Contents of this page

• Advertisement: Kordel's Menolife
• What is menopause?
• Recommended tests for menopause
• Omega oils and meonpause
• Minerals and menopause
• Vitamins and menopause
• Exercise and menopause
• Managing hot flushes naturally
  

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Kordel's Menolife is specially designed to provide for the different day and night time menopausal symptoms that women experience.
The two capsules include those herbs which have a proven history of benefit in the management of menopausal symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings and insomnia.
For more infromation and to purchase, go here.

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What is Menopause?

What is Menopause?
Menopause is the end of menstruation. The word comes from the Greek mens, meaning monthly, and pausis, meaning cessation. Menopause is part of a woman's natural aging process when her ovaries produce lower levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone and when she is no longer able to become pregnant.

Unlike a woman’s first menstruation, which starts on a single day, the changes leading up to menopause happen over several years. The average age for menopause is 52. But menopause commonly happens anytime between the ages of 42 and 56. A woman can say she has begun her menopause when she has not had a period for a full year.

What is ‘perimenopause’?
Perimenopause refers to the several years before menopause when a woman may begin experiencing the first signs of her menopausal transition. But many people use the term ‘menopause’ for both the perimenopausal years as well as the few years following menopause.

What are the signs of menopause?
Menopause is a natural process that happens to every woman as she grows older, and is not a medical problem, disease or illness. Still, some women may have a hard time because of the changes in hormone levels during menopause. There are many possible signs of menopause and each woman feels them differently. Most women have no or few menopausal symptoms while some women have many moderate or severe symptoms.

The clearest signs of the start of menopause are irregular periods (when periods come closer together or further apart), and when blood flow becomes lighter or heavier. Other signs may include some of the following:

• weight gain
  
• hot flashes
  
• insomnia; night sweats
  
• vaginal dryness
  
• joint pain
  
• fatigue; short-term memory problems
  
• bowel upset
  
• dry eyes
  
• itchy skin
  
• mood swings
  
• and urinary tract infections.
  

Most of the time, these symptoms will lessen or go away after a woman has finished menopause.

Do all women experience menopause in the same way?
Menopause experiences are different among individual women, and also among women in different cultures and in different parts of the world. Research has shown that women’s experience of menopause can be related to many things, including genetics, diet, lifestyle and social and cultural attitudes toward older women. For example:

• Japanese women report fewer hot flashes and other symptoms.
  
• Thai women record a high incidence of headaches.
  
• Scottish women record fewer severe symptoms.
  
• Greek women report a high rate of hot flashes.
  
• Mayan women report no symptoms.
  

Some people think the modern emphasis on youth and lack of respect for older people contributes to a more difficult menopausal transition. The typical modern diet, high in saturated fats and sugars, along with our in-active lifestyle and low childbirth rate, may also contribute to the physical complaints common to many Western women at menopause.

What is "induced" menopause?
"Induced", "sudden" or "surgical" menopause happens when a woman goes through an immediate and premature menopause. This occurs when her ovaries no longer produce the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. This may be caused by:

• surgery to remove your ovaries;
  
• chemotherapy;
  
• radiation treatment; or ovarian malfunction.
  

Women going through induced menopause may have more severe menopausal symptoms, and are usually treated with hormone therapy.

How should I prepare for menopause?
Menopause is one of women’s many important natural life-stages. For some, it is a challenging period of difficult physical and emotional changes. For others, it is a time of personal growth and renewal. And for many women, it is both at the same time. They don't call it "Menopausal Zest" for nothing!

Preparation and management with natural therapies centres about diet, lifestyle and exercise. These are discussed in the artilces that follow.

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Recommended Tests for Menopause

In addition to any blood tests ordered by your physician, I recommend that you request a blood test of your vitamin D levels and then compare with recommendations for "Optimum" levels. Please bear in mind that "Optimum" does not necessarily equate with "Normal" ranges.
Refer here for details.

I also recommend that you order a hair tissue mineral analysis. This test will establish accurately what your vitamin and mineral needs are for optimum health. In so doing, you will eliminate most of the guesswork and potentially save the cost of taking a whole lot of unnecessary supplements.

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Omega 3 Oils and Menopause

Maintaining a proper balance of dietary fats may ward off much of the symptoms, including bone loss associated with menopause and post-menopausal life. Researchers have found that diets with a low ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids minimised the bone loss typically brought on by estrogen deficiency, which is common in post menopausal females. Omega-6 fatty acids are typically found in foods such as grains and beef, while omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods such as walnuts and salmon.

While both types of fats are essential for human health, diets with a high ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids are often associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. A low ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, however, is believed to promote cardiovascular health, improve memory and, as the current study shows, protect bone health.

Most menopausal women do not get an adequate supply of essential fatty acids. These fatty acids help by producing compounds similar to hormones that help maintain membrane function, cut down on swelling and inflammation, constrict blood vessels, control pain, support the body’s natural immune response, prevent blood clots, and so on.

Omega 3 fatty acids are highly beneficial for skin, hair and nails, both ingested and as a skin moisturiser applied directly to the skin twice daily.

While the traditional oil for menopause is Evening Primrose Oil, it is best to mix and match your sources including fish oil, flax seed oil, evening primrose oil, olive oil and so on. These oils are available for delivery worldwide from www.myotec.co.nz

Which flax oil is best for you?

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Minerals and Menopause

Reduced oestrogen levels can result in substantial loss of Calcium and other minerals from the bones, leading to numerous health problems, ranging including:

• heart palpitations
• blood pressure fluctuations
• adrenal and thyroid dysfunction
• muscle pain
• joint pain
• ragged nervesthe onset of osteoporosis

OsteoporosisOsteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become increasingly brittle. This can result in spontaneous fractures, especially of the hip, with crippling results.

Figures from the USA indicate that 80% of the 250,000 hip fractures reported each year, are due to osteoporosis and result in a 20% mortality rate of those affected. This is highly preventable when you follow the exercise and diet recommendations in these articles.

Calcium
Calcium absorption varies from person to person, according to genetics, but illness or disease can decrease the amount you retain. On average, only 20-40 percent of calcium you eat is absorbed and this decreases with age. Other factors that inhibit absorption of calcium include: lack of exercise, medicines, drugs, smoking, caffeine and stress. Lack of nutrients also reduces absorption of calcium, especially the vitamins C,D and K, as well as the minerals magnesium and phosphorus. So as you can see, drinking a glass of milk or popping a calcium tablet isn't enough to prevent bone loss. This is why a healthy balanced diet is so important for menopausal women.

Sources
Excellent sources include raw grass fed full cream milk products, canned sardines and salmon, cabbage and broccoli.

Magnesium
Helps to combat menopause-associated conditions like: osteoporosis, muscle and joint pain, heart palpitations, cramps, fatigue, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, anxiety and depression.

Sources
Eggs, shell fish, liver, figs, lemons, grapefruit, corn, almonds, nuts, soybeans, seeds, dark green vegetables, apples.

Selenium
Helps to combat fibrocystic disease of the breast and breast cancer. Powerful anti oxidant.

Sources
Liver, shell fish, brazil nuts, wheat germ, tuna, tomatoes, broccoli.

Manganese
Helps to combat atherosclerosis, "hardening of the arteries", in later life.

Sources
Liver, shell fish, nuts, fruit, vegetables, wholegrain cereals.

Phosphorus
Helps in prevention of osteoporosis.

Sources
Meat, fish, eggs, milk, grains, nuts, seeds and beans.

Zinc
Helps to combat osteoporosis in later life.

Sources
Meat, shell fish, liver, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, eggs.

The beef Bone Broth

The beef bone broth is the most effective way to get your daily minerals and more! Go to here for the recipe.

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Vitamins for Menopause

Vitamin A
This vitamin is necessary for the health and growth of the skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to night blindness, increased susceptibility to infections and rough skin. Low levels of vitamin A contributes to heavy menstrual bleeding (and possibly cervical cancer) and aged-related skin conditions.

Sources
Best sources of vitamin A include free range egg yolk, liver, cod liver and fish heads. Grass fed full cream raw and unpasteurised milk products are excellent sources of vitamin A.

Vitamin B Complex
Several B vitamins are beneficial during menopause. Extra vitamin B6 is typically necessary for patients on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Folic acid may help to prevent precancerous changes in the cervix. All B vitamins work in harmony so please take them as a group unless advised otherwise. They help us to handle sugar, maintain health of the liver, and stabilise brain function. Low levels of vitamin B complex can lead to emotional stress, fatigue and depression.

Sources
Folic acid is found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, peas, beans. Liver and kidney are very rich sources. Vitamin B3 is found in meat and poultry, fish, beans, wholewheat bread. Vitamin B6 is found in meat and poultry, fish, bananas, wholegrain cereals and grass fed dairy products. Vitamin B12 is found in fish, poultry, eggs and milk, B12-fortified foods.

Vitamin C
This is the healing vitamin. Very helpful during menopause. It helps to mend wounds and burns, and maintains collagen (it might be called the anti-wrinkle vitamin). Since the need for collagen regeneration increases with age, so does the need for vitamin C. It also helps the adrenal glands and the body's immune system - another system that needs more help as we enter mid-life and menopause.

Sources
Fortified breakfast cereals, citrus fruits, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, peppers, kiwi fruit.

Vitamin D
Along with calcium and estrogen, vitamin D is essential for the ongoing strength and maintenance of bone mass, and to minimize the risk of osteoporosis as we get older. It is essential for health and has a growing list of health benefits. All menopausal women should include adequate amounts of vitamin D in their diets to maintain strong bones.

Sources

Oily fish, cod liver oil, animal liver, free range egg yolk and grass fed full cream milk products. The principal source of natural vitamin D is always from full body exposure to sunlight. (Google Search "gary moller vitamin d" and read more).

Vitamin E
Sometimes called the "menopausal vitamin" because it may have chemical activities similar to estrogen, vitamin E has been used with some success in America as an estrogen substitute. Vitamin E may relieve hot flashes as well as psychological symptoms of menopause. It is also a powerful antioxidant that helps keep cells disease-free.

Sources
Wheatgerm oil, free range egg yolk, full cream grass fed raw milk, green leafy vegetables, cereals, dried beans.

Bioflavonoids
These may help to combat hot flashes, excessive menstrual bleeding, menopausal vaginal problems, anxiety and emotional problems.

Bioflavonoids are reported to have numerous health benefits. They are the natural pigments in fruits and vegetables. There have been many scientific reports about bioflavonoids but none have produced firm reports that confirm this statement. Researchers have reported over eight hundred different bioflavonoids.

Sources
Most of these are the yellow pigments found in citrus fruit as well as other fruits and vegetables, these are referred to as flavonoids.

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Execise and Menopause

Exercise may assist with reducing menopausal symptoms for the following reasons:

• Exercise may help to stabilise and reduce hormonal fluctuations, through a variety of mechanisms, including managing weight (Refer next bullet point).
• Exercise assists with weight loss and the ongoing maintenance of relatively low body weight. A lean body may produce less of the female hormones, thus reducing the severity of menopausal symptoms
• Exercise increases endurance and stamina and even increases pain thresholds
• Exercise is mentally and physically uplifting, especially if done outdoors in fresh air, natural surroundings and bright sunshine

Exercise can be divided into four highly beneficial forms:

• Aerobic such as walking, running, rowing, paddling, cycling and swimming.
• Strengthening such as lifting weights or using your own body to do exercises like chin-ups and press-ups.
• Stretching and meditative such as Tai Chi, Yoga and various stretching and toning regimes
• Socialisation and stimulating games such as tennis, soccer and dancing.

Any exercise programme should include a mix of all four during any one week. It is not advisable to be reliant on one form of exercise only which may lead to boredom, dependency and injury - so please mix it up!

Get outside and exercise as much as possible. This is most important for your physical and emotional well-being if you spend most of your working days indoors in airconditioned and artifically lit buildings.

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Managing Menopausal Hot Flushes

Hot flushes are experienced by more than 70% of menopausal women, and are one of the most common symptoms of this natural process. These occur for some time throughout menopause, lasting anywhere from 1-2 years, and even longer, up to 10 years.

What causes a hot flush?
A portion of the human brain, called the hypothalamus, contain oestrogen receptors, which help to monitor the level of oestrogen produced within the body. This particular brain centre also helps to govern a number of functions including controlling body temperature and sleep.

It is believed that during menopause, the hypothalamus detects declining oestrogen levels, which starts a cascade of hormonal events in the body. Low oestrogen levels stimulate the hypothalamus to send a message to the pituitary gland, which subsequently releases hormones to act on the ovaries. Due to the lack of eggs, the ovaries are unable to increase production of oestrogen, which signals the hypothalamus once more.

This cyclical feedback mechanism also activates the nervous system, triggering dilation of the peripheral blood vessels, especially in the face, neck, and chest. This leads to heat and redness to the skin (flushed), and is often followed by profuse perspiration.

lifestyle tips to keep a hot flush ‘cool’!
1. Manage stress - Stress is often a trigger for hot flushes
2. Wear layered clothing — Practical for managing the fluctuations in body temperature
3. Keep a small spritzer bottle handy — Helps to keep your skin moist

Meno-Life, is a special two capsule herbal formula that includes Black Cohosh, Dong Quai, Red Clover and Soy isoflavones that have been found to help manage menopause symptoms over a full 24 hours. A Daytime capsule provides support for hot flushes, mood swings and energy levels while a special Night-time capsule can help with night sweats, anxiety and relax and prepare the body for sleep.

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