For those of you in the Charlotte, NC area----

This is from the Holistic Health Network Charlotte, NC newsletter:

Monthly meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month (September-November and January-May) at 6:45 pm at Presbyterian Hospital in the Bobcat Room on the first floor (near the cafeteria). After entering the door from the parking deck, turn left immediately and go down the corridor. Parking in the hospital visitor's parking deck is free for HHN meeting participants--just sign your parking ticket and present it to the attendant when you leave.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

Tuesday, September 7 - 6:45 pm "Healing with Hypnosis: Tranceformative Altered States." Joseph Lefcoski, a licensed psychologist, who specializes in behavior medicine and integrative approaches to healing, combines a strong clinical background with mind-body focus. He works with adults, children and adolescents in their journeys toward a more balanced and integrated self. Office: 704-372-1595.

Tuesday, October 5 - 6:45 pm Janet Handy, RN, MS, NE-A, BC, FACHE. Chief Nurse Executive and VP Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy, Charlotte will speak on the topic of Patient and Family Centeredness.

Tuesday, November 2 - 6:45 pm Dr A. Cushing of the Holistic Wellness Center of Charlotte . Dr. Cushing will explain the NES System/ Neutra Energetic Scan, which is a full body, non evasive scan of the deepest parts of the body energy field along with a new class of FDA approved remedies call Info-ceuticals. He will also demonstrate his own technique to desensitize the body to allergies using the Allercease tm Technique. www.theholisticdoctorisin.com.

Tuesday, December 7 - Annual Holiday/Solstice Dinner at Providence Cafe - all are welcome! We will have the annual blessing of the hands before dinner. Details to come....

Tuesday, January 4 - 6:45 pm Dr. Robert Cynowa, DC, CCEP of Complete Wellness Chiropractic. Dr. Cynowa will speak on the topic of Living Unlimited...Opening Up the Potential of Your Life. Learn specific ways of integrating the latest in chiropractic, exercise, nutrition and positive thinking to aid the body....a self healing masterpiece that is preprogrammed for homeostasis and health, in moving toward more positive, healthy living.

Tuesday, February 1 - 6:45 pm Paras Mehta, MD will speak on "Gandhi’s Diet: The case of Minimalism and Lifestyle Change in Medicine". Dr Mehta has a broad interest in the often over looked role of nutrition and lifestyle in prevention and even reversing of disease processes. He has trained in Integrative, Functional and Rehabilitative Medicine as well as Acupuncture.

Tuesday, March 1 - 6:45 pm Dipti Tiwari will present YOGArts Harmony, combining yoga postures, breathing exercises, and meditation with visual arts to help promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. She has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and has a background in art, writing, and dance. Her experience includes language interpretation in health care and human services as well as teaching languages. Come relax and increase your energy, balance, flexibility, and concentration. YOGArtsHarmony@gmail.com

Tuesday, April 5 - 6:45 pm Jay Patel, R.Ph of Family Care Specialty Pharmacy explains the role of compounding pharmacies in providing customization of prescribed medications, bioidentical hormones, and even pain medications can be compounded into topical applications for individuals who cannot tolerate oral medications. familycare@ctc.net.

Tuesday, May 3 - 6:45 pm Darren Holman L.Ac, M.A.O.M. (Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine will present learning howacupuncture unlocks
your body's own healing potential, increasing intracellular communication and removing obstacles to your ultimate well being.

Holistic Acupuncture Clinic, 167 S Trade Street , Matthews, NC 28105 (704)942-5300
darrenholman@gmail.com

Doctors Seek Way to Treat Muscle Loss

Muscle strength is something that we need to take seriously as we age----I do not want to be my mother, who by age 65 could barely lift herself out of a chair because she refused to take care of herself.

I found this article from the NY Times.com on Dr. Carr's Facebook page, and I was particularly interested in what he had to say about muscle strength as we age. I agree, I would rather maintain protein intake, do resistance exercise, and take supplements (much as I hate downing them every morning!), and maintain hormonal balancethan take pharmaceuticals. Having said that, I just got out of the pool (water aerobic workout---important but not muscle building) and after lunch I will do a strength training workout (I have light weights here at home). Make it a great day!

Chinese women and menopause

I thought this article from BellaOnline.com was pretty interesting for a couple reasons: 1. our Chinese counterparts are quite similar in the percentage and types of menopause symptoms as North American women, 2. we've heard for years that Asian women suffer less lot flashes because they have more soy in their diet than Western women, but this study suggests that there are a lot of differences between Chinese and Japanese diets (Japanese have more soy in their diets) and so Asian women cannot be all lumped together in one group.

I'm sorry that I haven't been posting as frequently as I usually do on the blog, but in the summer the number of articles tends to slow way down. Summer news tends to be a bit slower! Hope everyone is doing well.....school started here in NC for most kids yesterday, so that means cooler weather is around the corner.

Low testosterone levels to blame for low libido, fatigue and weight gain

Happy Monday (yes, I know for most of us that's an oxymoron!) everyone!

I haven't shared an article on male menopause (andropause) in a while, and I know we have a bunch of new blog readers (welcome!) This article is from News-Medical.net and is an overview of the symptoms of male menopause. I've personally spoken to several men who have gotten their hormones balanced and they tell me the difference in how they feel is remarkable.

Six Things Every Woman Should Know About Her Periods

Good morning! Today I am sharing an article from MSN.com ----- there are a lot of misconceptions about menstrual periods and a woman's transition to peri/menopause. Some good, basic information here, and pay particular attention to the part about seeing your doctor when you start to notice significant changes in your menstrual periods (heavy bleeding, clotting, etc.) as it may be a normal change, but it can also signify a problem. I can speak to this one with some authority, my periods got so heavy that I was confined to the house for the first two days when it hit, I was soaking an overnight pad in two hours, etc. I practically had to manhandle my doctor at the time to do a vaginal ultrasound, and turns out I had fibroids. I've said it before, but I wish I knew then what I know now about BHRT!

What determines the age when women begin menopause

From Helium.com ----- an article on the factors that determine when a woman will go through menopause. Oftentimes, women will go through menopause about the same age their mothers did, but not always----and many peri/menopausal women do not still have their mom's around to ask. I know my mother did not start peri/menopause until her late 40's, but by 40 I was definitely in peri/menopause (and had a hytsterectomy at 44).

Thyroid and Mental Health

Saw this article from PsychologyToday.com pop up on my Facebook page ---- thought I would share it with you. My first reaction was "only 13 million people undiagnosed, bet it's a lot higher than that!" I went through hell trying to find a doctor who took me seriously and treated my hypothyroidism (I am on Levoxyl and T3 compounded preparation), I get checked regularly and it has made a tremendous difference in my overall health. I shudder to think how many people are on antidepressants when what they really need is hormonal balance and medication for thyroid dysfunction!

The Importance of Bioidentical Hormones

I always know that when the term "monster hormones" pops up on my newsfeed, that Dr. Dach has written another article. This one outlines the differences between bioidentical/natural hormones and synthetic/monster hormones. Click here to check out this article from Dr. Dach's blog......happy Monday!

Bringing Sexy Back: Postmenopausal Intimacy

Two important points I want you to take away from this article from LifeBridgeHealth.com/Newline:

**Even though you can't get pregnant anymore after menopause, it is still very important to practice safe sex!

**Loss of libido is not part of the "normal" aging process----and if you experience loss of desire, there are treatments. Talk to your doctor, and if your doctor blows you off (all too common), GET ANOTHER DOCTOR!

Fish Oil May Prevent Breast Cancer

Are you taking your fish oil supplements? Lots of reasons to do so ---- cardiovascular (heart) health being at the top of the list. Check out this article from FYILiving.com ---- research studying the correlation of taking fish oil supplements to the incidence of developing breast cancer. Obviously, more research is needed, but it's one more reason to remember to take your daily dose! In a related topic, about a year ago I went to hear a health talk and one of the subjects was fish oil ---- the doctor who spoke said if you are one of those people who gets a nasty aftertaste from fish oil ---- try keeping your capsules in the freezer. They will melt more slowly when they hit your stomach, thus reducing the taste.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

What science doesn’t know about women and exercise

I had to laugh that this article popped up on my news feed right after I finished my morning workout (in the pool). The RichmondRegister.com reports that scientists are beginning to explore whether estrogen levels may be why men and women react differently to exercise/fitness regimes. The article talks about estrogen replacement for women, but I am curious to know how the estrogen levels affect someone like me who is estrogen dominant.

The Easiest Way to Prevent Colds and Flu

I pick a beautiful, sunny day here in NC to bring you this article from the HuffingtonPost.com. Higher levels of Vitamin D are associated with a lower risk of catching colds and flu. I take 5000 IUs daily, and I think in the last 4 years I have had perhaps 2 very light colds. I am out and about every day in the community too---just going to the Y for a workout, those places are germ factories! I'm a huge believer in adequate Vitamin D levels---and for those of you new to the blog, Vitamin D is actually a prohormone, not a Vitamin.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!

High-Protein Diet Linked To Bone Density Loss In Post-Menopausal Women

This is just something to be aware of ---- BetterHealthResearch.com is reporting on a study done looking at different types of diets on bone density health in post-menopausal women. As is my usual caveat, talk to your doctor.

For those of you who are new to the blog---I was diagnosed about 5 years ago with a mild case of osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis. I started bioidentical hormone therapy the next year. Last summer, I had a repeat DEXA scan, and it showed that not only do I no longer have osteopenia, my bone density is now comfortably in the normal range. I am of course, thrilled (my doctors too!) Besides the BHRT, I take 5000 IUs Vitamin D daily, and I exercise five days a week (I have a bad back, so I need to exercise for a lot of reasons).

Mediterranean Diet Tied to Lower Breast Cancer Risk

I have the book, but I have never strictly adhered to the Mediterranean Diet. This article from FoxNews.com may make me take another look at it, since a study conducted in Greece finds a lower incidence of breast cancer in post menopausal women who most closely follow the Mediterranean Diet.

There are a number of web pages devoted to the principles of the diet, click this link to find a page by the American Heart Association.

Medical Edge: Hormone changes play a role in development of migraine headaches

Good morning! Talk about serendipity---two of my friends have been dealing with awful migraine headaches lately, and then this morning this article from the Mayo Clinic popped up on my newsfeed. The article seems a bit ambivalent about the role of hormones in migraines. However, it is well known that estrogen is hard on the arteries, it makes sense to me that hormonal changes have an effect on migraines. I know without a doubt it did for me, I had such terrible premenstrual migraine headaches that I would have to lay down with ice bags packed around my head in a cool, dark room. They were awful, I was teaching school at the time and I used to pray every month that if I was going to get a headache, please let it be on the weekend when I could just stay in bed. I wish I knew back then what I now know about hormonal balance......

Make it a great day!