For Women Only

Sites that address some of our unique concerns...

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MENOPAUSE ONLINE - Treatments - Hormone Replacement Therapy..

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Excerpts from GoodHousekeeping/January1995,
article
"Why Women Need Chocolate"
(based on Debra Waterhouse's book of the same name)...
"Researchers...found that women...craved sugar because of estrogen's effect on brain chemicals and blood sugar levels...
"[They] took the food/mood link one step further:
"Women didn't just crave sugar for its calming effects, they also craved fat for its mood-elevating effects...
"Fat [releases] other brain chemicals, the endorphins, which energized the mind and lifted the spirit.
"The most powerful female food cravings are for sugar and fat combinations-with the most powerful
craving of all for chocolate [surprise, surprise]...which has the perfect combination of 50% sugar and 50% fat...

"Researchers across the world have found that the best way to manage...cravings is to satisfy them immediately with a small portion...
"What women biologically crave is a reflection of what the female body biologically needs..."

(This is a great article, full of insights and understanding of women's unique makeup; it is lengthy, and the book sounds like it would be a good investment.)
And here is some input from Liv4Adonai in the same vein, a provocative thought or three...

"...the old nursery rhyme,
"What are little girls made of,
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and Spice and everything nice,
That's what little girls are made of.
"What are little boys made of,
What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails and puppy dog tails,
That's what little boys are made of...
"...is based on an old wives' tale that actually is not an old wives' tale at all but has been proven by scientific evidence, that women who conceive while on a diet heavier in fats, sugars and carbohydrates tend to have girls, and women who conceive while on a leaner diet heavier in proteins (lean meats) and lower in fats tend to have boys.
So maybe the sex of a baby isn't determined ENTIRELY by the man after all..."

Thanks, Liv:)
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Here's an interesting testimonial...thanks to LoveCeltic for telling me about the site

Wild Yam Cream
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What can you have for 300 calories?

Scroll down for a pleasant surprise...
(See graphic at bottom of page)

Thanks to Great American Home Cooking Magazine

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Excerpt from University of California, Berkeley
WELLNESS LETTER

"Berry good for you...

"For years drinking cranberry juice has been recommended as a means of preventing or treating urinary tract infections. And it does seem to help...
"UTI's are usually caused by e.coli, a common intestinal bacterium (thus the one reliable treatment is antibiotics)...researcher [report in New England Journal of Medicine]...that special tannins in cranberry (as well as blueberry) extracts inhibit the binding of E. coli to cells on the lining of the urinary tract. Presumably, that would allow the bacteria to be flushed from the bladder with the urine.
"Cranberry juice can be used as an adjunct to treatment--not a substitute for it. If a UTI is serious enough to cause symptoms, it requires medical attention. If untreated it may turn into a bladder infection. But those susceptible to UTIs may want to try cranberry juice as a preventive measure. A 1994 Harvard study found that women who drank 10 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail daily significantly reduced infection rates over a six-month period.
"The cranberry juice cocktail [found in stores] has been diluted and heavily sweetened...the pure juice is very tart. Artificially sweetened juices are also available. Health food stores sell undiluted, unsweetened juice: you can dilute it with orange juice concentrate and water (or other juices) to make it less sour.
"Capsules containing cranberry juice extract are available... Many women find that these help prevent UTIs, and one small study supports this. However no one knows what the right dose is, and you can't even be sure that the capsules contain what the label says."

Unidentified Funny Vitamins (from U of CA - Berkeley Wellness Letter, Vol. 15, Issue 9) "...Many marketers on the Internet are inventing new ones..."
"Vitamin F: this appears to be unsaturated fatty acids, found in most vegetable oils. Claimed, falsely, to be a cure for multiple sclerosis.
"Vitamin O: a bottle of salt water containing oxygen molecules...costs $20 a pop..."O" is advertised for mole removal, cancer, sexual dysfunction, etc. But oxygen is not a vitamin, which is too bad, since the air is full of it.
"Vitamin P: a flavonoid (plant pigment) sold to relieve leg cramps.
"Vitamin T: supposedly from egg yolks and sesame seeds, it cures anemia, according to its adherents.
"Vitamin U: sold to relieve ulcer pain, often in a pill also containing Vitamin A.
"'B' vitamins: a number of so-called B vitamins are also for sale, with numbers running up to B-17 and beyond. You might have thought a B-17 was a military plane, but it also designates laetrile, an apricot-pit derivative and bogus cancer treatment.
"You need 13 vitamins to live: A, C, D, E, and K, plus the B complex consisting of 8 vitamins (thiamin or B1, riboflavin or B2, niacin or B3, folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, B6 and B12). These come from foods (and pills), and Vitamins D and K are also manufactured in the body."

"Don't believe the rumors about tampons--that they contain asbestos or dioxin, or that rayon fibers in them cause Toxic Shock Syndrome. Spreading over the Internet, these rumors have been refuted by the FDA. TSS, which is very rare today, is not promoted by the fiber content, but by super-absorbent brands...labeling describes the degree of absorbency as well as the signs of TSS and how to minimize the risk." (For more info contact FDA website )

All puffed up?

(Excerpted from Good Housekeeping, February 1995)

"Here are the most common causes of fluid retention:
"Hormonal fluctuations: The retention tends to begin 7-10 days before...period...disappear once menstruation starts. Higher ratios of estrogen to progesterone during that part of cycle are thought to cause the body to store salt, and therefore retain water. Menopausal women who are on ERT [Bold mine throughout] often complain of bloat, says Dr. Giardina (medical director of the Center for Women's Health at Columbia-Presbyterian/Eastside in New York City).
"Excess salt: A sudden increase in salt intake prompts your body to try to dilute sodium by retaining water...may take several days for kidneys to get rid of [it].
"Too little water: Cutting back on water-- fluids...will cause your body to retain what water is there in order to allow the kidneys to do their job.
"Crash dieting: Initially, much of weight loss is water...the body tries to compensate for fluid loss by retaining what's left. Weight loss diets that are deficient in protein may also lead to fluid retention.
"Medications: Cortisone, appetite suppressants, birth control pills, and certain antacids are all associated with fluid retention. 'Ironically, both prescription and over-the-counter [OTC] diuretics, which are intended to flush excess fluid from body, are common culprits,' says Karen Bradshaw, M.D. associate professor of [OB/GYN] and surgery at the U. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. "Although diuretics may bring on a huge urinary output initially, they often have a rebound effect, prompting the body to hold on to fluid.
"Nicotine withdrawal: Although precise mechanism is not clear, most quitters complain of bloating for several days after kicking the habit.
"Illness: Edema is a common sign of some serious diseases, including congestive heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease and underactive thyroid. However...these almost always involve other troublesome symptoms. For example many pregnant women experience swelling in the feet and legs, but if the swelling is severe and accompanied by dizziness, headaches, and decreased urine, it could be a sign of toxemia, a potentially dangerous conditon related to high blood pressure.

To minimize fluid retention: "Avoid salt and sodium-laden foods [eg. canned soups and vegetables, processed foods, salty snacks, and frozen meals not specifically labelled "low sodium"].
"Drink 8-10 glasses of noncaloric fluids every day to dilute sodium.
Caveat! a condition called idiopathic edema, bloating that persists and doesn't respond to usual measures requires not more fluid but moderate fluid restrictions, such as cutting back from 8 to 6 glasses of water per day. See your doctor.
"Lose weight if necessary. Excess weight slows down circulation and may promote fluid accumulation.
"Stop using OTC diuretic pills or teas; over time, they perpetuate the problem.
"Read labels on your OTC drugs. If they contain sodium, switch. Ask your doctor about Rx meds.
""If these simple measures don't bring relief in a week or two and you continue to be extremely and uncomfortably bloated, consult a doctor to determine if the fluid retention could be a sign of an underlying disease."

Last updated April 16, 2008
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Midi: "Daughters of Erin", Sequenced by Lesley Nelson