Newsletter

Issue 30                                                                                               September/October 2002

I’m writing this in temperatures of 32 degrees, in Britain! At last we’ve had a taste of summer. I’ve had an excellent Summer this year which started in May when my sister, Judith, and I went on a Nature’s Sunshine convention in Portugal for 4 days. Then at the end of June I went to my favourite place – Yoga Plus in Southern Crete. As well as doing Yoga and Pilates, I also took an art class and thoroughly enjoyed myself sitting on the beach creating memories of the holiday using oil based crayons and pencils.

I recently attended a Nature's Sunshine training day at Stratford on the various uses of aromatherapy oils. I have used oils for years in an oil burner to scent rooms but I didn’t have the confidence or the knowledge of the many health benefits to be gained from using these oils. Did you know that Geranium essential oil strengthens the adrenal glands and balances oestrogen levels? Or that Roman Chamomile helps to relieve anxiety, depression and insomnia? The training in Stratford also included ideas on holding Aromatherapy parties to pass on this knowledge in a fun and informal way. I've now put together an Aromatherapy Party Plan, which I'm sure your friends will enjoy. When you host one of these parties, Nature's Sunshine will generously let you have products up to a retail value of £50 for just a small charge of £10. I'll also be demonstrating how to create bath salts, which not only smell wonderful but also help you detox. To book an Aromatherapy party please call me on 01689 856581 to arrange a date.

I hope to see you at Stratford on Saturday 7 September to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nature's Sunshine. The special guest speaker will be John Humphrys, well-known BBC presenter, Radio 4 broadcaster and author of the brilliant book The Great Food Gamble. I’m still reading it and I’m amazed and frightened by the state of our food today. Our favourite herbalist extraordinaire, Peter Klein, will also be there giving lots of advice, as well as a new product launch. If you don't have any transport and would love to come along to this free day, give me a call as there are a few cars going from Orpington and I'm sure I’ll be able to arrange something.

Lynne Gully

NATURAL ALTERNATIVES TO HRT

You probably read in the media recently about the dangers of synthetic HRT. Many women have approached me since the article was published asking for advice on a natural alternative so I decided to devote this newsletter to this topical subject. I was very disturbed to read that the five-year study on HRT in America was brought to an abrupt halt because so many of the women in the study were developing cancer. I have now researched this more fully and discovered many other studies that have been conducted over the years. Here are some of the results:
STUDIES ON THE USE OF SYNTHETIC HRT
51% increased risk of breast cancer after taking HRT for 10+ years - J.National Cancer Institute 2000; 92-328-32.

Excess risk of cancer
Oestrogen alone - 32%; Combined oestrogen and progestogen - 41%. US  Nurses Health Study (long term study)

HRT for 5+ years
46% greater risk of breast cancer; 45% increased risk of death due to breast cancer.
New England Journal Med. 1995; 332-1589-93.

There are many more studies, but I think these are enough to make you think and to realise that these risks have been known for quite some time. HRT is also promoted as being necessary to protect your heart and bones, and again there are studies to refute these claims, but I don’t have enough room to include these.

THE NATURAL ALTERNATIVES
So what can you do to help you cope with the symptoms of the menopause such as hot flushes, mood swings, depression, insomnia and lack of energy? The symptoms are exacerbated these days because firstly our food is lacking in nutrients essential for good health and secondly because we have moved away from eating whole foods due to the temptation of preparing quick processed foods in our fast living society. 
DIETARY TIPS
Diet plays a part and it’s important to eat foods high in phytoestrogens. Almost all fruit and vegetables contain phytoestrogens in varying strengths but it is the isoflavones (one of the classes of phytoestrogens) that are the most beneficial kind. These are found in legumes such as soya, lentils, chickpeas etc. Other beneficial foods are garlic, celery, seeds including linseed, sesame, pumpkin and sunflower. Linseed and sesame seed should be ground up and sprinkled over porridge or yoghurt as they won’t be absorbed if you eat them whole. Sprouted food such as alfalfa and mung beans are also very beneficial. A book I have found very useful is

Inside this issue

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My Letter

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Natural Alternatives to HRT – The Facts

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The Natural Alternatives

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Testimonial

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Dates For Your Diary

Lynne Gully 21 Willersley Ave, Orpington, BR6 9RT Tel: 01689 856581    E-mail: lynne.gullt@optimumhealth.co.uk

Natural Alternatives to HRT Cookbook by Marilyn Glenville, which contains recipes using foods high in phytoestrogens. Try and eat brown rice and wholewheat pasta as these contain more nutrients than the white refined varieties.
SUPPLEMENTS/HERBS
Nature's Sunshine have a number of products that will help you through this difficult time and, of course, all their products are organic which will help reduce the chemical load on your body's organs. Nature's Sunshine guarantees that their raw materials have not been sprayed with pesticides or
herbicides or grown with the use of chemical fertilisers. It is very important to keep your stress levels to a minimum because your adrenal glands need to be strong to produce small amounts of oestrogen to keep away the hot flushes. If you are producing a lot of adrenaline because of stress then your adrenals won't function as you want them to. I can't emphasise enough the importance of keeping your stress levels down and your adrenal glands strong.
SYNERPROTEIN - mix a scoop of this with a scoop of TNT and you'll soon notice the difference in your energy levels. Stock Code: 2914   Price: £10.30
NATURAL CHANGES PACK – to combat hot flushes, protect bones and keep stress levels in check.                   Stock Code: 4055      Price: £21.93
FLASH-EASE - a slow release formula to ensure maximum relief from hot flushes. Stock Code: 81     Price: £13.01
VITAMIN E WITH SELENIUM - to reduce hot flushes and vaginal dryness, and strengthen the heart.                   Stock Code: 1667      Price: £12.75
MILK THISTLE - an important herb for the liver to make sure that all ‘old’ hormones are being excreted efficiently. Stock Code: 4076      Price: £16.27                                     CHINESE MINERAL CHI TONIC  (946ml) - a formula of colloidal minerals with herbs to strengthen the adrenals. Add it to your SynerProtein every morning.
Stock Code: 1818      Price: £24.43
STRESS-J (59ml) - a liquid formula to use when stress levels are high. It can reduce stress levels within ten minutes of taking it. Stock Code: 3163     Price: £11.07
HVP - if you are suffering from insomnia, take three capsules at night along with your Natural Changes Pack.                Stock Code: 940      Price: £7.45
RED CLOVER - may help to control hot flushes. It helps the body purify the blood and may also promote skin health. 
Available on USA MONTHLY SPECIAL.                       Stock Code: 550      Price: £8.25.  Or RED CLOVER BLEND EXTRACT (59ML) - make into a tea or add to juice/water.    Stock Code: 3420     Price: £10.15

Some people have told me that they have found cheaper products in the High Street Shops, so I decided to look at what was available.
Kira Black Cohosh – contains 54mg of Black Cohosh £9.99 for 30.
NSP Flash-Ease – contains 80mg of Black Cohosh £13.01 for 60.

Boots Menopause (vit and min) contains mainly Evening Primrose Oil with negligible vits and minerals.
40mg GLA – 1 capsule a day £9.99 per month.
NSP Evening Primrose Oil 45mg GLA – 1 cap a day £3.42 a month.

Menopause Isoflavones (30 capsules) contains 200mg of Red Clover £16.99.
NSP Red Clover (100 capsules) contains 320mg of Red Clover (guaranteed active and organic) £8.25.

TESTIMONIAL

It's now almost four years since I had a full hysterectomy and I have learned so much about the menopause during that period. I made the decision immediately after the operation not to take HRT. The consultant told me that there was only a 5% chance that I would develop breast cancer if I took HRT, but I decided not to take the risk. This was the best decision I have ever made and because I started to take my health seriously from that point, I now feel better than I have ever felt before. I decided to include more phytoestrogens in my diet such as chickpeas, other pulses and soya products and to eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. It was at that time that I discovered Nature's Sunshine Products and I was so relieved to discover that not only did they have herbs and other supplements to control the symptoms of the menopause but that the products were also organic. I have tried various combinations of herbs and supplements over the past four years to try and find what's best for me. I now take the Natural Changes Pack, which takes care of the hot flushes and mood swings as well as looking after my bones. I take one pack with breakfast and one with dinner and I take extra C-X with my lunch. I also take one Flash-ease with my breakfast, as my symptoms are quite severe because my ovaries were removed, resulting in a severe clinical menopause. I have SynerProtein for my breakfast every morning blended with fresh fruit to which I add a tablespoon of Chinese Mineral Chi Tonic. This combination not only provides me with Soya and all the trace minerals but also strengthens my adrenals and gives me lots of energy. If I become particularly stressed I always have a bottle of Stress-J to hand to ensure that my stress levels are kept to a minimum so that my adrenals can concentrate on producing oestrogen to keep the hot flushes at bay. I also take Mega Chel as my multi vitamin, which also keeps my circulation system in good condition. I am much happier taking this approach in dealing with the Menopause than waking up every day worrying whether I would develop breast cancer if was taking the synthetic HRT. Yoga is also beneficial as it keeps my stress levels down and also acts as a weight bearing exercise. I am happy to talk to any woman thinking of taking this natural approach, to give her the benefit of my experience and share the knowledge I have acquired.

Lynne Gully, Orpington

N.B.: Despite the fact that many NSP products are cheaper than High Street ones, you must consider the quality of the products you are taking. If you went to see a nutritional therapist, they would never recommend High Street products as part of the therapy. Holland & Barrett and Boots, for example, may appear to be cheap, but have you ever looked at the quantities contained in their products, and are they organic? Many of the High Street products also contain fillers and bulking agents and are full of sugar.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Nature's Sunshine produces the finest quality supplements free from pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilisers. If you would like a current price list, just give NSP a ring on 08458 40 50 60. If you have forgotten your account number, just give your name and they'll find you on their computer.

Dates For Your Diary

Date: Saturday 7 September                                              Time: 11am - 5pm                                                                 Place: The Moathouse Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon

Nature’s Sunshine National Meeting with special guest speaker, John Humphrys, TV presenter, radio broadcaster and author of the brilliant book The Great Food Gamble. Call Sarah now on 01952 671600 to book your free place.

To order products from Nature’s Sunshine just call the Order Hot-Line on 08458 40 50 60 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri), quoting
your account number, stock number(s) and your credit/debit card number.  Please allow up to four days for delivery.