Bio- Identical Hormones & Menopause Relief

Posted by Cathy on

Soy for menopause or bio-identical homrmones

 

 

The question many women suffering with menopausal hot flashes and night sweats are asking is whether bio-identical hormones such as progesterone cream and phytoestrogen (plant sourced estrogen) are safe and effective AS  the chemical hormones found in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs?

 

Many women today are being told “bio-identical” hormones are identical to those your body makes. Even though progesterone and estrogen bio-identical creams may be closer to what your body produces there are certainly risks in using any hormone therapy.   Some doctors believe the risks are just as great as taking an hormone replacement therapy drug (HRT) others believe the jury is still out because we have no long term data since these products are still very new to the market.  Risks may be tied to the dosage which varies greatly from women to women.

 

Bio-identical hormones made from plant sources may be perfectly safe in low doses, which is the way we would ingest these chemicals found in yams, soy beans and a handful of herbs but at higher doses may be harmful. Nearly every substance found in nature can be safe in minute doses yet toxic at a higher dose. Even water can kill us when taken in to large a dose over a very short time period.  Knowing what dose is right for your body can be tricky depending on blood, urine and saliva testing which may not give an accurate reading of circulating hormones in your blood which changes daily and even hourly.

 

Bio-identical hormones, make no mistake can be just as powerful and dangerous as taking a prescription hormone replacement drug.  Phytoestrogen  used in minute doses the way we find in nature may be completely safe and effective.  Asian women have a long history of eating soy beans nearly everyday of their life from childhood through adulthood and experience very few menopausal symptoms.  The isoflavones in soy are known to act as a hormone balancing chemicals.

 

So, which should you choose, bio-identical hormones or synthetic hormone replacement therapy for your menopausal symptoms?  How about neither!   There is a third option that women in Asia have used for centuries and the Western world is just beginning to see on store shelves.  Traditional Chinese herbs are another option for menopause symptom relief.   You can learn more about it here.

 

Can Cash Register Receipts Cause PMS?

Posted by Cathy on

As women, our hormonal cycles can make us an emotional mess! From our first period to our last, we are dominated by our hormones.  These tricky little messengers can run around amuck in our bodies for years and are often never “on a short lease and house trained.”  This is my motto and the way I like my hormones.

 

In other words, I want some predictability.   I don’t want the unknown creeping into my day and then I blow a fuse without any warning.  I think my family appreciates this too, especially my kids!   But life is not always so predictable and neither are our hormones.  If you agree, then it’s time to do something about them!

 

Hormonal balance is possible, in fact it’s absolutely essential to maintaining our good health. This has become harder to do with all the chemicals we find everywhere and so many products we take for granted our safe to us.  The fact is our bodies absorb many chemicals through our skin that can throw our hormonal balance into a spiraling nose dive.  As you probably know hormonal imbalance is the precursor to PMS, menstrual cramps, peri-menopause and menopause symptoms. So keeping the balance is crucial no matter what your age.

  

Here's one tip on a chemicals you may have already heard about but didn't realize it could be sneeking into your body in ways you never considered.

The chemical is BPA’s (Bisphenol A)  a known endocrine disrupting chemical which acts like estrogen in our body. Did you know that cash register receipts are made from thermal papers that contain high amounts of BPA’s.  When you touch these receipts or even handle cash today, (much of the BPA’s are landing on our cash) you potentially have high amounts of BPA’s on your hands. The cumulative effect is the effect we are worried about here.  Your action step to prevent BPA’s entering your body is easy.

Wash your hands before you eat or touch you mouth.

It should be part of our daily hygiene anyway.  But often times we eat on the run, pick up fast food and have just touched the receipt of the food we bought.   Just be cognitive, that you may not really need that receipt.

Politely decline taking the receipt. Washing your hands may seem like a simple baby step to creating better health and healing for your body from PMS to menopausal symptoms.  But,  adding a whole lot of small healthy steps together takes you from a standstill to a full sprint in creating better health.  If you have more questions revisit the information on BPA’s in the book, Stop Your Bitching…naturally! or get "30 Days of Tips To Stop Your Bitching…naturally!  The book of tips is an easy to follow guidebook with one TIP for everyday of the month to help you bring balance back to your hormonal shifts..NATURALLY.  

Get 30 Days of Tips FREE from October 18-20th, 2013 on Amazon downloadable books. 

 

 

Natural Menstrual Cramp Relief fast with PMS Relief Herb Pack from Pacific Herbs

Supplement During Menopause Treatments

Posted by Cathy on

Hot flashes and night sweats for 3 years, Oh MY! I friend of a friend just confided in me she’s been suffering with menopause symptoms in silence for years. When I inquire as to why, she said, “I just didn’t know what to do and I didn’t want the artificial hormones”.

 

Not all women need a menopause treatment plan. Menopause is a time of change and all women over 50 will experience an ending to their menstruation sooner or later.

 

But, not all women will need a treatment plan during their menopause years. According to Dr. Elaine Jolly, director of Ottawa’s Shirley E. Greenberg Women’s Health Centre, “Menopause is seen as not very sexy,” says Jolly. “And the menopause curriculum in medical schools is horrible. And that’s a pity, because mature women benefit from preventive care.” she says.

 

Jolly suspects she knows why the (menopause treatment) field is not a popular choice for medical students contemplating a specialty. It takes a full hour to have a proper consultation with a menopausal patient — and the pay is lower than other medical specialties. “You don’t get kudos for health prevention,” says Jolly. “In France, if you spend time counseling and talking about these things, you get paid.” Many frustrated women are turning to complementary and alternative medicine, she says. “They are not getting satisfaction through conventional medicine.”

 

I agree with you Dr. Elaine Jolly, women are turning to alternative medicine especially Chinese herbs for menopause treatment. The herbs used in Menopause Relief Herb Pack are the same ones used for centuries to help women balance their hormones and give them relief from hot flashes and night sweats.

Is China Ripping Off American Ginseng?

Posted by Cathy on

GinPacific Herbs Highest quality Siberian ginseng seng is one of the most popular Chinese herbs in the world and if you live in China, it is one of the most popular ways to promote health and virility.  

 

But why does most of the American ginseng get exported to China and Korea? 

 

Asian cultures have been using ginseng for thousands of years and place a high value on the American grown variety. Amazing, but true, China has been importing American ginseng for nearly 100 years since it was first discovered in the Northern mid-western region. In fact, Wisconsin's most valuable export has nothing to do with the dairy industry, or corn or wheat.  It's all about the ginseng production every year.

 

Wisconsin  is producing 95 percent of America's ginseng. U.S. demand for ginseng is still very low and the best price can be fetched in Asia. 

 

Good to know we have at least one export that China wants from us. Wisconsin governor Walker is in China this week and a deal with Tong Ren Tong, the oldest continually operated Chinese herb store in China has just been signed to export Wisconsin grown ginseng.  Maybe one day soon Americans will learn the value of this incredibly powerful herb.

 

We carry American Ginseng in our store here!

 

Bio-Identical Hormones and Menopause Symptom Relief

Posted by Cathy on

Soy for menopause or bio-identical homrmonesThe question many women suffering with menopausal hot flashes and night sweats are asking is whether bio-identical hormones such as progesterone cream and phytoestrogen (plant sourced estrogen) are safe and effective AS  the chemical hormones found in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs?

 

Many women today are being told "bio-identical" hormones are identical to those your body makes. Even though progesterone and estrogen bio-identical creams may be closer to what your body produces there are certainly risks in using any hormone therapy.   Some doctors believe the risks are just as great as taking an hormone replacement therapy drug (HRT) others believe the jury is still out because we have no long term data since these products are still very new to the market.  Risks may be tied to the dosage which varies greatly from women to women.

 

Bio-identical hormones made from plant sources may be perfectly safe in low doses, which is the way we would ingest these chemicals found in yams, soy beans and a handful of herbs but at higher doses may be harmful. Nearly every substance found in nature can be safe in minute doses yet toxic at a higher dose. Even water can kill us when taken in to large a dose over a very short time period.  Knowing what dose is right for your body can be tricky depending on blood, urine and saliva testing which may not give an accurate reading of circulating hormones in your blood which changes daily and even hourly.

 

Bio-identical hormones, make no mistake can be just as powerful and dangerous as taking a prescription hormone replacement drug.  Phytoestrogen  used in minute doses the way we find in nature may be completely safe and effective.  Asian women have a long history of eating soy beans nearly everyday of their life from childhood through adulthood and experience very few menopausal symptoms.  The isoflavones in soy are known to act as a hormone balancing chemicals.

 

So, which should you choose, bio-identical hormones or synthetic hormone replacement therapy for your menopausal symptoms?  How about neither!   There is a third option that women in Asia have used for centuries and the Western world is just beginning to see on store shelves.  Traditional Chinese herbs are another option for menopause symptom relief.   You can learn more about it here.

 

Nestle Ventures into Chinese Medicine and Chinese Herbs

Posted by Cathy on

          Nestle is moving into Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM  by joining forces with Chinese pharma group Chi-Med.  Nestle also just announced they are acquiring Pfizer Nutrition for $11.85 billion dollars.

Nestle is growing in leaps and bounds.  Chinese herbs already have thousands of years of proven use and it makes sense that a giant like Nestle would see the value in looking to Chinese herbs for the newest drugs. The new company, called Nutrition Science Partners (NSP), is to be owned equally by the two parties, Nestle said, without revealing any of the financials behind the deal.  NSP will research, develop, make and sell nutritional and medicinal products derived from botanical plants, it said.

When I think of Nestle, I think of the chocolate chips cookies I use to make as a kid with Nestle chocolate chips.  Yup, same company.  In fact they own too many brands to mention and are the worlds largest food company.

The new herbal joint venture will hand Nestle's Health Science division access to Chi-Med's traditional Chinese medicine library, which includes more than 50,000 extracts from more than 1,200 different herbal plants is one of the world's largest, the statement said.

"Botanical are in the forefront in our view in the search for new medicines," the Chi-Med chief said.

Traditional Chinese plant-based medicines represented between 30% and 40% of all pharmaceutical sales in China, he added.

“This joint venture provides Nestlé Health Science with an opportunity to develop and commercialize truly innovative and scientifically validated botanical-based nutrition for personalized healthcare in gastro-intestinal health,” Nestle Health Science head Luis Cantarell said.

Nestle established the health science business early last year to develop personalized nutrition treatments for conditions such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

What do you think, good for the Chinese medicine world or not?

How To Stay Asleep… All Night!

Posted by Cathy on

-skinny Brochure iSleep-1Do you practice good sleep hygiene? 

You might be asking what is sleep hygiene?

Sleep hygiene is a combination of practices to create a restful, rejuvenating night of sleep. If you don’t get restful sleep every night there is an  herbal solution to help.  This  product has over 800 hundreds of years of use and clinical studies backing it’s effectiveness.

Why use an herbal remedy for sleep that has been used for 800 years?  Because, it works!

The history of herbal remedies is as old as man.  Written first on bones, turtle shells and then bamboo and pryus reeds this sleep remedy has been past down from generation to generation.

There is no guessing.

The herbs used gently calm the mind, stop the over-thinking and allow the body to fall asleep and stay asleep naturally.

We did improve on these herbs by re-packaging them in convenient easy to use individual packets.  

Our packets combine the best in pharmaceutical packaging without using fillers or additives.

Our packets are convenient, have no additives, no sugar, no pills and best of all, water is optional. 

Try iSleep Herb Pack today not just because it tastes great, but because you deserve a restful night of sleep…

every night.

Don’t be fooled by sleep aids today that combine herbs which have no history of ever being used together.  That is junk science.  It’s similar to the idea of throwing everything in your refrigerator into a pot of soup and hoping it will taste good. We know it doesn’t work that way.

Wouldn’t you rather use an herbal sleep aid that has hundreds of years of use!

Try iSleep Herb Pack today.

Why You Should Not Be Reaching For Sleeping Pills

Posted by Cathy on

We all know sleep is something we all need within every day. When you can't get to sleep, a natural sleep aid can make insomnia a thing of the past, yet  some 60 million Americans choose a prescription sleeping pill.  Whether the lack of sleep is due to stress, poor diet, lifestyle choices or a laundry list of other porr habits, sleeping pills have become a drug of choice. 

 

If you are a sleeping pill user do you know a new study shows prescription sleep aids bring an increased risk of dying early?  On the contrary, Chinese herbal sleep aids have been used safely and without side effects for centuries.  

 

The study published in the British Medical Journal says that people taking a prescription sleeping pill even when taking fewer than eighteen pills per year have nearly four times the mortality rate of those who don’t take the drugs.  Patients who take higher doses of sleeping pills have a 35% increased cancer risk. 

 

 
What was significant about this study is that it was long-term, keeping track of 10,529 people who had at least one prescription for a sleeping pill between 2002 and 2007, compared with a control group. While the study doesn’t demonstrate causation, it did adjust for confounding factors such as age, smoking, weight, and other health conditions.

 

 Try a natural sleep aid, Chinese herbs for sleep have been used for centuries and has no side effects. 

Fascinating Lecture On Chinese Herb Discoveries

Posted by Cathy on

A lecture I attended today was revisiting history, the history of Chinese herbs.  What I found most interesting is the fact that hospitals in the U.S. are doing clinical trials using Chinese herbs.

This is truly re-inventing Western medicine.

The drugs of the future are herbs that are proving (once again) their effectiveness. These herbal drugs are made from Traditional Chinese herb formulas written down over one thousand years ago, so we can say this medicine is truly based on historical information.

Chinese herbal medicine is being studied at places like Yale University where Yung Chi (Tommy) Cheng, PhD. is the chairman of the Consortium for Globalization of Chinese Medicine. He is an innovative pioneer in herbal drug research and internationally renowned for his significant role in the advancement of pharmacology.

Using a Traditional Chinese Herb four herb formula, Dr. Cheng is working on FDA approval for a patented drug to alleviate side effects of chemotherapy induced nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.  The unfortunate side effects of chemotherapy make it difficult for patients to tolerate and chemotherapy damages the immune system. This Chinese herb formula is proving it can eliminate the side effects by healing the gut and improving the immune system without reducing the effects of the chemo.
This is exciting work and we hope the FDA will give swift approval as so many patients are in need of this holistic, herbal medicine.

Why Melatonin Is Not A Good Sleep Aid

Posted by Cathy on

Melatonin is a powerful hormone produced naturally in our bodies.  We know it helps with circadium rhythms or our natural body clock.   

For years people have been taking melatonin to help them sleep. 

Yesterday Dr. Oz's guest, Dr. Breus said melatonin is dangerous and should not be used as a sleep aid and should not be used in the high doses sold over-the-counter. 

Since our bodies only make about 0.3 to 0.8 milligrams of melatonin per day, taking a supplement sold in 3, 5, 10 or more mg is 10x more than our body would normally make. 

Even though melatonin has become known as a safe natural sleep aid too much of anything can be dangerous. Melatonin can actually destroy your sleep cycle said the good doctor. Melatonin supplements can also cause headaches, nausea, dizziness or irritability.

The natural sleep aid that has been safely used around the world for centuries are Chinese herbs.  One formual in particular has been the most popular for getting to sleep naturally. The Chinese name is Suan Zao Ren Tang, we sell it under our brand, iSleep Herb Pack.  It's easier to understand and easier to pronounce.  

Learn more about this natural and completly safe and non-addicting sleep aid here!  Billions of people use everynight without side-effects.  Please also see our 3 minute factory tour video and learn why our herbal processing is the GOLD standard around the world.

 

Chinese Herbs Now In Skin Moisturizers

Posted by Cathy on

Chinese botanicals are going mainstreamI saw this in the store the other day. It is one of the just a handful of main stream products I’ve seen in the U.S. that is advertising “Chinese Botanicals”!

 

Very Cool!! Kiss My Face is not just a trend setter they see the writing on the wall. Chinese herbs can and do make your products better. They are used all over Asia in various drinks, hand creams, shampoo’s and cosmetics, it’s about time we start seeing them on American store shelves.

 

American’s are getting exposed to Chinese herbs slowly but surely. Whether it’s ginseng in energy drinks or goji berries packages we are starting to see greater use of Chinese herbs in everyday products. Kiss Your Face uses both Chinese botanicals, and Chinese herbs on their packaging label.

 

Here are the three main reasons why Chinese herbs are different than Western herbs and why you're going to start seeing much more of these Chinese botanicals in everyday products.

 

1. Firstly, most of them have been used for thousands of years so evidence of use is simply much, much longer than Western botanicals that have only been documented for only a few hundred years.

 

2. Chinese botanicals don’t necessarily grow exclusively in China today. Many grow around the world, including America. All are part of a system of medicine called Traditional Chinese medicine that is thousands of years old and today this system of medicine keeps billions of people alive and well.

 

3. The third most important difference in Chinese herbs vs Western herbs is their use in combinations or formulas. Western herbs are often used one at a time. For example the use of chamomile for trouble sleeping. But in Chinese Herbal medicine, one herb alone would never be used to help with sleep. A combination of herbs, or formula of herbs would be used because over the centuries people have found formulas or groups of herbs work much better than just using one herb along.

 

Of course there are many other differences between Western herbs and Chinese herbs,  But that's a good start and it's great to see the system of herbal medicine being incorporated into more mainstream products in the United States and around the world.

Ginseng Now Included in Food Products

Posted by Cathy on

The China Ministry of Health just recently decided to change its policy regarding ginseng.  Well known for hundreds of health benefits, ginseng will now be allowed to be included in food products in Asia.   America has no such restrictions for ginseng and this longevity herb is often found in energy drinks today.

 

Since 2002, the Chinese MInistry of Health has regulated Chinese herbs and placed them into three categories. One  category for Chinese herbs used as food, another categorized herbs as health food and a third that included herbs only as medicine.

 

Before this announcement, ginseng was permitted to be used only in registered health products and medicine categories. The new policy allows ginseng to be used in all three categories.  This will most certainly increase demand and international competitiveness of ginseng.  Prices of this ancient herb have been steadily rising the past few years as more Americans and other Western countries learn about the health benefits of ginseng.

 

Ginseng is commonly called the “king of all herbs.” Ginseng is considered to be nutritious and to have great medical value in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It has been used as a tonic in TCM for over 3,000 years. Ginseng is grown in other East Asia countries as well as in the U.S. and Canada known as American ginseng, but the world’s largest production site is located on Changbai Moutain in Jilin Province, which accounts for 85 percent of China’s total production and 70 percent of the world’s output.

 

I recently toured a famous American Ginseng farm in Wisconsin.  I was a bit surprised to learn that once American ginseng is grown on the land that it cannot ever be replanted there again.  Other crops can be planted after the 6 years old ginseng is harvested.  However, because ginseng depletes the soil of so many mineral and other nutrients it is impossible to harvest ginseng on the same land twice.   Some farmers have waited 70 years and tried to grow another crop of American ginseng only to find after 3 years the crop stopped growing and was never old enough to harvest.   This is just one of the reasons the cost of  100 grams of conenctrated ginseng granules is increasing world wide.  Ginseng is the largest dollar crop exported out of the state of Wisconsin.   Who knew?