Fw: WHA Health Flash #129: Nutrition and PMS

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I do not sell any products or have any affiliation with this company. However, I thought some excellent information was provided in this message.

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Martha MurdockNational Silicone Implant Foundationwww.topica.com/lists/BreastImplantNews/

----- Original Message ----- From: Barry Mizes

womenshealth@...

Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2002 3:45 PM

Subject: WHA Health Flash #129: Nutrition and PMS

Dear Friends: Nutrition for PMS and menopause is an important topic to discuss. Premenstrual symptoms affect up to 40 percent of women of reproductive age, with approximately 5 percent of women reporting symptoms sufficiently severe to disrupt work and normal daily activities. Because diet is known to influence blood serum sex-hormone levels, a great interest in dietary management of premenstrual symptoms has arisen.Menopause is a natural event that typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 60. Since women are living longer, on average 20-40 years after the end of the reproductive years, developing osteoporosis and heart disease may become more of a reality, not just a risk. In addition to your natural hormone replacement therapy (which typically includes estrogen, progesterone, and possibly an androgen), diet is very important in taking care of yourself after menopause.Eating Healthy:Instead of the traditional "three square meals a day” women prone to PMS and women in menopause should try eating three small meals and three snacks daily. Eating starchy food every three hours helps to stabilize the blood sugar level. A steady blood sugar level helps us avoid energy highs and lows. Complex carbohydrates such as green, leafy vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and legumes are good staples and they help prevent osteoporosis, heart disease, and breast cancer.Whole grains and proteins are good staples in a healthy PMS diet. It is also best to limit caffeine and sugar, since they can worsen symptoms. Eat a low-fat diet, and try to avoid saturated fat altogether. Omega-3 fatty acids may have a role in preventing heart disease in post-menopausal women. Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (mackerel, herring, tuna, sardines, salmon, and shellfish).“I always knew diet was important,” says Katharina Dalton, M.D. “What I didn’t realize in the early years, is just how important diet is in controlling premenstrual syndrome.” Dr. Dalton's name is synonymous with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), a phrase she coined in England in the 1950s. As a physician and women's health pioneer, she first identified this disruptive cyclic phenomenon. Her classic book, “Once a Month”, set the standard for the many books and PMS studies. "A three-hourly starchy diet is essential, but now we know why. It's the progesterone receptors," she says. "Modern work has shown us that progesterone receptors which help progesterone bind to our DNA will not work if adrenaline is present, and adrenaline is released when our blood sugar level is low."Dr. Dalton uses the term "starchy foods" rather than carbohydrates because carbohydrates also include simple sugars, which can cause blood sugar levels to rapidly rise and fall. Women with PMS frequently crave and binge on high-sugar food and drinks before menstruation. "This actually creates self-induced hormonal imbalances,” Dr. Dalton says. The starches she recommends are complex carbohydrates such as whole grain breads, crackers, pasta, popcorn, pizza, pancakes, cereals, potatoes, and rice dishes. Women won't gain weight if they eat normal amounts of food, divided into six snacks instead of three meals. In fact, she adds, by decreasing the bloatedness and water retention that come along with PMS, women may actually lose weight.For women in menopause, cut down on the amount of animal protein in your diet. Eating too much protein leaches calcium from your bones. We suggest limiting caffeine, carbonated soft drinks, nicotine, and alcohol, as all of these are associated with bone loss.Avoid hot and spicy foods and drinks. Some women find that hot drinks like coffee or tea, spicy foods, or alcohol can bring on hot flashes; “Highly seasoned food is also a hot flash trigger,” says Giblin, President and Founder of PRIME PLUS/Red Hot Mamas, a menopause management and education program. So it may be best to skip the spicy Buffalo wings at the office get-together. If you notice an association between something you eat or drink and a hot flash, try avoiding that food or beverage and see if your hot flashes are reduced.Supplements: Calcium. The calcium requirement after menopause is 1,500mg total daily taken with meals for better absorption. This includes any supplements taken as well as the calcium in the diet. Women in menopause should also be taking between 400 to 800 I.U. of vitamin D a day. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, and as we get older our bodies are less able to absorb vitamin D from sunlight. When choosing a calcium supplement, read the labels carefully. The most important piece of information to look for is the amount of elemental calcium (the kind your body needs) contained in the supplement. Some formulations of calcium contain less elemental calcium than others.Foods to Eat: ·Lean meat·Fish·Low fat milk, cheese, and yogurt·Whole grain breads, cereals, and pasta·Legumes (lentils, beans) ·Green, leafy vegetables·Fresh fruit (moderate amounts--it’s high in sugar--best with small amounts of protein or complex carbohydrates, for example: ½ banana with 3 whole wheat crackers) ·Plain popcorn·Unsalted pretzelsFoods to Avoid: ·Salty lunch meat, sausage, bacon·High fat cheeses such as brie·White bread, cake, cookies·Jam, honey, molasses·High salt snacks like potato chips·Caffeinated drinks, coffee, tea, soda·AlcoholFurther reading and information:Nutrition for Women: The Complete Guide by Somer, M.A., R.D. Click here to order online.March Special:To help with your nutritional supplementation, our March Special is: ProCycle and ProCycle Gold vitamins. These are our primary recommended multi-vitamin and mineral supplements. Regularly $14.95 and $15.95; purchase them this month and receive 10% off! Click here to order online.New Education Service from Women's Health America!Sign up for our new free six-week course on PMS, Perimenopause, or Menopause. Visit our website at http://www.womenshealth.com/minicourses.html and subscribe today!HORMONE LEVEL TESTING As the ability to measure and monitor hormones becomes more precise, women and their providers have the option of testing hormone levels to determine if there is a hormone deficiency, and to assess dosage requirements.To determine if you are a candidate for natural hormone replacement therapy, Women’s Health America provides saliva testing for hormone level monitoring. Visit our website at www.womenshealth.com for more information about BioBalance and RestoreSM Clinical Services. If you are a health professional, please contact us at 1-800-558-7046 for information about referring patients to our programs. We encourage you to visit our updated website on PMS that includes symptom evaluation, easy-to-read information about PMS, and treatment options at http://www.womenshealth.com/gma/pmsgma.html To your good health, Marla Ahlgrimm, R.Ph. Women's Health America 1289 Deming WayMadison, Wi 53717 www.womenshealth.com 1-800-558-7046 toll-free voice number 1-888-898-7412 fax Disclaimer This information is provided for educational use only and is not intended for diagnostic purposes. Please consult with your health care provider for further information. New Products from WHA: Advanced Vaginal Moisturizing Cream, $19.95 Our vaginal cream is intended for women whose chief complaints are vaginal irritation, dryness,itching, and painful intercourse. These symptoms are commonly caused by Atrophic Vaginitis, a skincondition of the vulva and vagina. It occurs when the hormone estrogen is out of balance in thebody. Atrophic Vaginitis can occur at any age, but is more common in menopausal women. Click here to order online. Active Ingredients: aloe vera gel, vitamin E, proprietary herbal blend of chamomile, comfrey, goldenseal, and grapefruitseed extract. Natural Progesterone Cream, $24.95 Our Natural Progesterone Cream is an advanced, transdermal cream designed for women of all ageswho experience symptoms relating to PMS, menopause, and osteoporosis. Transdermal dosingdelivers continuous, consistent absorption. Our progesterone cream is derived from wild yam andsoy and is bioidentical to the hormones produced in the body. Click here to order online.Active Ingredient: USP natural progesterone extracted from wild yam and derived from soy. Natural Progesterone plus PhytoEstrogen Cream, $29.95 Our two-in-one transdermal cream is designed to balance the female hormonal system naturally. Theformulation is different from other progesterone creams because it is one-half natural progesterone(derived from wild yam and soy) and one-half natural phytoestrogens. Click here to order online.Ingredients: USP natural progesterone extracted from wild yam and soybean, with natural phyto-estrogens extracted fromblack cohosh, licorice, wild yam, red clover blossom, and dong quai. Maximum Performance Gel For Men, $24.95 Natural Androstenedione Cream is an advanced transdermal cream for men. It is designed to increasetestosterone levels naturally. Natural Androstenedione Cream: Converts to testosterone in the body. Increases muscle strength and endurance. Promotes weight loss by increasing fat metabolism through thermogenesis. Improves memory; increases energy; increases libido.Click here to order online. Active Ingredients: androstenedione, progesterone, liposomes, grapefruit seed extract, and vitamin E acetate. Longevity Gel For Men, $29.95 Longevity Gel For Men is an anti-aging formulation of DHEA, progesterone, pregnenolone, andandrostenedione. This formula for men contains the “mother” steroid pregnenolone, which has manybenefits including memory enhancement and anti-depressant effects. It enhances the DHEA levels byfueling the biosynthetic pathway with its primary precursor. An increasing number of scientificstudies show that pregnenolone may increase resistance to stress through its impact on adrenalfunction. Longevity Gel for Men: Converts to testosterone in the body. Increases muscle strength, endurance, and libido. Promotes weight loss. Improves memory. Strengthens immune system.Click here to order online. Active Ingredients: DHEA, progesterone, pregnenolone, androstenedione, phenoxyethanol, menthylparaben, andpeppermint oil. All of these new creams and gels can be ordered online, or you may call toll free at 1-800-558-7046 to order any of these items. 1. The archives for past issues of the Health Flash are at www.womenshealth.com/hf_archive.html 2. We encourage your comments on the content of the Health Flash. In particular, if you have a topicthat you would like us to address, please let us know by sending an email towha@... , or you can complete our feedback form on our website atwww.womenshealth.com/formwhaemail.html 3. If you have questions on any topic concerning women's health, please feel free to contact us at theemail or website address shown in item 2. Questions that might benefit all of our subscribers may beincluded anonymously in one of our Health Flash Letters. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to: womenshealth-unsubscribe@... © Women's Health America, Inc. ==^================================================================

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