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Menopause

By Dr. Margret Holland, B.Sc., N.D.

Menopause: that time in a woman’s life when she no longer needs to worry about her menstrual cycle. The life of freedom and release from the monthly hormonal shifts that cause extreme moodiness, appetite changes, headaches, bloating, etc.

Imagine a life free from all those monthly aggravations. Reality is often different from the dream. Menopause is often accompanied with weight gain, indigestion, palpitations, shortness of breath, bowel function changes, urinary incontinence, insomnia and the ever popular hot flushes.

What is most unfair is that those who suffered the most with their menstrual cycle usually have the most difficulty with menopausal symptoms.

The body is very sensitive to hormonal fluctuations. Failures of the body to smoothly shift through the monthly hormonal surges of the menstruating woman will most likely continue through menopause and beyond.

The female body is a wonderfully designed entity. With our monthly purging of the uterine lining we are also detoxifying and releasing accumulated acids within our bodies. It has be postulated that women live longer than men because of this monthly cleansing ritual.

It certainly can not be denied that once this detoxifying process ceases we develop a host of symptoms that were not previously part of our personal repetoire. We will now need to draw on other reserves to balance our system. We may draw minerals from our bones in order to neutralize the acidity of our blood resulting in osteoporosis. We may start perspiring more in order to try to eliminate via the sweat glands – resulting in hot flushes. Hair loss may also be a sign of an acidic terrain.

One of the keys to treating the symptoms of menopause is improving mineral balance within the blood. Sometimes this may be done simply by supplying a very low dose of minerals on a daily basis at specific times of the day to ensure optimal absorption. The best way to determine if this is needed is by testing urine pH over a period of 12 hours. If the results do not match a well defined pattern than supplementation with a pH balancing product can have a significant impact on symptoms. This coupled with other therapies to decrease the overall acid production of the body provides a well rounded therapy to help relieve you of those extremely uncomfortable symptoms – regardless of your age.

Consult with a Naturopathic Doctor in order to learn how you can best alleviate your symptoms.

Dr. Holland can be reached at (250) 752-2732 or #3-702 Memorial Avenue, PO Box 564, Qualicum Beach, BC. V9K 1T1.

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