First and foremost… Menopause is NOT a Disease!! (Sometimes the medical community seems to treat it that way – and women then look at themselves as though they are abnormal or sick.) We’ve come a long way since the days that women were shunned into dirty shacks to have their monthly cycles! Now it’s time to shed the same light on the cessation of those cycles.

Menopause is normal; and facing your change of life should be a healthy and positive experience. Simply put, menopause is a marker that signals a change in a woman’s biological life. So let’s delve more deeply into how those changes and our lifestyles, can affect the symptoms that we may experience.

FACT: Estrogen levels, for most menopausal women, only drop to levels below those necessary for pregnancy but remain sufficient for all other normal body functions.

With this in mind, it is actually more accurate to view our menopausal symptoms as abnormalities brought on by our cultural deviation away from a healthy lifestyle. If you have spent decades eating refined and processed food, avoiding exercise and being exposed to a variety of unavoidable xenoestrogens (pesticides, herbicides and petrochemicals), regaining hormone balance may be challenging at best.

But if you are willing to make some changes, there is hope! I must admit, changing my own habits has not been easy. Spending the time and energy to exercise, and actually read labels and make informed choices about what goes into my body, has not always been #1 on my hit parade. But was it worth the effort? Most definitely! Especially the older I get.

A big reason for much of our discomfort is that many of the processed foods we consume are our favorite “comfort foods”. Those yummy, sinful goodies we stuff in our mouths when we’re upset or feel the need to nurture ourselves. Examples of these… anything chocolate, ice cream, donuts, cookies, chips loaded with our favorite dip… you get the picture!! So let’s learn our 10 Commandments to get you on the fast track to a healthier menopause.

Rule #1
Thou shalt not even try and eliminate all decadent treats from your diet… at least not all at once.

Besides, that’s too harsh a step for most of us. Think about it, if we are eating certain foods to nurture ourselves, and then suddenly yank them away, all those parts inside us we’re trying to nurture are going to rebel. And I don’t have to tell you what that leads to – obsessing about food, binging and guilt. Removing the junk food is not meant to be a punishment and shouldn’t be viewed that way. Always remember, you’re doing this to enhance your life and energize your body.

The strategy should be to gradually cut down on the amount you eat. Eat two cookies instead of ten. Eat one-fourth of a bag of chips instead of the whole bag. Eat one bowl of ice cream instead of the entire carton!!

Begin to think of those foods as occasional treats rather than daily sustenance while you find more effective ways to nurture your body and soul. And remember: It takes less time to avoid eating extra calories than to burn them off!!

Also, there are often numerous unresolved emotional issues that play themselves out in the form of emotional eating. Should you recognize this behavior in yourself, please, make every effort to seek out appropriate counseling. These unresolved emotional matters are often at the root of unhealthy eating habits.

Lastly, stop weighing yourself (this was hard for me) and use your dress size as your gauge.

Rule #2
Thou shalt NOT smoke.

Do I need to tell anyone reading this that you need to quit smoking??? If you are a smoker… STOP NOW!

Rule #3
Thou shalt limit alcohol consumption to 1 – 2 drinks a day (or preferably less).

When it comes to alcohol, more than 1-2 small drinks a day will take its toll on your liver, deplete your body of nutrients and put you at a higher risk for cancer and heart disease. Having a drink a week would be a more healthy choice. Note: if you are diabetic or on select medications you should avoid alcohol completely. Be sure to check with your doctor.

Rule #4
Thou shalt avoid hydrogenated fats (trans-fats) and most vegetable oils.

Trans-fats = Higher cancer and heart disease risk.

FACT: Heart disease kills one in two women in the United States.

One of the single most important steps you can take towards better hormone balance and health in general is to eliminate refined oils and hydrogenated fats from your diet as much as possible. This will mean taking an active role in monitoring the ingredients on the labels of all the foods you purchase.

Most trans-fats can be identified on food labels as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and are commonly found in margarine, potato chips, baked goods and candy. But as I scan labels, more and more I find these ingredients prevalent in almost ALL processed foods.

Unsaturated vegetable oils that you commonly find on store shelves such as corn, safflower, sunflower and peanut oils carry a double whammy: they are nearly always rancid (no, it may not smell like it) and the refining process has depleted them entirely of their nutrients.

Rancid oil is notorious for creating a chain reaction similar to rusting metal or the brown color that forms on a cut-up apple. Such reactions are thought to be partially responsible for much of our chronic illness, including heart disease and cancer that runs rampant in our modern society.

It is best to eat a majority of your fats as olive oil (buy the green olive oil, usually this is labeled as extra virgin), white unrefined coconut oil (not the yellow type) and real butter.

Remember, saturated fat (as in butter) is NOT bad for you. It is an excess of this fat that is the culprit. Keep your total calories from fat at about 20 to 25 percent of your total calories.

All three of the above listed fats are very stable and excellent for cooking. A few avocado slices on the side is also a great way to add flavor with good fats!

Rule #5
Thou shalt eat whole, unprocessed foods.

Begin to experiment with cooking and eating fresh, whole, organic, unprocessed foods. They contain all the vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients that are so important for regaining hormone balance.

What does eating whole foods really mean? It means eating whole grains such as:

• Brown Rice
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Bulgur
• Amaranth (really a seed)

Replacing your soft and mushy (virtually nutrition-less) comfort bread with 100% whole grain, or whole wheat breads is a good start. Be aware that most varieties of so called wheat bread are nothing more than white bread with caramel. So, remember to read those labels!!

But eating whole foods also means eating whole unprocessed food with an emphasis on fresh vegetables, raw or lightly steamed.

These may include:

• Beets
• Carrots
• Onions
• Garlic (fabulous anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties to boost your immune system!)
• Squash
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Salad, salad, and salad!

Where are the potatoes? Sorry, be careful of them and try to save them for holidays or an occasional treat. But, should you find yourself craving one, a better way to indulge would be to make the potato the main entree and add a large salad or steamed veggies to accompany it.

And last but not least, eating whole, unprocessed food means eating fresh fruit instead of desserts with white sugar, fructose, corn syrup, brown sugar, maple syrup or honey. Even with these wholesome items please don’t over do them. Sorry, they are still primarily sugar, which will be turned to fat in your body if you don’t burn it off.

Rule #6
Thou shalt limit your dairy intake.

The promotion of milk as a healthy food is a prime example of the triumph of advertising and marketing over science and truth. The current theory is that certain proteins in cow’s milk set off an autoimmune reaction in the pancreas that eventually can destroy the organ’s ability to make insulin, thus leading to diabetes.

It also has a poor calcium to magnesium ratio, is loaded with fat and most of our bodies are intolerant of it. Further more, dairy cows are forced to exist in intolerable, unhealthy conditions and are loaded up with antibiotics and other drugs to compensate.

Then there is the controversial hormone BHT that increases milk production. Picture this: every time you lift that glass to have a big gulp of cold milk, just remember, you’re also getting dosed with all these drugs free of charge!!

If you’re going to consume milk, a better choice would be raw milk or raw goat’s milk which is much more digestible.

Rule #7
Thou shalt eat meat sparingly.

In most of the world meat is considered a treat. There is nothing wrong with meat, but it is a high energy, high fat, concentrated food that most of us, with our sedentary lives, do not need in large quantity to be healthy. Too much protein can cause calcium to be leached from the bones, which contributes to osteoporosis.

Then there is the problem of how beef and poultry are raised and fed. Most live in extremely crowded, unhealthy, unsanitary conditions and fed any number of antibiotics. In the case of beef, growth hormones are widely used. Estrogen pellets are routinely injected into beef cattle to fatten them up for market. Well, guess what? This estrogen still remains in the flesh of these animals when it finally arrives on your dinner table. Although it may only be present in very small quantities, it only takes very small amounts of estrogen to throw YOUR hormones out of balance.

If you eat meat, do yourself a favor and find an organic source (that utilizes no antibiotics, hormones, etc.). It costs more, but it is worth it.

But what about fish, you might ask? After all it is a great source of both protein and omega-3’s, the anti-inflammatory wonder. The primary danger here their high levels of mercury. Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that can do great damage to any organ or systems in the body but has an especially powerful effect on our nervous system.

So what is a person to do? To begin with avoid entirely fish found to have the highest levels of mercury. These include:

• Swordfish
• Shark
• King Mackerel
• Tilefish

Instead, stick with fish found to have the lowest levels mercury. But even these I would limit to once or twice a week:

• Sole
• Trout (farm raised)
• Sockeye Salmon
• Sardines
• Crab (King)
• Perch (freshwater)
• Scallops
• Flounder
• Herring
• Oysters

I know that most of us eat and enjoy (myself included) tuna. But it appears that, although not the most contaminated fish, it falls just below that level. The biggest offender being canned white albacore tuna. Found to have lower contamination values was the canned chunk light tuna.

I would suggest eating smaller portions of these highly concentrated proteins as well as fewer times a week and make every effort to purchase grass-fed hormone free meats. Also, begin replacing meat dishes with legumes, fish and small amounts of yogurt and cheese. Grains such as quinoa and amaranth, as mentioned earlier, are excellent sources of protein. These grains can be found in most health food stores.

Rule #8
Thou shalt eat more fiber.

Lack of fiber causes constipation, which causes all kinds of problems, from gas and indigestion, to varicose veins in the legs and rectum (better known as hemorrhoids). This then causes straining during a bowel movement which also adds to the problem. Bodies that aren’t able to regularly get rid of waste are also more apt to suffer from fatigue, and stomach aches.

Fiber is the indigestible plant matter that passes all the way through the digestive tract. On its way through it has important cleansing effects, absorbing waste products, including fats in the large intestines. One of the other waste products absorbed by fiber is excess estrogen.

So, if you don’t have enough fiber in your diet, the estrogen produced by your body (and that taken in the form of xenoestrogens) may be recycled back into your body. Fiber will lower cholesterol and it has been shown that people eating plenty of fiber have lower rates of all types of cancer, especially colon cancer.

The best possible way to get your fiber is to increase your intake of whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts. No, peanuts don’t count!! A better choice would be raw almonds, cashews and walnuts.

If you want to add additional fiber to your diet, you can take one teaspoon of psyllium seed in eight ounces of water or juice every morning. The pure psyllium you find in the health food store is the same ingredient found in Metamucil and other similar products, without the sweeteners, preservatives and artificial colorings. Please note: When mixing psyllium, stir vigorously and drink it right away.

Rule #9
Thou shalt drink lots of water.

Water is an important key to health. Unfortunately, most of us don’t drink enough of it and are chronically dehydrated. Sure we have our coffee, tea and sodas, but rarely are we found drinking these same amounts of water.

Water is another of nature’s inner cleansers. You take a shower or bath daily, right? Well, drinking plenty of water is like taking an inner shower. It assists your body in clearing wastes and toxins. It also lowers your levels of histamines, which promotes allergic reactions, inflammation and keeps your digestive system functioning smoothly. Oh, and least I forget, it also promotes clear, soft skin.

Dehydration can create an imbalance of minerals, which will disrupt hormone balance. Sadly, most water that comes out of our tap is now polluted beyond the point where it is truly safe to drink and with the addition of chlorine, it generally tastes terrible. Since you can’t always trust commercially bottled water, the best way to get clean water is to put a filter on your kitchen tap. A simple charcoal filter will NOT do the job. Be sure to get the type that filters out chlorine, heavy metals, benzene and bacteria. You do not have to go to the expense of getting a reverse osmosis system – a ceramic or copper/zinc filter will do the job and takes just a few minutes to install.

While we’re on the subject of liquids, let me make a suggestion? Don’t drink your calories. Liquid carbs, in the form of juice, soda and alcohol, can add hundreds calories a day without the nutritional benefits. You’re better off drinking water and eating whole fruit, which has fiber (juice doesn’t unless you are making your own smoothies at home using the whole fruit!). When you have an alcoholic drink, cut back elsewhere in your day to compensate for the calories.

Rule #10
Thou shalt get some exercise.

Most chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, arthritis, and cancer can be traced to poor diet, lack of exercise and the obesity caused by the lack of exercise. The human body is built for movement. Every system in your body, from your organs, circulation and lymph systems to your muscles and bones, performs best for you when it is moved and stretched regularly.

This is especially true of hormone balance. Estrogen is made and stored in fatty tissue, so obesity is a major cause of estrogen dominance. Women who are obese also tend to become insulin resistant, which means sugar isn’t being removed from the blood and utilized properly. This also sets up imbalances in the adrenal glands which affects the reproductive organs.

Your body works as a unit – when one part of it is out of balance, the rest tends to follow.

You don’t need to take up jogging or go to the gym to get adequate exercise, although I do work out myself and have found the benefits worth the effort.

For most people, a brisk twenty – to thirty minute walk daily or every other day will do the job. Gardening, raking leaves, mowing the lawn and shoveling snow are all good exercise. Swimming, bike riding, tennis and golf also work well. Yoga and the Chinese movement exercises such as tai chi and qi gong are excellent for keeping the body toned and supple. Some people dance, take aerobics classes or use exercise videos.

What is important is to find a form (or forms) of exercise that you enjoy and then make it a part of your daily schedule. For most people, planning daily exercise results in actually getting it in three to four days a week… just begin somewhere!!

Lastly, be ready to bend your own rules. A change in marital status or employment, a newly empty nest, mid-life motherhood – all these can affect your habits. Eating well requires ever-evolving strategies that work with your life. Your health and vitality is one of the greatest gifts you have been given. Care for it, nurture it and don’t ever take it for granted.

It’s an unfortunate fact that we spend most of our youth chasing the dollar only to then spend those same dollars attempting to regain our health.

Good physical health not only adds years to your life, But LIFE to your years…

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Invest in yourself ~ Women’s Health Advantage is ready to help!

Are you…

• DONE wishing for better health?
• TIRED of just talking about what to do next?
• READY to make positive changes and live a more vibrant life?
• SUFFERING from health symptoms that are unexplained or unrelieved?
• Are you ready to create optimum wellness and vibrant health?! Ready to feel strong and alive? Then it’s time to get in touch with Jill Redfern at Women’s Health Advantage to assist you in creating your best life ever! Jill can guide you in any dietary, digestion, and nutritional issues and help you get going with vibrant health TODAY! After all, if not now… when?

Jill Redfern is a registered nurse in the Valencia area with 30 years of experience in both traditional and alternative medicine and a pioneer in the field of women’s alternative health and enzyme therapy.