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 calculated using your height and weight to determine if you are underweight (less than 18.5), normal (18.5 to 24.9), overweight (25 to 29.9) or obese (above 30).
Obesity is a known risk factor in perimenopausal women, but a new study has shown that obesity is a factor in women under 45 who get uterine cancer. It showed that women who had their last period before the age of 45 and had a BMI over 35 were 22 times more likely to get uterine cancer than women of the same age group. Women who had a BMI above 25 were 6 times more likely to develop the disease than similar women.
Women who had their last period after the age of 45 and had a BMI above 35 were about 4 times more likely to get ovarian cancer than women of the same age.
The theory behind this is that of “unopposed estrogen”. After menopause (when your periods stop) there is virtually no progesterone or estrogen produced by the ovaries. However, estrogen is produced in the fat cells of the body. The more body fat you have, the more estrogen you produce. Without any progesterone, there is nothing to oppose the estrogen. This leads to a hormonal imbalance which encourages the growth of endometrial cancer.
Obesity increases your chances of getting heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and a host of other problems. It is important to realize that being overweight also increases your chances of developing cancer.
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How to use natural progesterone cream
Filed under: Diet & Weight loss, General, HRT, Hysterectomy, Menopause Treatments, PMS, Pregnancy, Progesterone, Sexuality
Use natural, bioidentical progesterone cream for progesterone deficiency and estrogen dominance symptoms and PMS
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 using bioidentical progesterone cream
- Spread the cream thinly over a large area of skin for maximum absorption.
- Make sure skin is clean and clear of cosmetics. Do not apply other skin creams in the same area on the same day.
- Apply to areas like the breasts, chest, inner thighs, buttocks and neck where skin is thinnest.
- Don’t be concerned about getting the exact amount of cream correct. The progesterone is absorbed continuously from the skin.
- If you are using a large dose, split it. Use 1/3 of the dose in the morning and 2/3 at bedtime. The higher dose is especially useful if you have trouble sleeping at night.
- Buy good quality bioidentical progesterone cream from a reputable vendor. You have to be careful for the following reason
- the cream will not be effective if it is not suspended in the right medium
- creams containing mineral oil will not be absorbed properly
- the progesterone in some creams is not properly stabilized so it breaks down fast, making the cream useless
- some products containing wild yam extract don’t contain any progesterone
- some creams contain other chemicals that may cause allergic reactions and rashes
Dosage guidelines
PMS
Start counting with the first day of your period as day 1. Starting on day 12, apply 1/2 teaspoon of cream morning and night until day 26. If your period starts before day 26, stop using the cream. Once you see your period, start counting day 1 again, then start the cream on day 12. This dose should help relieve your symptoms much faster. When they are less severe, you can reduce the dose to 1/4 teaspoon twice a day.
Hysterectomy
Whether your ovaries have been removed or not, choose a day of the month (the 1st day is easiest to remember) and count it as day 1. Start applying the cream on that day,1/4 teaspoon morning and night until day 25 when you stop. From day 25 to the end of the month do not apply any cream. Start again on the 1st day of the new month. If you have just had a hysterectomy, you may double the dose to 1/2 teaspoon twice a day for the first month if your symptoms are very severe.
If you experience severe hot flashes and vaginal dryness, you may wish to use a combined estrogen/progesterone cream.
Premenopausal women
Whether you are menstruating regularly or irregularly, use 1/4 teaspoon cream twice daily starting from day 12 (the 1st day of your period is day 1). Stop applying the cream on day 26. When you see your period start counting again until day 12 then start applying the cream again.
If you have irregular periods, it may take up to 3 months for them to become regular.
Fibrocystic breast disease
Use 1/4 teaspoon of cream twice daily from the middle of your cycle till you have your period, then stop, repeat again from midcycle. After 3 to 4 months, symptoms should have improved so the dose can be reduced.
Endometriosis
Use 1/4 teaspoon daily starting from day 8 to the end of your cycle. Once symptoms are reduced you can start applying the cream from day 12 until your period starts.
Menstrual migraine headaches
Use the cream for the 10 days before you expect your period e.g. if you have a 30 day cycle, start on day 20, a 26 day cycle, start on day 16 etc. Use 1/4 teaspoon twice daily.
When you get the familiar feeling or aura that comes before your migraine, apply 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cream every 3-4 hours until symptoms have subsided. Applying the cream directly to the neck or temples may bring faster relief for hormonal headaches.
Dieting and weight loss - black women vs white
No matter what your what your ethnic origins, if you’re overweight or obese, losing weight is important for better health and a longer life. However, some research has found that black women are less likely to ask for health from a doctor, a physical trainer or even to join a weight loss program to lose weight compared to white women.
Apparently, both black and white women were concerned about their appearance and weight. In spite of this white women were more likely to be pushed by this concern into taking action about their weight. Concerns about the health risks of being overweight or obese were not the primary reasons for women trying to lose weight.
Cultural beliefs may affect the way in which women chose to access health information. This may mean that the available methods of disseminating information about weight loss and dieting etc may not be completely acceptable to black women and possibly other ethnic minorities.
