Reducing Menopausal Symptoms

It’s nearly the end of October which means we are coming to the end of our female health focus, so we thought we would talk about something that can signify the end of a hormonal chapter to a lot of women - the Menopause.

Marking the end of a woman’s reproductive years, menopause can cause mixed feelings. Some women embrace the end of monthly periods whilst others feel down. For some the symptoms can come in the years leading up to the menopause, can be uncomfortable.

There are a whole range of symptoms due to the hormonal changes taking place. Many women experience symptoms such as lethargy, insomnia, hot flushes, low libido, increased risk of urinary tract infection and osteoporosis.

Here are a few things that could help you cope with the symptoms so you can still live life to the full throughout the menopause.

Lifting Energy

Licorice can help when suffering with insomnia as it can be especially effective when consumed in the morning to rebalance energy hormones and give you a nice gentle ‘pick me up’.

Siberian Ginseng is known to gently support your energy glands to produce energy without overworking them. When taken on a daily basis, this can have a positive effect on energy, general wellbeing and libido.

Looking youthful, cleansing and improving circulation

Vitamin E is an important vitamin to keep the skin looking and feeling youthful. Women leading up to and post menopause may experience vaginal atrophy (the thinning and inflammation of the vaginal walls due to the decline in oestrogen) which can be uncomfortable and increase the risk of infections.

Using vitamin E capsules as a suppository can be effective in encouraging circulation to the area.

Celery Seed cleanses the system and is especially effective at reducing the symptoms and protecting the kidneys against cystitis.

Balancing your hormones 

Osteoporosis affects 50% of women once they reach the menopause. The theory is that this is due to the reduction in oestrogen. It is therefore recommended that women take nutrients to support the bone matrix such as calcium, vitamin K, vitamin D, boron and magnesium. In addition, herbs such as Red Clover can be taken to modulate female hormonal levels thus reducing the likelihood of bone breakdown.

Sleep Easy 

Hops can have a calming effect on the nervous system. When combined with magnesium and amino acid; taurine 30 minutes before bedtime, it can really calm the system, relax your muscles and encourage calming chemicals in the brain to be released.

Stay healthy,

Infant Colic Protocol

Colic

Colic is a common problem in infants that usually causes sharp abdominal pains and bloating causing the infant to clench their fists, draw their legs up into their abdomen and crying. The colic tends to be more common in bottle fed rather than breast-fed infants.  There is good evidence to suggest that the colic is related to a reaction to cow’s milk-based infant formula[1]^,[2]

The crying tends to be at its worse during their first two weeks and can go on for hours at a time, this gradually begins to reduce after four months.  However, some babies are unable to settle up to 12 months.     

Symptoms  

·         Inconsolable crying that tends to happen at the same time each day after feeding

·         bloating

·         flatulence

·         grimacing

·         pulling up of feet into the abdomen whilst clenching fists

Pathophysiology

The true pathophysiology of colic is unknown. However babies that are born through C-section or are not

breastfed seem to double the chances that there will be an error in the infants metabolism making them

less able to digest lactose from milk.  The poor metabolism has been theorized to be due to the lack of

microflora that is passed on from mother to baby through the birth canal and/or through breastmilk. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months as breast milk contains antibodies which will help your baby’s immune system develop and protect against certain infections.  Not breastfeeding may affect digestion due to increase intestinal permeability making them intolerant to lactose or other milk proteins.  Bottle feed tends to take on average 4 hours to digest in comparison to breastmilk which takes 1.5hrs. 

Medical Management

Medical treatment is often not suggested unless symptoms are severe. In severe cases Simeticonedrops are added to the feed and used short term to help disperse any bubbles that may be cause  discomfort inthe digestive tract. Lactase enzymes are also recommended to be added to the feed to support the breakdown of the sugar lactose in the feed and the other option is removing cow milk from the diet

Clinical Considerations

Confirm diagnosis as some symptoms can be similar to G.E.R.D.

Nutritional Interventions

·         Lactase enzyme- has been shown to be effective in treating colic in 40% of incubated babies in a study at Guys Hospital in London[3].  

·         Bifidobacterium lactis -  long term consumption of formulas supplemented with B. lactis  resulted in reduction of colic and irritability[4]^,[5].

Diet/Adjuncts

·         Following the WHO guidelines with exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months is most effective

·         If lactation is not an option use formulas free of cow’s milk.  Using alternatives such as coconut milk can be effective as it contains some fats that are also present in breast milk, however, a combination of vitamins and minerals and probiotics would need to be added to make it into a formula.  Other alternatives could be

·         Mothers breastfeeding should avoid cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, onion and chocolate which may help reduce gastrointestinal symptoms in the infant[6].

·         Feed on demand prevents blood sugar dips appears to relieve colic[7]

·         Massaging the abdomen and spinal area with almond oil can help in reducing the trapped bubbles that have built up in the intestinal tract.

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[1] Lothe L, et al. (1989) Cow’s milk whey protein elicits symptoms of infantile colic in colicky formula-fed infants: A double-blind crossover study. Pediatr 83(2):262-266

[2] Lothe L, et al. (1982) Cow’s milk as a cause of infantile colic: A double- blind study. Pediatr 70(1):7-10

[3] Kanabar, D.; Randhawa, M.; Clayton, P. (2001). "Improvement of symptoms in infant colic following reduction of lactose load with lactase". Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 14 (5): 359–63. doi:10.1046/j.1365-277X.2001.00304.x. PMID 11906576.

[4] He F, Morita H, Ouwehand AC: Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli exhibited different mitogenic activity on murine splenocytes.Int J Probiotics Prebiotics1 :77– 82,2006 .

[5] Saavedra JM, et al. Long-term consumption of infant formulas containing live probiotic bacteria: tolerance and safety. Am J Clin Nutr 2004; 79:261-267

[6] Lust KD, et al. Maternal intake of cruciferous vegetables and other foods and colic symptoms in exclusively breast-fed infants J AM Diet Assoc 96:47-48 

[7] Taubman B. (1984) Clinical trial of the treatment of colic by modification of parent-infant interaction. Pediatr 74:998-1003

Breast Cancer Awareness

You may already be aware that this month is breast cancer awareness month. For more details visit breast cancer care.  We’ve got a few tips to help you look after female health and some solutions to alleviate any possible common complaints such as breast pain and tenderness that can be experienced during the first few months of pregnancy or pre-menstrual tension (PMT).  If you experience any tenderness that lasts longer than a month or if you notice any lumps appear of any size you should seek medical advice.

Common causes of breast tenderness ·         A diet rich in meat and dairy can cause the body to produce excess oestrogen ·         Plastics (xenoestrogens) ·         Medication (i.e. the pill) ·         Constipation ·         Poor liver function.

Tips to avoid breast tenderness Essential Omegas Increase the good fats in your diet like Omega 3 (EPA and DHA) and Omega 6 (GLA). You can get these by eating oily fish such as mackerel, sardines and anchovies and from seeds (borage oil). These are said to have a positive effect on modulating hormones and preventing the production of bad fatty compounds involved in the heat and inflammation of breast tissue.

Support your liver Your liver is where you detoxify excess or old hormones. B vitamins are essential to supporting the liver detoxification pathways and also to support hormonal balancing. Over oestrogen! Eat a predominantly vegan diet, as saturated fats from meat and dairy can cause the over production of oestrogen. Vitamin E (400iu) – this has been linked to the reduction in breast tenderness when taken daily over a couple of months.

Healthy digestion and happy bacteria Fibre and good bacteria (lactobacillus acidophilus) are essential in preventing the reabsorption of oestrogen and also aids bowel movement to help increase the removal of old oestrogen and toxins from the body.

Lifestyle ·     Exercise such as swimming can encourage circulation and drainage of toxins from the lymphatic system. ·     Deep tissue lymphatic massages help with the drainage of the lymph nodes ·     Avoid wearing a bra when possible as tight clothing has been linked to the reduction of circulation in the breast tissue inhibiting the detoxification of the lymphatic system.  Stay healthy The Totally Nourish team