>  The Seasons of a Woman's LifeThe stages of our lives change with the seasons. I often think of spring as representing menarche and puberty, summer as the child bearing years, fall as the season of peri-menopause, and winter the time of menopause. Women are cyclical beings deeply connected to the cycles of nature, the daily ebb and flow of the tides, the monthly cycle of the moon. Menopause: The Last Big Hormone Shift What is menopause? It is essentially a day in time that marks 12 months since your last menses. Prior to this day, a woman is peri-menopausal and following this day, she is considered postmenopausal. The process of menopause is a transition from the generally stable reproductive years into changing hormone levels, a time often filled with rough waters as our bodies discover a new balance. Perhaps we can think of menopause as a rite of passage into embracing and revisiting our lives as we honor the wisdom of our experiences and the sacredness of life. Menopause: A Time to Change The menopausal transition spans three to nine years, typically starting around age 45, with a range of age 44-56. The transition is dynamic, beginning with longer cycles, then increasing times of amenorrhea until the woman reaches menopause, defined by 12 months without a period. During this time, estrogen fluctuates and becomes low around the time of menopause and post menopause. The many fluctuations of hormones affect the brain, which in turn affects the hormones. Hormone Therapy: Is It Risky for You And Me? Let us take a moment and reflect on what we know and practice making informed choices about hormone therapy that takes into account your unique body, situation and risk factors. Breast Cancer Prevention and Awareness Breast cancer is both the most frequently diagnosed cancer and most feared disease in women. Over the past 25 years breast cancer rates worldwide have increased and mortality has decreased especially in the western industrialized countries. The decrease in deaths is thought to be related to early detection and improved treatments. An Integrative Approach to Healing Depression Depression is a common problem with at least eight percent of adults in the United States suffering from serious depression and some estimates of the problem are as high as 17%. Women are at a higher risk for depression and have a 20% chance of becoming depressed in their lifetime. Hope for Healing Chronic Pain Chronic recurring pain is triggered by the nervous system and affects both the body and mind. Pain without relief can affect one’s ability to sleep, eat, work, and result in significant depres- sion, irritability and anxiety. The cause of chronic pain varies from injuries, long term illnesses, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, trauma and cancer to inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, to name a few. Healing Fatigue and Feeling Alive Are you starting the New Year tired, run down, stressed, fatigued? Perhaps it is time to check in with your health care provider to discover the cause of your fatigue and to receive an annual physical and labs. Blood Sugar Balance and Stress Reduction: The Key to Weight Stability The foundation for building a healthy lifestyle begins with the food we eat. Making changes in our food may mean developing a new relationship with food and learning which foods help decrease inflammation, provide consistent energy and promote healthy blood sugar. Creating Blood Sugar Balance The holidays are here and are often accompanied by stress and foods high in sugar. Do you find yourself more irritable, craving sugar, missing meals, frequenting coffee cafes? Have you noticed that you are fatigued after meals, “have to” have something sweet after dinner, craving sweets and then binging on sweets? Perhaps you are experiencing dysglycemia or an imbalance in sugar metabolism. Take Time to Check Your Blood Pressure Did you know that hypertension is the most common diagnosis in the United States, affecting approximately 50 million people? Consequently, it is imperative that we take time to screen and treat high blood pressure as a part of a preventative health plan. What is Fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome whereby the individual experiences pain throughout the body for at least three months. Your healthcare practitioner will often test tender points on the body and there is pain in at least 11 of the 18 designated sites. The tender point exam is done by applying approximately four kg of pressure to specific points on the body. I Am The Captain of My Soul: Creating a Team for the Treatment of Cancer Cancer is one of the most feared illnesses and it is often a shock when an individual hears that they have cancer. The first step in the journey as a practitioner is to support and listen to the individual. Then provide an easily understandable explanation of the meaning of the pathology report. This includes the type and extent of the cancer. Staging describes the tumor size, extent of spread to lymph nodes and the presence of metastasis. What Can We Do To Prevent Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is an age-related condition in which the bones become so porous and weak that they can break from a minor injury. Fractures most often occur at the spine, hip and wrist. The prevalence of osteoporosis is approximately 10 million people in the United States with 34 million people being at risk. Osteoporosis affects women more than men, however 30% of all hip fractures occur in men. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, a woman’s risk of hip fracture is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. Hypothyroid from an Integrative Perspective I am in awe of the intricate design and interdependence of the many systems of the body. When there is an imbalance within the body, there is an interaction of genetics with an individual response to the environment, the psyche and/or lifestyle over time. Your Digestive System: Creating the Foundation for Health The New Year is a time to give birth to new ideas, new habits, and changes we want to implement in our lives. I often hear people wanting to lose weight, make a commitment to exercise, take more time for self-care and create balance in life. I consider the body as our ground for being in the world, the temple for our spirit and soul. Taking Charge of Your Migraines Migraines are individual and consequently it is necessary to communicate the specifics of your migraine to your doctor. The more you know about your migraine the greater the chances you can interrupt it. Hypothyroid and Hashimoto's Disease Last month I discussed the foundation of health, which included a functioning digestive system, balanced blood sugar, stress reduction and the importance of essential fatty acids. To continue describing the inter-dependence of the many systems of the body, I want to discuss hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s Disease and adrenal function. Preventing Heart Disease How does your heart reflect the state of your life? Your relationships? Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women. Cardiovascular (CVD) disease generally refers to coronary artery disease which is a chronic disease in which the coronary arteries gradually harden and narrow. Will Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Help Me Lose Weight? The use of human Chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) for the treatment of obesity was first used and made popular by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons back in the 1970s. Since that time, there have been some studies looking at the effectiveness of HCG in weight loss. The purpose of this article is to summarize Simeons’s approach, present a summary of the research and then offer some guidelines for you to make an informed choice should you decide to seek out this or some other treatment. Healthy Relationships: Some Pearls to Enhance Your Connection As Valentines’ day approaches, take a few moments to check in on your relationship, both with yourself and with your partner. What is going on when conflict arises? There is often blame, competition to be right or perhaps one partner gives in and eventually resentment boils over. Anger drives and fuels the conflict, which may escalate or move underground. Where does conflict resolution beg Maca: Ancient Plant Intelligence from the Peruvian Andes One of my favorite botanicals to bring harmony and balance to the mind, body and consciousness is Lepidium Peruvianum, also known as Maca. Lepidium Peruvianum grows in the central Peruvian Andes at 12–14,000 feet. Maca has been utilized by the people of Peru for thou sands of years to maintain health, to enhance stamina, address infertility and to balance female hormones. Maca has high nutritional value as it is rich in minerals and contains thiamine, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, phytosterols, alkaloids, protein and carbohydrates. Resveratrol: A Gift from the Vine Resveratrol is an antioxidant enzyme highly abundant in the skin of grapes and moderately abundant in blueberries. It protects against oxidative cell damage and speeds cellular repair. Resveratrol is touted as anti-aging, anti-cancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet aggregation, cardiovascular and neuroprotective, plus it is thought of as a phytoestrogen. Honoring the Hawthorne It is spring and May brings us the snow white blossoms of the hawthorn. It is the flower of the heart and a member of the rose family. The hawthorn brings us an abundance of bright red berries in the autumn. Hawthorn is one of my favorite trees as it has an energy of peacefulness and a lightness that encourages the heart to open. I often feel a lifting of my spirit when I walk through a field of blooming hawthorn trees. Swine Flu Seasonal Flu Primer The general seasonal flu and the swine flu are both influenza viruses that spread easily from person to person. Influenza typically comes on suddenly and can cause mild to severe illness. Both types of flu spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing. People may also be infected by touching the surface of something, such as doorknobs, shared keyboards with the flu virus on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Leading from the Heart A 21-year-old woman is denied residential treatment for an eating disorder by her insurance company after her physician recommends treatment and then appeals the denial due to the severity of this individual’s condition. The denial stands. What is Emotional Transformation Therapy? Emotional Transformation Therapy is a form of energy medicine using light, color and peripheral eye stimulation to change old stuck emotions, thoughts, behaviors or states of pain to a healthier, desirable, more empowered experience. ETT was developed by Steven Vazquez, PhD, who practices in Dallas, Texas and teaches throughout the world. Emotional Transformation Therapy and PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the development of distinctive symptoms after exposure to an intense trauma. The individual may have felt personally at risk of serious harm or death or witnessed a traumatic incident. Emotional Transformation Therapy has been effective in the treatment of PTSD. How Can You Use A Medical Intuitive? A medical intuitive has the gift of being able to see the energy system of the body. The premise is that how we think and feel runs the energy in the body. The most common use of an intuitive is to identify the psychological and spiritual issues underlying a particular illness. 
Emerald Center for Integrative Medicine |
