Coping with Menopause Naturally – Alternatives to HRT

By Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc.

Many women are searching for an effective natural approach to relieving their menopausal symptoms because of the recent negative findings concerning hormone replacement therapy (HRT). On May 31, 2002, the National Institutes of Health in the US stopped a major long-term clinical trial of the risks and benefits of combined estrogen and progestin before the trial was completed. Due to the increased risk of breast cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, and blood clots, it was determined that HRT’s risks outweigh its benefits.

The first thing to remember is that menopause is not a disease. It is a natural part of a woman’s reproductive life cycle which can be managed with exercise and diet. Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and bone loss are the chief complaints among women going through menopause. Learning to deal with these unpleasant symptoms will help you cope with life’s changes.
Menopause not only causes a decline in hormone levels, but can also leave you feeling moody, irritated, tired and unfocused. This is partly due to the lack of a good night’s sleep caused by night sweats. Regular exercise (at least 3 to 4 times a week) is probable the most important thing you can do to improve your nighttime rest and overall health. (Taking a cool shower before bedtime can also help promote a good night’s sleep.)

Exercising strengthens your muscles and bones, helps circulate your blood (which nourishes the skin and internal organs); improves your mental outlook (about yourself and life in general), and promotes a tranquil night’s sleep. It also increases your levels of serotonin, endorphins and dopamine. Serotonin, a chemical your brain manufactures, produces a calming effect and creates a sense of satisfaction and well-being. Endorphins decrease pain, reduce stress, cause mood stability and a sense of happiness and joy. Dopamine increases your vitality, concentration and alertness.

Weight bearing exercises and strength training is also one of the most effective methods of fighting bone loss and osteoporosis. Resistance placed upon the skeleton during physical activity makes bones stronger and denser while improving posture, balance and muscle tone. The positive effects of exercising keeps you fit, trim, feeling younger and energetic. Taking a daily dose of calcium (1,200 mg to 1,500 mg), magnesium (500 mg to 750 mg) and vitamin D (400 IU) also helps preserve bone density and strength.

The next step to help you through the symptoms of menopause is to increase your intake of phytoestrogen rich foods. Many women experience positive results by eating soy. Soy foods contain isoflavones (natural plant estrogen) that have similar properties to human estrogen, but are much weaker. Isoflavones can bind to the body’s estrogen receptors and help offset the drop in estrogen that occurs at menopause.

Scientists have shown isoflavones function similarly to HRT without producing the risks associated with this controversial treatment. Soy foods offer women a more natural way to treat their menopausal symptoms. Research on soy’s protein and isoflavones indicate that soy can help to relieve hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, and vaginal dryness.

Besides helping regulate estrogen when it is declining, soy can also help with other conditions such as osteoporosis, heart attack, stroke and breast cancer. Women have an increased risk for these disorders during and after menopause. Many studies show that soy can prevent these diseases by helping the body absorb and retain calcium, inhibit bone loss, lower LDL (the bad) cholesterol and decrease blood clotting.

The best forms of soy are those with the highest amount of isoflavones and protein; like whole soybeans (edamame), tempeh, textured soy protein (TVP), soynuts, and some soy protein powders. Next would be tofu, soymilk and miso. However, the actual isoflavone content has to be high enough to produce positive effects. Some foods made from soy protein concentrate, like soy hotdogs, have very little isoflavones due to their processing method. Other products, such as soybean oil and soy sauce, contain no isoflavones in them at all.

Researchers recommend consuming at least 25 grams of soy protein and 30-50 milligrams of isoflavones daily (equal to 1-2 servings). This is only a starting point. You can safely consume 2-3 times this amount. The North American Menopause Society suggests 60 to 90 milligrams of isoflavones a day.

Many health experts encourage people to incorporate soy foods into a balanced diet and discourage solely taking soy supplements. Soy foods have various nutrients and compounds that contribute to its health benefits, while soy supplements usually only contain isoflavones. They advise taking soy supplements along with soy foods. This way the benefits of both forms can complement and enhance each other.

Some women have found that taking Black Cohosh and Vitamin E (400 IU to 800 IU daily) can also provide relief from hot flashes, night sweats and other menopausal symptoms. Black Cohosh is a phytoestrogen herb that women have used for centuries to help manage their hormones. Other beneficial herbs include Dong Quai, Evening Primrose Oil and Red Clover.

Since each woman is unique and reacts differently to natural treatments, try them out for yourself. Women who exercise regularly and consume soy daily generally have fewer menopausal symptoms than those who do not. Test these approaches for at least 6 to 8 weeks to see if you get positive results.

To get you started, try this easy and delicious soy recipe from my book “Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook” (http://www.virtuesofsoy.com).

Golden Tofu Strips

5.3 ounces of firm tofu (1/3 of a 16-ounce block)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ tablespoon canola oil

Cut tofu into strips ¼ inch wide and 2 inches long. Heat ½ tablespoon canola oil. Add tofu strips, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon turmeric. Stir to thoroughly coat all sides of tofu. Cook tofu strips about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Serve on top of a salad, stir-fry, or stuffed in a pita with shredded lettuce. (Makes 1-2 servings)

Copyright © Monique N. Gilbert – All Rights Reserved.

Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc., has received international recognition for helping people get healthier, feel better, look younger and live longer. Through her coaching program and writings, Monique motivates, inspires and teaches how to naturally enhancing your health, happiness, energy and longevity with balanced nutrition, physical activity and tranquil living environments. Monique believes it is her mission to educate and enlighten everyone about the benefits of healthy eating and a vibrant stress-free lifestyle. For more information, visit her website – http://www.MoniqueNGilbert.com

The No-Hydrogen Auto Show

The No-Hydrogen Auto Show – The Greater LA AutoShow 2003
By Jeffrey the Barak

Back at the beginning of 2002, the-vu went to the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show and focused on electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. People loved the blend of seriousness and silliness in that article, so armed once again with a press pass and some comfortable shoes, it was back for more of the same in 2003.

This year at the 2003 show we were surprised to find that the EVAA is no longer exhibiting. Perhaps saving gasoline is a bad idea if you have to justify a war or two in order to protect your gasoline supplies. However all is not lost. The petroleum and electric hybrid version of the good old ordinary Honda Civic is alive and well. Speaking of alive and well, the amazing Toyota Prius is selling as fast as the company can make it.

Having done very little research in advance of the show, our hopes were raised at the Ford exhibition when we saw a Ford Focus with big plastic letters stuck on the side spelling PZEV. However this is not a hybrid, it is merely an extremely efficient and cleanburning conventional car. Ford say they are bringing out a hybrid version of their mid-size SUV, the Escape, but it’s not ready yet.

The whole Think division of Ford has been killed, leaving Chrysler’s GEM cars alone in their class as short distance, low speed, mild climate, electric cars. This GEM has the Kustom look.

Annother purely electric vehicle on display was the infamous Segway Human Transporter. Sadly there was no one demonstrating this on Thursday January 2nd., Media Day, but it was nice to actually stand beside the device that so tantalised us until the disappointing day when was finally revealed to be nothing more than a battery-powered means of conveyance, albeit a clever one.

No sign of the Nissan Hypermini this year, or the older, two seater Honda hybrid, the Insight, so it was down to two players: the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic. In either case, the buyer will have to save a lot of fuel before they save back the extra money they spent when they didn’t buy either the regular Civic, or a small Toyota such as an Echo, or a baseline Corolla.

In my humble opinion, the Toyota Prius is currently the undisputed king of the hybrid world.

Fuel Cell Technology seems to have been pushed away from the forefront, and there are few signs in America of the establishment of a hydrogen distribution system, so we’ll all be burning petrol for longer that I would have predicted after last year’s promising show. Honda still displays the FCX,but the emphasis is on the X for experimental. It must be hard to test this car when you have to follow it around with a hydrogen tanker.

On Friday 3rd. January, still a future date at the time of writing (2nd January), a group of fifty local television celebrities and ordinary folks will be bringing their hybrid cars to the L.A. Convention Center to give journalists a ride around the block and attempt to seduce them away from the all gasoline way of thinking. This hybrid Car rendezvous and rally is organised by the Union of Concerned Scientists. This group seems to think that almost all America’s cars and trucks could reach an average of 60 mpg if the best existing hybrid and conventional technology were more widely used to day.

Recently, television actor Ed Begley Jr. drove from coast to coast across the USA and all the way back again, and spent a mere $150 on fuel. He did so in a hybrid car, not on a moped!

Writer Jeffrey the Barak is also the publisher of the-vu.

The ABC’s of Dream Recall

By Lauri Jean Crowe

When we awaken, often the dream sequence which moments before in our sleeping state seemed vivid and real will disappear to be only fragments of imagery. In seeking to recall them we rely heavily on memory and free association. One method which has been beneficial to me, as well as to other dream journalists, is an approach put forth by Robert L. Van De Castle, Ph.D. in his 1994 Ballantine Books release of “Our Dreaming Mind.”

Upon first awakening, keep your eyes closed for a few moments while lying still and trying to recall the last images which may have been present as you approached everyday waking consciousness. When you are able to recall a specific image, go through the following sequence, known as the DCBA – ABCD method:

“(D): try to reconnect it with whatever event or activity preceded it,(C) and what preceded that, (B) and what preceded that, (A) tracing it as far back as you are able.”

Recreating these dream sequences in an order beginning with the most recent and stretching your memory to the first image helps you to string together the events. Once you have done this, with your eyes still closed, open and record (preferably in a specific dream journal you keep by the bed) the dream in reverse order (A,B,C,D). Write non-stop describing the dream as fully and in as much detail as you can, but do not go back and correct or scratch out anything you’ve written. The way in which you first remember your dreams and jot them down may hold a certain meaning for you, than a more polished rendition would not later reveal.

If you are more inclined to be vocal, an alternative could be to utilize a tape recorder for the DCBA portion of Van De Castle’s approach, and then write the ABCD order down based on that recording. Others who are inclined toward visual representations may find it more useful to draw or paint the DCBA sequence and then write the ABCD journal entry or vice verse. This is just one approach to reinforcing dream recall, which has many possibilities that can be implemented depending on individual inclination.

Keeping a dream journal on a daily basis, and getting into the practice of the DCBA – ABCD approach will help assist you if you’re having difficulty recalling your dreams. It will also give them some structure, without losing the often chaotic images which make up the dream.

Lauri Jean Crowe is a freelance writer known for such diverse topics as dreams, sexuality, gardening, health and parenting. She is a freelance writer, artist and designer living in Michigan, USA.