Hair Loss in Women

On the causes of female hair loss, the human hair growth cycle, and safe, natural options for women to help stop thinning hair and reverse hair loss

by Marcy Holmes, NP, Certified Menopause Clinician (womentowomen.com)

One of the most emotionally devastating concerns I hear about from my patients is thinning hair and hair loss. At Women to Women, we understand that a woman’s head of hair is her crowning glory — and losing too much hair can be a serious and frightening blow to her self-esteem.

Reacting so strongly to the physical state of your hair may seem like vanity, but it’s not. Your hair is one of the first areas, along with skin and nails, to manifest signs of hormonal imbalance, poor nutrition, or illness. Understanding how hair regenerates and paying attention to any changes in your hair growth and appearance are important parts of taking care of yourself.

The truth is, a certain amount of hair loss is normal, but excessive hair loss and hair thinning indicate that something is not right. Unfortunately, many conventional doctors downplay hair loss as an inevitable part of aging for both sexes, treating it with topical products like Rogaine that enhance existing hair but offer no real solution to the causes of hair loss, and therefore no prevention of continued hair thinning. This leads many women — especially those in menopause — to think that there is nothing they can do to stop their hair loss. The good news is that we’ve seen many cases resolve over time with a holistic approach.

While we wouldn’t claim to know the ultimate cure for hair loss (don’t believe anyone who says they do!), we don’t think a balding woman should resign herself to shopping for hair thickeners or wigs when there are so many other natural choices she can make to support natural hair growth where it counts — at the root.

Read the rest of this article 

What Does Your Diet Consist Of?  Take a Good Look At It

I was reading this blog and wanted to share a part of it with you about diet. This is written by Maria Tabone - who is a Holistic Health Practitioner. (I have no affiliation with any of the products listed.)

A few suggestions I would like to offer on diet: Remember, small changes bring big victories, be mindful of what you are doing each day when you eat. And don’t use the word diet; it sets you up for failure…refer to it as a “lifestyle.”

Read labels and stay away from high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated anything. Refined carbohydrates such as white sugar, white bread, white pasta simply make you fat if you eat too much of it. They also have a negative effect on your mood. Opt for complex carbohydrates such as grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables.

When you do something good for your body, you just feel good all around.

Take a good food-based multi-vitamin for woman. I like New Chapter Women’s Daily. Get enough of the omega 3 fatty acids which are found in flax seeds, walnuts, and wild salmon. Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. They help reduce inflammation in the body and are also good for the heart. Omega 3’s have been said to help with the anxiety and mood swings that women experience from the hormone rollercoaster.

Inflammation is a cause of an endless list of health problems including heart disease, cancer, alzheimer’s and all inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis and all the “itis's”. I like Nordic Naturals Omega 3’s to combat all of these.

There are herbs that you can take as well. Black cohosh, dong quai are helpful but I always recommend talking to your doctor and seeing a good herbalist before you take anything.

Finally, try to enjoy your life and think about what really makes you happy…take chances, indulge hobbies and passions even if everyone thinks it’s silly or crazy. Make your life the best it can be and turn your mid-life crisis into a mid-life awakening!

Posted by Maria Tabone at 12:39 PM

Curcumin May Be A Solution For Breast Cancer

If you have been on hormone replacement therapy following  the menopausal cycle, and are worried about the risk for breast cancer, there may be a solution for you.  When I say hormone replacement therapy I mean women prescribed estrogen and progestin (synthetic progesterone) used as hormone replacement therapy.

Researchers from the University of Missouri found curcumin, which is a popular Asian spice (that comes from turmeric root) to delay and reduce the incidence of hormone related tumors in studying mice. 

Curcumin blocked the production of a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which is known to support and promote hormone related tumors and other types of cancer.

Salman Hyder, professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center was quoted as saying,  "Approximately 6 million women in the United States use hormone replacement therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause. This exposure to progestin will predispose a large number of post-menopausal women to future development of breast cancer. The results of our study show that women could potentially take curcumin to protect themselves from developing progestin-accelerated tumors."

There have already been studies that show curcumin from turmeric may protect against several types of cancers. The study will be published in the journal Menopause, and is titled "Curcumin delays development of MPA-accelerated DMBA-induced mammary tumors."

Feeling Disconnected

Your role is changing now. Life is always changing, but most of us resist change. It has been said that it has to do with "fear of the unknown."  We would rather stay in a situation that is predictable even though it is negative or not healthy for us because we know what to expect.  Do you feel disconnected from "life?"

Your child or children are now living elsewhere, maybe at a college or university. You are feeling lonely and feel like you are not needed anymore. Your husband is at work, as usual. He still works long hours even though you are at home alone.

Some of your fears may be: Is my husband attracted to someone at work? Why doesn’t he work less hours since he knows I am here alone?  Do we still have anything in common since the kids are gone? These are the same fears a lot of us have had.  You feel tired, lonely and not as attractive as you used to be.

What are you going to do with all of your time now?  You feel like there is a definite void in your heart that needs to be filled.

Your friends who used to “be there,” are dealing with their own family challenges and don’t have the time. Or maybe they are taking care of their new grandchildren or their own parents.

Menopause can be your golden opportunity - a time for you to have new beginnings and to get to know yourself. Now is the time for you to explore what you would love to do with the rest of your life. Do you want to change careers, or learn a cool hobby?  Use today as a blank canvas and you can paint the picture of the life you want.

Who are you really?  Who do you want to become?  If you have to work, then is it time to change jobs/careers?  What would you enjoy doing?

Having time alone with yourself is a chance to learn what your likes/dislikes are, become comfortable with you and to hear and listen to your own thoughts.

What kind of thoughts have you been having?  Are they empowering you or destroying you?

What kind of future would you like to create?  Would it be a close intimate relationship with your partner?  Dare to dream or get in touch with dreams from long ago that you put on the shelf.  If you give yourself the time, they will come back to you or you can create new dreams.

If we can learn (and it takes a lot of practice I have found) to be "in the moment," it helps to have more joy in our life.  The past is gone, we can't change it.  And the future is not here, so by being aware in the present, we can create the future we want.  Be aware of your thoughts – what we think about, is what we attract.

If you need help with ideas and/or feel lost, please feel free to leave me a comment and we can brainstorm together.

The title of a new book -- "Second Spring: Hundreds of Natural Secrets for Women to Revitalize and Regenerate at Any Age" by Dr. Maoshing Ni, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine who co-founded the Tao of Wellness Chinese Medicine Center in California.

Dr. Ni's book lists natural Chinese remedies such as:

• Take cinnamon, as a spice or tea, to control blood sugar.

• Don't drink fluids with meals. They dilute the gastric juices that digest our food. Drink fluids in between meals.

• Chinese Moss fights memory loss. It boosts brain chemicals that have been linked to memory and awareness.

• Not all fats are bad. Flaxseed, walnuts, cold-water fish, almonds, sesame and olive oils contain essential fatty acids. They can help combat bone loss and cognitive decline.

• Broccoli, eggs and black beans are some of the foods that contain choline, a nutrient that aids the neurotransmitters in the brain. Our bodies produce choline in the liver but produce less as we age.

• Green tea might ward off Alzheimer's and other forms of mental degeneration, because it contains antioxidants called polyphenols.

• Don't eat just before you go to bed. You won't feel rested, because your body will be digesting food while you sleep.

• True to its name, horny goat weed can spice up your love live.

• Leafy greens have calcium that can increase vitality.

• Get a deeper, more healthful sleep by spraying lavender, vanilla or green apple on your pillow.

Click HERE to order the book and see what secrets you will discover!