Menopause
Taking Control of your Life Change
By 2015, almost half of all American women will be in menopause. Menopause is intended by Nature to be a gradual reduction of estrogen by the ovaries with few side effects. In a well-nourished, vibrant woman, the adrenals and other glands pick up the job of estrogen secretion to keep her active and attractive after menopause. While almost 90% of women experience some normal menopausal body changes and hormonal fluctuations, most only last a year or two and are not severe enough to interrupt their lives.
Still, our modern, stressful lifestyles and poor eating habits mean that many women reach their menopausal years with prematurely worn out adrenals and poor liver function where estrogen is not being processed correctly, so hormone fluctuations are magnified. Keeping your adrenals healthy and changing old habits to support your adrenal energy can eliminate many unpleasant menopausal symptoms.
For some women, however, erratic estrogen and other hormone secretions cause hot flashes, insomnia and fatigue. Libido is reduced, irritability increases, and mood swings come to the forefront as a woman's hormone balance changes. Frightening heart palpitations may occur; calcium metabolism disturbances may increase risk for osteoporosis; skin and vaginal tissue may become dry, and, occasional male characteristics may appear. It's disconcerting to say the least. Some women say they'll do anything to stop menopause symptoms. So should you try hormone replacement therapy?