HEALTH SOLUTIONS

MENOPAUSE HOME

WHAT IS MENOPAUSE?
All women go through it - do you know what's happening?

STRESS
Excessive stress can make symptoms worse.

CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS
Problems and deficiencies to look out for.

A WOMAN'S WISDOM
Why tried & tested natural options are a wise choice.

DIET
Guide to preparing meals that will ease symptoms.

SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamins, minerals & herbs for symptom relief.

LIFESTYLE CONSIDERATIONS
The right choices during menopause & beyond.

NATURAL THERAPIES
Powerful health options for your mind, body and spirit.

BEAUTY
Dry skin and hair, weight control, hair loss and more.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Other ways to stay well and happy during menopause.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
A guide to making it work for you!

Supplementing your diet with some of the following vitamins, minerals and herbals, may also assist in alleviating menopausal discomfort.

VITAMINS

The B Complex Vitamins Extremely important for menopausal women for a number of reasons including chasing “the blues” away, soothing skin irritations, helping insomniacs go to sleep and keeping your nervous system and heart strong and healthy. The B group vitamins are water soluble and an overdose is unlikely since what your body doesn’t need comes out in your urine. The best natural sources are whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Vitamin C This vitamin is used up more rapidly during stressful conditions. Vitamin C decreases cholesterol, lowers the incidence of blood clots in veins and helps protein to do it’s job of growth and repair. Again, this is a water soluble vitamin. Best natural sources are fresh fruit and vegetables such as citrus fruits, capsicum, broccoli and tomatoes.

Vitamin D Also known as the “Sunshine Vitamin” because one of the best natural sources is sunshine! Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium for strong healthy bones. Supplements should be within the allowed daily requirement as vitamin D is not water soluble. Apart from sunshine, you can also get vitamin D from sunflower seeds, dairy products and fish. Make sure not to go out during the hottest part of the day.

Vitamin E Among the many benefits of vitamin E, those specific to menopausal women include keeping you looking younger, supplying more oxygen to the body thereby giving you more endurance and alleviating fatigue, preventing and dissolving blood clots giving you a healthy circulatory system, works as a diuretic thereby lowering blood pressure and it modifies blood fats to prevent heart disease. Vitamin E is not water soluble and will be stored by the body, although only for a short time so essentially it is not toxic even in larger doses. The best natural sources are wholegrains, beans and leafy green vegetables.

Bioflavonoids (Vitamin P) Help maintain a strong and healthy circulatory system which is needed for the efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissue and the elimination of wastes. The best natural sources are citrus fruits, apricots, blackberries and cherries.

MINERALS

Boron Reduces the body’s elimination of calcium and magnesium and increases the production of oestrogen. Little known trace mineral which has been successfully used during menopause.

Calcium Required for strong bones, keeping your heart beating regularly and helping you sleep better. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and much of it is found in the bones and teeth. When combined with magnesium, calcium will work to maintain cardiovascular health. Essential nutrients for the proper absorption of calcium are phosphorous and vitamin D. Best natural sources of calcium are beans, nuts, seeds, green vegetables and dairy products, although dairy products lack the balance of the other essential nutrients required for proper absorption.

Fluoride Stimulates new bone formation. It is unlikely that you will need a supplement as adequate supplies are found in toothpastes and drinking water.

Magnesium Help fight depression, promotes a healthy cardiovascular system, keeps teeth healthy and helps makes better use of calcium by preventing it from depositing in soft tissue. Magnesium is at it’s best when combined with vitamin A, calcium and phosphorous. Best natural sources are nuts, seeds, dark green vegetables, corn, lemons, figs and grapefruit.

Selenium Works well with Vitamin E to alleviate hot flushes and menopausal distress. Also keeps your skin looking supple and protects from certain cancers. Best natural sources are whole grains, onions, tomatoes and broccoli.

Zinc Regulates the functioning of 90 odd enzymes which are responsible for many daily body processes, also needed for the proper use of protein, reduces inflammation and improves immunity. Zinc, like magnesium, works best when combined with vitamin A, calcium and phosphorous. Best natural sources are brazil nuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, wheatgerm, brewer’s yeast, mustard and eggs.

Quite often, you will be able to find convenient multi-mineral formulas which include these and other important minerals. Remember to get chelated forms as they are more easily absorbed. Minerals in colloidal form are the most easily absorbed by the body.

HERBALS

General oestrogen promoting herbs like feverfew, parsley and red clover, as well as progesterone promoting herbs like motherwort and pulsatilla can be used in conjunction with some of these more specific herbals:

Agnus Castus Balances the endocrine system and corrects progesterone deficiency.

Black Cohosh Receiving a lot of attention as an ovarian tonic. Black cohosh is a balancer which can help you relax and alleviate hot flushes.

Blue Cohosh Similar to black cohosh, it is an ovarian tonic and helps alleviate many menopausal symptoms including hot flushes, depression, insomnia and tenseness.

Chamomile Excellent for nervous tension and convenient when taken as a tea.

Dong Quai Naturally high in vitamin E, B complex and magnesium. Acts as a hormone balancer.

Ginseng Stimulates the endocrine-gland system and helps you use vitamins and minerals more efficiently. If you are still taking HRT it will help reduce your risk of contracting cancer because it contains a cancer fighter called estriol.

Marigold (Calendula) A good tonic for the female reproductive system. Has been used to treat cysts, fibroids and tumours of the ovaries and breast. Can be taken as a tea.

Sage Oestrogenic effect makes it excellent for hot flushes and it protects from bone loss.

St John’s Wort Good nerve tonic and works very well with Black Cohosh in relieving many menopausal symptoms.

Please remember that herbals are very powerful and they must always be taken strictly according to instructions. If you are in doubt about the suitability of a herbal supplement, always consult a qualified herbalist or your chosen health care practitioner.

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Promensil provides natural relief from the symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes and night sweats. Promensil also maintains general well-being and bone health at this important stage of a woman's life. A medical review of over 600 studies concluded that phytoestrogens exhibit physiological changes in humans and estrogenic changes in postmenopausal women. The results were so encouraging that the authors recommend further studies to assess the role of phytoestrogens in cancer prevention.