Health Tips

Menopause is a natural part of a woman’s life. Technically, it is the stopping of periods or menses. The average age is 52 however menopause can occur in the thirties or sixties. Perimenopause is the time around menopause – usually the 2-5 years before but sometimes women have symptoms 10-15 years before stopping their periods. The time of menopause for woman can be dramatic.

Menopause is usually unique for every woman but every woman does stop having periods. Some common symptoms associated with menopause include hot spells during the day- hot flashes, night sweats- heavy sweating at different times of the night, weight gain, emotional ups and downs, and loss of sexual desire. All of the symptoms of menopause can be mild or severe. Many of these symptoms are caused by hormonal imbalances and changes, not necessarily estrogen loss. They are also related to diet, lifestyle, and genetic factors.

Many women reach fifty years of age working 60 hours a week, taking care of a family, children and parents, and have little time for themselves. Their hormones are burnt out and have little reserve for dealing with this natural period of menopause. Basically, during menopause the body is resetting our hormones for the second half. It would be easier if women had more time to relax and go with the flow during menopause, but few have that chance.
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Choosing whether or not to use postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an important health decision all women face as they approach menopause. As with taking any treatment the decision involves carefully balancing the possible risks and benefits.

We now have information from large studies including healthy women and those with established coronary artery disease (previous heart attack or angina). These studies have shed considerable light on many issues, particular with respect to heart disease and strokes, and have sparked serious concerns and questions regarding the indications and safety of HRT for postmenopausal women.
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Estradiol is a generic name for brand names such as Estrace, Climara, Estraderm, Menostar. Estradiol is prescribed for symptomatic treatment of the usual symptoms associated with menopause (hot flashes, vaginal dryness, etc.), prevention of bone fractures associated with osteoporosis, reduction of the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and dysfunctional (excessive and painful) uterine bleeding.

Testosterone and Estradiol

Testosterone is a direct antagonist to Estradiol. Testosterone is the major masculinizing hormone and Estradiol is the major feminizing hormone. The ratio of testosterone to estradiol (T/E2) is the major operant factor. They are designed to work together by balancing their mutually opposing properties to produce the optimal hormone benefit to both men and women.
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Women’s Health is different than men’s health, and fat loss dieting for women is different also…

When women begin thinking about fat loss, dieting, health and fitness they must sometimes think in a different way than men do because women and men are different health-wise, their bodies are just plain different and therefore when women exercise or diet they must use different considerations than men since women have special fat loss and dieting factors.

Women’s health issues must take into account many issues that do not affect men because women’s bodies respond differently than men when it comes to issues like how to lose weight fast, fat loss, dieting, storing fat in certain places (like the hips and legs), pregnancy, menopause, and many other fat loss and dieting health issues affecting women in general.
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Menopause is a topic of great discussion both in medical circles and with women in general!

Let’s start with some definitions:

Perimenopause refers to that time in a woman’s life before the periods completely stop. This can range in time from a few years to 5 years. It is often accompanied by hot flashes, some mood swings including crying easily, to vaginal dryness, sleep changes and osteoporosis.

Menopause refers to the stopping of menstruation. There are no periods for a time of at least 6 months and the woman is not pregnant.
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The following is a synopsis of the North American Menopause Society’s (NAMS) October 3, 2002 report on two recent studies of estrogen-progestin therapy for postmenopausal women. Even though the studies evaluated only one hormone combination, NAMS concluded that they are the first well-controlled, adequately powered reports.

The Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) was a 4-year randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study of 2,763 postmenopausal women (average age 67) with documented coronary heart disease (CHD), while the Women’s Health Initiate (WHI), begun in 1993, looked at 16,608 healthy postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79.

The WHI study was divided into two sections, a continuous-combined estrogen-progestogen therapy (CCEPT) section for women with a uterus, and an estrogen-only therapy (ET) section for women who had undergone a hysterectomy. The CCEPT section of WHI was terminated in July 2002 after 5 years of follow-up, because the overall risks exceeded the benefits. The ET arm of WHI continues, as do ancillary WHI studies evaluating memory, dementia, low-fat diet, calcium, and vitamin D.
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Menopause has very distinct markers for most women. Menstrual periods change and eventually cease. But for women who have had hysterectomies, a different situation exists. For women whose ovaries are removed, “Menopause” is an abrupt change as the body tries to adjust to the sudden removal of its primary source of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. These women often benefit from hormone therapy that is initiated soon after surgery.

For women who have only the uterus removed, the ovaries continue to function. These women often have an earlier “Menopause”.
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How does it differ from Phytohormones or Phytochemicals?

The most “natural hormone” available is that produced by your own body. When women use hormones for PMS or for perimenopausal or menopausal concerns, they may be synthetic or “natural” hormones.

A synthetic hormone, is biochemically different from your body’s hormones and imitates the actions of a particular hormone. A plant based hormone (which is also synthesized or made usable) is biochemically identical and duplicates the action of the hormone.
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A natural and gradual change.

Menopause is the final menstrual period that usually occurs between the ages of 48 to 52. It is not unusual for this to occur earlier or as late as the mid- fifties. Menopause is part of a longer life transition of hormonal change that may start in the early, mid, or late forties and occasionally earlier.

Many use the word menopause to describe the time women experience hormonal fluctuation associated with menstrual changes and hot flashes. This time of adjustment is actually called the Climateric or more commonly perimenopause or mid- life transition. Post menopause occurs 12 months after the last menstrual period.
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Eating based on a solid menopause diet plan can make a tremendous difference in how you experience the various symptoms of menopause.

If you have spent anytime on this site, you know that I am a man. So I want to start right here by admitting I have not gone through these symptoms myself. But, I am married and I have watched my wife struggle with this issue. She has been determined to avoid pills and prescriptions. While we know plenty of folks that have chosen those solutions, I am going to share our experiences with you.

The symptoms that have been the strongest are hot flashes, some claustrophobia, inability to lose weight – even with tons of exercise, and anxiety.
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