
participants. Garlic is also effective at lowering cholesterol and it is
always advisable to take a Multi Vitamin and Mineral Supplement as a general
nutrient booster. Recommendations
for Lowering Cholesterol
·
Cholester-Reg II (Stock No: 557) ·
Mega Chel – a high potency vitamin and mineral supplement (Stock No: 1821) ·
Garlic High Potency (Stock No: 292) ·
Fibre drinks – LOCLO (Stock No: 1346) or Psyllium Hulls
Combination (Stock No: 1375). Psyllium is also available in capsules
(Stock no 545) Check
your cholesterol level with your doctor before starting on the programme so
that you can monitor your progress. To order any of these products–
call Nature’s Sunshine Products on 08458
40 50 60 or 01952 671600. |
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