Women who take hormones prescribed by their doctor often have to contend with a number of unpleasant side effects that ruin daily life.

Milk Thistle — a booster for the liver

Although the number of women who have refused hormones is increasing, there are still those who feel that accepting the treatment is necessary and choose to put up with these daily discomforts, thinking there is no alternative.

However, Susun Weed, author of New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, Alternative Approaches for Women, suggests that the use of herbs can really make a difference.

Water Retention is one of the most prevalent symptoms experienced by women on HRT. Water retention is a nuisance because the sufferer experiences swelling, especially in the feet, fingers, arms and legs. Their shoes might feel tight and uncomfortable and their rings can become too tight. Exercise and a reduced salt intake can help, but Susun suggests that 10-20 drops of dandelion root tincture in water will strengthen the liver and help it metabolise the hormones. She also suggests that eating asparagus, nettles, grapes, cucumber and watermelon will help.

Women on hormones also suffer from headaches. Avoiding caffeine and alcohol is recommended, as well as ensuring that your water intake is maintained so that you’re not dehydrated. Susun suggests that garden sage tea is great for headaches and will also help the sweating that is associated with menopausal symptoms. Sage naturally contains plant estrogens, which could explain its usefulness to menopausal women. It is readily available to purchase online or in stores that stock fresh herbs, and clearly the fresher the herb the better.

Dry eyes can also be an affliction that menopausal women have to contend with. An ophthalmologist can check your level of tear production and would usually suggest the use of eye drops that cause artificial tears. Bathing the eyes with a chickweed solution is said to offer relief, and is certainly a better option than using eye drops full of chemicals and preservative.

In the news recently was a story about a Japanese woman in her 50s who has given birth to her own grandchild.

Her daughter could not become pregnant, having had her uterus removed due to cancer. Although surrogate motherhood is frowned upon in Japan, the woman agreed to in vitro fertilization to help her daughter and her son-in-law have their own child.

Woman Gives Birth to Grandchild

More and more women in the US are experiencing their first pregnancy after 40 and the number of women having babies in their 50s is increasing. Some, like the woman in Japan, are acting as surrogates and having children for their daughters. Still others are having their own children, taking advantage of the latest advances in fertility techniques and in vitro fertilization.

But the dangers and risks of pregnancy increase with the age of the mother, and there are other factors to consider for both the mother and child. How old will the mother be when the child starts school, graduates or has children of his or her own?

Dr. Phil has an article on pregnancy and child-rearing in later life at his website. It neither discourages nor encourages but sets out the facts for those considering a pregnancy in later life.

Having a Baby in Later Life

By Andrea Paulsen

A new website called Sideways Health looks at innovative and traditional ways to beat common health problems.

The emphasis is on non-invasive treatments which are both gentle and effective.

There will also be a strand concentrating on the GI method (Glycemic Index) as a way of improving alertness and mental functioning, as well as overall health and optimum weight.

This site is well worth following if you want a different approach to managing your health apart from the expensive, technological methods of conventional medicine and healthcare.

It’s a fact of life that skin starts to sag as we get older. The upper arms are no exception. If this is one of your sensitive spots, try this massage oil.

Exercise such as walking, running and swimming, can help tone and firm, and gentle upward massage will help banish cellulite by encouraging lymphatic drainage.

Massage oil for the upper arms
45ml (3 tbspn) jojoba oil
10ml (1 dspn) rose masqueta oil
1 capsule wheatgerm oil
1 capsule evening primrose oil
3 drops essential oil of either rose or jasmine
5 drops essential oil of lavender
4 drops essential oil of either bois de rose or lemon
100ml bottle

Mix together in the bottle. After a bath or shower, use the oil to massage the triceps muscle from the elbow upwards. This oil will keep for up to two months.

Adapted from “Secrets of Youth and Beauty” by Daniele Ryman.