Red and yellow fruit for bone health
You may know about getting enough calcium to help protect your bones from osteoporosis and keep them healthy. Keeping your bones healthy takes a bit more than that. There are many things that contribute to taking care of your bones as you get older.
Eating lots of red and orange fruit and vegetables may help to [...]
Why you should be eating turmeric
Turmeric is a bright yellow spice related to ginger, used commonly in asian cooking like curries. Turmeric is a major component of curry powder and gives mustard its bright yellow color. It has been found to have major healthy benefits mainly because of its anti-inflammatory properties with virtually no side effects.
In a review of over [...]
Can you lose weight with your Nintendo Wii?
The Wii video game is probably one of the most popular, if not the most popular games console in the world. It’s not hard to see why. It’s not geared towards the typical market for traditional video game consoles ie the young caucasian male. It’s easy for almost anyone, even the technologically challenged, to [...]
Stay fit after 45
Everyone’s going to get old eventually but some of us will feel it sooner than others. Research has shown that levels of of fitness tend to go down gradually as we get older but that fitness levels take a nosedive after the age of 45.
A group of men and women underwent medical exams over a [...]
Tip for a healthy retirement- work!
That may be the last thing you want to hear after working hard for so many years so that you can enjoy your golden years in peace and tranquility. But research has shown that people who continue to work part-time or do some form of temping after they retire are less likely to suffer [...]
Lessons from a bra fitting.
It’s truly amazing the funny little things that happen to change our little prejudices and misconceptions about other people and life in general.
I visit the lingerie section of one of my favourite department stores quite regularly. They have a special bra section for the DD+ cup sizes. I remember breezing past smugly on many occasions [...]
Premature menopause may increases lung cancer risk
Although smoking cigarettes is the major cause of lung cancer, several factors can increase the risk of developing this disease. A new study has found that early artificial menopause may increase a woman’s risks of getting lung cancer.
The study suggests that medically induced menopause, especially through removal of both ovaries, can double younger [...]
Menopause skin care: Got SPF?
Each time summer rolls around, lots of advice surfaces everywhere reminding you to wear sunscreen while you’re sun worshipping. The timing of these articles e.t.c. can be a bit misleading in a way because it makes it seem as if you should only pay attention to sun protection in the summer. That is a big [...]
Being overweight or obese increases uterine cancer risk
Those extra pounds you’re carrying around may be causing you more harm than you think. Women who have a BMI of 25 and above are more likely to have endometrial (uterine ) cancer.
Just a quick reminder, BMI stands for Body Mass Index which is a measure of how much body fat you have. BMI is [...]
Eating meat not linked to breast cancer in older women
Meat is good! Well, it’s not all bad anyway. There are several things that have been linked to breast cancer in postmenopausal women like smoking e.t.c. Well, now it looks like eating meat is not one of them.
Meat produces chemicals called “meat mutagens”, which are thought to cause changes in the DNA in cells. Changes [...]
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and colon cancer
Many women are using (largely synthetic) Hormone Replacement Therapy to relieve menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats even though it has been associated with an increased risk of stroke and breast cancer. If you are one of them then keep reading.
The results of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a large study carried out [...]
Smoking more dangerous for women
There may be more evidence to suggest that women are more likely to suffer from the adverse effects of tobacco than men.
A study carried out in Switzerland examined the records of 683 people who were referred to a lung cancer centre from 2000 to 2005. They found that even though the women they examined smoked [...]
Hysterectomy : Keeping ovaries may prolong your life
Traditionally, if a woman over 40 is having a hysterectomy she is advised to have her ovaries taken out to reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer. While this is very good advice if you are at high risk of developing ovarian cancer, it’s not necessarily the best advice for other women.
Risks of removing your [...]
What are superfoods?
Superfoods are everywhere including your local supermarket and super don’t have to be expensive.
What are superfoods?
Superfoods are foods that are so good for you that they can help lower your blood pressure, reduce your cancer risk, reduce your cholesterol levels and heart disease risks, help with diabetes and much more, usually without any side effects. [...]
Purple tomatoes for better health?
Forget about the lovely bright red tomatoes we’re all used to. Researchers in Britain have developed a strain of tomatoes that are purple. Normal tomatoes already have lots of antioxidants but these super tomatoes have very high levels of anthocyanins which are thought to fight cancer, protect against heart disease, improve eyesight and maybe even [...]
One tablet a month could help osteoporosis after menopause
One tablet (150mg) of the drug ibandronate (Boniva) a month could help women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Boniva is related to the drugs Fosamax and Actonel both of which are available to be taken by mouth daily or weekly. All these are all drugs which help to prevent and treat osteoporosis after menopause. Boniva can be [...]
Postmenopausal women, sleep and stroke
Postmenopausal women who get less than 6 hours sleep or more than 9 hours a day are more likely to develop ischemic stroke than those who sleep for 7 hours. Women who slept more than 9 hours a day were over 70% more likely, and those who slept less than 6 hours were 14% more [...]
When will you have your menopause
There are a good number of us that would like to know the answer to that question and soon there may be an answer.
Research into the hormone anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) suggests that analysis of this hormone may be able to predict when menopause will occur.
AMH is produced in women and can be detected from the [...]
Can chocolate prevent heart disease in postmenopausal women?
Scientists at the University of East Anglia in the UK are carrying out a study to see if chocolate can reduce the risk of developing heart disease in post-menopausal women with type 2 diabetes.
Chocolate is made out of cocoa which is rich in substances called flavonoids which are thought to be good for the heart. [...]
How to use natural progesterone cream
Use natural, bioidentical progesterone cream for progesterone deficiency and estrogen dominance symptoms and PMS
More and more women are using bioidentical hormones to relieve menopause symptoms. Natural progesterone cream can be used to manage a number of problems that are related to hormonal imbalance.
General guidelines for using natural progesterone
PMS
Hysterectomy
Premenopausal women
Fibrocystic breast disease
Endometriosis
Menstrual migraine headaches
General guidelines for [...]
Calcium and osteoporosis
Menopause is a condition that many women dread, mostly because they don’t know exactly what to expect. One of the most common symptoms of menopause is osteoporosis. Virtually every woman will have osteoporosis to varying degrees after menopause. The severity will depend on factors like heredity and how much care you took of your body [...]
Obese women and cancer testing
Obese women are less likely to have mammograms and pap smears (screening tests for breast cancer and cervical cancer) than women who are not. In view of the epidemic of obesity that is sweeping across the US, this is a problem. This problem was found more amongst white women than black women who were more [...]
Uterine fibroids more severe in black women
A study in the American Journal of obstetrics has shown that there are marked differences in the way uterine
fibroids present in black women and white women.
In black women:
fibroids tended to be discovered at an earlier age
they were more likely to have severe disease
they had more severe menstrual pain and
they had fewer days between periods
compared to [...]
February – Heart health for women
The month of february is here again when we remind ourselves that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women in the U.S. Many women still don’t know. Of the ones that do, many don’t take it seriously. Heart disease has always been popularly considered a male disease, the stereotype being the middle-aged executive [...]
Dieting and weight loss – black women vs white
Go organic for better health
Flavonoids are chemicals that are found in abundance in foods like berries, apples and grapes e.t.c. Research has shown that flavonoids protect against cardiovascular disease which includes heart disease and stroke and possibly other diseases you are more likely to get as you get older like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Tomatoes are naturally very rich [...]
How to start exercising
How do you start exercising when you’re not used to an active lifestyle? You may be eating a healthy diet with lots of fruit and vegetables and find that you’re still not losing weight or even worse, that you’re putting on more weight. You may want to start exercising but you don’t know where to [...]
Menopausal weight gain – tips for menopause weight loss
Menopausal weight gain (also known as middle age spread) is common from about age 40 and onwards. At this time you may find yourself putting on weight or find that it becomes difficult to prevent weight gain post menopause even though you are still eating the same amount of food.
Causes of menopausal weight gain
Menopausal weight [...]
Lose your fat – Strength training may be the answer
Strength training may reduce the amount of fat generally as well as inside the abdomen according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This is particularly true for premenopausal women who are overweight or obese.
A group of overweight/obese women of various ethnic backgrounds were assigned to either have supervised strength training twice [...]
Menopausal weight gain – weight loss the Alli way
Alli (pronounced Al-eye), the new diet pill from drug giant Glaxo Smith Kline, has been hyped as the solution to all your weight loss troubles, and best of all, it’s available over the counter, ie you can get it without a prescription at your local drugstore. Personally, I’m a bit skeptical and careful when it [...]
Menstrual Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)- new tampon to reduce risk
A new tampon that will reduce the risk of developing menstrual Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) will soon be on the market.
Toxic shock syndrome occurs when a bacteria found commonly in menstruating women overgrows, producing some poisonous chemicals called toxins. These toxins are released into the blood where they cause the blood pressure to drop so [...]
Massage techniques and aromatherapy
There are various techniques of massage that have been used since ancient times to heal the body and relieve stress. It can be very useful in this age of long commutes and busy lifestyles. It can also be used to treat various ailments such as sinusitis, headaches, insomnia and high blood pressure. Massage can be [...]
Detoxify for better health – Where do you get your energy from?
These are measures you can introduce into your lifestyle over a period of time until they become a part of you.
Watch what you put in your mouth.
Stop drinking coffee.
Stop smoking.
Eat lean cuts of meat.
Avoid transfats.
Avoid diet foods e.g. diet cola, which contain Nutrasweet.
Use Stevia which is a natural herbal sweetenerwhich is several times sweeter than [...]
Irritable bowel syndrome and Zelnorm
The drug tegaserod maleate marketed as Zelnorm by Novartis and widely prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome was withdrawn from the US market in March this year by the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration). This was due to a link between Zelnorm and an increase in “ischemic cardiovascular events”, meaning reduced blood supply to some [...]
Can you increase your energy levels by getting rid of toxins?
In life, the simple things often have the greatest impact on us, like learning how to increase your energy levels by getting rid of toxins in your body. Do you feel like you’re slowing down? Worn out and stretched thin trying to cram more and more activities into your busy life? This may be just [...]
Going off the pill at perimenopause? Talk to your doctor.
The greatest number of unplanned pregnancies occur in teenagers. The age group with the second largest number of unplanned pregnancies is…. women in their late 30s and early 40s. This might be less surprising if you understand what is going on at this time.
Why you should not go off birth control pills during perimenopause
From [...]
Black women more likely to die from breast cancer
African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women.
Although black women are less likely than their white counterparts to develop breast cancer, they are more likely to die from it. African
American women are also more likely to see their doctor when the disease is at an advanced stage. Continue [...]
Obesity may be good for your health after all!
New research into relationships between obesity has yielded some very interesting results. One study showed that people who had treatment for unstable angina for example, in the form of heart surgery ( angioplasty and insertion of a stent) were less likely to die if they were obese or very obese. This went against all expected [...]
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer accounts for about 5% of cancers in women. 95% of cancers affecting the ovaries are benign (non-cancerous).
Risk factors for ovarian cancer
Your chances of developing ovarian cancer are higher:
If you are over 40 years, especially over 50.
If you have never had children.
If you started menstruating early and have a late menopause.
If there is a [...]
Obese women less likely to have cancer screening
Women that are very obese are more likely to develop cancers of various types. Unfortunately, it has been found that this group of women are the ones most likely to skip scheduled cancer screenings including mammograms and pap smears.
Analysis of the information gathered from the National Health Interview carried out in 2000 came to this [...]
Exercise increases “good” cholesterol
If you’re not exercising already, here’s another good reason to do so. According to a report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a review of previously-published studies showed that aerobic exercise (the kind that gets your heart pumping fast) can help increase the levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol in your body. The increase [...]
Post-menopausal? Soy nuts may lower your blood pressure
Are you post-menopausal? Do you have high blood pressure? Well, help may be at hand. A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that blood pressure was reduced by eating soy. Continue reading here…
Having a hysterecomy? – 5 reasons to hang on to your ovaries
About 600 hysterectomies are performed in the U.S every year and about half or these are accompanied by removal of apparently normal ovaries. The reasoning behind this is that it reduces the occurrence of ovarian cancer, i.e. if your ovaries aren’t there, then they can’t become cancerous.
Ovarian cancer is not common – about 1 [...]
Breast cancer – Fewer women having mammograms
Fewer American women are having mammograms to screen for breast cancer. This is according to a study carried out by the National Cancer Institute and the Center For Disease Control. The opposite had been the case for 20 years before the period of the study with increasing numbers of women having mammograms each year.
Why are [...]
Surviving menopause: Osteoporosis, Calcium and Vitamin D
As menopause approaches, many women begin to worry about osteoporosis and how to prevent it.
This is something to be concerned about because the drop in estrogen production which occur after menopause causes an increase in bone loss leading to fragile bones.
Factors which increase the risk of developing osteoporosis include:
low bone density (thickness of your bones) [...]
Better to have breast cancer than a hip fracture
Women over 65 are more likely to die if they have a hip fracture than if they are diagnosed with breast cancer. This finding was presented by a team of investigators at the American Geriatric Society’s annual meeting.
In the study, women who had hip fractures tended to be older, better educated, have lower BMI (body [...]
Are you more likely to get ovarian cancer if you use HRT?
A new study carried out by the Lancet, a medical journal in th U.K. has shown an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer in women who use HRT (hormone replacement therapy). It also showed that the affected women were more likely to die from the disease than women who were not on HRT. This was [...]
No link between abortion and breast cancer
A new study released by Harvard yesterday has once again discounted the link between abortion and breast cancer. This confirms an earlier conclusion reached by a panel of expert put together by the National Cancer Institute in 2003. Earlier reports of an increased risk of breast cancer associated with previous abortions was derived from women [...]
Treatment information for chronic headaches
Treating chronic headaches – general measures
There are several things you can do to relieve migraine headaches. Many don’t involve medication and may also increase the effectiveness of any medicine you take:…..read more
Major risk factors for heart disease – how do you get heart disease?
Risk factors are those things you do or conditions you may be suffering from that increase your chances of getting a particular disease.
What causes heart disease?
High blood cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is produced by the liver and is used for various things in the body.The liver produces cholesterol which is then carried as [...]
Wean yourself off synthetic hormones
Are you using synthetic hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopause symptoms? You may be worried by some of the bad news you’ve been hearing about the risks involved. On the other hand you may be asking yourself how you’re going to survive without HRT.
Well you don’t have to. You can opt for bioidentical hormone replacement [...]
Heart disease
You’ve probably been hearing about how the month of February is Heart Health month in the U.S. The aim is to increase awareness about heart disease. The American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women” campaign and “The Heart Truth” campaign are aimed particularly at women.
What is Heart Disease?
Heart disease is a broad term which people [...]
What is "The Heart Truth"?
“The Heart Truth” campaign was started by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to increase awareness of heart disease in women in the US and has been having some measure of success. As of the year 2000 only about 30% of American women were aware of the fact that heart disease is a major [...]
More on HRT and breast cancer
Last month researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center announced that the incidence of breast cancer in the United States had dropped by just over 7% in 2003. This drop came after the WHI brought out a report showing an increase in the risks for breast cancer and stroke for women taking [...]
Relaxation
Being relaxed is essential for your general wellbeing. It increases energy levels, helps to lower blood pressure and relieve frequent headaches. It can also help you to cope better with problems of everyday life whether at home or at work. It also helps you to have a more positive attitude when dealing with menopausal symptoms.
Deep [...]
What are the side effects of progesterone? Should I expect the same from a natural bioidentical progesterone cream?
The side effects associated with progesterone are usually found with the synthetic progesterones known as progestins. Manufacturers take the bioidentical progesterone produced from plant sources and change the structure to achieve various results e.g. give it longer lasting effects. The body recognizes these substances as foreign and so reacts to them in various ways leading [...]
How does stress affect health? – Coping with stress
Where do I start?
Try and identify stress factors in your life and off-load those you can do without. This may require some soul-searching and honesty on your part.
Do you know how to say “No!”? Taking on added responsibilities which you can’t really cope with especially when they’re pushed on you by other people, can be [...]
How does stress affect health?
What is stress?
Stress is basically anything that causes you physical or mental strain. The amount of stress that is generated by any condition also depends on how you react to that situation.
Not all stress is bad. In fact every human being needs a little stress in their lives to stimulate them to e.g. meet a [...]
Early menopause and it's causes
Most women expect to continue having a monthly period and be able to have children well into their 40s, though maybe with greater difficulty. So it can be a nasty shock for some women when they start having menopausal symptoms in their 30s. This can be devastating, and happens in about 1% of women.
What is [...]
Reasons for decreased sex drive in men
A fulfilling relationship is an important contributor to overall sense of well-being during the menopausal years. Understanding the reasons for decreased sex drive in men will help you adjust to some of the changes taking place in your partner.
The main hormone in men is testosterone. As a man gets older there is an increase in [...]
Low estrogen & zinc deficiency
Estrogen is the principal female hormone. It helps to give you most of your feminine characteristics in terms of the feminine shape, feminine patterns of hair growth and breast development. Without estrogen (and progesterone added later) you wouldn’t menstruate.
Estrogen also plays a part in the proper functioning and maintenance of the body e.g. in the [...]
Preventing osteoporosis
Osteoporosis prevention starts well before the menopausal years, during your late teens, 20s and early 30s, when preventing osteoporosis is the last thing on your mind.
Peak bone mass
Peak bone mass (PBM) is the amount of tissue in your bones when they are at their most dense. The higher your peak bone mass, the less likely [...]
Treatment for osteoporosis
What are the features that suggest you might have osteoporosis?
Fractures
If you fracture your hip, wrist or spine after a minor fall e.g. tripping over something in the house, you may have osteoporosis, especially if you are over 40. It is usually not suspected or diagnosed in the early stages. By the time you have a [...]
Osteoporosis
Of all the discomforts and inconvenience, both big and small, you may experience during menopause, one of the most important is osteoporosis.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition in which there is less normal bone than expected for a woman’s age, with an associated increase in the risk of fractures. Essentially, the bones develop lots of [...]
What should I expect when I start using natural progesterone cream?- What are the side effects of bioidentical progesterone?
If your body has very low levels of progesterone, the body tunes down your estrogen receptors making them less sensitive to the estrogen in the body. This is to avoid the negative effects of excess estrogen. When you start using progesterone cream, the body “tunes up” your estrogen receptors. You may start to notice some [...]
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Red and yellow fruit for bone healthYou may know about getting enough... »
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