Over the last few weeks I have been writing about PMS and the problems that it can bring as well as the natural remedies which may help to offer some relief. This week I am completing that series with a look at menopausal issues.
HOT FLUSHES AND NIGHT SWEATS – for many women the main irritation associated with the menopause is having to deal with the hot flushes and nights sweats. The night sweats particularly as they lead to disturbed sleep and therefore fatigue. The first herb we always turn to to try and help with this problem is sage. Sage has been found to help reduce the symptoms of hot flushes and night sweats quite effectively – with apparently up to 8 out of ten women reporting significant reduction in symptoms – this is well worth a try.
LOW MOOD, ANXIETY AND FATIGUE – these issues can all affect women who are going through the menopause. This is because our hormones actually have quite a strong effect on our moods, oestrogen for example is naturally anti depressant, whilst progesterone helps to keep you calm. So falling levels or these hormones during the menopause can cause issues with low mood, anxiety and fatigue. We often suggest products like Soya or Red Clover, due to their content of Isoflavones – substances which mimic hormonal action in the body – to try and help relieve these issues. Our favourite for those really struggling with low mood or anxiety is Vogels Menosan Menopause Support this is a fermented soya based product, which we have had great feedback from. For those struggling with mood issues and fatigue, we tend to try Natures Aid Red Clover Complex first as this combines the effects of red clover with Siberian Ginseng, which has a reputation for helping to boost energy and stamina.
DRYNESS – with falling oestrogen levels, women can notice that their skin, their vagina and even their eyes may become more dry. Vaginal dryness can of course lead to irritation and discomfort. Dry eyes can actually lead to your eyes streaming with tears – as your body attempts to compensate for the lack of lubrication, by producing extra tears. All this happens because the oestrogen we produce during our cycle helps to produce natural lubrication. Therefore, as the levels of this hormone drop, these uncomfortable symptoms can arise. Again looking to Isoflavones from fermented Soya products, such as Vogels Menosan Menopause Support could be helpful. This is due to the fact that it is believed these Isoflavones could mimic the oestrogenic actions in your system.
Our favourite product for these problems though is often Sea Buckthorn – Omega 7. I wrote about this last year, mentioning how helpful my mum had found it for her dry eye problems – her streaming eyes had been stopped within weeks of starting to use this supplement! Since then we have had literally scores of people report the same results.
We have had other women tell us that it has also helped them with the vaginal dryness which had been irritating them as well. Which is why we love it!
Author: jenny
Jenny is a Registed Nutritonal Therapist, who has been in practice for over 10 years. She regularly write articles for industry publications and in her local paper on natural ways people can improve their health and well being.
Low Oestrogen – Low Mood
Over the last two week we have been looking at PMS and have discussed progesterone and androgens. This week I am going to take a look at the third hormone involved with the cycle – oestrogen. Oestrogen is very important to the proper functioning of the cycle and is very much involved with ovulation. Falling oestrogen levels could therefore mean that periods become lighter, more erratic and could even go missing for a month or so. Oestrogen also has a huge impact on the mood as it actually has natural anti depressant activity. Low oestrogen could therefore be indicated by your mood dropping suddenly during your cycle or before your period. If you suddenly feel inexplicably low, tearful or depressive – ask yourself – could you have just ovulated or are you due on – if the answer to either (or even both) of these questions is yes, your falling oestrogen levels could be at the root of it. It is often thought that dropping oestrogen levels signal that a woman could be pre menopausal, but whilst this may often be the case, these problems may also occur earlier in life as well.
As well as lighter, more erratic periods and low moods, the following issues could also indicate lower oestrogen levels being involved with your hormonal problems –vaginal discomfort– dryness, soreness and itching – without thrush, thinning skin, painful or tender joints, increased body temperature, sweats and also problems with urinary continence.
NATURAL HELP FOR LOW OESTROGEN
It is often suggested that when oestrogen levels are low, natural remedies which contain plant oestrogens, could offer relief from uncomfortable symptoms. We should be clear here though – plants do not actually contain any oestrogen, they actually contain substances known as isoflavones, which have a similar chemical make up to the oestrogen in your body. What this means is that taking a plant which contains isoflavones could actually ‘con’ your body into thinking that your oestrogen levels are higher than they are and therefore reduce some of the symptoms associated with low oestrogen levels. Possibly the most well known plant oestrogens are Soya Isoflavones. However, it is worth noting here not all soya products are equal. As soya needs to be fermented in order to ‘activate’ its oestrogenic action, just taking a plain soya product or eating soya rich foods, may not provide the benefits you seek.
If you want to try plant oestrogens to see if they could be helpful for you, look for a soya product which has already been fermented, such as Vogels Menosan Menopause Support. This is relevant, even if you are not menopausal, if you think you may have low oestrogen. We have had some great reports back on this product with one woman telling us that she has found it reduced this vaginal discomfort she was suffering, another telling us that it had been a ‘life saver’ as it had helped her low mood so well and another who tells us it is the only thing which has ever helped her pre menstrual sweats!
Tired all the Time?
Tired all the Time?
Do you struggle to get out of bed in the morning?
Low Energy & No Stamina?
Do you rely on things like coffee or sugar to get you going?
I suspect a lot of you do and just think that it’s normal. Actually it can be a sign of a problem called adrenal exhaustion. Other symptoms of adrenal exhaustion include:
Low mood, frustration and anxiety, poor concentration, poor sleep and exhaustion.
Adrenal exhaustion is caused by long term or a lot of, stress. This may be stress as we usually define it – work, life, family, money – anxieties and frustrations building up. But it may also include traumas, bereavements, illnesses or operations – these are all things that your body has had to cope with and recover from, which may have left it depleted and struggling to catch up.
Your adrenal glands when they are working properly help you to feel energised when you need to be and relaxed when it is time for rest. It is your adrenal glands which give you the energy to get through tough times. But if we make too many demands on them they become exhausted and stop working as well as they should. The way that most people deal with the dips in energy caused by an adrenal gland under pressure is to give themselves a boost with a coffee, a cola or a sugary snack. The trouble with this is that this temporary boost is provided by causing extra stress on your poor tired adrenal gland, forcing it to produce energy from nowhere. Therefore they will ultimately become more exhausted and your symptoms will start to get worse.
What you need to do is to nourish and support your adrenals so that they will start to work properly again and you can start to feel better.
There are three key ways to boost adrenal function and energy and stress support:
Balance your blood sugars! Eat regularly and do not rely on caffeine and sugar to get you through. Caffeine and sugar both create peaks and troughs in your blood sugar levels, which leave you feeling more exhausted, shaky and anxious. The mineral Chromium can be useful here if you do struggle with sugar cravings as it helps to balance blood sugars.
Super Siberian Ginseng. Siberian Ginseng is a great adaptogenic tonic and balancing supplement. It is thought to help support adrenal function and restore energy levels. Clinical studies have shown it increases mental alertness – lifting the mental fog, which can so often descend when we are tired or run down. Siberian ginseng has also been shown to help improve energy and endurance and has often been used by athletes to help support their efforts and energy levels. Again though you need a good dose.
Boost B5 – B5 is used by the body to release energy for carbohydrates and it is needed by the adrenals for good function. Signs of low B5 include fatigue, headaches, poor sleep and burning painful feet. It is not expensive and trying 500mg twice a day for a month can make a big difference, especially if you do have the burning painful feet – we have seen many happy customers whose feet have vastly improved after a month on B5!
The great news is that all of these nutrients are available in one easy to take supplement, designed with this problem in mind – RECHARGE! Recharge is an energy support supplement, exclusive to Help me be Healthy and we have had great reports on it – so why no give it a go!
PMS – Acne & Sugar Cravings
- Saulo Cruz / Foter / CC BY
This week I am going to look at another hormonal issue linked with PMS and which is also involved in problems like PCOS. This is high androgen/testosterone levels. This can lead to issues with PMS acne, greasy skin, sugar cravings and weight gain.
Androgens and testosterone are most commonly thought of as male hormones – but we all have them. However as with anything, whilst we need certain levels of these hormones – too many can cause us issues. Androgen levels tend to be at their highest during puberty as they are involved in the development and growth of body hair and breast tissue. These raised androgen levels can also be one of the causes of the oily skin and acne that many teenagers experience.
Normally as we leave our teens and enter our twenties, androgen levels should start to subside. However, this does not always happen and this can cause some real hormonal problems. Including the PMS acne, greasy skin and sugar cravings!
COMMON HIGH ANDROGEN SYMPTOMS:
Raised androgens tend to mean a greater amount of testosterone being produced, which can lead to mood swings and you could feel really aggressive, irritable and angry. Then the periods can also be affected, but with high androgen levels the periods tend to be quite erratic, they could also be light and you may even find that you miss periods occasionally.
The other major issues with raised androgens include oily skin, acne, increased or heavy facial and body hair, head hair thinning, weight gain around your middle and major sugar cravings.
These are the issues most commonly experienced by women suffering with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), which affects quite a large number of women. However, just because you have these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that you have PCOS.
If you think that all of this sounds like you and your PMS issues, or if you know that you have PCOS, then there are some natural remedies which could be well worth a try. The first is a supplement called Saw Palmetto which is often used by men to help control excess testosterone. Recent research has indicated that saw palmetto could also be useful for women exhibiting the signs of high androgens and raised testosterone. With some women trialling it reporting improvements in their cycle, mood and their skin. It has also been trailed in women with PCOS and the reports coming out are extremely promising. It is safe to use with the pill or HRT so if you are struggling with hormonal acne and anger then saw palmetto could well be worth a try.
On top of this I would also suggest adding in the mineral Chromium. Chromium helps to contribute to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels, which basically means that it helps to control the blood sugar dips, which tend to be associated with sugar cravings. We have found this to be a very useful addition for anyone who would mug a child for a chocolate bar at their time of the month!
PMS – irritable, heavy bleeds
- dearbarbie / Foter / CC BY-SA
Over the coming weeks I am going to be looking at hormonal issues. There are 3 main hormones that are in control of your periods and which have an impact on PMS. This week I am going to start by having a look at the most common hormonal issue for those suffering with PMS symptoms – Low progesterone. Progesterone is one of the main hormones involved in maintaining your menstrual cycle, it is also really important in female fertility and for maintaining the beginning of a pregnancy. Therefore those who suffer with the symptoms of low progesterone, could benefit in many ways from looking at ways to help balance their hormones.
As well as being important in the maintenance of your cycle, progesterone also has a major impact on your moods. Therefore low progesterone is highly likely to give you PMS with mood issues, this would include anxiety, frustration, anger, irritability, irrational behaviour and poor sleep. Your periods may also be heavier, with clots and could be painful. You may also suffer with swollen, heavier, maybe painful breasts, headaches, fluid retention and acne flare ups with your cycle…PMS-irritabl, heavy bleeds.
If this sounds like you, then low progesterone levels could well be at the bottom of your PMS issues, in which case, the following options could be well worth considering.
Many herbalists will often suggest the use of the herb Agnus Castus in these situations as it is thought to help regulate that part of the cycle where progesterone should be produced. We have been using Agnus Castus in our clinic, for many years and the feedback we have had from many of the women who have used it has been brilliant. We have had many women tell us that it has really helped them regain control of their mood and anger issues, which played a big part in their PMS. We have even had one lady tell us that she believed it had saved her marriage – because previously she had been so vile to her husband in the week before her period, she thought he was going to leave her! All of this means that this plant could well be worth a try for anyone who is struggling with PMS – irritable, heavy bleeds. However, please note that because of its potential hormonal action, Agnus Castus should NOT be used in conjunction with the pill, but if you are not on the pill, it could be worth a try.
If you are on the pill and can’t try the Agnus castus, fear not – there are great options for you too. Naturopathic Practitioners often link low progesterone with high oestrogen and talk about a condition called oestrogen dominance. This is often linked to the liver, which is responsible for breaking down and eliminating excess oestrogen. Therefore something like Milk Thistle, a product often used to supports the health of the liver and its ability to breakdown oestrogen could be helpful to help regain balance. We have used this herb for people suffering with PMS- irritable, heavy bleeds and had some great reports back.
Natural Help for Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a hormonal condition which affects a number of women. In endometriosis, the tissue which would normally grow in your womb during your cycle (endometrial tissue) has also formed outside the womb. This occurs most commonly around the ovaries, in the pelvis, around the top of the vagina and even around the bowel. During your cycle, this endometrial tissue, outside your womb also grows and thickens and is then shed. However, unlike the tissue in your womb, which leaves your body during your period, the endometrial tissue outside the womb has no way of leaving your body, so this shedding then leads to pain and swelling, which can be quite debilitating in some cases.
The development of this problem, tends to be linked to excess oestrogen, so treatment tends to focus on hormone balancing alongside pain relief.
We have seen a number of women over the years who have been looking for natural remedies to help them better control their symptoms and whilst there are never any guarantees there are a few things that could be worth considering if you are in the same boat.
Herbal remedies have been used for a number of years by women looking for natural ways to balance their hormones. One of the most popular is Agnus Castus. There have been a number of trials carried out using this plant, which have found it to be very useful in relieving the symptoms of PMS. The reason it is thought this plant could also be useful to women struggling with endometriosis is because Agnus Castus is thought to work by restoring the balance between oestrogen and progesterone – therefore potentially reducing the excess oestrogen which is linked to the development of the problem. Due to its potential hormonal action, Agnus Castus should not be taken alongside the pill or other hormonal treatments.
Another plant which may be useful is one which has typically been looked at for supporting the hormonal health of men! That is Saw Palmetto. Saw Palmetto has for years been used by men seeking natural ways to support a healthy prostate, however, new research indicates that this plant could be equally helpful to women struggling with hormonal issues. Saw Palmetto is thought to help reduce the levels of androgens, which in turn could help to reduce the problems linked with high oestrogen – certainly the research seems promising and this could well be worth a try however, again dues to its potential hormonal action, do not use it alongside the pill or other hormonal treatments.
Good Bacteria – most people these days are aware that there should be certain levels of good bacteria inside them. It is now generally accepted that these bacteria could help with bloating and bowel issues. However, these good bacteria could have a wider impact on our health and our hormones than most people expect! This is because good bacteria are actually involved in breaking down hormones like oestrogen, therefore, many practitioners of natural medicine will actually suggest that people suffering with complaints linked to high oestrogen, like endometriosis, should take a good bacteria supplement. There are many reports from women with endometriosis, which suggest that using a good bacteria supplement daily could be a good idea.
Look after your liver – like the good bacteria, your liver is also involved in breaking down oestrogen, therefore nutritional and botanical ingredients which support health liver function are often suggested for those suffering with issues related to high oestrogen. If you want to look into supporting your liver, to see if you feel any better, eat plenty of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, flax seeds, walnuts and beetroot and look at plants like dandelion, artichoke and milk thistle.
Deal with Diarrhoea
Last week we started looking at bowel health with a look at natural ways to take control of constipation. This week I am going to look at ways we may be able to help those struggling with recurrent or even daily we will diarrhoea. Some people suffer with a fast track digestion. Food is moved too quickly through the digestive tract. Waste that is moved too quickly through the colon will not lose enough fluid on its journey, resulting in a sloppy movement or even diarrhoea. For others the problem may lie with inflammation or poor bacterial balance in the bowel, which means that again the waste is passed too quickly through the colon leading the a loose motion. This can lead to fatigue, pain, cramping and can also be very embarrassing.
The key points to consider when trying to regain control of this situation are:
Fibre! Many people with diarrhoea try and avoid fibre because they think it will make things worse. But this is not always the case. No you don’t want to eat lots of bran based products because they can be purgative, but some fibres actually absorb lots of fluid and swell in the colon – slowing things down and giving your movement better form! We have had some great results using Pukka Fibre Plus a psyllium husk fibre – for those with lose stools, with people reporting that it has slowed things down and helped to give them a proper bowel movement which is easier to control. As well as the bulking Psyllium husks this product also contains soothing aloe Vera and licorice too.
Bacteria! Good bacteria discourage the growth of the unfriendly bacteria which lead to diarrhoea. Topping up your good bacteria then can actually help to slow things down, particularly if your diarrhoea problems have followed a bout of food poisoning, anti biotics or is they are related to diverticulitis. My favourite in this case is Solaray Mightidophillus12, a high strength, broad spectrum probiotic which replaces all the beneficial bacteria in your colon. This can be particularly useful where the problems hare started after a tummy upset. One gentleman we saw said that his bowel issues had started after a bout of food poisoning, so we put him onto the Mightidophillus12 and after a month he reported that everything had returned to normal with no further upsets.
Soothing herbs. Sometimes the diarrhoea can be accompanied by pain – this indicates that the colon is inflamed and that having any matter in it is painful – so everything is sent through as quickly as possible. Soothing that inflammation with herbs like Vogels Tormentil Complex can therefore help to ease that pain and slow the movement down. This has long been a favourite product of ours. One customer in particular always sticks out in my mind, he had struggled with diarrhoea for a number of years and it had started to restrict his life. He was scared to go anywhere new or anywhere where he didn’t know he could quickly and easily get to a toilet. We suggested that he try the Tormentil, which he did and he swears it was Tormentil complex which has given him his life back, by bringing his bowels back under control!
Help! Irritable Bowel
Over the last few weeks I have looked at constipation and diarrhoea. But from seeing people at our bowel health clinic, I am very aware that for many people who are struggling with irritable bowel, the problem is not always as clear cut as constipation OR diarrhoea. Many people don’t really know which way to turn or what to try, because their bowels can’t seem to make up their mind, swinging wildly from one extreme to the other.
A couple of months ago a girl came to ask if we could help her. She would often be constipated for days, feeling more and more bloated. Then her tummy would start to ache and the diarrhoea would start, with lose bowels, wind and bloating being an issue for the following days, before the constipation started again.
When the diarrhoea and lose bowels hit, she felt that she had no option but to take Imodium or something similar sometimes, even though she knew that often this just aggravated the constipation. She was always too scared to do anything about the constipation, in case it triggered a diarrhoea attack.
I sat down and talked to her and explained that when the bowel alternates in this way, it is often the constipation which is at the root of all the problems. Basically, as the constipation builds up, it starts to cause pain, inflammation and irritation in the bowel. This irritation then often tends to lead to the pain, wind and lose bowels, as the bowel tries to clear itself.
The best way then to try and break the cycle is to get the bowel working properly on a daily basis – avoiding the build up of constipation and therefore hopefully also the diarrhoea. To try and do this I suggested that we tried to improve the health of her gut generally and get her going regularly. Getting the right type of product here is important – we don’t want a fibre to swell in the gut or anything purgative – but we do need to get the bowel working better. I suggested that she try a supplement of magnesium citrate – an important mineral which we have found can actually help to improve the function of the bowel, without any ‘purging’ effect or any swelling. I also suggested she use a good probiotic – in this case Solarays Mightidophillus12. Probiotics are known to be important in maintaining bowel health and if someone is bloating a lot, we think this tends to indicate that they could be low in these good bacteria. On top of this we made a few changes to her diet – increasing her water intake and decreasing tea, coffee and sugar a bit.
I asked her to report back after two weeks – which she did – and she was really pleased to report that after only a week her bowels had started working better – she felt hopeful that we were on the right path. The good news is that this was the case and now after a few months she has not had an attack of her IBS for ages and she is feeling much happier and in control!
Controlling Constipation
Over the next few weeks I am going to be taking a closer look at bowel health and bowel function. This week constipation.
For us, constipation is the failure to move your bowel effectively EVERY DAY! You eat three times a day (hopefully), therefore you should be eliminating at least once a day. If you are not, then we would regard your colon as sluggish – the less you go, the worse the problem!
The bowel relies on muscular contractions to move the waste around your colon, for elimination. If the waste is moved too slowly though because of a sluggish or lazy bowel, the stool becomes hard, dry and difficult to pass.
What is helpful then in trying to prevent constipation?
Ensure a good bowel contraction – this will speed up the rate at which the waste is moved throughout the colon. We often suggest Magnesium to help with this. Magnesium is vital for proper healthy muscle function, but it is easily depleted from the body by tea, coffee, cola, sugar and salt. Decreasing the intake of tea, coffee and cola whilst supplementing magnesium then, should help to improve bowel contractions.
Get the right type of fibre. This is important – you want to get things moving, not just fill up the colon with swelling fibres or alternately purge it, which would be very uncomfortable. We often suggest FOS for this. FOS is also a great fibre for people suffering with constipation because it increases the amount of water being carried to the colon, but does not swell too much, softening the stool, making it easier to pass. FOS also works by improving the strength and tone of the bowel, helping those who suffer with a stretched or lazy bowel, achieve a more normal bowel function.
Improve water intake – if the stools are hard and dry, it may be that you are not drinking enough plain water – try and get at least 2 pints of plain water into you a day.
Finally boost your beneficial bacteria – good bacteria are vital to the proper functioning of the colon, so taking a good probiotic once you have got things moving can be really supportive in maintaining the health of your bowel. Personally, for those who have struggled with constipation, my favourite pro biotic is Higher natures Pro Bio Daily as the bacteria it provides have been found to be particularly useful in dealing with a sluggish bowel.
Cough? Cold? Catarrh?
It seems that all the cold, wet and windy weather we have had recently has also brought with it a nasty cough, cold and catarrh. We have seen a lot of people with really heavy chesty coughs and nasty catarrh that they have really been struggling to shake. We have even had people asking us on twitter, what they could try to help shift their cold! So I thought we had better have a quick run through the best ways to protect yourself and what to try if you have been struggling to shift that cold and cough.
Firstly protection. Keep your immune system working well – the best way to ensure this is to use something like Natures Aid Immune Support Plus . This formula contains all the important nutrients which support immune health. It also contains Beta Glucans, which improve immune function, Garlic, which is a natural anti bacterial and Elder, which supports the health of your mucus membranes! All of this together means that Immune Support plus should help you avoid the worst of the infections.
Secondly shifting a cold and cough that just won’t budge!
Help your immune system clear the infection with some Echinacea – a well known immune boosting herb, which can help to fight the symptoms of colds and flu. My favourite is A.Vogel Echinaforce, because it is made with fresh herbs, not dried ones, so in my opinion, it’s more potent.
Then clear that mucus off your chest. Many people who have been struggling with this chesty cold, have had to resort to anti biotics because the infection got so bad. However, even after the anti biotics have cleared the infection, they are still left with a chesty cough! This is actually because, whilst anti biotics do help fight infection, they do not expel mucus. The good news is that we have been seeing some great results with A.Vogel’s Bronchoforce – a combination of Ivy, Thyme and Eucalyptus, which is designed to help shift chesty and mucus coughs, by clearing the mucus out of the chest. The other problem with a nasty cough is the fact it can keep you awake at night or result in you straining your muscles because you just can’t stop coughing. Bronchoforce helps with this as well thanks to the anti spasmodic action of the herbs it contains.
So don’t keep suffering – let natural remedies help you recover!