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That time of the month

For many women, the few days before a period is due are the worst days of the month.  For some this time means little more than being slightly more irritable than usual, but for others it can signal a whole array of devastating emotional and physical changes.
Pre-menstrual syndrome, or PMS is caused by the hormone changes that occur during the second half of the menstrual cycle, after ovulation and before start of the next menstrual period.  For many women, symptoms only last for three or four days, but for others the ordeal can drag on for up to two weeks.  Given that the period itself may last a week, this leaves only one week or less during which the woman feels any sense of normality.

The emotional symptoms of PMS have received the most attention, and for this reason the condition is sometimes referred to as pre-menstrual tension or PMT.  Many women feel emotionally vulnerable at this time and may find themselves in tears over events which would not normally cause such distress.  However, what most sufferers seem to find particularly distressing is the tendency to become extremely irritable, angry or even violent.  These outbursts are usually disproportionately severe in terms of the events that trigger them, and sufferers often worry about the intense hatred they can feel towards their partner at this time of the month.  They may also be concerned about angry outbursts, which can often be directed towards their children.

The physical symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome are less well known but may be equally distressing.  The most common is fluid retention, which may lead to abdominal bloating, swollen hands and feet, and breast pain or tenderness.  In some cases abdominal cramps or lower back pain can occur before the period starts, and cravings for carbohydrates (especially chocolate) are also common.  In the most severe cases symptoms can include fatigue, constipation, muscle or joint pain, recurrent vaginal thrush, acne, swollen glands and migraines.

Pre-menstrual syndrome is usually caused by a relative deficiency of the hormone progesterone in relation to the other hormones that govern the menstrual cycle.  There is often an additional sensitivity to the hormone prolactin which is produced at this time of the month.

The most useful herb for treating pre-menstrual syndrome is chaste tree (Vitex agnus castus).  This herb works on the pituitary gland to normalise hormone production and generally leads to increased levels of progesterone and decreased levels of prolactin. It is extremely effective in reducing pre-menstrual symptoms when taken over the course of a few months.  Of course this depends on the quality of the product and the dose taken.

A combination of herbs may be used to provide relief from stubborn symptoms.  For example, herbal diuretics such as dandelion leaf can help to reduce fluid retention and bloating.  Numerous herbs are also available which can treat other symptoms such as breast tenderness, abdominal cramps, fatigue, constipation, recurrent vaginal thrush, and migraines.  For symptoms which are numerous or severe it may be beneficial to consult a qualified practitioner of herbal medicine who can prescribe an individually tailored blend of herbs.

In addition there are a number of supplements available, which can support herbal treatment and help to reduce symptoms.  Vitamin B complex supports the nervous system and preparations containing high levels of vitamin B6 are particularly useful for pre-menstrual syndrome.  Essential fatty acids are also helpful for this condition, particularly brands that combine Evening primrose and fish oils. It is also important to eat a healthy diet including plenty of fresh vegetables, nuts and seeds, and reduce consumption of red meat and dairy products.

One Medicine

The other day, I was introduced to someone who smiled, shook my hand and said: “Hello, I’m the enemy…” It’s an introduction I receive on a surprisingly regular basis, usually from people who work in the pharmaceutical industry or orthodox medicine. However, it always surprises me… If we’re both interested in people’s health, how can we be enemies?
Herbal medicine is often described as ‘alternative’ medicine.  However, what most people don’t realise is that many of the modern pharmaceutical drugs used today were originally found in plants.  Even now, the plant world is often the first place the scientific community turns to when seeking new drugs to treat medical conditions.Pharmaceutical companies aim to identify a single chemical within a plant that is responsible for its medicinal action.  This component is then chemically extracted and usually synthesised artificially to create the drug. This generally results in a product which has an extremely powerful effect on the body, and which can be very useful, even essential, in the treatment of many serious conditions.  However, it can also lead to imbalances of the body’s normal functions and an increased risk of side effects.

In some cases, using orthodox medicine can be likened to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. But what happens if a sledgehammer is all you have? This is where herbal medicine comes in. If orthodox medicine is like a sledgehammer, and herbal medicine is like a nutcracker, a responsible practitioner will decide if what they are dealing with is a nut, or a rock, and choose the appropriate tool.

Herbal medicine makes use of the plant in its natural form.  Extracts of flowers, leaves, roots, bark or seeds are usually prepared by soaking the plant material in water, alcohol or glycerine.  This extracts a much wider range of the plant’s complex profile of chemical constituents. The so-called ‘active’ constituents that are used by the pharmaceutical companies are still present.  However other components are also present which support the action of the active constituent or help to reduce its side effects.  The result is a powerful, yet gentler, more balanced action on the body.

Aspirin is a very well known and widely used pharmaceutical drug.  It is composed of a chemical called salicylic acid, which was originally discovered in the plant known as meadowsweet. Aspirin has the unfortunate side effect of causing damage to the lining of the stomach.  However, the active constituent of meadowsweet is present in a much gentler form and is only converted to salicylic acid after absorption into the bloodstream.  Therefore, it does not have a damaging effect on the digestive system.  In addition, meadowsweet contains tannins and mucilage, which actively protect the stomach lining.

Another example is orthodox antibiotics, which have revolutionized the treatment of infectious diseases, and saved many lives. However, used inappropriately or to excess, they can lead to imbalances in microbial flora and the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.  Herbal antimicrobials such as thyme and myrrh are very effective in the treatment of a wide range of infective illnesses but do not upset the normal microbial balance of the body.  In addition, the complex range of constituents they contain makes it very difficult for bacteria to develop resistance to them.

While orthodox medicine tends to focus on treating specific diseases, Herbal medicine is a holistic form of healthcare, which places a significant focus on nutrition and other measures to improve the overall health of an individual. In my view, this makes them ideal companions, not enemies.

For people suffering from complex or chronic illnesses (such as allergic conditions, recurrent infections, digestive problems, poor circulation, arthritis, hormone imbalance, depression and migraines) herbal medicine is often the most effective approach in the long term. However, orthodox medicines such as painkillers can still be used for acute symptoms. Similarly, an individual with a serious illness such as cancer, or a severe or life-threatening infection, will benefit most from the combination of a powerful orthodox drug to target the disease directly, plus herbs and nutrition to support the immune system, rebalance the body, and reduce the side effects of the drug.

I look forward to a time when (hopefully) all those who are involved in healing the sick will stop seeing those practicing different forms of medicine as ‘the enemy’, and learn to work together for the good of their patients.

First Aid

Last week my 2 year old daughter whacked her head on the sharp edge of a radiator while running at top speed across the landing. She had a gaping wound, pouring blood, and was in hysterics. Luckily I had only recently updated my first aid training with the “Lismore Community First Response Programme” so I knew exactly what to do. I stopped the bleeding, dressed the wound, and little Holly was calm again in no time. No parent wants to think about their child getting seriously hurt, but it’s better to be prepared. If it was your child, would you know what to do?
Thankfully children rarely get seriously hurt. Their bones are a little more flexible than ours, so they often seem to bounce in situations where an adult would surely suffer a painful fracture. Most parents are also very aware of the various potential dangers around the home, and do their best to keep their little ones safe. However, accidents happen, and at these times it can make all the difference if you know what to do.

The Irish Red Cross provides training in first aid, which includes treatment for a variety of medical emergencies including choking, breathing difficulties, seizures, wounds, burns, broken bones, and other injuries. The training also covers emergency situations which more commonly affect adults, such as heart attacks and strokes.

In these situations, early intervetion is vital, but depending on where you live and whether there are other emergencies being dealt with at the time, it could take an hour or more for an ambulance to arrive. Therefore a knowledge of first aid is a very valuable skill for any parent, or indeed for anyone.

I did my training with the “Lismore Community First Response Programme”, and a second group of first responders completed their training in Lismore last weekend. These volunteers will be contacted by ambulance control to to attend medical emergencies in their local area. A community first responder will be able to reach the patient within a few minutes, and provide first aid, perfom CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation), and use a defibrillator where necessary. This will help to start and maintain the chain of survival during the crucial early stages, until a fully equipped ambulance arrives.

If you are interested in training in first aid, or would like to volunteer for the Lismore Community First Response Programme, please check out the “Lismore Community Response Programme” Facebook Page. If you don’t feel that being a first responder is right for you, volunteers are also needed to help with administration, PR and fundraising.

The Irish Red Cross is also hoping to establish a branch and Cardiac First Responder (CFR) scheme within the town of Dungarvan, and a public meeting about this will be held in the Park Hotel at 8pm on the 8th November. Everyone is welcome to attend.

First Response Team for Lismore

AnneMarie Reilly spoke to Ian Noctor and David Kiely from the Irish Red Cross about the Lismore Community First Response Programme on WLRfm. Click here to listen to the full interview: Lismore Emergency Response

First Response Team for Lismore

Did you know that it takes a minimum of 27 minutes for an ambulance to reach Lismore in response to an emergency? And that’s just if the ambulance is in Dungarvan ready to go. If the ambulance has been called to another situation, it could take up to 2 hours. In the case of medical emergencies such as heart attacks, strokes and choking episodes, where the heart has stopped pumping or the patient has stopped breathing, a person’s chance of survival decreases by 10% for every minute that passes without basic life support and defibrillation. Therefore it is crucial that help is provided within the first 10 minutes.
In order to adress this very serious problem, the Lismore Community First Response Programme is recruiting volunteers from the local community to train as ‘Community First Responders’. These volunteers will be contacted by ambulance control to to attend medical emergencies in their local area. A community first responder will be able to reach the patient within a few minutes, and provide first aid, perfom CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation), and use a defibrillator where necessary. This will help to start and maintain the chain of survival during the crucial early stages, until a fully equipped ambulance arrives.

The scheme is being organised by local GP, Dr. Noelle Quann and David Kiely from the Irish Red Cross, both of whom have contributed a great deal of time and hard work on a completely voluntary basis to get the scheme up and running. According to Dr. Quann, “The Lismore Community First Response Programme has the support of the HSE, The Irish Red Cross, local doctors and all emergency services. It is designed to supplement their services, not to replace them.”

I was privileged to be among the first 11 volunteers to qualify as a community responder last weekend, having completed the 3 day intensive course which included training in responding to accidents and injuries, and various other medical emergencies in both adults and children. The course includes training in first aid for a wide variety of situation, CPR and use of a defibrillator.

The training is delivered jointly by Dr. Noelle Quann and David Kiely, and is both interesting and enjoyable. They both have a real talent for making a serious subject really come to life in an often humorous way. It is also a wonderful experience to work as part of a team with other local people, knowing that some day that teamwork may help to save someone’s life.

A second training programme is being organised for Saturday and Sunday 3^rd and 4^th November, and the Lismore Community First Response programme is looking for more volunteers to train as Community First Responders. The training is suitable for anyone who wishes to take part, and may be especially useful for anyone working in an environment where first aid training could be useful, such as schools and sports clubs. However, if you don’t feel that being a first responder is right for you, volunteers are also needed to help with administration and fundraising.

For further information or to volunteer, please contact Dr Noelle Quann, 086-403 4593 or David Kiely on 087-251 4893, or check out the Lismore Community Response Programme Facebook Page.

The Spice of Life

Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine once said, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food”, and it is certainly true that some of the most powerful medicines are often found in the food we eat.  A prime example of this is Turmeric, the spice which is used to flavour Indian dishes and to give curries their characteristic yellow colour.
Turmeric has been used in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India for over 2000 years.  It is known to increase the ‘Agni’ or ‘digestive fire’ which is responsible for healthy digestion.  Turmeric therefore relieves symptoms of indigestion such as nausea, bloating and flatulence.  It is also a powerful antiseptic and anti-inflammatory which is useful for problems such as IBS, gallbladder inflammation and colic, and a wide range of other inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.

The active constituent of turmeric is curcumin, which has been shown to have a wide range of therapeutic effects. It is a powerful antioxidant which prevents the damage to body cells that can be caused by a wide range of environmental factors.  In particular, it protects the liver against the damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption or long-term use of prescription drugs.

The antioxidant effect also protects the blood vessels, and studies have shown that turmeric can help to reduce cholesterol levels and to prevent the blood clots which cause heart attacks and strokes. Recent research  has also shown that curcumin can enter the brain and prevent  changes to the brain tissue that lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Finally, the combined antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour effects of turmeric are beneficial in various forms of cancer, particularly those affecting the skin and gastrointestinal tract.

When used as a medicine, turmeric needs to be taken on a daily basis, and a teaspoon of the powder can be mixed into water and taken once a day.  However, in order to get the maximum benefit it is best to mix the turmeric powder with a little ground black pepper (about one part black pepper to nine parts turmeric) as this greatly increases the rate of absorption.

Turmeric is extremely safe and can be used in large quantities as a food, with no adverse reactions. However, anyone suffering from hyperacidity, stomach ulcers or obstructive jaundice should consult a qualified medical herbalist before taking this or any other medicinal product.

Save Our Wild Places

The Owenashad River Walk in Lismore, Co. Waterford was once a beautiful, natural, meandering path, which has been regularly used by local people for many years. However, at the beginning of last week, the bulldozers moved in, and in just one or two short days, this breathtaking area was completely destroyed. As a herbalist, I value the opportunity to spend time in unspoilt areas such as this, to experience nature as the seasons progress, and to see which plants are emerging or flowering. But as I walked along beside the Owenashad River at the beginning of last week, I was appalled to see the devastation that had taken place.
Waterford County Council, acting in collaboration with the Lismore Tidy Towns Committee, and with no public consultation whatsoever, had completely destroyed the river walk beyond the area known locally as “the Strand”.  The once unspoilt path by the river, which was completely safe, never waterlogged, and edged with all sorts of wild flowers, ferns and sedges, had been torn up and covered with a 6-7 foot wide path of rubble and waste tarmac. Many of the wildflowers which grew there are gone, including the rare blue wood anemone, which is known as the “Lismore Blue”, since this was one of the only places it grew wild in this country.

The work has also desecrated the habitat of many wild birds that are nesting in the bushes beside the path at this time of year, despite the fact that it is not permitted to cut hedges during the nesting season, which occurs between 1st March and 31st August. In fact, due to the abundance of wildlife surrounding the River Blackwater (of which the Owenashad is a tributary) this area has been designated as a Special Area of Conservation. However, this fact seems to have been completely overlooked by those responsible for this atrocity.

The Tidy Towns Committee have claimed the destruction of the river walk is due to “insurance reasons”, however, the path was not dangerous in any way, and local people regularly dive into the river a few feet away with no concern for insurance.   Of course it is also important that there are accessible areas available so that people with impaired mobility can enjoy the outside environment, and fortunately we have numerous areas locally, such as the Millennium Park, Ballyrafter Woods, and Glenshelane, as well as countless quiet, tree-lined boreens, all of which are accessible to those with impaired mobility. However, we cannot tarmac or concrete over every wild place due to the damage that would be caused to wild flora and natural habitats. Local people are utterly outraged and saddened by the loss of such a beautiful, natural environment.

The tidy towns committee generally do an excellent job of keeping the town and surrounding urban areas looking good. They work extremely hard to remove litter from the streets, and to maintain urban flowerbeds and signage. However the nature of the tidy towns initiative is competitive – when everything that can be done to improve the town has been done, other ways have to be found to get one up on the competition. This has lead to the tidy towns turning their attention to the natural areas outside the centre of town.

Although the National Parks and Wildlife Service gave consent for this project before the work began, this was on the basis that there was a pre-existing path and that no woodland clearance was involved. They have stated that: “they would not have recommended that the path be changed”, however, the path has in fact been widened to at least twice its original width, and although no trees were felled, extensive clearance of woodland has taken place on either side.

If I wanted to make any alterations to my house, I would have to apply for permission, and local people would have an opportunity to voice their opinions and objections. However, this project did not go through the usual planning process, and no signs were erected to warn of the plans for the area, which meant that local people were given no opportunity to make submissions or objections.

If you don’t live in Lismore and think this doesn’t concern you, remember that this destruction could equally happen anywhere, at any time, and once the damage is done, it is often too late. If you are concerned about the damage done to the Owenashad River Walk, or any other unspoilt area, check out Save Our Wild Places, www.facebook.com/SaveOurWildPlaces a new resource for people who are concerned about the increasing urbanization of our wild and natural areas. Hopefully this will provide a useful forum for discussion, advice and support for anyone challenging the destruction of any unspoiled place.

Hospital Food is Bad for your Health

A leading consultant gastroenterologist, Dr. Anthony O’Connor, has warned that hospital food is bad for your health. Speaking after the annual general meeting of the Irish Medical Organisation, he said that being in hospital is a good time to reinforce healthy eating habits. However patients are regularly served unhealthy meals such as deep fried sausages, chips and salty bacon, even when they are suffering from serious heart problems. It is interesting to see this important issue being raised at last, but it’s really only the tip of the iceberg of a serious lack of regard for the importance of nutrition within the medical establishment.
I am frequently shocked when patients come to the clinic on all sorts of medication for various problems, yet they have never been given any advice about which foods they should eat or avoid, or even been asked about their diet. I have seen people taking statin drugs for high cholesterol (which can be associated with numerous side effects) who tell me they eat fried foods, crisps and chocolate on a daily basis, and were never asked about their diet, or advised to alter it in any way. I have seen people (including young children) with severe digestive problems, taking various medications that make little difference to their symptoms, make a complete recovery when they exclude certain foods from their diet.

The association between diet and both digestive and cardiovascular disease is well known. However, the foods we eat have a far-reaching effect on every aspect of health, and there are few if any conditions that are not affected by our diet. A great deal of research has been conducted in recent years on the effects of diet and psychology, with food intolerances and consumption of artificial additives being linked to all sorts of conditions, such as ADHD, autism, depression and even schizophrenia. It is not proposed that poor diet is the sole cause of these conditions, but that what a person eats has a huge impact on the severity of the symptoms.

Likewise, diet is extremely important in the prevention and treatment of cancer. While it is not sufficient as an alternative to conventional treatment, it can certainly make all the difference when the two are combined. Fresh organic fruit and vegetables, contain various nutrients such as antioxidants and salvestrols, which are deficient in most cancer patients; while a low fat, high fibre diet helps to clear cancer-causing substances from the body.  On the other hand, consumption of large amounts of wheat, dairy products, and meat (especially bacon and ham) tends to increase the risk of developing the disease.

Refined sugar is also likely to increase cancer growth, and this fact is well known by the medical establishment, since it is the basis for the PET scan, in which the patient is given sugar that has been radioactively labeled. Since cancer cells feed on sugar, this allows even small tumours to show up on a scan. However, I have seen advice sheets given to cancer patients by hospital-based dieticians, which instruct them to consume high sugar foods, such as ice-cream and lucozade.

There seems to be an obsession with encouraging patients with cancer to put on weight, however this is based on a misconception. People often lose weight because they have cancer: they don’t have cancer because they lose weight, and encouraging them to put on weight by eating sugary and fatty foods will not help their condition. In fact, fat cells are a major source of oestrogen in the body, which is implicated in various types of cancer.

Unfortunately much of this seems to stem from a lack of training in nutrition for doctors, and from a bizarre situation in which the only dieticians who are employed by the HSE are trained on one course, in one college in Dublin. The thousands of nutritionists in this country, many of whom have a more progressive approach to nutrition and health, are not eligible for employment in the health service. However, Mr. O’Connor’s comments show that there are indeed some enlightened individuals within the medical establishment, and hopefully awareness of the importance of nutrition will increase in the near future.

The old saying: “you are what you eat” is absolutely true. A healthy diet, which is appropriate for the individual, will allow that individual to be as healthy as they can be. On the other hand, an unhealthy diet, or one that is not suitable for the person, will invariably lead to ill-health, if not in the short term, then certainly in years to come. Of course it is not always easy to know what type of diet is most appropriate, but seeing a qualified nutritionist can help you to get your health back on track.

Easter Eggs

Easter is nearly here and the shops are packed full of Easter Eggs. The chocolate Easter Egg is a relatively new phenomenon, since Easter Eggs were traditionally made by dying or painting ordinary hens eggs.
In earlier times, eating eggs during Lent was forbidden by the church, leading to the custom of using up all the eggs in the house to make pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. At Easter time, eggs were dyed red to represent the blood shed by Christ on the cross. The hard shell of the egg was seen to represent the tomb of Christ, and cracking the egg symbolised his resurrection from the dead.

Aside from being important as a symbol of new life in the springtime, eggs (the real variety that is, not the chocolate ones!) are also an inexpensive and very rich source of various nutrients, which provide numerous health benefits:

Protein

Eggs are a very good source of  high-quality protein, and contain all 9 essential amino acids. Various studies have shown that eating protein-rich foods such as eggs at breakfast time helps you to feel fuller for longer, and actually increases weight loss.

Vitamin D

Eggs are one of only very few natural foods that contain vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D is best known for its role in bone health, but recent research has highlighted numerous other health problems that can result from inadequate vitamin D intake including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, and various types of cancer.

The average person in this country has vitamin D levels of less than two thirds of the recommended amount, which is not really surprising, given the lack of sunshine in this country compared to other parts of the world. Eggs are therefore an eggselent (!) source of additional vitamin D.

Vitamin B12, choline and folic acid.

These nutrients are all part of the vitamin B complex, and are important for the healthy functioning of the cardiovascular system, the nervous system and the brain.

Choline, together with vitamin D and other nutrients found in eggs, is important for cancer prevention, and studies have shown that women who consume an egg a day have a significantly lower risk of developing breast cancer.

Carotenoids

Egg yolks contain various carotenoids including lutein, which helps to prevent eye problems such as macular degeneration and cataracts. The carotenoids found in eggs are more readily available in the body than those from other sources.

Healthy fats

One egg contains just 5 grams of fat and only 1.5 grams of that is saturated fat. Egg yolks do contain cholesterol, and in the past, health experts advised people to avoid them. However recent research has shown that eating an egg a day does not increase cholesterol levels, and moderate consumption of eggs may actually help to reduce cholesterol.

Studies have also shown that there is no link between moderate egg consumption and heart disease, and in fact, regular consumption of eggs may help to prevent blood clots, strokes and heart attacks. The healthy fats in eggs may also help to reduce other inflammatory diseases.

If you are buying eggs, it is best to choose free-range organic eggs, which have been produced by hens that have been allowed to roam freely, given natural additive-free feed, and not treated with antibiotics. The carotenoids give egg yolks their yellow colour, and if you have ever bought free-range eggs, you will no doubt have noticed that the yolk is much more yellow in these. Free-range organic eggs are also likely to contain much higher levels of other beneficial nutrients.

Better still, why not consider keeping a few hens of your own? Provided you have a bit of space for them to roam on, they are remarkably easy to look after and cheap to feed, and you would also be surprised at just how attached you can get to them. Just 2 or 3 hens will provide you with 2 or 3 free-range organic eggs virtually every day of the year, and help you to dispose of a good proportion of your kitchen scraps.

Well-Being for Women – Part Three

Over the past few weeks I have been writing about some of the unique difficulties facing women as a result of their changing hormones. In the last of the current series of articles on wellbeing for women, we will focus on maintaining your wellbeing at 50 and beyond.
Some would say the menopause is a positive time: a transition from the stresses of building a career and raising children, to a time of wisdom and personal fulfillment.  But for many women the road is a rough one to say the least, fraught with a host of debilitating symptoms. The usual treatment for these symptoms is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).  Many women who decide to take HRT expect to take it for a few years and then discontinue treatment when the menopause is over.  However, HRT simply delays the inevitable, and most women find that when they stop taking it, their symptoms are just as bad as they were in the beginning, if not worse.

Many women are now looking for a natural alternative to HRT, due to concerns about the safety of long-term use, such as the increased risk of breast cancer and stroke. Herbal medicine is a safe and effective alternative, which has been used around the world for centuries to ease women through the menopause.

The first line of treatment is to reduce the impact of declining natural hormones. Herbs such as black cohosh contain substances which resemble oestrogen, and are very effective for reducing symptoms such as hot flushes and vaginal dryness.  Other natural substances that can mimic oestrogen in the body are the isoflavones, which are found soya products, seeds (such as in linseeds) and wholegrains.  These foods may be incorporated into the diet to reduce menopausal symptoms. However, in order for these substances to be used by the body, they must be broken down by beneficial bacteria in the digestive system. Therefore they are generally much more effective if taken with probiotics, or eaten in a fermented form, such as soya yoghurt, miso, tempeh or sourdough rye bread.

It is sometimes assumed that oestrogen-like substances in plants are associated with the same risks as HRT, but studies have shown that many of these herbs are perfectly safe, and even beneficial for women who have oestrogen-dependent conditions such as breast cancer.

The second task of herbal treatment is to address the symptoms.  The most common of these is hot flushing, which is often accompanied by sweating.  Sage dramatically reduces sweating, while hops is useful for insomnia due to night sweats. It is important to avoid foods such as caffeine, spices, and alcohol that can trigger hot flushes.

Other common menopausal symptoms include depression, anxiety, insomnia, exhaustion, poor concentration, memory loss, joint aches and low libido.  Following an in-depth consultation with a medical herbalist, several herbs are selected on the basis of each woman’s unique symptom picture, and blended in an individual prescription. Once the right combination of herbs is found for each individual, most women experience significant or even complete relief from symptoms within a few weeks.

Good nutrition is also an essential part of maintaining your wellbeing at 50 and beyond. Lower oestrogen levels after menopause are associated with increased skin ageing, thinning hair, and more seriously, an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease; and the best way to help prevent these problems is by ensuring you are getting the right nutrients.

The most beneficial nutrients for the over 50s are probably the essential fatty acids, found in oily fish (such as mackerel, tuna, salmon, herring and trout), together with various oils such as starflower, evening primrose and flax oils. These have a very beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, hair and nails, and have been shown to increase bone density and prevent heart disease.  It is also important to eat a healthy diet which contains plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, to take plenty of exercise.

Finally, many women are also trying to cope with children or teenagers, while juggling a career and taking care of the home during this difficult time. They may also be struggling to come to terms the loss of their youth, or with adult children leaving home. Stress and anxiety have a very negative impact on the balance of hormones, especially after menopause. This is because the adrenal glands (which take over the task of producing oestrogen when the ovaries shut down) are primarily responsible for secreting the hormones that help us to cope with stress. Other therapies that can help with these problems, such as Aromatherapy massage, counselling or art therapy, may also be very useful to ease women through the menopause, and make all the difference during this challenging time.