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HEALTH
NEWS
by Lynne Gully |
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June
2007 |
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WOMEN’S PROBLEMS – Part Two In
Part One of ‘Women’s Problems’ I gave you information on the Hormone
Balancing Diet, Natural HRT, a natural treatment for painful periods and why
we need to supplement our diet. I also recommended an excellent book called ‘The
Natural Health Handbook For Women’ by Marilyn Glenville PhD. In
this month’s newsletter I will address a few more problems that women
regularly experience. Women are complex pieces of equipment and we have more
‘bits’ that can go wrong. Because women have the ability to bear children,
which requires a monthly cycle, we are automatically put on a roller-coaster
of hormone changes every month. In comparison, men have a relatively steady
stream of hormones once they get past puberty and it continues at more or
less the same rate until they die. This steadiness means that there is less
potential for things to go wrong. Saying that, men do have problems and I’ll give the men their turn in next month’s newsletter. ******************************************************************************************** Antioxidants The
top of the list in the Hormone Balancing Diet is to eat plenty of fruit and
vegetables. One of the most important things that fruits and vegetables can
do is to supply us with antioxidants, which protect us against the effects of
atoms called free radicals. Free radicals are a rather complicated concept,
but put simply, they are chemically unstable atoms that can cause all sorts
of damage in your body. Pollution, smoking, fried or barbecued food and UV
rays from the sun can trigger these free radicals. Free
radicals have now been linked to health problems, including cancer, coronary
heart disease and premature ageing. They speed up the ageing process by
destroying healthy cells and they can also attack the DNA in the nucleus of a
cell, causing cell change (mutation) and cancer. We have protection against
free radicals in the form of antioxidants, which occur naturally in the food
we eat. Vitamins A, C and E, plus the minerals selenium and zinc, are all
antioxidants and are contained in the following foods: Ø
Vitamin A – orange and yellow
fruits and vegetables such as carrots and pumpkins, fish. Ø
Vitamin C – fruits (particularly
citrus), green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, berries (such
as strawberries, raspberries and blackberries), potatoes and sweet potatoes. Ø
Vitamin E – nuts, avocados, seeds,
vegetable oils and oily fish. Ø
Selenium – brazil nuts, tuna,
cabbage. Ø
Zinc – pumpkin and sunflower
seeds, fish, almonds. Even if you eat a good range of the above foods every day, you still do not get all the nutrients you need from your food. This was confirmed from a National Food Survey conducted in 1995, which found that the average person in the UK is grossly deficient in six out of the eight vitamins and minerals surveyed. This is mainly due to the decrease in nutrients in the soil, which results in fewer nutrients in our food. This is caused by the over-farming of land and the increased use of chemical fertilisers, which do not contain everything we need for a healthy body. For example - the amount of zinc contained in our food has dropped by an astonishing 75% since the 1950s. Less than one in ten people receive the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of 15mg of zinc; which is the most important mineral for female hormone problems. Supplements are no longer considered to be a little ‘extra’. Nature’s Sunshine has made it easy for you to be sure you are having your daily intake of the essential antioxidants. Antioxidant Arsenal contains all of the above antioxidants together with a powerful antioxidant called Grapine: a combination of grape seed and pine bark, which protects the brain from free radical damage. Stock no 4033. Super Antioxidant contains the powerful antioxidants Alpha Lipoic
Acid (penetrates every cell to fight free radicals), Tocotrienols and
Lycopene in a base of rose hips (natural Vitamin C) turmeric and milk thistle
(protects the liver from toxins). Stock no 1825. |
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Contact Lynne at lynne.gully@optimumhealth.co.uk
or tel: 0030 28920 42356 |
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Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) This
is one of the most common conditions suffered by women. PMS is estimated to
affect 70 to 90 per cent of women during their childbearing years. What are the symptoms of PMS?Over
150 symptoms are now believed to form part of the syndrome and these include:
PMS
is clearly a hormonal problem. It begins after ovulation and disappears once
your period begins. Many different approaches are tried by doctors including
antidepressants, the contraceptive pill, male hormones, oestrogen therapy,
progesterone therapy and diuretics. Side effects can occur with most drugs so
it is important to make the right choices. The
Holistic Approach
To
correct a hormone imbalance often means looking at various factors in your
lifestyle. The holistic approach to PMS is so effective that the difference
in symptoms can often be seen in the first month. Work on your overall
lifestyle to ensure optimum health and well-being. This means making sure
that you are eating well, correcting any vitamin and mineral deficiencies,
getting enough sleep, reducing stress levels and using any herbs that have
been shown to help with PMS. The
Treatment Plan
Ø
Improve your diet by using
the Hormone Balancing Diet as outlined in last month’s newsletter. Ø
Avoid caffeine in coffee,
chocolate, colas etc. Ø
Stop taking the Pill if
your symptoms started when you began taking it. Chose another form of
contraception. Ø
Balance your blood sugar
as the higher the sugar content of your diet, the more severe your PMS. Try
to eliminate sugar completely (chocolate, hidden sugar in drinks and fruit
yoghurt etc). Eat little and often to help keep your blood sugar levels even.
Ø
Reduce stress levels. Nutri-Calm
is very effective at reducing stress. Stock no 4798. Ø
Begin a regular exercise
programme, which has a positive effect on PMS symptoms. Ø
Try taking supplements for
three months. o
Mega-Chel is an excellent multivitamin and mineral supplement. Stock no 1821. o
Vitamin B-Complex as B6 helps with PMS but best to take in a complex. Stock no 1773. o
Evening Primrose Oil always works best when taken along with a
multivitamin. Stock no 6927. o
Take care of your liver as this vital organ helps to eliminate ‘old’
hormones safely and efficiently during each cycle. Milk Thistle helps
to keep your liver healthy and may reduce migraines and headaches. Stock no
4071. o
Zinc
as women with PMS have lower levels of zinc. Stock no 1601. o
The herbal combination of Black Cohosh and Dong Quai to
balance the hormones. Stop these herbs during your period. Stock no 81. |
Thrush (vaginal) Vaginal thrush affects
millions of women during their lifetime. Thrush is an infection caused by a
yeast (fungus) called Candida Albicans, which occurs naturally in the gut, in
the skin and in the vagina. Under normal circumstances, it is kept under control
by other ‘friendly’ bacteria in the body, but occasionally it overgrows,
which is when problems start. Symptoms
You usually get a thick,
white, sticky discharge, accompanied by soreness and irritation. You may
experience pain during sex and when passing urine. The outside of the vagina
may also feel sore and swollen. The most irritating symptom is an intense
itching around the outside of the vagina. The
Cause
Because the yeast Candida
albicans occurs naturally in the vagina, something has to happen in order for
it to grow out of control. There are a number of factors that can cause this: ·
Taking
antibiotics ·
Natural
hormonal changes (during pregnancy, your period or during menopause) ·
Taking
hormones such as the Pill or HRT ·
Becoming
run down (by overwork, for example) ·
Suffering
from continual stress ·
A
compromised immune system feeling that you are always ‘coming down with
something’ ·
Undiagnosed
or poorly controlled diabetes ·
Sex
with someone who has thrush ·
Long-term
steroid use. The
Treatment Plan
Ø
Improve your diet by using
the Hormone Balancing Diet as outlined in last month’s newsletter. Ø
Avoid sugar and any foods
containing yeast and fermented products such as bread and wine Ø
Eat live organic yoghurt
as non-organic yogurt can contain antibiotics from the animal’s diet Ø
Avoid perfumed soaps and
bubble baths Ø
Use drops of tea tree oil
in the bath, which can act as an anti-fungal. Stock no 1777 Ø
Wear cotton underwear as
you are three times more likely to get thrush if you wear nylon underwear or
tights Ø
Have a break from tampons Ø
These supplements are for
short and long-term use o
Mega-Chel is an excellent multivitamin and mineral supplement. Stock no 1821. o
Zinc
deficiency has been connected with women who have recurrent thrush. Stock no
1601. o
Fish oil is a good anti-fungal. Omega 3 EPA is a clean source
of fish oil. Stock no 1609. o
Garlic supplements or a clove of fresh raw garlic every day, which has both
anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Stock no 292. o
Probiotics to increase the growth of ‘healthy’ bacteria in addition
to live yoghurt. Bifidophilus (milk free). Stock no 4100. o
Caprylic Acid Combination is designed to help fight Candida Albicans. Stock
no 1808. o
Echinacea / Golden Seal Extract as this combination helps to combat yeasts
and stimulates the immune system. Stock no 3180. To order any of these products–
call Nature’s Sunshine Products on 08458
40 50 60 or the main telephone line on 01952 671600. |
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