This is a continuation from Menopause Part I, which related to what Menopause is, and some of the herbal treatments that could be used effectively to reduce or alleviate the symptoms. This article will address recommendations based on the book Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by James and Phyllis Balch. These are general ideas and should be considered as a part of a holistic natural health program. Always consult with your physician when adding anything new to a prescribed treatment.

Eat a diet consisting of 50 percent raw foods and take a protein supplement to help stabilize blood sugar. Add black strap molasses, broccoli, dandelion greens, kelp, salmon with bones ( I make salmon chowder once a month or so. It is an easy recipe and can be made with either fresh or canned salmon), sardines, and white fish to your diet.

Avoid dairy products--limit your consumption to small amounts of low-fat yogurt or buttermilk. Dairy products and many meat products promote hot flashes.

Avoid alcohol, caffeine, sugar, spicy foods, and hot soups and drinks, they can trigger hot flashes, aggravate urinary incontinence, and make mood swings worse. They also make the blood more acidic, which prompts the bones to release calcium to act as a buffering agent. This is an important factor in bone loss.

Get regular moderate exercise

Avoid stress as much as possible

Substitute garlic or onion powder for salt when cooking. Consuming salt increases urinary excretion of calcium.

Drink 2 quarts of quality water each day to help prevent drying of the skin and mucous membranes.

For itching in the vaginal area, use vitamin E cream with no fragrance added, or open a vitamin E capsule and apply the oil. Natureworks Marigold Ointment from Abkit stops the itching almost immediately.

If sexual intercourse is painful, try using vitamin E oil or aloe vera to lubricate the vagina.

Japanese women generally experience fewer symptoms of menopause than Western women. This may be because they eat more photo estrogens (plant estrogens). These can be found in soybeans, tofu, miso, flaxseeds, prom granites, and dates. When these substances are eaten, they act like the estrogens produced in the body.
Kombucha tea, has detoxifying, energizing, and immune-boosting properties.

Smoking is associated with early menopause.

Frequent sexual intercourse can help relieve vaginal dryness.

The key word for sailing through Menopause is to keep it as natural as possible. There are instances where hormone replacement therapy may be required. If your physician tells you that you need it, do your homework. Ask questions, seek out information, ask other women about their experiences. We, as women in our modern day technological world have access to vast amounts of information concerning Menopause. But, I sometimes think in our search for technological answers, we forget the basics. Enjoy the sunrise and the sunset. Enjoy the touch of a grandchild’s hand in yours, the comfortable and respectful companionship and love of a life partner, the seasons, and the wonders that exist in the natural world all around us. Slow down, smell the roses, kick up your heels, and dance the dance of life.