Womens Health Solutions

Eating Horse Urine Pills

2007-01-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

Over 75,000 mares (female horses) are confined to
their stalls hardly larger than themselves for most of
their eleven month pregnancy. The mares live on
restricted fluid intake, are not allowed to exercise,
and not even allowed to lie down. After they give
birth, they are allowed only a few months of pasture
with their foals before they are re-impregnated to
begin another round of urine production.

All this to make the fifth leading medication in this
country - Premarin.

Why are you still eating horse urine pills?

This is sick! How did we as women ever think that
horse urine could help our hormones? Horse hormones
and human hormones are totally different. There is no
way women can metabolize these hormones without very
serious consequences.

Using phyto-estrogens (pronounced – fido) is using
plants that have an estrogenic effect, meaning it
won’t produce estrogen in your body. Instead, it will
help your body to produce the right amount of
estrogen. Soy products are regarded as the most widely
used phytoestrogens, but I’m not convinced.

Latest research has shown otherwise...if you want to
check into this further, go the westonprice foundation
for their full report on whats happening in the soy
industry. 

Bottom line is to understand that anything
synthetically made can never bring your hormones into
balance, totally. There is always a price to pay.


Until next time,

Dr. Judy

Herbal Superfood for Your Menopause

2007-01-10T08:28:00.000-08:00

Dong Quai is my favorite herbal superfood!

Of all the female herbs that I used on myself and on the
women in my clinic, dong quai worked the best. Whether
its for peri-menopause, menopause, post-menopause this
herb works for almost every female gynecological ailment.

It’s particularly useful for irregular bleeding, insomnia, and
is known as a valuable blood purifier.

Suggested use is 2 capsules, 3 times daily with meals.

Tip – use this herb for 4 weeks, take a break for 1 week,
and then resume. By taking a break, this allows your body
to balance hormones naturally.

I have found health food store herbs of lower quality and
not give the results I wanted to see for my patients in my
clinic. My suggestion is to buy from a reputable source
where they use fresh herbs. Resources coming soon...

Until next time,
Dr. Judy

Menopause Discomforts

2006-12-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

A patient came into my office one day complaining about
her stomach. She certainly wasn't the only one. Many of
my menopausal patients have this happen to them.
Here's one particular case that stands out:

"It seems like I always have heartburn or a bloated
stomach after every meal. I feel like a watermelon
and all my clothes feel tight. I don’t even feel like
eating anything. What can I do?"

Heartburn and indigestion are frequently common
during peri-menopause and menopause. “Inhaling”
your food when you’re in a hurry or eating when
you’re stressed causes your stomach to be overworked.

Also, eating late at night, especially hi carb foods will
cause that feeling throughout the next day.

During your menopausal years, it becomes even
more difficult for your body to break down nutrients
from the foods you eat. Everything beging going into
slow mode, including your digestive juices.

A few tips here:
~ Eat nothing after 6:00pm (for me personally, I eat
nothing after 4:00 but if I get hungry I might have
a grapefruit or apple)

~ Eat fresh pineapple with your meal or drink lots
of peppermint tea, spearmint, or ginger tea throughout
the day - like 2-3 cups.

~ Take a high potency digestive enzyme before every
meal. This helps break down your foods so you don't feel
like the bloats are going to squeeze you out of your pants!

Until next time,
Dr. Judy

On the Lighter Side of Menopause

2006-12-21T16:13:00.000-08:00

Holiday Stress Test

You know you're experiencing menopausal stress when...

~ You can achieve a "runner's high" by sitting up.

~ You are missing several days from this week.

~ You say the same sentence over and over again,
not realizing that you've said it before.

~ You can hear mimes.

~ You ask the drive-thru attendant if you can get your order to go.

~ Your heart beats in 7/8 time.

~ You and reality file for divorce.

~ You can travel without moving.

~ Antacid tablets become your sole source of nutrition.

~ You begin to talk to yourself, then disagree about the subject,
get into a nasty tiff over it, lose, and refuse to speak to yourself
for a week.

~ You wonder if brewing is *really* a necessary step
for the consumption of coffee.

Until next time,
keep your cool!
- Dr. Judy

Balanced Menopause

2006-12-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

Every once inawhile, I pick up a magazine to find
out what's going on in the world of fashion. This
week, I read about "exciting" stories for losing
weight, getting a nose job, burning fat, cheap
makeovers, making my breasts bigger, 100 ways to
dress thinner - - it's all about looking skinnier
and looking sexier.

Frankly, this whole 'look-a- certain-skinny-way'
is getting old. Plus, it's very confusing.

Why do we we want to look like a scare crow with
big breasts?

I'm all for being healthy. But I also want to
enjoy life! Having a chocolate chip cookie (Mrs.
Field's is my favorite) or eating a nice dinner
out once in awhile is important for my emotinal
well-being.

Focusing only on what I look like in the mirror
makes me feel like a health guru fanatic.

There's more to life than reading confusing
articles that have one hundred ways to lose
weight (none of which work for any long periods
of time).

My focus is to live a balanced life - time with
family and friends, eating food occasionally that's
not good for me but fun to eat anyway, and
strengthening my faith.

How about you?

Let's get off this crazy rollercoaster together
and learn what it takes to live a balanced life
as healthy women.

Until next time,
Dr. Judy

Estrogen and Your Emotions

2006-11-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

Do you feel like you’re constantly in a “brain fog?

Do you constantly forget things like where you put
your keys? Whether you turned off your toaster oven
before you left the house? Stuff that drives you
crazy because you can't quite remember.

Most women worry about getting Alzheimer’s disease
as they enter into menopause. As far as I can see
from observing thousands of women, and reviewing
the research, there is no direct link between
Alzheimer’s and menopause. Initally, women feel
better if they go on estrogen replacement therapy,
but there is no conclusive evidence that estrogen
works on a woman’s brain in a detrimental way.

I do believe...
... that there is a direct link between
lack of sleep and stress than there is about estrogen
loss. When sleepless nights become the norm, its time
to get focused on alleviating this challenge.
Otherwise, crankiness, irritability, and even depression
can set it. This does not make a happy, calm peaceful
homelife and can certainly wreak havoc on relationships!

Your body needs rest to repair and heal itself from
the busy, stressful day. Sleeping at least seven to
eight hours every night is imperative, since this allows
your body to rejuvenate itself. I list 15 Steps to Sleep
in my book: 100 Answers to Menopause that will help you
get your sleep and destress.

Bottom line, you need to get a good night’s rest to
help you remember your activities for the next day.

Until next time,
Dr. Judy

On the Lighter Side

2006-11-13T08:25:00.000-08:00

Signs of menopause:
you write post-it notes with your kids’ names on them

Reduce that Hot Flash NOW!

2006-10-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

When your stress level has reached the MAX, is
usually the time a major hot flash kicks in. Here's
a handy tip I would tell my patients that you can
use no matter where you are. I call it my...

Stop...blink... and breathe method.

Stop whatever you're doing.

Blink your eyes rapidly a few times.

Take a slow breath in through your nostrils,
and then exhale slowly through your mouth.

Repeat three times.

Then call your travel agent to book your
flight for some serious relaxation!

Until next time,
Dr. Judy

Your Alternative to Premarin

2006-10-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

Women ask me all the time, "What do I take instead of
premarin? I'm not willing to going back to feeling lousy
again!"

You do have options. Many options in fact!

I encourage all women to do their homework, but after
you've done your research, follow through on your plan.

You've heard all about the horrible ways the horses are
being treated in my previous post as well as throughout
the media. Let's help not only the horses, but most
importantly, yourselves! Stop using premarin.

Get yourself a hormone test panel. Saliva testing is one
of the most accurate tests available for checking your
hormone levels.

Once you have your test done, take the creams or
herbs that are recommended consistently. Usually
morning and night, for at least 3-6 months. It all
depends how long you've taken premarin. It seems
the longer you've been on premarin, the longer it takes
to balance your hormones.

Keep coming back to this blog to learn how you
can keep your hormones balanced...without premarin.

Until next time,
Dr. Judy

On the Lighter Side of Menopause

2006-10-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

What do you call a room full of women, half with PMS,
half with yeast infections?
~ A whine and cheese party!

Wait! I have one more for you...
Women are the one's that go through all the mid-life
changes, so why are the men having the mid-life "crisis"??

Okay, so here's my absolute last one for today:
Mid-life is when you go for a mammogram and you realize
that this is the only time someone will ask you to appear
topless.

If we can't laugh at ourselves ladies, life
is just going to feel way too short!

Cheers and laughs!
Dr. Judy

How Premarin is Manufactured

2006-10-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

Hormonal Replacement Therapy has been proven to be
so incredibly dangerous after the Women's Health
Initiative study, that it was stopped. Women were
dying left and right.

Fortunately, many women listened to the results
of this comprehensive study and stopped HRT.

Some women couldn't live without it and continued.

I totally understand the dilemma, because I have
a hard time living without my hormone cream as
well. The difference is that I use a natural
progesterone cream, which has no side-effects,
and doesn't harm any animals.

What Really Happens in Manufacturing...
Here's how HRT (also known as premarin,
prempro, premphase, prempac and premelle) is
made:

A broodmare is impregnated. She then spends about
6 months harnessed to a urine collecion device.
She can't lie down. She can't walk around.
She can only take 2 steps forward or backward.

The stall is approximately four feet wide,
eight feet long, and five feet high.

Just before she gives birth, she is taken out
of her stall to deliver her foal in a paddock.

After she gives birth, her foal is either
sent to the slaughter house or allowed to
live on the "farm" where it goes through the
same atrocities as its mother.

For the mare, after 6 months, the whole process
begins again, until she is no longer of any use.

Healthy horses live on the average of 20-28
years, premarin mares rarely make it past 9.

Still want to continue?
Think about that before you continue with your
HRT. There are many other viable options now
available for you.

My first advice is to get a saliva hormone test
done. Then, have a compound pharmacist make
your formula. You will see the difference!
Plus,you will have the added peace of mind
that your are not harming any animals.

Until next time,
Dr.Judy

Drinking 2 Beers for Your Hot Flashes

2006-09-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

Nancy (name has been changed to protect the guilty!),
complained constantly of chronic fatigue, low back aches,
joint pain, constipation, and hot flashes. She tried eating
well, but when she did, she got sick!

Her worst complaint was that she could never sleep
all night. She would either have problems falling
asleep, or wake up at two or three a.m.

She heard from a friend that drinking two cans of
beer a night would help her sleep better.

Believe it or not, it worked! She did sleep better!
I couldn't believe it so I asked her how her other
symptoms were coming along.

She said that although she was sleeping better,
her other symptoms had gotten worse! Her hot
flashes were now coming every 30 minutes, her
joints ached non-stop, and she felt even
more tired by the afternoon.

My advice - stop listening to others! Tune into
your body and realize that your menopausal
symptoms can be alleviated once and for all by
eliminating spicy foods and alcohol.

Until next time,
Dr. Judy

Hot Flash Free Tip

2006-09-27T09:45:00.001-07:00

Red wine, white wine, beer...any and all alcoholic beverages
cause your night sweats to be sweatier and your hot flashes
hotter!

Why does alcohol make your hot flashes worse?

The answer lies in one of the most important hormone
balancing organs in your body - your liver! Its the livers
job to:

1) Help your body turn glucose into glycogen for storage in
your liver. This simply means that the liver glycogen can
release glucose into your bloodstream to maintain blood
sugar levels.

This is why you crave a 'pick me up' in the middle of
the day. Instead, reach for fresh fruit, raw veggies,
to take the load off your liver.

2) The liver also stores vitamins A, D, and many of the
B vitamins as well as iron and copper.

3) The liver also has the daunting task of getting rid of
all the junk food you put in your mouth. Even though
your mouth thinks it tastes good, it doesn't mean its
good for you, and your liver will be the first to protest.

If there is a toxic overload, your liver gets fed up and
you can end up with jaundice, severe depression,
chronic fatigue, extreme abdominal swelling, mental
confusion, just to name a few.

4) A healthy liver is essential for a good sex drive.
(bet you didn't know that about your liver!). I hear
so many women complain to me in the clinic as they
enter into their menopause years that their sex
drive has declined dramatically.

It's a complicate process to explain, but here's the
easiest way I know to explain it. The liver makes a
sex hormone binding globulin which is the protein
that binds the steriod sex hormones. If your liver
is producing too much of the protein sex hormone,
your libido goes down.

I'll share with you a case of a patient who drank
2 beers a night to sleep better! (next post)

Until next time,
Dr. Judy

Hot Flash Free Tip

2006-09-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

On the Lighter Side of Menopause

2006-09-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

"I've given up losing weight, I'm going to lose depth instead.
If I can't be thin, at least I can be shallow!"

Menopause Symptoms and that sneaky little gland (con't)...

2006-09-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

Women, it seems, are more susceptible to low thyroid function
by approximately 8 to 1, according to Gillian Ford, author of
"Linking Thyroid and Depression".

Why?

Maybe its because so many women have taken on the
role of superwoman! Mother, wife, career professional,
from chief cook to bottle washer. It's no wonder women
have the highest incidence of chronic fatigue and
fibromyalgia in history!

A major challenge is that thyroid function is not being
detected adequately. Yet, there are 2 simple tests that
can be done. The problem can then be easily corrected
with a health program that brings the thyroid to
normal levels.

First Test
The first test is the basal thermometer test. Before you
get out of bed in the morning, take your temperature.
Lay in bed for at least 10 minutes to get an accurate
reading. Record your temperature and repeat this
for 3 days. Once you get this average, you will be
able to see if your thyroid is functioning at a high or
low level.

Second Test
The second test involves buying iodine at your local
drugstore. Then make a small dab on the inside of
your arm or thigh. If it disappears within 15 minutes,
your thyroid is definitely on the low side.

Let's fix it!
Ok, so now you know roughly that your thyroid could
be a bit out of balance. What do you do next?

In my clinic, I have found one of the quickest ways to
get the thyroid back into balance is to take kelp tabs.
Liquid dulse can also be taken, as well as eating nori
seaweed, sprinkling it on salads, soups, etc. The
seaweed is one of the highest sources of natural
iodine.

Need more help?
Many women simply don't want to try all this by
themselves the first time. If you feel like you need
extra help, feel free to contact me to set up a time
and I can personally help you with your program.
You can call me directly at 702-862-9346 to set
up your appointment.

Until next time!

The sneaky, most overlooked little gland that may be causing your menopause symptoms

2006-09-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

Of all the sneaky, subtle problems that can affect your health,
probably the one most overlooked is the thyroid gland. Often
totally unexpected, it can cause a tremendously broad range
of problems. From:

low energy to
repeated infections
headaches
poor circulation (ever get cold hands and feet?)
dry skin
thinning hair
fluid rentention especially in your face or ankles...

...just to name a few of the symptoms. Moreover, it now
appears that unsuspected thyroid deficiency is a key
factor in heart attacks.

What Does the Thyroid Do?
The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland located
in the base of the neck. It weighs less than 1 ounce,
yet its hormones secretion control body metabolism.

Too much thyroid hormone, called hyperthyroidism,
can keep your body feeling like its racing and produce
weight loss and irritability.

Too little thyroid hormone, called hypothyroidism,
can slow the processes, affecting both physical and
mental clarity.

stay tuned next time for ways to control this
sneaky little gland...

Hot Flash Tip of the Week

2006-09-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

When you eat:

chips and salsa
jalapeno peppers
food made with distilled vinegar
tabasco sauce
chili powder.... you get the idea!

These foods can cause your hot flashes to be hotter
AND last longer! Whew! You don't need that!
Even though the stuff tastes great, it's not worth
it. Your endocrine glands (ovaries, thyroid, adrenals,
pituitary, hypothalmus, parathyroid, pancreas)
suffer with the added burden of breaking down
such difficult foods.

When hot peppers such as jalapeno, cayenne, and
habanero are eaten on a daily or even weekly
basis, it certainly does its job. It makes your
food taste hotter, and makes you feel very warm.

These peppers are also high in many nutritive
healing qualities such as Vitamin C, vitamin A,
as well as building strong blood circulation
throughout the body. However, in my clinical
practice, I have found that the hot peppers
eaten during womens hot flash season, seems to
stimulate the hormone producing glands too
much.

Try this:
Take the above foods out of your eating regime
for 30 days. See how your hot flashes are effected.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being very HOT), rate
your flashes. You should definitely see a difference!

On the Lighter Side

2006-09-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

In the beginning God covered the earth with broccoli and caulifower,
spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man
and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God's bountiful gifts, Satan created ice cream and
doughnuts. And Satan said, "You want hot fudge with that?"
And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "I'll have another with
sprinkles". And lo, they gained ten pounds.

So God said, "Try my fresh green salad".

And Satan presented crumbled blue cheese dressing and garlic
toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts
following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you heart healthy vegetable and
olive oil in which to lightly saute the wholesome vegetables".

And Satan brought forth deep fried coconut shrimp, chicken
fried steak so big it needed its own platter and chocolate
cheesecake for dessert. And Man's glucose levels spiked
through the roof.

God then brought forth running shoes so that his children
might lose those extra pounds.

And Satan came forth with a cable TV with remote control
so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man
and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering light and
started wearing stretch jogging suits.

Then God brought forth lean meat so that Man might consume
fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite.

And Satan created the ninety-nine cent cheeseburger and said
"You want fries with that?" And Man replied, "Yes! And super
size 'em!" And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

And Satan created HMO's.

How Premarin came to ruin Womens Health

2006-09-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

..so back to Robert Wilson (would have loved to meet him in a dark alley!)...
He thought that the estrogen therapy would keep women young, healthy,
sexy and keep our you know what from shriveling up!

Remember, it was Wyeth and Ayerst that funded him. Once they saw
how huge his success was from his book promotion, they went on to
develop Premarin (which most of you know by now is made from
pregnant horse urine).

Due to excellent marketing campaigns, premarin became the fifth
leading prescription drug of America!

Women take note! We have been exploited mightily! If it were not
for the Womens Health Initiative stopping the study, we might still
be in the dark about the effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy.
Study and question every angle about the medicalization of meno-
pause.

Understand that while it is a natural occurence in your life, the
symptoms are not! You don't have to continue suffering. You
don't have to worry about getting breast cancer, uterine cancer,
heart attacks, or strokes. There are many, many options now
available to you that can balance your hormones naturally.

Do your homework, stay tuned to my blog, and reap the
results!

The Medicalization of Menopause

2006-09-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

Nothing gets me hotter than when the pharmaceutical industry sells us another pill - but forgets to tell us about the side effects!

" Menopause " long ago...
... was first used in 1872. It actually comes from the Greek words, "month" and "cessation".
Believe it or not, by the late 1800's western medicine thought it was a medical crisis!They believed that symptoms were worse for women who had acted 'indiscreetly' - meaning,getting too much education, having too much sex, attempting to use birth control, or even being insufficiently devoted to husband and children.

A common prescription was to tell the women to live a quiet lifestyle centered on the family!

It only gets worse...
More drastic measures were often taken when the women complained that the prescription didn't seem to help their symptoms (is it any wonder?). Leeches were put on a women's ears on the nape of her neck to cure her complaints! Sounds disgusting! But guess what? I heard on a medical news report this year that they're trying it again in some hospitals. Scary!

Here comes the drug companies to the 'rescue'
In 1966 Robert Wilson wrote a best selling book, "Feminine Forever" which was funded by Wyeth and Ayerst a pharmaceutical company. Wilson stated that estrogen therapy could keep women young, healthy, and attractive. It was so natural! (according to him). Women could be replacing a hormone they had somehow 'lost' over the years.

Wilson was so excited about this estrogen discovery that in 1972 he wrote in the Geriatric Society, "[estrogen] can save women - breasts and genital organs will not shrivel. Such women will be much more pleasant to live with and will not become dull and unattractive".

Makes you wonder what we were like before this miraculous discovery!
(stay tuned ... part 2 coming in next post...)

How it all began...

2006-09-06T11:43:00.001-07:00

It all began when I was 37 years old. I started expriencing irregular bleeding and thought...
"No way! This can't be happening". As a naturopathic physician, a million 'what if's' flashed through my mind. What if its...

So I took a trip to Minnesota (I was living in Wisconsin at the time) and decided to spend some time with my mentor, Dr. MaryAnne McNeilus, MD. She had taught me so much about physician care, I felt it was time for some patient care for me! She gave me good news and some bad news.
Since Dr. McNeilus was never one to mince words she gave it to me short and sweet.

"Yes, you are probably in peri-menopause. With all the recent trauma in your life - nasty divorce, children turning from me, and car accidents, it can upset your hormonal balance and bring on menopausal symptoms early".

But she recommended that by staying on the right health course she had taught me over the years, I should be over peri-menopause and into menopause with smooth sailing.

Four years and many, many hot flashes, mood swings, extra fat cells, and sleepless nights later.... I was STILL waiting fot the smooth transition! I guies I was not one of the lucky ones. I didn't give up however, not by a long shot! I dug in my heals and searched the country, clinics, vitamin manufacturers, and other doctors looking for answers. After much trial and error - and I do mean much trial and error - I was able to find the right program to make the menopause transition smoothly not only for myself, but for thousands of other women.

I'll be sharing with you all of my information, tips, and resources that I have gathered, so stay tuned and check back often. Tell your friends as well so they can stop suffering as well!

Cooly (not warmly! :)
- Dr. Judy

Womens Health Solutions

2006-05-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

"I'm so tired all the time, doc! What is wrong with me???"

Womens health issues have become a major problem for most of us.

Whether you're 20, 30 , 40, 50 + years old, there is NO reason
to feel tired all the time!

Here's a quick checklist:
1) Check your hormones - if everyone is working well ( pituitary,
thyroid, adrenals, etc) you're good to go. Blood tests, urine, or saliva
are all ways to check your levels.

2) Check stress levels. If you can't fall asleep as soon as your head
hits the pillow, and STAY asleep for 7-8 hours, definitely have to
book an appointment for a massage, movie night out, or something
relaxing.

3) Check your food intake. Eating at least 3 decent meals daily?
If you're inhaling your foods and experiencing gas, bloating, belching,
these are sure signs your body is not utilizing the food well.

Start here...more later..
Great health always!
Dr. Judy Marie, ND