Does hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for your menopause make
your blood run cold? Many women are faced with the potential
risks associated with HRT. First, let's take a quick look at the
three stages of menopause.

Menopause begins in your early 40s as your ovaries gradually
produce less and less of the hormone estrogen. Your periods
become erratic sometimes skipping a month or alternating between
light and heavy.

The next period of time is the transitioning to actual menopause.
During this time you may continue to have erratic periods and
the "fun stuff" begins to settle in for a long visit. Yes, fun
stuff like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings and insomnia
are some of the symptoms.

The final and actual onset of menopause usually occurs in your
early 50s and is represented by the absence of your period for a
full 12 months. It's those in between years that can wreak havoc
in your life.

Are there natural alternatives for chemical HRT? The good news
is yes! It's a sad fact that less than two percent of doctors
even mention alternative therapies and that most of them feel
there is no benefit. Thousands of women would disagree. Here
are just a few of the many natural alternatives:

Try adjusting your diet to include vegetables and fish that are
high in Omega-3 as they contain nutrients that can help your body
deal with menopause naturally. Conversely, there are foods that
can make your menopausal symptoms worse. Caffeine, sugar, fatty
dairy products, salt, alcohol and saturated oils can aggravate
the symptoms.

Be sure and take a daily multivitamin making certain that the
vitamin contains 100% of the daily allowance for nutrients. Just
be aware that vitamins are no substitute for following a healthy
diet.

If menopause causes mood swings, it only makes sense that it's
possible to experience extreme responses for stress. Try using
deep breathing techniques, meditation or some other methods of
relaxation that works for you and practice the technique for 10
to 20 minutes per day. You will be left feeling calmer, more
able to cope and more in control.

Exercising regularly can also help alleviate menopausal symptoms.
Scheduling at least 30 minutes of exercise three times a week
will relieve hot flashes. You will be able to think more clearly
and reduce your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.

Some women have found relief through yoga and acupressure. Both
are mainstays of practitioners of eastern medicine.

Last, but not least, we come to herbal treatments. Beans and
certain other plants have a mild estrogenic activity in their
makeup thanks to "phytoestrogens." These are compounds that
include isoflavins, lignans, phytoseterols and saponins. In
additional to helping your body through menopause, animal
experiments show they are significantly effective in preventing
tumors of the breast tissue.

Without sending you off for a medical dictionary to understand
the compounds listed above, here are some of the foods and herbs
that contain healthy compounds: Soy, black cohosh, licorice,
alfalfa, chasteberry, Chinese angelica, red clover, strawberry,
celery stalks, dates, elder, false unicorn root, fennel, Honduran
sarsaparilla, lady's slipper, liferoot, Mexican wild yams,
passion flower, pomegranates and sassafras.

The foods, of course, are available from your local grocery.
Visit your local health food store where you should be able to
find the herbs and methods to include them in your daily diet.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.



About the author:
Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News
where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on
many medical, health and lifestyle topics.