SO HERE ARE MY FEW TIPS FOR AN EASIER TIME

1. 01 Take the herb milk thistle (2 capsules three times a day), four days before and during menstruation. Milk thistle protects the liver and helps normalize oestrogen levels. If you do nothing else, take this supplement.
2. 02 Decongest your liver with the use of lipotropic agents. Lipotropics quicken the removal of fat deposits and bile. PMS has been linked to faulty liver fat metabolism. A good liver formula should consist of approximately 1000mg of choline, 500mg of methionine and/or cysteine.
3. 03 Deficiencies of either magnesium or zinc will affect liver function. For example, a deficiency of magnesium results in increased lead absorption. Most patients I see suffering from PMS have low magnesium and/or zinc levels, and high lead or heavy metal toxicity. Magnesium deficiency is strongly implicated as a contributing factor to premenstrual syndrome. The zinc is important because it helps normalize hormones. Take approximately 1200mg magnesium and 50mg zinc daily.
4. 04 Increase your intake of Β vitamins, including B6 (a magnesium deficiency can lead to decreased Β vitamin activity). Do not use isolated B6; instead, take B6 with a Β Complex or from botanical royal jelly. Take 50–100mg Β Complex every day, or 2 capsules of royal jelly three times a day.
5. 05 Vitamin A has been shown to reduce PMT symptoms. Take approximately 10,000iu daily in beta-carotene form. Do not take supplements of vitamin A if you are pregnant.
6. 06 Vitamin E in double blind studies has demonstrated a reduction in physical symptoms of PMT as it regulates hormone levels. Take 400iu a day.
7. 07 Take 1 tablespoon of flax oil or evening primrose oil or borage oil every day. Women with menstrual problems have been shown to exhibit essential fatty acid abnormalities.
8. 08 The following herbs may be helpful a couple of days before and during:

   Ongoing: agnus castus – breast pain and hormonal balance

   Rotate: angelica dong quai – cramps

   Cramp bark – abdominal discomfort

   Licorice – water retention

   Black cohosh – fibroids

   If you had to choose just one of the above, then opt for the agnus castus. It can work wonders.

9. 09 Eat the right foods as outlined in this book. Cut out the milky products at least ten days prior to period onset. This can make all the difference. Use a complete superfood such as spirulina, wild blue-green algae or chlorella, along with royal jelly. You should increase the intake of these superfoods as the period nears.
10. 10 Regular moderate exercise throughout the month helps regulate hormones, removes toxins, enhances nutrient absorption, strengthens the organs, and ultimately lessens PMS symptoms.

MENOPAUSAL SOLUTIONS

A healthy, fully functioning liver is crucial for good health during menopause. It provides vital energy for all the body systems, helps regulate digestion, assists the release of toxins and waste, improves metabolism, balances hormones and nourishes hair, skin, nails, eyes and cells. Menopausal women tend to be low in substances and fluids which nurture the liver and it is absolutely crucial during this time of hormonal flux that the liver is properly nourished and supported.

Strengthen the liver with the liver building foods and the supplements outlined below, and your menopausal symptoms will either disappear or be dramatically reduced.

Foods for the menopause

• » Apples
• » Aduki beans
• » Fennel
• » Flax seeds
• » Kidney beans
• » Soya beans
• » Oats
• » Olives
• » Sesame seeds
• » Split peas
• » Sunflower seeds
• » Yams
• » Drinking sage tea (2 cups a day), or 15 drops of sage tincture in a small amount of water, can do wonders for hot flushes and related menopausal symptoms. Black cohosh (40mg a day) has also been shown to diminish hot flushes through the production of oestrogen.
• » The homeopathic remedy Lachesis 12c is helpful too.
• » Agnus castus, also known as vitex, can rebalance hormones by helping to produce more progesterone. It works for menstrual women and it can work for you too. Take this in combination with the herb donq quai for maximum effect.
• » The supplement DHEA (10mg a day) is helpful. It’s an adrenal hormone that can increase oestrogen levels. As you get older, production of DHEA declines with age. At present, DHEA is only available on prescription. But if you are having a really bad time of it, then check this out with your doctor.
• » The herb red clover, high in B vitamins, and the supplement gamma oryzenol have made positive changes with my patients. All of these supplements are available in health food stores. Don’t be afraid to ask for them.
• » Natural progesterone cream from wild yam has been shown to make some improvement in side-effects. It contains naturally occurring DHEA.

Fight or flight

The initial response to stress is the alarm reaction, often referred to as the fight or flight response. This is triggered by reactions in the brain that cause the pituitary gland (the master gland of your body’s entire hormonal system) to send chemical messages to the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline and other stress-related hormones.

The fight or flight response is designed to help you deal with danger. The muscles, heart, lung and brain are given priority fuel and all other bodily systems are subdued. Your heart rate increases, oxygen and glucose are sent in increased amounts to your muscles and you’ll notice that you breathe faster and you sweat to lower your body temperature. Your blood sugar also goes up as your liver dumps stored glucose into the bloodstream and your adrenal gland pumps out stress hormones, such as adrenaline, to keep the fight or flight reaction going.

All these and many other complex changes occur, some of them in a split second. They all serve one purpose: to gear you up for immediate action or to sharpen your responses in a crisis: for example, your quick response when you grab your child just as he or she tries to run into a busy road. When the danger is over, the biochemicals of stress are used up as intended and the body adapts to normal stress and equilibrium. No harm is done.

Havoc with your hormones

The trouble is when the stress is prolonged because it is something you can’t immediately deal with or do much about – a delayed train, screaming children, the phone ringing, the cashpoint machine swallowing your card, being late for an appointment, a frustrating meeting or job. Instead of the stress reaction being short lived, it persists for long periods of time and when this happens, it can have profound effects on your body. Your body stays in this heightened state of alert, adrenaline continues to pump around your body and your hormones can’t return to their normal state.

The hormonal chaos prolonged stress causes can increase your risk of blood sugar problems, high blood pressure, fatigue, adrenal exhaustion and weight gain.

FOODS THAT STRESS

A well-balanced diet is crucial in preserving health and helping to reduce stress. Certain foods and drinks act as powerful stimulants to the body and hence are a direct cause of stress. This stimulation can overwork the liver, upset blood sugar levels and be harmful in the long run.

• » Caffeine. This is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola, etc. It causes the release of adrenaline, thus increasing the level of stress. Caffeine addicts wear out the stress hormone-producing adrenal glands. These stress hormones interfere with metabolism. So, caffeine will cause weight gain in the long term, especially if combined with a poor diet. Consuming too much caffeine has the same effect as long-term stress.
• » Alcohol is a major cause of stress. The irony is that most people take to drinking as a way to combat stress. Alcohol and stress, in combination, are quite deadly. Alcohol stimulates the secretion of adrenaline, resulting in the problems such as nervous tension, irritability and insomnia. Excess alcohol will increase the fat deposits in the heart and decrease the immune function. Alcohol also limits the ability of the liver to remove toxins from the body. During stress, the body produces several toxins. In the absence of its filtering by the liver, these toxins continue to circulate through the body, resulting in serious damage.
• » Sweets. Sugar has no essential nutrients. It provides a short-term boost of energy through the body, resulting possibly in the exhaustion of the adrenal glands. This can result in irritability, poor concentration, and depression. High sugar consumption puts a severe load on the pancreas. There is increasing possibility of developing diabetes.
• » Salty foods. Salt increases the blood pressure, depletes adrenal glands, and causes emotional instability. Use a salt substitute that has potassium rather than sodium. Avoid processed foods high in salt, such as bacon, ham, pickles, sausages, etc.
• » Fatty foods. Avoid the consumption of foods rich in saturated fats, such as animal foods, dairy products, fried foods and common junk foods. Fats put unnecessary stress on the cardiovascular system.
• » Cow’s milk and dairy products. These stress the body because they contain substances, such as the protein casein, that are difficult and unsuitable for humans to digest and can trigger allergic responses.
• » Red meat. High-protein red meat elevates brain levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, both of which are associated with higher levels of anxiety and stress.
• » Refined and processed foods, such as white refined bread and flour, stress the body because they are low in nutrients and high in empty calories. Moreover, in order to digest refined foods your body has to use its own vitamins and minerals, so depleting its stores. Foods containing white flour include cakes, biscuits, bread and pastries.
• » Margarines and other processed vegetable oils. These are high in trans fatty acids and a diet too high in trans fatty acids can have a negative effect on cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease. They can also block the body’s assimilation of health-boosting essential fatty acids.
• » Spicy foods. Spices contain volatile oils which are capable of physically irritating the lining of the stomach. Hot curries, chillies and chilli sauces used in Mexican and Indian foods and some drinks are best avoided. A very hot chilli or curry dish that contains a blend of pungent spices can literally bore a hole in the stomach lining.
• » Additives, preservatives and other chemicals. Additives place a huge stress on your body because your body has to work harder to deal with them, with the result that energy and valuable nutrients are spent when they could be used more profitably, for example in boosting the immune system.